Deck 11: Intraspecific Population Regulation

Question 1

The maximum sustainable population size for the prevailing environment is called the ________ capacity.

Answer 1

carrying

Question 2

The carrying capacity refers to the

A)minimum amount of resources needed to sustain a finite population with zero population growth.
B)maximum sustainable population size for the prevailing environment.
C)minimum number of individuals in a population required to assure reproductive success.
D)maximum growth rate of a population in which resources are unlimited.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is a density-independent factor?

A)weather event
B)food availability
C)shelter availability
D)availability of mates

Answer 3

A

Question 4

As population size (N)increases,the per capita

A)birthrate and death rate increase.
B)birthrate increases and death rate decreases.
C)birthrate decreases and death rate increases.
D)birthrate and death rate decrease.

Question 5

Competition among individuals of the same species is referred to as ________ competition.

Question 6

In logistic growth,the point at which population growth ceases is referred to as the

A)threshold of security.
B)Malthusian parameter.
C)saturation point.
D)carrying capacity.

Question 7

Under the logistic growth model,the rate of population growth is highest when

A)N = K
B)N = K/2
C)N = r
D)N = (1 - N/K)

Question 8

The part of an animal's home range that is defended against intruders is its ________.

Question 9

Instead of coping with stress,some animals ________ by leaving the population to seek vacant habitats.

Question 10

The figure depicts which type of population growth?

A)exponential
B)normal
C)logistic
D)geometric

Question 11

The ________ model of population growth assumes that essential resources are unlimited and that the environment is constant.

Question 12

________ competition occurs when some competing individuals obtain enough resources for themselves while denying resources to others.

Question 13

One hypothesis of population regulation in animals is that increased crowding and social contact cause ________.

Question 14

The presence of a uniform distribution among plants is often used as an indication that ________ is occurring.

Question 15

The progressive decline in density and increase in biomass of remaining individuals in a population is known as ________-thinning.

Question 16

A plant grown at high density will produce ________ seeds than the same plant grown at low density.

Question 17

The factors that influence the growth rate of a population in proportion to the size of the population are called density-________ factors.

Question 18

Density-________ growth is the inverse relationship between population density and individual growth.

Question 19

Factors that influence population growth but do not change systematically with the density of the population are called density-________ factors.

Question 20

Within a social group,the ________ individual is dominant over all other members.

Question 21

Which of the following organisms would be most likely to present evidence of self-thinning?

A)frogs
B)barnacles
C)lions
D)birds

Question 22

When experimental plants (e.g.,Atriplex prostrata)were grown at high densities,

A)individual growth rates increased.
B)the proportion of resources allocated to leaf production increased.
C)individual plant weight increased.
D)net photosynthetic rate increased.

Question 23

What might be an unforeseen outcome of planting soybean plants at high densities in a field?

A)reduced seed production per plant
B)increased plant size
C)increased seed size
D)decreased plant mortality

Question 24

Social dominance can serve to

A)increase competition.
B)increase the number of mating pairs.
C)limit population size.
D)decrease the survival rate of a pack.

Question 25

Self-thinning

A)is found only in populations of mobile organisms.
B)occurs at high population densities.
C)functions to increase the survival rate of all individuals in the population.
D)is a type of scramble competition.

Question 26

Which statement about stress is incorrect?

A)Stress increases as population density increases.
B)Stress may trigger the release of specific chemical signals or pheromones.
C)Stress can stimulate growth and increase the rate of reproduction.
D)Stress may result in increased vulnerability to disease.

Question 27

In a wolf pack,the beta male

A)mates with all the females of the pack.
B)is subordinate to the alpha female.
C)is dominant over all members of the pack.
D)is usually closely related to the alpha male.

Question 28

The form of competition in which growth and reproduction are depressed equally across individuals in a population as the intensity of competition increases is called

A)scramble competition.
B)contest competition.
C)exploitation competition.
D)interference competition.

Question 29

By organizing socially into a group,individual animals may benefit by

A)coexisting peacefully instead of fighting with group members for dominance.
B)reducing intraspecific competition for food.
C)increasing access to a common food supply.
D)equalizing the number of offspring produced by each group member.

Question 30

When extreme contest competition occurs within a population,

A)all individuals receive insufficient resources for survival and reproduction.
B)local extinction may occur.
C)only a portion of the population suffers.
D)the growth rate of the population increases.

Question 31

Density-independent population regulation

A)is usually catastrophic.
B)primarily affects large populations.
C)may involve disease transmission among individuals of the population.
D)results from competition among individuals for available resources.

Question 32

As population density increases in harp seals (Phoca groenlandica),females

A)become sexually mature at a smaller body size.
B)refuse to mate with males.
C)begin reproduction at a later age.
D)often cannibalize their own offspring.

Question 33

One way to reduce density dependence is

A)dispersal.
B)via reduced resources.
C)via increased density.
D)via increased stress.

