Environmental Science for the AP® Course

Fourth Edition

Publication Date: April 15, 2023

Hardcover ISBN: 9781319409289

Pages: 832

Precisely aligned for the AP® Environmental Science Course

Environmental Science for the AP® Course was built from the ground up specifically to suit the needs of the AP® Environmental Science course. Friedland and Relyea integrate AP® content, exam prep, and science practices throughout this comprehensive college-level textbook to provide you...

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Module 0 - What is Environmental Science?

Unit 1 - The Living World: Ecosystems

Module 1 - Introduction to Ecosystems
Module 2 - Terrestrial Biomes
Module 3 - Aquatic Biomes
Module 4 - The Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles
Module 5 - The Phosphorus and Hydrologic (Water) Cycles
Module 6 - Primary Productivity
Module 7 - Trophic Levels, Energy Flow and the 10% Rule, Food Chains and Food Webs
Unit 1 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 1: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 2 - The Living World: Biodiversity

Module 8 - Introduction to Biodiversity
Module 9 - Ecosystem Services
Module 10 - Island Biogeography
Module 11 - Ecological Tolerance
Module 12 - Natural Disruptions to Ecosystems
Module 13 - Adaptations
Module 14 - Ecological Succession
Unit 2 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 2: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 3 - Populations

Module 15 - Generalist and Specialist Species, K-selected and r-selected Species, and Survivorship Curves Module 16 - Carrying Capacity, Population Growth, and Resource Availability
Module 17 - Age Structure Diagrams and Total Fertility Rates
Module 18 - Human Population Dynamics and the Demographic Transition
Unit 3 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 3: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 4 - Earth Systems and Resources

Module 19 - Plate Tectonics
Module 20 - Soil Formation, Erosion, Composition, and its Properties
Module 21 - Watersheds
Module 22 - Earth’s Atmosphere, Global Wind Patterns, Solar Radiation and Earth’s Seasons
Module 23 - Earth’s Geography and Climate; El Niño and La Niña
Unit 4 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 4: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 5 - Land and Water Use

Module 24 - The Tragedy of the Commons and Clearcutting
Module 25 - The Green Revolution
Module 26 - Impacts of Agricultural Practices
Module 27 - Irrigation and Pest Control Methods
Module 28 - Meat Production Methods and the Impacts of Overfishing
Module 29 - Impacts of Mining
Module 30 - Impacts of Urbanizations and the Methods to Reduce Urban Runoff
Module 31 - Ecological Footprints
Module 32 - Introduction to Sustainability
Module 33 - Integrated Pest Management and Sustainable Agriculture
Module 34 - Aquaculture and Sustainable Forestry
Unit 5 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 5: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 6 - Energy Resources and Consumption

Module 35 - Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources and the Global Energy Consumption
Module 36 - Fuel Types and Uses
Module 37 - Distribution of Natural Energy Resources: Fossil Fuels
Module 38 - Nuclear Power
Module 39 - Biomass and Solar Energies, and Hydroelectric Power
Module 40 - Geothermal Energy and Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Module 41 - Wind Energy and Energy Conservation
Unit 6 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 6: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 7 - Atmospheric Pollution

Module 42 - Introduction to Air Pollution
Module 43 - Photochemical Smog, Thermal Inversion, Atmospheric CO2 and Particulates
Module 44 - Indoor Air Pollutants
Module 45 - Reduction of Air Pollutants
Module 46 - Acid Rain and Noise Pollution
Unit 7 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 7: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 8 - Aquatic & Terrestrial Pollution

Module 47 - Sources of Pollution, Human Impacts on Ecosystems, and Endocrine Disruptors
Module 48 - Human Impacts on Wetlands and Mangroves, Eutrophication, and Thermal Pollution
Module 49 - Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), Bioaccumulation, and Biomagnification
Module 50 - Solid Waste Disposal
Module 51 - Waste Reduction Methods
Module 52 - Sewage Treatment
Module 53 - Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) and Dose Response Curves
Module 54 - Pollution, Human Health, Pathogens, and Infectious Diseases
Unit 8 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 8: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Unit 9 - Global Change

Module 55 - Stratospheric Ozone Depletion and its Reduction
Module 56 - The Greenhouse Effect
Module 57 - Increases in the Greenhouse Gases Global Climate Change
Module 58 - Ocean Warming and Ocean Acidification
Module 59 - Invasive Species, Endangered Species, and Human Impacts on Biodiversity
Unit 9 Practice Your Science Skills
Unit 9: AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

The course you love, with the alignment you need!

