AP Environmental Science practice test
Practice questions for all nine AP Environmental Science units: ecosystems, biodiversity, populations, Earth systems, land and water use, energy, air pollution, water and soil pollution, and global change.
Question 1 of 28
About how much energy passes from one trophic level to the next?
Question 2 of 28
What does nitrogen fixation do?
Question 3 of 28
Which biome generally has the highest net primary productivity on land?
Question 4 of 28
According to the theory of island biogeography, which island would have the most species?
Question 5 of 28
A species whose removal causes large changes to an ecosystem, far out of proportion to its abundance, is a
Question 6 of 28
Which organisms usually begin primary succession on bare rock?
Question 7 of 28
Which trait is typical of a K-selected species?
Question 8 of 28
A population grows at 2% per year. About how long will it take to double?
Question 9 of 28
In which stage of the demographic transition do death rates fall while birth rates stay high?
Question 10 of 28
What forms where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate at a convergent boundary?
Question 11 of 28
Which soil horizon contains the most organic matter?
Question 12 of 28
Why is the leeward side of a mountain range often dry?
Question 13 of 28
During an El Niño event,
Question 14 of 28
Overgrazing of a shared public pasture by many herders is an example of
Question 15 of 28
Which irrigation method wastes the least water?
Question 16 of 28
What does integrated pest management (IPM) involve?
Question 17 of 28
Which fossil fuel releases the most CO₂ per unit of energy produced?
Question 18 of 28
Which isotope is most commonly used as fuel in nuclear fission power plants?
Question 19 of 28
Which is a drawback of large hydroelectric dams?
Question 20 of 28
Photochemical smog forms when sunlight reacts with
Question 21 of 28
During a thermal inversion,
Question 22 of 28
Which pollutants are the main causes of acid deposition?
Question 23 of 28
Fertilizer runoff causes an algal bloom in a lake, and fish later die. Which process explains this?
Question 24 of 28
Mercury concentration is much higher in tuna than in the small fish they eat. This is
Question 25 of 28
A high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in a stream indicates
Question 26 of 28
Which substances were the main cause of stratospheric ozone depletion?
Question 27 of 28
Of these greenhouse gases, which has the highest global warming potential per molecule?
Question 28 of 28
How does rising atmospheric CO₂ cause ocean acidification?
AP Environmental Science key terms
Flip through these flashcards to review the terms that come up most often. Use the arrow keys or click a card to flip it.
| 10% rule | About 10% of energy passes from one trophic level to the next; the rest is lost as heat. |
| Nitrogen cycle steps | Fixation → ammonification → nitrification → assimilation → denitrification |
| Keystone species | A species with an outsized effect on its ecosystem, such as sea otters or wolves. |
| r- vs. K-selected species | r: many offspring, little care. K: few offspring, lots of care, near carrying capacity. |
| Rule of 70 | Doubling time ≈ 70 ÷ percent growth rate |
| Demographic transition | Preindustrial → transitional (falling death rate) → industrial (falling birth rate) → postindustrial |
| Tragedy of the commons | Overuse of a shared, unregulated resource because each user gains while costs are shared. |
| Photochemical smog | NOₓ + VOCs + sunlight → ground-level ozone |
| Thermal inversion | A warm air layer traps cooler, polluted air near the ground. |
| Eutrophication | Excess nutrients → algal bloom → decomposition → low dissolved oxygen → fish die-off. |
| Biomagnification | Toxins become more concentrated at higher trophic levels (mercury, DDT). |
| Montreal Protocol | 1987 treaty that phased out CFCs to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. |
| Ocean acidification | CO₂ dissolves to form carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and harming shell-building organisms. |
See all 13 cards
10% ruleAbout 10% of energy passes from one trophic level to the next; the rest is lost as heat.
Nitrogen cycle stepsFixation → ammonification → nitrification → assimilation → denitrification
Keystone speciesA species with an outsized effect on its ecosystem, such as sea otters or wolves.
r- vs. K-selected speciesr: many offspring, little care. K: few offspring, lots of care, near carrying capacity.
Rule of 70Doubling time ≈ 70 ÷ percent growth rate
Demographic transitionPreindustrial → transitional (falling death rate) → industrial (falling birth rate) → postindustrial
Tragedy of the commonsOveruse of a shared, unregulated resource because each user gains while costs are shared.
Photochemical smogNOₓ + VOCs + sunlight → ground-level ozone
Thermal inversionA warm air layer traps cooler, polluted air near the ground.
EutrophicationExcess nutrients → algal bloom → decomposition → low dissolved oxygen → fish die-off.
BiomagnificationToxins become more concentrated at higher trophic levels (mercury, DDT).
Montreal Protocol1987 treaty that phased out CFCs to protect the stratospheric ozone layer.
Ocean acidificationCO₂ dissolves to form carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and harming shell-building organisms.
About the AP Environmental Science exam
- Section I: 80 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, 60% of the score.
- Section II: 3 free-response questions in 70 minutes, 40% of the score: design an investigation, analyze an environmental problem, and analyze a problem with calculations.
- Calculators are allowed. Practice unit conversions and percent change; the calculation question rewards showing your setup.
Questions
Are these real AP Environmental Science exam questions?
No. They are original practice questions written to match the topics and style of the AP Environmental Science course. For released exam questions, see AP Central from the College Board.
Is it free?
Yes. The practice questions and flashcards on this page are free, with no sign-up.
Can I get more practice questions?
Yes. Paste your own notes or upload a textbook chapter into the quiz maker and it writes a new practice quiz from that material, with explanations for every answer.
Study your own notes
Turn your APES notes into a study guide, a practice quiz or flashcards.
Related practice tests: AP Bio · AP Chem · AP Physics 1 · all AP practice tests