Deck 3: Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology

Question 1

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Communities and the abiotic material with which their members interact

A)population density
B)habitat
C)environmental cooperation
D)community
E)niche
F)environmental resistance
G)biotic potential
H)ecosystems
I)r-selected
J)carrying capacity
K)population
L)endemic

Answer 1

ecosystems

Question 2

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Many interacting species that live in the same area

A)population density
B)habitat
C)environmental cooperation
D)community
E)niche
F)environmental resistance
G)biotic potential
H)ecosystems
I)r-selected
J)carrying capacity
K)population
L)endemic

Answer 2

community

Question 3

The barrier between the squirrel populations _____________

A) will produce distinct species as soon as the barrier becomes impassible
B) should not greatly interfere with both populations accessing both mountaintops
C) is the first part of an extinction event for both populations
D) is an effective barrier to mating and gene-flow between the two populations
E) will cause completely different mutations to occur in the two populations

Answer 3

is an effective barrier to mating and gene-flow between the two populations

Question 4

High population density can ______________

A) decrease the use of resources
B) decrease competition
C) increase the incidence of disease transmission and food scarcity
D) hinder organisms from finding mates
E) decrease biodiversity within a species

Question 5

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Number of individuals within a population per unit area

A)population density
B)habitat
C)environmental cooperation
D)community
E)niche
F)environmental resistance
G)biotic potential
H)ecosystems
I)r-selected
J)carrying capacity
K)population
L)endemic

Question 6

Assuming the populations are of equal size, the length of time necessary for significant divergence to take place in the populations depends on _____________

A) the rapid restoration of contact between the two populations
B) the kinds of mutations in the populations and the similarity of the two isolated habitats
C) the absence of natural selection
D) the area of the two mountain habitats
E) how quickly the squirrels learn to swim between the two habitats

Question 7

The two processes that determine the worldʹs current biodiversity are ______________

A) mutation and humidity
B) extinction and speciation rates
C) endemism and climate change
D) allopatric and sympatric speciation
E) breeding and ecotourism

Question 8

The functional role of a species in its community is its ______________

A) place in the food chain
B) niche
C) selection
D) habitat
E) distribution

Question 9

Population distribution describes ______________

A) placement of a species within a countryʹs boundaries
B) spatial arrangement of multiple species within a particular area
C) spatial arrangement of individuals of a single species within a particular area or ecosystem
D) placement of a species around the globe
E) how near or far away individuals in a population are from a resource, such as water

Question 10

The fossil record clearly shows that ______________

A) several different species can hybridize to produce a single new species
B) new species appear suddenly and fully differentiated, without an ancestral species
C) nearly all species that have existed in the past still exist today
D) all species evolve from pre-existing species
E) large complex organisms evolved long before simple organisms

Question 11

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Species occurring in only one area

A)population density
B)habitat
C)environmental cooperation
D)community
E)niche
F)environmental resistance
G)biotic potential
H)ecosystems
I)r-selected
J)carrying capacity
K)population
L)endemic

Question 12

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Stabilizes a population at its carrying capacity

A)population density
B)habitat
C)environmental cooperation
D)community
E)niche
F)environmental resistance
G)biotic potential
H)ecosystems
I)r-selected
J)carrying capacity
K)population
L)endemic

Question 13

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Specific environment in which an organism lives

A)population density
B)habitat
C)environmental cooperation
D)community
E)niche
F)environmental resistance
G)biotic potential
H)ecosystems
I)r-selected
J)carrying capacity
K)population
L)endemic

Question 14

Extinction is ______________

A) proceeding more slowly now than at any other time
B) something that occurs only rarely
C) always caused by human disturbance
D) the loss of communities from the planet
E) the disappearance of a species from Earth

Question 15

In the initial squirrel population prior to the isolation, it is safe to assume that _____________

A) natural selection is not operating on the population
B) there is already significant genetic divergence taking place
C) the population is interfertile, i.e. any male could successfully mate with any female
D) no mutations are occurring in the population
E) the population is mating with individuals of other species

Question 16

Which of the following is true?

A) Species on Earth today are but a fraction of all species that ever lived.
B) Most organisms present early in Earthʹs prehistory were more complex than modern organisms.
C) The number of species existing at one time has decreased throughout history.
D) Extinctions of past species have always happened gradually and on a small scale.
E) Bacteria represent a newer form of life, not present during the early prehistory of Earth.