Question 34

As the density of a population increases,the

A)survival rate increases.
B)reproductive rate increases.
C)intensity of intraspecific competition decreases.
D)individual growth rate decreases.

Question 35

You see a plot of plants that is very dense and small and another plot of the same species with fewer individuals but larger individual plants.What might be the cause of this pattern?

A)herbivory
B)contest competition
C)water availability
D)intraspecific competition

Question 36

Among mammals,the home range is usually larger for

A)carnivorous species than for herbivorous species of the same body size.
B)females than males of the same species.
C)immatures than for adults of the same species.
D)smaller species than for larger species.

Question 37

You see two squirrels fighting over a food resource.This most likely represents

A)scramble competition.
B)carrying capacity.
C)contest competition.
D)interspecific competition.

Question 38

What is one mechanism through which increased density may cause infant mortality in mammals?

A)reduced social contact causes stress
B)reduced seed bank causes a decrease of feed for infants
C)increased stress increases infant size
D)high stress environments may reduce lactation

Question 39

Which of the following is negatively correlated with territory size?

A)bird size
B)bird density
C)number of offspring
D)number of mates

Question 40

The individuals that disperse as a response to high population density are

A)mostly the younger members of the population.
B)more likely to survive.
C)mostly females.
D)usually superior competitors.

Question 41

A small population size of flowers can pose problems for the plant as a result of

A)poor quality soil.
B)lack of space.
C)lack of resources.
D)lack of pollinator visitation.

Question 42

As intraspecific competition increases,growth and development are affected first,followed by individual survival and reproduction.

Question 43

No population continues to grow in size indefinitely.

Question 44

The fewest number of individuals necessary to ensure the long term survival of a population is known as the

A)carrying capacity.
B)resource population.
C)lowest common denominator.
D)minimum viable population.

Question 45

This figures illustrates that territory size is positively correlated with

A)density.
B)body size.
C)feeding type.
D)rainfall.

Question 46

Increasing density does not affect the body mass of individual organisms.

Question 47

Which of the following factors is most likely to be a density-independent regulator of population growth?

A)drought
B)disease
C)starvation
D)parasites

Question 48

What is the minimum dynamic area?

A)the number of individuals necessary to ensure the long term survival of a population
B)the average area of an individual's territory
C)the space needed for reproduction and raising of offspring
D)the area necessary for maintaining an MVP

Question 49

Competition for resources is a density-independent factor affecting a population.

Question 50

The carrying capacity (K)of a population can vary depending on the supply of resources.

Question 51

Which of the following is equal to (1 - N/K)?

A)(N - K)/K
B)(K - N)/K
C)(K - N)/N
D)(N - K)/N

Question 52

Which of the following represents an example of density-independent growth?

A)increased amphibian reproduction following a wet season
B)exponential population growth
C)logistic population growth
D)increase in predator population following increase in prey abundance

Question 53

Density-dependent population regulation occurs only at high population densities.

Question 54

High-density conditions caused no noticeable change in the behavior of experimental wood frog (Rana sylvatica)tadpoles.

Question 55

The carrying capacity is the population size at which dN/dt

A)is positive.
B)is negative.
C)is equal to 0.
D)is equal to N.

Question 56

The influence of density-independent factors on populations is generally less predictable than the influence of density-dependent factors.

Question 57

Root competition among neighboring plants was studied by growing plants with their roots inside tubes of PVC pipes.Some tubes had holes of varying sizes,allowing their neighbors' roots to enter the tubes of a target plant.As the percentage of a target plant's tube open to neighbors' roots increased,

A)both target plant biomass and neighbor plant root biomass decreased.
B)target plant biomass decreased and neighbor plant root biomass increased.
C)target plant biomass increased and neighbor plant root biomass decreased.
D)both target plant biomass and neighbor plant root biomass increased.

Question 58

Plants can preempt both space and

A)time.
B)resources.
C)mates.
D)territory.

Question 59

When individuals in a small population have difficulty finding a mate,this is referred to as

A)density dependence.
B)promiscuity.
C)the Allee effect.
D)self thinning.

Question 60

Scramble competition results in some individuals in the population getting more resources than others.

Question 61

The rate of aggressive interactions among individuals increases as population density increases.

Question 62

Territorial behavior includes some form of advertisement,threat,and combat.

Question 63

Social organization occurs only among invertebrate animals such as ants,bees,and termites.

Question 64

Population density can affect the age at which an animal matures.

Question 65

Dispersal is not a population regulatory mechanism.

Question 66

The home range of an animal is always defended.

Question 67

Plants can capture and defend space.

Question 68

Fire is an example of a density-independent factor that affects the size of a population.

Question 69

When a given area is saturated with territories,excluded individuals who lack a territory soon die of starvation.

Question 70

As the density of a population increases,dispersal usually decreases.