Deck 40: Population Ecology

Question 1

In Atlantic codfish, pressure on the population by commercial fishing caused the size at sexual maturity to ____ and the age of sexual maturity to ____.

A)increase; decrease
B)increase; increase
C)increase; stay the same
D)decrease; increase
E)decrease; decrease

Answer 1

E

Question 2

A population that is growing exponentially in the absence of limiting factors can be illustrated by which curve?

A)S-shaped
B)J-shaped
C)bell-shaped
D)one that terminates in a plateau
E)linear

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A long-term study on guppies illustrates the effect of predation on life history traits. In this study, what occurred when guppies from streams with cichlids (which prey on larger guppies) were moved to streams with killifish (which prey on smaller guppies)?

A)Guppies became larger in one generation.
B)Guppies became smaller in one generation.
C)Guppies became larger over several generations.
D)Guppies became smaller over several generations.
E)Guppies did not change size.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Exponential growth will occur as long as r ____ and is ____ zero.

A)increases; greater than
B)increases; less than
C)remains constant; equal to
D)remains constant; greater than
E)remains constant; less than

Question 5

At time one, 50 butterflies were captured and marked with paint. Two days later, 100 were captured and 10 were previously marked. What is the estimated population size?

A)100
B)500
C)1000
D)5000
E)10,000

Question 6

A flood that washes away many rabbits of a population is an example of a(n) ____.

A)density-dependent factor
B)limiting factor dependent on the individuals
C)consequence of exponential growth
D)density-independent factor
E)initial carrying capacity

Question 7

A cool, damp, north-facing slope is covered with ferns, whereas an adjacent drier south-facing slope has none. What type of distribution pattern is this?

A)random
B)uniform
C)clumped
D)stratified
E)bimodal

Question 8

Four of the five answers listed below are factors that affect population size. Select the exception.

A)births
B)distribution
C)emigration
D)immigration
E)deaths

Question 9

Zero population growth is achieved when ____.

A)a population reaches the carrying capacity of the environment
B)the number of births is balanced by the number of deaths
C)births exceed deaths
D)immigration exceeds emigration
E)migration is prevented

Question 10

In nature, individuals are added to a population by ____, and removed from a population by ____.

A)births and immigration; deaths and emigration
B)births and emigration; deaths and immigration
C)immigration only; emigration only
D)emigration only; immigration only
E)births only; deaths only

Question 11

What term describes the population growth rate under optimal conditions?

A)biotic potential
B)carrying capacity
C)total fertility rate
D)population distribution
E)reproductive base

Question 12

Four of the five answers listed below are characteristics of an opportunistic life history. Select the exception.

A)early reproduction
B)higher early mortality, shorter life
C)fewer breeding episodes, many young per episode
D)more parental investment
E)result of r-selection

Question 13

-According to the accompanying figure, the per capita ecological footprint for the United States is approximately ____ times the world average 2.7 hectares.

A)ten
B)five
C)six
D)twenty
E)three

Question 14

The ecological footprint is a measure of the ____.

A)number of live births per reproductive age woman per year in a country
B)amount of time required for a country to move from the preindustrial to the postindustrial stage of development
C)area required per person to grow cattle to feed the population in a given country
D)amount of the Earth's surface required to sustain a particular level of development and consumption
E)number of acres squandered per person in unsustainable business and agricultural practices

Question 15

Out of the countries listed, which has the largest ecological footprint?

A)France
B)Mexico
C)China
D)the United States
E)India

Question 16

The age structure diagram for rapidly growing populations ____.

A)is in the form of an hour glass, with large young and old populations
B)is characterized by a large percentage of the population in the postreproductive years
C)has a small base showing a reduced number of young
D)has about equal distribution between all age groups
E)is in the form of a pyramid and has a very broad base showing a large number of young

Question 17

A type III survivorship curve is characteristic of ____.

A)monkeys
B)horses
C)eagles
D)sea urchins
E)humans

Question 18

Which density-dependent factor controls the size of a population?

A)wind velocity
B)light intensity
C)nutrient supply
D)amount of precipitation
E)wave action in an intertidal zone

Question 19

The total number of individuals in a population is the ____.

A)population distribution
B)reproductive base
C)biotic potential
D)population size
E)carrying capacity

Question 20

In the United States, the biggest increases in Canada geese have been among ____ birds that live where humans are ____.

A)only migratory; plentiful
B)only migratory; scarce
C)only nonmigratory; plentiful
D)only nonmigratory; scarce
E)both migratory and nonmigratory; scarce

Question 21

An example of a density-independent limiting factor that influences population growth is ____.

A)parasites
B)temperature
C)disease
D)competition for food
E)competition for shelter

Question 22

The number of individuals of the same species per unit area or volume is the ____.

A)population density
B)population distribution
C)age structure
D)population size
E)carrying capacity

Question 23

The earthquake that devastated the population of Haiti in January 2010 could be described as a ____ factor, while water and food shortages that caused disease and death in the aftermath among quake survivors could be described as ____ factors.

A)density dependent; logistic
B)density dependent; density independent
C)logistic; density independent
D)density independent; density dependent
E)variable density; escalating

Question 24

Out of the countries listed, which has the largest reproductive base?

A)Japan
B)Sweden
C)Mexico
D)the United States
E)India

Question 25

Estimates derived from plot sampling are most accurate when species are not very ____ and conditions across their habitat are uniform.

A)well-defined
B)small in size
C)healthy
D)mobile
E)stationary

Question 26

The growth of a population per unit time is calculated by using this formula: G = r × N. What is the quantity r and how is it calculated?

