Learn Extracted exam questions AP Environmental Science 2025 Free Response · Set 2
2025 Free Response · Set 2
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Respond to parts A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I, and all subparts.
Based on the data in the graph, identify the number of Common Tern breeding pairs in 1995.
Based on the data in the graph, describe the trend in the number of Common Tern breeding pairs from 1995 to 2008.
A group of students hypothesized that sea level rise will lead to an increase in Common Tern populations. Describe one way that the data in the graph refute this hypothesis.
Explain how climate change can lead to sea level rise.
Wading birds are a group of large-bodied birds that inhabit coastal wetlands all over the world. Researchers monitored the number of wading bird species at four coastal locations experiencing rising sea levels over a 5-year period. The data are shown in the following table.
Sea Level Rise and Number of Wading Bird Species at Four Coastal Locations
| Year | Increase in Sea Level (m) | Location A | Location B | Location C | Location D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.05 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | 0.08 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 0.10 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 0.12 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | 0.15 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
i. Identify a hypothesis that researchers are likely investigating in the wading bird study.
ii. Identify the dependent variable in this study.
One year after the completion of the study of wading bird species described in Part E, locations A and B experienced an increase in the concentration of PCBs, known to be a persistent organic pollutant, running off into the water.
If the researchers repeated their study, explain how this environmental change could affect the results of the study.
Describe a regulating ecosystem service that can be provided by wetlands.
Since 1990, there has been an increase in urbanization around the coastal wetlands that wading bird communities inhabit. Most of these bird species eat fish and locate prey visually while walking through shallow water. An increase in sediment was discovered in a wetland located near an urban area.
Explain how increased sediment might lead to a change in the size of the wading bird populations.
Describe an environmental problem, other than an increase in sediment, that can occur in wetlands that is associated with increased urbanization and development.
Serengeti National Park is located in Tanzania, Africa. The park is located in a valley along a tectonic plate boundary called the East African Rift. Figure 1 shows the East African Rift and other plate boundaries near the east coast of Africa.
Figure 1. Tectonic Plate Movement near East Coast of Africa
[Map figure showing tectonic plates near the east coast of Africa. Labels: "Arabian Plate" (north-central), "African Plate" (west), "Indian Plate" (east), "Lake Victoria" (small lake, west, with an arrow pointing away from it/west), "Western Rift Valley" and "Eastern Rift Valley" (two branching rift lines running north-south through the African Plate), "Serengeti National Park" (marked at the point where the Western and Eastern Rift Valleys meet), "Indian Ocean" (to the east). Bold arrows show direction of plate movement: one arrow points west/away from Lake Victoria area, one arrow points southeast from the rift valley junction, and a double-headed arrow (pointing both directions, apart) is shown at the boundary between the Arabian Plate and the Indian Plate. A compass rose (N/E/S/W) is in the bottom right. Legend: wavy line = Plate boundaries; solid line = East African Rift; bold arrow = Direction of plate movement.]
Serengeti National Park contains a variety of tropical habitats but is dominated by wide-open lands that include a variety of grass species with scattered trees and shrubs. Most grass growth occurs after the March through May rainy season. Many of the park's herbivores, such as wildebeest and zebra, migrate through the park in an annual cycle following the growth of new grass (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Annual Migration of Wildebeest in Serengeti National Park
[Circular diagram showing the annual wildebeest migration route around Serengeti National Park, with a wildebeest icon and arrows connecting labelled month boxes in a loop: June → July → August → September → October (near "Ikorongo Game Reserve") → November (near "Loliondo") → December (near "Ngorongoro Conservation Area") → January → February → March → April (near "Maswa Game Reserve") → May → back to June. "Grumeti Game Reserve" is labelled near June/July. A dashed line labelled "Proposed location for new highway" crosses the northern part of the park near August/September. A solid line marks the "Serengeti National Park boundary." A compass rose (N/E/S/W) is in the bottom right. Legend: arrow = Wildebeest migration route; wildebeest icon = Wildebeest; dashed line = Proposed location for new highway; solid line = Serengeti National Park boundary.]
Respond to parts A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J.
Based on the information in Figure 1, identify the type of plate boundary that runs beneath Serengeti National Park.
Based on the information provided, identify the dominant biome within the Serengeti.
Wildebeest give birth to their young when new grasses are growing. Based on the information in Figure 2, identify the location in the Serengeti where wildebeest are most likely to give birth.
The Serengeti has two primary types of grasses: long and short. The two grass types provide similar levels of nutrition for animals. Wildebeest primarily consume long grasses, while other herbivores such as gazelle consume the short grasses. These two similar species coexist in Serengeti National Park.
Explain why resource partitioning allows for the coexistence of the wildebeest and the gazelle in the Serengeti.
The Tanzanian government plans to build a highway across the northern portion of the Serengeti, as shown in Figure 2.
Describe one way the planned highway shown in Figure 2 could negatively affect the wildebeest population in the Serengeti.
Propose a solution to the negative effect created by the planned highway described in part E.
Many organisms live in grasslands. One weed species, the spotted knapweed, was introduced at one location in North America in the 1890s and is currently found throughout the rangelands of the western United States. The spotted knapweed poses several environmental problems in North America. Farmers often use crop rotation to control populations of pests like the spotted knapweed. A more traditional method of controlling pests involves spraying pesticides.
Describe a characteristic of an invasive species, such as the spotted knapweed, that allows them to outcompete native species.
Justify the use of crop rotation as an environmental solution by providing an additional advantage, other than controlling pest populations.
Describe an environmental problem associated with controlling pest populations with large amounts of pesticide.
Propose a solution to controlling pests, other than pesticides or crop rotation.
The local government of a newly built town has contracted with an electrical company to provide energy to the town. The company generates electricity primarily through the burning of coal and has built a new power plant for the town. A nearby deposit of coal was discovered close to the surface. To access the coal, the company decides to remove the overburden and vegetation over the deposit.
Respond to parts A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
Identify a type of surface mining the company could use to access the coal.
Describe an environmental problem associated with surface mining.
The town is located downwind of the new coal-burning power plant.
Describe an environmental problem the town could experience as a result of the electricity generation at the coal-burning power plant.
The local government is concerned about the environmental consequences of using coal to generate electricity for the town.
Propose a realistic solution the local government could enact that would reduce the negative environmental consequences of using coal to generate electricity.
Burning one pound of coal produces an average of 0.88 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. An average household in the United States uses $1.064 \times 10^{4}$ kWh of electricity each year.
Calculate how many pounds of coal would need to be burned to generate enough electricity to power a town with 11,000 houses for a year. Show your work.
Researchers are concerned about the impact of noise pollution on songbirds in a forest near the power plant. Since the power plant was installed, bird species richness has declined from 7.5 species per hectare to 6.0 species per hectare.
Calculate the percent change in bird species per hectare since the power plant was installed. Show your work.
The town has been growing since it was built and had a growth rate of 5.38% in 2022, with a population of 26,250.
Assuming that the growth rate remains constant, calculate the year in which the population will reach 52,500. Show your work.