Question 1

Which of the following traits is characteristic of K-selected populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  offspring with good chances of survival 
B)  many offspring per reproductive episode 
C)  small offspring 
D)  a high intrinsic rate of increase 
A)  offspring with good chances of survival 
B)  many offspring per reproductive episode 
C)  small offspring 
D)  a high intrinsic rate of increase A

Question 2

Which of the following is the best natural example of a uniform pattern of dispersion?

Accepted Answer

A)  bees collecting pollen in a wildflower meadow 
B)  moss spores floating in the wind to new locations of a forest 
C)  territorial songbirds in a mature forest during mating season 
D)  mushrooms growing on the floor of an old growth forest 
A)  bees collecting pollen in a wildflower meadow 
B)  moss spores floating in the wind to new locations of a forest 
C)  territorial songbirds in a mature forest during mating season 
D)  mushrooms growing on the floor of an old growth forest D

Question 3

Use the figure to answer the following question.
Life Table for Zootoca vivipara in the Netherlands
 
Data are from Strijbosch and Creemers, 1988.
Using the table, determine which age class year would cause the largest decline in the resulting population growth, if it were wiped out by disease.

Accepted Answer

A)  age class year 1 
B)  age class year 2 
C)  age class year 3 
D)  age class year 4 
A)  age class year 1 
B)  age class year 2 
C)  age class year 3 
D)  age class year 4 A

Question 4

Use the figure to answer the following question.
 
Infant mortality and life expectancy at birth in developed and developing countries (data as of 2005).
What is a logical conclusion that can be drawn from the graphs? Developed countries have ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  lower infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries 
B)  higher infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries 
C)  lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries 
D)  higher infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries 
A)  lower infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries 
B)  higher infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries 
C)  lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries 
D)  higher infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries

Question 5

In which of the following situations would you expect to find the largest number of r-selected individuals?

Accepted Answer

A)  a recently abandoned agricultural field in Colorado 
B)  a sand dune community south of Lake Michigan 
C)  an old-growth forest with large, mature trees 
D)  a coral reef community off the coast of Mexico 
A)  a recently abandoned agricultural field in Colorado 
B)  a sand dune community south of Lake Michigan 
C)  an old-growth forest with large, mature trees 
D)  a coral reef community off the coast of Mexico

Question 6

Use the graph to answer the following question.
 
In the figure, which of the following survivorship curves most applies to humans living in developed countries?

Accepted Answer

A)  curve A 
B)  curve B 
C)  curve C 
D)  curve A or curve B 
A)  curve A 
B)  curve B 
C)  curve C 
D)  curve A or curve B

Question 7

Population ecologists follow the fate of same-age cohorts to

Accepted Answer

A)  determine a population's carrying capacity. 
B)  determine the birth rate and death rate of each group in a population. 
C)  determine if a population is regulated by density-dependent processes. 
D)  determine the factors that affect the size of a population. 
A)  determine a population's carrying capacity. 
B)  determine the birth rate and death rate of each group in a population. 
C)  determine if a population is regulated by density-dependent processes. 
D)  determine the factors that affect the size of a population.

Question 8

Imagine that you are managing a large game ranch. You know from historical accounts that a species of deer used to live there, but they have been extirpated. After doing some research to determine what might be an appropriately sized founding population, you reintroduce them. You then watch the population increase for several generations, and graph the number of individuals (vertical axis) against the number of generations (horizontal axis). With no natural predators impacting the population, the graph will likely appear as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a diagonal line, getting higher with each generation 
B)  an "S" that ends with a vertical line 
C)  an upside-down "U" 
D)  a "J," increasing with each generation 
A)  a diagonal line, getting higher with each generation 
B)  an "S" that ends with a vertical line 
C)  an upside-down "U" 
D)  a "J," increasing with each generation

Question 9

Which of the following graphs best illustrates the growth curve of a small population of rodents that has increased to a static carrying capacity?

Accepted Answer

A)    
B)    
C)    
D)    
A)    
B)    
C)    
D)

Question 10

During exponential growth, a population always ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  grows at its maximum per capita rate 
B)  quickly reaches its carrying capacity 
C)  adds more new individuals when the population is small than when it is large 
D)  loses some individuals to emigration 
A)  grows at its maximum per capita rate 
B)  quickly reaches its carrying capacity 
C)  adds more new individuals when the population is small than when it is large 
D)  loses some individuals to emigration

Question 11

Use the figure to answer the following question.
 
Based on the figure and given the populations of the following countries, which country uses the most oil overall?

Accepted Answer

A)  United States (population = 320 million) 
B)  Canada (population = 36 million) 
C)  China (population = 1.33 billion) 
D)  Russia (population = 144 million) 
A)  United States (population = 320 million) 
B)  Canada (population = 36 million) 
C)  China (population = 1.33 billion) 
D)  Russia (population = 144 million)

Question 12

Starting from a single individual, what is the size of a population of bacteria at the end of a 2-hour time period if they reproduce by binary fission every 20 minutes? (Assume unlimited resources and no mortality.)

Accepted Answer

A)  16 
B)  32 
C)  64 
D)  128 
A)  16 
B)  32 
C)  64 
D)  128

Question 13

Which of the following groups would be most likely to exhibit uniform dispersion?

Accepted Answer

A)  red squirrels, who actively defend territories 
B)  cattails, which grow primarily at edges of lakes and streams 
C)  dwarf mistletoes, which parasitize particular species of forest tree 
D)  lake trout, which seek out cold, deep water high in dissolved oxygen 
A)  red squirrels, who actively defend territories 
B)  cattails, which grow primarily at edges of lakes and streams 
C)  dwarf mistletoes, which parasitize particular species of forest tree 
D)  lake trout, which seek out cold, deep water high in dissolved oxygen

Question 14

Use the graphs to answer the following question.
 