Question 17

Endemic species ______________

A) have high rates of mutations that lead to large numbers of offspring species
B) are invasive species that cause extinction
C) are found only in one place on the planet
D) cause disease
E) are generalist organisms

Question 18

A population is a group of ______________

A) individuals of several interacting species that live in one area
B) all individuals of a species in all locations
C) individuals of a single species that live and interact in one area
D) cells that have similar function
E) individuals of several interacting species that interact in multiple ecosystems

Question 19

Most extinction is ______________

A) problematic for generalists
B) not often a problem for endemics
C) the result of slow climate change
D) gradual, generally occurring when species cannot adapt genetically to changes in environmental conditions
E) the result of environmental catastrophe

Question 20

The major force(s) causing the genetic divergence of the two isolated squirrel populations is/are _____________

A) natural selection and the variety of other species with which each population interbreeds
B) mutation alone
C) the complete lack of sexual reproduction in the two populations
D) mutation and natural selection
E) mating and gene-flow between the two populations

Question 21

Which of the following is accurate?

A) Any damaged ecosystem can be completely restored.
B) Ecotourism combines wildlife conservation with economic benefits.
C) Our understanding of genetics allows us to replace extinct species.
D) Costa Rica has declared national bankruptcy because of its failed ecotourism industry.
E) Humans can find and make their own resources if they destroy natural ecosystems.

Question 22

Of the following, ______________ would represent a clumped population dispersion pattern.

A) a forest of pine trees
B) earthworms in the soil of a garden
C) eagles nesting in the tallest trees in the Grand Canyon
D) oaks planted on city streets
E) a pod of 40 migrating gray whales

Question 23

An example of a density-independent factor would be ______________

A) suitable nest sites for a flock of warblers
B) cold weather causing a lake to freeze
C) a specialist searching for the one species of plant that is its food
D) blight (a mold disease) in a wheat field
E) a plant parasite, such as mistletoe

Question 24

In a population of field mice, an example of an adaptive trait that could help with reproduction and/or survival would be ______________

A) being brightly colored so other mice could see it
B) having a bit more fur to withstand cold weather
C) spending less time searching when food is scarce
D) needing to eat more food than other mice its size
E) having shorter legs to be lower to the ground

Question 25

One example of artificial selection is ______________

A) pet dogs that have gone wild, mate with coyotes, and live in packs
B) crossing a lion and a tiger to get a sterile animal called a liger
C) humans placing a gene for human insulin into a flower
D) the process of allopatric speciation
E) broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts bred from Brassica oleracea

Question 26

At Hakalau Forest in ______________, ranchland is being restored to forest, invasive plants are being removed, and native ones are being planted, and native birds are being protected while new populations of them are being established.

A) the Marshall Islands
B) Hawaii
C) Japan
D) Tuvalu
E) Guam

Question 27

Populations lacking any environmental resistance tend to increase by ______________

A) linear growth
B) pyramidal growth
C) immigration
D) exponential growth
E) emigration

Question 28

A species has evolved an asexual mode of reproduction by having offspring develop from unfertilized eggs. Which of the following will be true of this speciesʹ response to natural selection?

A) There will be fewer deaths from natural selection because sexual recombination always leads to extinction.
B) There will be less genetic variation from sexual recombination and a risk of not adapting quickly to environmental change.
C) The species will increase in numbers because genetic variation is increased.
D) The species will compensate for loss of genetic variation by hybridizing with other species.
E) There will be more deaths from natural selection because there is no mutation.

Question 29

An ecosystem ______________

A) is a regional grouping of plants, animals and other biotic factors
B) is a grouping of plants and animals that interacts with one another in a way that causes the grouping to die
C) is the total population of a specific kind of plant, animal or microbe and all members of which do or potentially can interbreed and produce young
D) encompasses all the organisms and the physical and chemical environment within an area
E) is a collection of interacting species living in a specific area

Question 30

An S-shaped population growth curve best describes ______________

A) logistic growth
B) unlimited growth
C) slow and constantly changing growth
D) exponential growth
E) rapid and steady rate growth