Module Structure The 9 Units of the course are divided into short bite-sized modules that align with the AP® Course and Exam Description.The flexibility you want with the alignment you need!

NEW Module 0 The fourth edition includes a new Module 0 that introduces students to the field of Environmental Science, while providing them with the foundation and groundwork they need to find success from the very first pages of the book.

Unit Opening Case Study An intriguing case study begins each unit and asks students to think about the environmental challenges and trade-offs that are introduced. The subjects of these studies will often spark spirited class discussion. NEW to this edition, are the “Practice Your Science Skills” questions paired with each case study that have students analyzing the content from the case study through the lens of the seven Science Practices.

Learning Goals A list of key goals at the beginning of the module help to keep students focused. Each section of the module presents material related to a single learning goal.

Running glossary Key terms are set in bold type in the text and defined at the bottom of the page on which they are introduced. Key terms are also defined in the glossary at the end of the book.

NEW science practices spiraled throughout.

Practice Your Science Skills. Each unit ends with opportunities for students to gain experience answering questions related to three of the seven science practices:

Data Analysis offers students practice in describing patterns and relationships found in the quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs. Students can then answer scaffolded questions to draw conclusions about the data.. Questions often offer hints on how students should best respond to each task verb, thus preparing them for the questions they’ll see on the Exam.

Pursuing Environmental Solutions describes people and organizations that identify environmental problems and the solutions they propose to make a difference. The feature includes critical thinking questions that give students a chance to hone their critical thinking and writing skills.

Science Applied: Context Explanation offers an opportunity for students to learn about environmental concepts or processes in an applied, real-world context. Students will see how the study of Environmental Science is used to make decisions about environmental issues.

Visual Representation. These new 2-page spreads, with beautifully rendered art, present key concepts in informative and visually engaging ways while helping students improve their visual analysis skills. These engaging features allow students to see the relationships between different environmental concepts and to better grasp the interconnectedness of a range of environmental issues.

Math Routines.

Do the Math Among the biggest challenges on the AP® Environmental Science Exam are questions that ask students to solve environmental science math problems. Every unit contains “Do the Math” boxes which present math skills needed for the Exam. After showing students how to work a problem, they have an opportunity to apply the appropriate mathematical calculations to solve a problem on their own with “Your Turn.”

Practice Math and Graphing features appear at the end of certain modules and give students an opportunity to work on their data analysis skills and calculate accurate numeric answers with similar problem-types students will encounter on the AP® Environmental Science Exam. Students are always encouraged to show their work.

Analyze and interpret visual data.

Photos and Illustrations The photos and illustrations in this book have been carefully chosen and developed to help students comprehend and remember key ideas.

Tables and Graphs To understand environmental science and succeed on the exam, students must develop the ability to read and interpret a variety of tables, graphs, and charts. This text presents data in a variety of formats with careful, well-paced explanations.

Review and practice for quizzes and tests.

Learning Goals Revisited A comprehensive review at the end of every module provides an opportunity to review the main ideas and key terms learned throughout.

Exam Prep All Year Each module ends with multiple-choice and free-response questions similar to those found on the AP® exam.

Prepare and practice for the AP® Environmental Science Exam.

Unit AP® Environmental Science Practice Exams The textbook is divided into 9 major units. At the end of each unit, there is a unit practice exam containing 20-30 multiple-choice questions and 3 free-response questions. These exams give students a chance to practice AP® test-taking skills.

Cumulative AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam The text offers one cumulative exam with 80 multiple-choice questions and 3 free-response questions. This exam, located at the end of the book, matches the actual AP® Environmental Science exam in length and scope.

Precise Alignment The 9 Units of the course are divided into short bite-sized modules that precisely align with the AP® CED. Now with a NEW Module 0, this edition opens with an introduction to the field of Environmental Science.

