College Board-Aligned
AP Environmental Science
This page follows the current official College Board course outline. Each unit/topic links to original local notes built for studying, practice, and review.
Course Snapshot
9
official units
53
linked topics/skills
Alignment Sources
Units & Topics
Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems
On the AP exam: 6%-8% of exam score.
- Unit 1 Topic 1: Introduction to ecosystems Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 2: Terrestrial and aquatic biomes Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 3: Primary productivity Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 4: Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycles Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 5: Trophic levels Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 6: The flow of energy in an ecosystem and the 10% rule Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 7: Food chains and food webs Original Notes
Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity
On the AP exam: 6%-8% of exam score.
- Unit 2 Topic 1: Introduction to biodiversity Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 2: Ecosystem services Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 3: Island biogeography Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 4: Ecological tolerance Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 5: Natural disruptions to ecosystems Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 6: Ecological succession Original Notes
Unit 3: Populations
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 3 Topic 1: Generalist and specialist species Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 2: Survivorship curves Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 3: Population growth and resource availability Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 4: Age structure diagrams Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 5: Human population dynamics Original Notes
Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 4 Topic 1: Tectonic plates Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 2: Soil formation and erosion Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 3: Earth's atmosphere Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 4: Global wind patterns Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 5: Earth's geography and climate Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 6: El Niño and La Niña Original Notes
Unit 5: Land and Water Use
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 5 Topic 1: The tragedy of the commons Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 2: The Green Revolution Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 3: Types and effects of irrigation Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 4: Pest-control methods Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 5: Meat production methods and overfishing Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 6: The impacts of mining Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 7: Urbanization and ecological footprints Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 8: Introduction to sustainable practices including crop rotation and aquaculture Original Notes
Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 6 Topic 1: Energy sources and fuel types, including fossil fuels, ethanol, and nuclear power Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 2: Global energy consumption and distribution of natural resources Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 3: Natural sources of energy, including solar power, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 4: Energy conservation methods Original Notes
Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution
On the AP exam: 7%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 7 Topic 1: Introduction to air pollution Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 2: Photochemical smog Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 3: Indoor air pollution Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 4: Methods to reduce air pollutants Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 5: Acid rain Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 6: Noise pollution Original Notes
Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
On the AP exam: 7%-10% of exam score.
- Unit 8 Topic 1: Sources of pollution Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 2: Human impact on ecosystems Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 3: Thermal pollution Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 4: Solid waste disposal and waste reduction methods Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 5: Pollution and human health Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 6: Pathogens and infectious diseases Original Notes
Unit 9: Global Change
On the AP exam: 15%-20% of exam score.
- Unit 9 Topic 1: Ozone depletion Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 2: Global climate change Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 3: Ocean warming and acidification Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 4: Invasive species Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 5: Human impacts on diversity Original Notes
Notes
Original EduCompanion Notes
These local notes follow the current College Board AP Environmental Science unit/topic list.
Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems
Unit 1 Topic 1: Introduction to ecosystems
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 2: Terrestrial and aquatic biomes
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 3: Primary productivity
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 4: Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycles
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 5: Trophic levels
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 6: The flow of energy in an ecosystem and the 10% rule
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 7: Food chains and food webs
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity
Unit 2 Topic 1: Introduction to biodiversity
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 2: Ecosystem services
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 3: Island biogeography
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 4: Ecological tolerance
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 5: Natural disruptions to ecosystems
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 6: Ecological succession
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3: Populations
Unit 3 Topic 1: Generalist and specialist species
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 2: Survivorship curves
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 3: Population growth and resource availability
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 4: Age structure diagrams
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 5: Human population dynamics
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources
Unit 4 Topic 1: Tectonic plates
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 2: Soil formation and erosion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 3: Earth's atmosphere
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 4: Global wind patterns
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 5: Earth's geography and climate
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 6: El Niño and La Niña
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5: Land and Water Use
Unit 5 Topic 1: The tragedy of the commons
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 2: The Green Revolution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 3: Types and effects of irrigation
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 4: Pest-control methods
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 5: Meat production methods and overfishing
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 6: The impacts of mining
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 7: Urbanization and ecological footprints
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 8: Introduction to sustainable practices including crop rotation and aquaculture
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
Unit 6 Topic 1: Energy sources and fuel types, including fossil fuels, ethanol, and nuclear power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 2: Global energy consumption and distribution of natural resources
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 3: Natural sources of energy, including solar power, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 4: Energy conservation methods
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution
Unit 7 Topic 1: Introduction to air pollution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 2: Photochemical smog
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 3: Indoor air pollution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 4: Methods to reduce air pollutants
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 5: Acid rain
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 6: Noise pollution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
Unit 8 Topic 1: Sources of pollution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 2: Human impact on ecosystems
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 3: Thermal pollution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 4: Solid waste disposal and waste reduction methods
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 5: Pollution and human health
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 6: Pathogens and infectious diseases
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9: Global Change
Unit 9 Topic 1: Ozone depletion
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 2: Global climate change
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 3: Ocean warming and acidification
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 4: Invasive species
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 5: Human impacts on diversity
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Shared Google Drive Notes
No shared Google Drive notes are currently mapped for this course. Local original notes are still available above.
Practice Questions
Each note page includes a quick practice prompt. Use these unit practice cards to review the same way AP questions ask you to apply ideas, evidence, and reasoning.
Unit 1 Practice
Use the linked notes for The Living World: Ecosystems to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 2 Practice
Use the linked notes for The Living World: Biodiversity to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 3 Practice
Use the linked notes for Populations to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 4 Practice
Use the linked notes for Earth Systems and Resources to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Study Guides
Use this as a unit review index. Open each unit, work through the topic notes, then return here to move to the next unit.
Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems
7 topics to review, 6%-8% of exam score
Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity
6 topics to review, 6%-8% of exam score
Unit 3: Populations
5 topics to review, 10%-15% of exam score
Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources
6 topics to review, 10%-15% of exam score
Unit 5: Land and Water Use
8 topics to review, 10%-15% of exam score
Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
4 topics to review, 10%-15% of exam score
Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution
6 topics to review, 7%-10% of exam score
Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
6 topics to review, 7%-10% of exam score
Unit 9: Global Change
5 topics to review, 15%-20% of exam score