AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Ecosystem Services
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What are the potential results of human disruptions to ecosystem services?
Human disruptions to ecosystem services can potentially result in both economic and ecological consequences.
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What are the potential results of human disruptions to ecosystem services?
Human disruptions to ecosystem services can potentially result in both economic and ecological consequences.
What are the four categories of ecosystem services?
The four categories of ecosystem services are provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting.
What is the primary cause of disruptions to ecosystem services?
Anthropogenic activities, which are activities originating from human action, can disrupt ecosystem services.
Define 'anthropogenic activities' in the context of ecosystem services.
Anthropogenic activities are human-caused actions that can disrupt ecosystem services, leading to negative consequences.
What is the relationship between human activities and ecosystem services?
Human (anthropogenic) activities can disrupt ecosystem services, which in turn can cause negative economic and ecological results.
Identify two types of consequences that can arise from disrupting ecosystem services.
The two types of consequences that can arise from disrupting ecosystem services are economic and ecological.
Name one of the four categories of ecosystem services.
One of the four categories is provisioning services (other correct answers: regulating, cultural, supporting).
What are ecosystem services?
Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, which can be categorized as provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting.
Why should the economic and ecological impact of human activities on ecosystems be considered?
They should be considered because anthropogenic activities can disrupt ecosystem services, leading to these negative consequences.
If a factory pollutes a river that local communities rely on for fishing, what concept does this illustrate?
This illustrates an anthropogenic activity disrupting a provisioning ecosystem service, which can lead to economic and ecological consequences.