Question 31

Biodiversity is ______________

A) the relative abundance of the different species in a community
B) the variety of life in all its forms and combinations and at all levels of organization
C) the total number of species in a location
D) the three dimensional distribution of species and biological features
E) the difference in variety and abundance of species from place to place

Question 32

Heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change course, isolating two groups of lizards of the same species from one another. Over a long period of time ______________

A) one or both groups will probably emigrate
B) one group will probably become an endemic species
C) both groups will probably become native species
D) the groups will probably diverge genetically, and speciation may occur
E) one or both groups will probably become invasive species

Question 33

Density-dependent factors ______________

A) include the effects of a hard freeze on a single species within a community
B) include the effects of disease, predators, and food on a single species within a community
C) include the effects of rainfall on an entire community
D) include the effects of a hard freeze on an entire community
E) cause decreases in the number of species in an ecosystem

Question 34

A coyote, which can alter its food intake to match seasonal abundance of plants, fruits, or small animals, is considered to be ______________

A) a generalist, able to be flexible in major dimensions of its niche
B) a clumped species
C) density-independent and resource neutral
D) a specialist, which has no niche
E) an endemic, able to be flexible

Question 35

Of the following, ______________ are the major factors that determine a populationʹs growth rate.

A) adaptation, competition, birth rate, and emigration
B) limiting factors, carrying capacity, mutation rate, and inbreeding
C) birth rate, death rate, emigration, and immigration
D) immigration, climate, emigration, and population distribution
E) survivorship, natural selection, mutation, and extinction

Question 36

Of the following, ______________ would be most vulnerable to extinction.

A) a mold that attacks corn in the field
B) an orchid endemic to a mountaintop forest where logging is occurring
C) a moth, brought to the United States for silk production, escaping into the wild and becoming established
D) a healthy plant, such as a pine tree, that completely dominates its native environment
E) a migratory flock of warblers stopping along its winter route to feed on local resources that are now gone and replaced by a suburb

Question 37

A populationʹs age structure generally ______________

A) has no inherent value for predicting growth
B) cannot predict possible species declines in numbers
C) will represent sizes of individual organisms
D) is correlated with the different niches the population occupies
E) indicates the relative numbers of individuals of different ages within a population

Question 38

The carrying capacity is the ______________

A) maximum sustainable population size that a given environment can support
B) average number of offspring carried to term by a species
C) greatest number of different niches possible in a given area
D) limitation on numbers of species in a community
E) potential growth in the number of species in a given area

Question 39

Phylogenetic trees ______________

A) predict future evolutionary trends
B) have branches each of which represents an extinction event
C) are a threatened species in Costa Ricaʹs Monteverde National Park
D) trace the flow of evolutionary change and diversification for a particular group of organisms
E) are usually at odds with fossil evidence

Question 40

In ecology, a ______________ is made up of interacting populations of different species that inhabit the same area.

A) guild
B) ecosystem
C) biome
D) community
E) population

Question 41

A small group of leaf-feeding beetles locates a field of snap beans, one of the preferred plants for this species. At first, the population grows rapidly in the snap bean field, but as the beetle population grows larger, predators, such as spiders and birds, discover the beetles and start to remove individuals from the population. Competition for mates, food, and oviposition (egg-laying) sites intensifies for the individuals in the beetle population as population density increases. A fungal disease also starts to kill many of the beetles. The population no longer grows rapidly but levels off. How would you describe the factors limiting the beetle population?

A) The factors are density-independent factors.
B) The factors are density-dependent factors.
C) The factors act on the population as the population density increases.
D) Both A and C describe these factors.
E) Both B and C describe these factors.

Question 42

When the organisms of a particular population seek habitats or resources that are unevenly spaced, the distribution of the individuals in the population is ______________

A) binary
B) clumped
C) evenly dispersed
D) random
E) uniform

Question 43

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Between 1907 and 1923, cattle grazing in the Kaibab National forest in Arizona was greatly reduced, deer hunting was eliminated, and predators were killed. Over 600 cougars, 11 wolves (most had already been killed in the 1800s), and 3000 coyotes were trapped or shot. In response, the deer herd began to increase. By 1915, the deer were estimated at 25,000; by 1920 at 50,000; and by 1923 at approximately 100,000.
What is going to happen to the area resources for deer after 1923?