A)The quantity r is the exponential growth rate and is calculated by subtracting the number of deaths from the number of births.
B)The quantity r is the per capita growth rate and is calculated by multiplying the number of births and the number of deaths.
C)The quantity r is the per capita growth rate and is calculated by subtracting the number of deaths from the number of births.
D)The quantity r is the biotic potential of a population and is calculated by adding the birth rate and the death rate.
E)The quantity r is the monthly net increase of a population and is calculated by subtracting the number of births from the starting population size.

Question 27

What population distribution pattern is the most common in the natural world?

A)random
B)uniform
C)clumped
D)stratified
E)bimodal

Question 28

Human population increase is most influenced by the ____.

A)percentage of humans in the prereproductive and reproductive age groups
B)number of individuals in the postreproductive age groups
C)percentage of individuals in the reproductive age groups
D)number of women in the reproductive age groups
E)number of men in any age group

Question 29

A situation in which the birth rate equals the death rate is called ____.

A)an intrinsic limiting factor
B)exponential growth
C)saturation
D)zero population growth
E)geometric growth

Question 30

Imagine a population of rabbits that has a birth rate of 0.8 per month and a death rate of 0.6 per month. What is the per capita growth rate per month?

A)0.14 per rabbit per month
B)0.48 per rabbit per month
C)0.75 per rabbit per month
D)0.20 per rabbit per month
E)1.40 per rabbit per month

Question 31

A group of organisms that interbreed with one another more often than they interbreed with other members of their species defines a(n) ____.

A)community
B)ecosystem
C)population
D)biosphere
E)habitat

Question 32

A long-term study on guppies illustrates the effect of predation on life history traits. In the study, streams with killifish (which prey on immature guppies) had guppies that ____, compared to guppies in streams with cichlids (which prey on mature guppies).

A)were smaller
B)had larger broods per year
C)reproduced at an earlier age
D)were smaller and had fewer broods per year
E)had fewer broods per year and reproduced at an older age

Question 33

A cohort is a ____.

A)group of individuals of the same species born during the same time interval
B)group of individuals of the same sex within a population
C)group of organisms of different species that interact with one another
D)sexually reproducing pair
E)litter mate or sibling within a large population

Question 34

Organisms that demonstrate a type I survivorship curve are characterized by a ____.

A)death rate that does not vary with age
B)low death rate until midlife
C)low death rate until late in life
D)high death rate in early life
E)high death rate in midlife

Question 35

The amount of Earth's surface required to sustainably support a particular level of development and consumption is called the ____.

A)carrying capacity
B)replacement rate
C)ecological footprint
D)demographic transition
E)logistic growth

Question 36

In which stage of the demographic transition model is population growth the fastest?

A)preindustrial
B)transitional
C)industrial
D)postindustrial
E)agricultural

Question 37

The carrying capacity of an environment is determined by the ____.

A)net rate of reproduction of the female members
B)frequency and intensity of natural disasters
C)predation rate on the females
D)severity of diseases suffered by both sexes
E)sustainable supply of resources it provides

Question 38

Type II survivorship curves ____.

A)are characteristic of humans and other large mammals
B)typify a population in which all ages have an equal chance of surviving
C)indicate a high mortality rate in the very young
D)show that very few young are produced and that each is given parental support
E)are typical of animals that live a relatively long life and die of old age

Question 39

Which country or countries would be in the postindustrial phase of the demographic transition model if they did not accept immigrants from elsewhere?

A)the United States
B)Japan and some countries in Europe
C)Mexico and Brazil
D)all European countries
E)China and India

Question 40

The number of Canada geese in the United States has soared in recent years, primarily because the ____.

A)density-dependent limiting factors have decreased
B)carrying capacity for nonmigratory birds has increased
C)ecological footprint of humans has decreased
D)prereproductive base of migratory birds has decreased
E)population size of migratory birds has decreased

Question 41

Match the distribution pattern with the environmental factor that influences population distribution.
a.clumped
b.near-uniform
c.random
involves intense competition for limited resources

Question 42

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
​The world's least developed countries are in this stage (for example, Afghanistan and Ethiopia).

Question 43

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
​The birth rate falls below the death rate, and population size slowly decreases.

Question 44

Match the distribution pattern with the environmental factor that influences population distribution.
a.clumped
b.near-uniform
c.random
some animals benefit by grouping together

Question 45

Match the distribution pattern with the environmental factor that influences population distribution.
a.clumped
b.near-uniform
c.random
proximity to others neither benefits nor harms individuals

Question 46

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
expected number of children a women will bear over the course of a lifetime

Question 47

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.

-For most of human history, all regions were in this stage, but today no country is.

A)carrying capacity
B)total fertility rate
C)age structure
D)replacement fertility rate
E)reproductive base

Question 48

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
distribution of population members among various age categories

Question 49

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
number of children a woman must bear to replace herself with one daughter of reproductive age ​Select the stage of the demographic transition model that corresponds to each description.

A)​transitional
B)​industrial
C)​preindustrial
D)​postindustrial

Question 50

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
of a population, members of the reproductive and prereproductive age categories

Question 51

Four of the five answers are traits that influence the life history pattern of a living organism. Select the exception.

A)age at which the organism begins to reproduce
B)how often the organism reproduces.
C)number of offspring produced per reproductive event
D)length of the reproductive stage
E)natural disasters that influence survivorship

Question 52

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
​The birth rate moves closer to the death rate, and the population grows less rapidly.

Question 53

Match each statement to the correct ecological term.
a.carrying capacity
b.total fertility rate
c.age structure
d.replacement fertility rate
e.reproductive base
maximum number of individuals of a species that a particular environment can sustain; can change over time

Question 54

Match the distribution pattern with the environmental factor that influences population distribution.
a.clumped
b.near-uniform
c.random
resources are distributed uniformly through the environment

Question 55

Match the distribution pattern with the environmental factor that influences population distribution.
a.clumped
b.near-uniform
c.random
is often a result of asexual reproduction