Ecosystem Services (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Exam Questions

Which of the following is not considered an ecosystem service?

Study the following dataset and answer the question:

Which ecosystem provides the most carbon sequestration per unit area?

Read the text and answer the following questions:

In a coastal ecosystem, researchers assessed several ecosystem services over a 15-year period. The results are summarised below:

• Service Type A:

  • Over 15 years, the ecosystem provided 3,000,000 kg of fish, 1,000,000 m³ of freshwater, and 500,000 m³ of timber.

  • The combined economic value of these services was estimated at 75 million USD.

• Service Type B:

  • The ecosystem filtered 50,000,000 m³ of water, sequestered 50,000 tons of carbon, and provided flood protection for 100,000 hectares of farmland.

  • The combined economic value of these services was estimated at 40 million USD.

• Service Type C:

  • The ecosystem attracted 15,000,000 visitors per year, with an estimated total expenditure of 25 million USD annually.

  • Over 15 years, the total economic value of services was 375 million USD.

Which of the following ecosystem services provides the highest economic value per unit?

Which of the following is an example of a provisioning service in the coastal ecosystem?

Which of the following is an example of a regulating service in the coastal ecosystem?

If researchers wanted to increase the economic value of regulating services, which of the following would be the most effective strategy?