A) The deer herd continues to increase, so the resources will continue to be damaged.
B) The deer herd will have leveled off to a steady state, but the resources will continue to be damaged.
C) The deer herd will have leveled off to a steady state, so the resources will recover.
D) The deer herd will have begun decreasing, so the resources will recover.
E) As the deer switch to the forage previously used by cattle, the resources will recover.

Question 44

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Between 1907 and 1923, cattle grazing in the Kaibab National forest in Arizona was greatly reduced, deer hunting was eliminated, and predators were killed. Over 600 cougars, 11 wolves (most had already been killed in the 1800s), and 3000 coyotes were trapped or shot. In response, the deer herd began to increase. By 1915, the deer were estimated at 25,000; by 1920 at 50,000; and by 1923 at approximately 100,000.
The initial population of Kaibab deer in 1906 was about 4000. In an area of about 800,000 acres, this works out to an average density of one deer per 200 acres. The density in 1923 is .

A) one deer per 80 acres
B) one deer per 8 acres
C) one deer per 0.8 acres
D) one deer per 20 acres
E) one deer per 800 acres

Question 45

A species of bird had an original range covering the entire eastern half of the United States from New England west to the Mississippi and then south to Florida. During a period of glaciation, the eastern part of the population was cut off from the western part for 2000 years. Then the glacier melted and the birdsʹ range was reestablished. During the separation, the western birds evolved a slightly different song and a darker wing color. Ornithologists are now studying this species to determine whether speciation has taken place. What evidence will they look for in their study?

Question 46

A population of quail lives in an area of prairie grasslands. In good years, a pair of quail can have four clutches of young, with as many as 12 to 14 eggs in each clutch. Despite this, the population size remains stable over the long term. Discuss the population structure, its potential for growth, and its possible limiting factors, using at least four of the terms you learned in this chapter.

Question 47

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Between 1907 and 1923, cattle grazing in the Kaibab National forest in Arizona was greatly reduced, deer hunting was eliminated, and predators were killed. Over 600 cougars, 11 wolves (most had already been killed in the 1800s), and 3000 coyotes were trapped or shot. In response, the deer herd began to increase. By 1915, the deer were estimated at 25,000; by 1920 at 50,000; and by 1923 at approximately 100,000.
Mule deer such as the Kaibab population can live 10 to 25 years. In 1920, an age structure diagram of the Kaibab deer population that places the number of young individuals at the base of a pyramid and the oldest age categories at the top, would look like a(n) .

A) wide triangle, very wide at the bottom and very narrow at the top
B) inverted pyramid, very wide at the top and very narrow at the bottom
C) narrow triangle, somewhat wide at the bottom and narrow at the top
D) narrow inverted pyramid, somewhat wide at the top and narrow at the bottom
E) rectangle, almost the same size from bottom to top, tapering slightly at the top

Question 48

The niche of a species is the functional role of that species in the community that it belongs to. Species that have narrow niches (have very specific resource requirements) are said to be ______________ , while species that have broad niches (able to use a wide array of resources) are known as ______________.

A) Type 2 species; Type 3 species
B) r-selected species; K-selected species
C) generalists; specialists
D) widespread; restricted
E) specialists; generalists

Question 49

Differentiate between exponential and logistic growth curves. Give examples of the conditions under which each would occur.

Question 50

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Between 1907 and 1923, cattle grazing in the Kaibab National forest in Arizona was greatly reduced, deer hunting was eliminated, and predators were killed. Over 600 cougars, 11 wolves (most had already been killed in the 1800s), and 3000 coyotes were trapped or shot. In response, the deer herd began to increase. By 1915, the deer were estimated at 25,000; by 1920 at 50,000; and by 1923 at approximately 100,000.
Which of these graphs shows the Kaibab deer population between 1900 and 1923?

A) A ʺsine waveʺ curving up, down, up, down.
B) A J-shaped upward curve with a very rapid increase.
C) A rapidly decreasing slope from left to right.
D) An S-shaped curve that shows a smooth, rapid increase and then levels off.
E) A straight line slanting upward, showing a steady increase over time.

Question 51

Is a carrying capacity a fixed entity? Discuss the role of humans in regulating carrying capacity for the human species and in altering the carrying capacity for other species.

Question 52

Describe the sixth mass extinction event, when it occurred, and its specific causes.