Unit 2: The Living World - Biodiversity

Data analysis is an important skill to begin developing at this point in the course. Quantitative information about changes in populations or the environment due to human activities is often represented in tables and graphs. You should understand that tables and graphs are important tools of communication used to identify patterns and trends that indicate environmental problems. You will then learn to describe the characteristics of data in tables or graphs and identify patterns or trends.

In this unit, you should also be able to describe and explain the environmental concepts and processes of biodiversity. It is important that you understand the differences between similar concepts and clearly articulate those differences in their written and verbal explanations. For example, you should be able to articulate the differences among species, genetic, and habitat diversity; between keystone and indicator species; and between ecosystem services and ecological services.

One the AP Exam, you must be able to explain environmental science concepts that are represented using tables, charts, and graphs. You must also be able to explain patterns and trends related to data. Additionally, you must be able to give several examples of ecosystems and ecological services. Students often confuse environmental terminology, like ecological service and ecological function of an ecosystem, and biodiversity and genetic diversity. To combat this, you can explain environmental concepts in context, rather than memorizing textbook definitions without a full understanding of the context. You can benefit from practice providing ecological services for different ecosystems. You should be able to indicate the direction of change to a species as a result of disruptions to the ecosystem based on data. You should also be able to describe whether or not a species can adapt to an environmental change.