CED Units

Nine units, ranked by exam weight.

Unit 9 (Global Change) is the highest-weight on every released exam. Units 3, 4, 5, and 6 sit in the 10–15% band. Every page below has a summary, example questions, and a flashcard strip.

1 The Living World: Ecosystems Ecosystem structure, energy flow, food webs, biogeochemical cycles, primary productivity.

Energy Transfer · Earth Interactions 6–8% 2 The Living World: Biodiversity Biodiversity, ecosystem services, island biogeography, succession, resilience.

Energy Transfer · Earth Interactions 6–8% 3 Populations Population dynamics, R/K selection, demographic transition, age structure, human population.

Earth Interactions · Sustainability 10–15% 4 Earth Systems and Resources Plate tectonics, soil composition, atmosphere structure, watersheds, El Nino / La Nina.

Earth Interactions 10–15% 5 Land and Water Use Tragedy of the commons, agriculture, irrigation, mining, urbanization, sustainable practices.

Sustainability · Health & Environment 10–15% 6 Energy Resources and Consumption Fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables. Energy efficiency. The most calculation-heavy unit.

Sustainability · Health & Environment 10–15% 7 Atmospheric Pollution Primary vs. secondary pollutants, photochemical smog, acid rain, indoor air, thermal inversion.

Health & Environment 7–10% 8 Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution Point vs. non-point sources, BOD, eutrophication, heavy metals, biomagnification, solid waste.

Health & Environment 7–10% 9 Global Change Stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, ocean acidification, invasive species. Highest weight.

Sustainability · Health & Environment 15–20%