Unit Opening Case Study The unit opening case studies are now updated and paired with NEW “Practice Your Science Skills,” analyzing the content from the case study through the lens of the seven Science Practices.

Practice Your Science Skills Each unit ends with opportunities for students to gain experience answering questions related to the science practices:

Visual Representation. These new and engaging, 2-page visual spreads allow students to see the relationships between different environmental concepts and to understand the interconnectedness of a range of environmental issues.

Data Analysis offers students practice in answering scaffolded questions by describing patterns and relationships found in the quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs.

Pursuing Environmental Solutions describes people and organizations that identify environmental problems and the solutions they propose to make a difference. Critical thinking questions hone critical thinking and writing skills.

Science Applied: Context Explanation offers an opportunity for students to learn about environmental concepts or processes in an applied, real-world context.

"When I read this unit… the best way to describe the feeling is… storybook. I did not feel like I was reading a textbook chapter! Very engaging. Complex ideas are presented with examples that are relevant to students. The data and graphs are spot on. All the examples used in the modules were easy to follow and understand."

- Hemalatha Bhaskaran

"Very thorough, easy to read and understand with great examples for the students to reflect back to. This 4th edition does a GREAT job integrating all 17 topics from College Board. I tried to reorganize the units the first year of the rewrite and it did not work. The order all the units in the 4th edition work great and mimic the CED order."

- Suzanne Carmody

"This unit will help your students understand Earth science basics for the AP® Exam. It does a good job helping students and new APES teachers understand complex interactions with oceans, air and weather. I think the art does a good job—I learned from them and I’ve been teaching the course over 15 years. Unit 5 does a good job taking a long unit and making it cohesive. It organizes the topics well and helps students make connections between them. I like the tone of the modules—clear, yet academic and I do think it would appeal to my students."

- Kristi Schertz

Andrew Friedland

Andrew Friedland is the Richard and Jane Pearl Professor in Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College and co-author of the Environmental Science for the AP Course, 3e® textbook series. He was the founding chair of the AP® Test Development Committee (College Board®) for Environmental Science. He has a strong interest in high school science education, and in the early years of AP® environmental science he participated in many trainer and teacher workshops. For more than 15 years, Andy has been a guest lecturer at various Advanced Placement® Institutes for Secondary Teachers and in high school APES classrooms. He also served on the College Board AP® Environmental Science Curriculum Development and Assessment Committee. Andy regularly teaches introductory environmental science and energy courses at Dartmouth and has taught courses in forest biogeochemistry, global change, and soil science, as well as study abroad courses in Kenya. He created an online introductory environmental science course that is accessible through edX.org and YouTube. Andy received a BA degree in both biology and environmental studies, and a PhD in earth and environmental science, from the University of Pennsylvania. For almost four decades, he has been investigating the effects of air pollution on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and lead in high-elevation forests of New England and the Northeast. During the last decade, he has examined the impact of increased demand for wood as a fuel, and the subsequent effect on carbon stored deep in forest soils. Andy has served on panels for the National Science Foundation, USDA Forest Service, and Science Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency. He has authored or coauthored 80 peer-reviewed publications and one other book, Writing Successful Science Proposals, Third Edition (Yale University Press). In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Andy is passionate about saving energy and at his home has installed a 4 kW photovoltaic tracker that follows the sun during the day.

Rick Relyea

Rick Relyea is the David Darrin Senior ‘40 Endowed Chair in Biological Sciences and the director of the Darrin Freshwater Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He received a BS in environmental forest biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MS in wildlife management from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in ecology and evolution from the University of Michigan. He has authored more than 200 scientific articles and book chapters and presented research seminars throughout the world. Rick was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh for 15 years, where he was named the Chancellor’s Distinguished Researcher and received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award. In 2014, he moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to direct The Jefferson Project, which is the most technologically advanced research endeavor to study freshwater lakes. Rick has a strong interest in high school education, including hosting high school science teachers who conduct research in his laboratory. He is co-author of Environmental Science for the AP® Course, also published by BFW publishers.