Graph (b) in the figure shows the normal fluctuations of a population of grouse, a ground-nesting bird. Assuming graph (a) in the figure is the result of some experimental treatment in the grouse population, what can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

A)  The experimental treatment intensified the population cycling. 
B)  The experimental treatment did not affect population cycling in this species. 
C)  The experimental treatment has most likely identified the cause of population cycling. 
D)  The experimental treatment involved the introduction of a predator of the bird. 
A)  The experimental treatment intensified the population cycling. 
B)  The experimental treatment did not affect population cycling in this species. 
C)  The experimental treatment has most likely identified the cause of population cycling. 
D)  The experimental treatment involved the introduction of a predator of the bird.

Question 15

Which statements about K are correct?
I. K varies among populations.
II. K varies in space.
III.K varies in time.
IV.K is constant for any given species.

Accepted Answer

A)  only I and III 
B)  only II and IV 
C)  only I, II, and III 
D)  only II, III, and IV 
A)  only I and III 
B)  only II and IV 
C)  only I, II, and III 
D)  only II, III, and IV

Question 16

A population's carrying capacity

Accepted Answer

A)  may change as environmental conditions change. 
B)  can be accurately calculated using the logistic growth model. 
C)  increases as the per capita population growth rate decreases. 
D)  can never be exceeded. 
A)  may change as environmental conditions change. 
B)  can be accurately calculated using the logistic growth model. 
C)  increases as the per capita population growth rate decreases. 
D)  can never be exceeded.

Question 17

Use the graph to answer the following question.
 
In the figure, curves A-D depict per capita rate increases (r). Which of the following best explains the difference between the shapes of these curves?

Accepted Answer

A)  The population growth is logistic as generations continue to form. 
B)  The growth is exponential for curves A and B, but because population growth for C and D is slower, it is considered logistic. 
C)  Population growth within each curve gets steeper as time passes because growth depends on both per capita rates of increase and current population size. 
D)  Curve A has the fastest rate of logistic growth. 
A)  The population growth is logistic as generations continue to form. 
B)  The growth is exponential for curves A and B, but because population growth for C and D is slower, it is considered logistic. 
C)  Population growth within each curve gets steeper as time passes because growth depends on both per capita rates of increase and current population size. 
D)  Curve A has the fastest rate of logistic growth.

Question 18

Analyzing ecological footprints reveals that

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth's carrying capacity would increase if per capita meat consumption increased. 
B)  current demand by industrialized countries for resources is much smaller than the ecological footprint of those countries. 
C)  it is not possible for technological improvements to increase Earth's carrying capacity for humans. 
D)  the ecological footprint of the United States is large because per capita resource use is high. 
A)  Earth's carrying capacity would increase if per capita meat consumption increased. 
B)  current demand by industrialized countries for resources is much smaller than the ecological footprint of those countries. 
C)  it is not possible for technological improvements to increase Earth's carrying capacity for humans. 
D)  the ecological footprint of the United States is large because per capita resource use is high.

Question 19

As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following outcomes is predicted by the logistic equation?

Accepted Answer

A)  The population growth rate will not change. 
B)  The population growth rate will approach zero. 
C)  The population size will increase exponentially. 
D)  The carrying capacity of the environment will increase. 
A)  The population growth rate will not change. 
B)  The population growth rate will approach zero. 
C)  The population size will increase exponentially. 
D)  The carrying capacity of the environment will increase.

Question 20

Often the growth cycle of one population has an effect on the cycle of another. As moose populations increase, for example, wolf populations also increase. Thus, if we are considering the logistic equation for the wolf population,  
Which of the factors accounts for the effect of the moose population?

Accepted Answer

A)  r 
B)  N 
C)  rN 
D)  K 
A)  r 
B)  N 
C)  rN 
D)  K

Exam 53: Population Ecology

Which of the following traits is characteristic of K-selected populations?

Which of the following is the best natural example of a uniform pattern of dispersion?

Use the figure to answer the following question. Life Table for Zootoca vivipara in the Netherlands Data are from Strijbosch and Creemers, 1988. Using the table, determine which age class year would cause the largest decline in the resulting population growth, if it were wiped out by disease.

Use the figure to answer the following question. Infant mortality and life expectancy at birth in developed and developing countries (data as of 2005). What is a logical conclusion that can be drawn from the graphs? Developed countries have ________.

In which of the following situations would you expect to find the largest number of r-selected individuals?

Use the graph to answer the following question. In the figure, which of the following survivorship curves most applies to humans living in developed countries?

Population ecologists follow the fate of same-age cohorts to

Which of the following graphs best illustrates the growth curve of a small population of rodents that has increased to a static carrying capacity?

During exponential growth, a population always ________.

Use the figure to answer the following question. Based on the figure and given the populations of the following countries, which country uses the most oil overall?

Starting from a single individual, what is the size of a population of bacteria at the end of a 2-hour time period if they reproduce by binary fission every 20 minutes? (Assume unlimited resources and no mortality.)

Which of the following groups would be most likely to exhibit uniform dispersion?

Use the graphs to answer the following question. Graph (b) in the figure shows the normal fluctuations of a population of grouse, a ground-nesting bird. Assuming graph (a) in the figure is the result of some experimental treatment in the grouse population, what can be concluded?

Which statements about K are correct? I. K varies among populations. II. K varies in space. III.K varies in time. IV.K is constant for any given species.

A population's carrying capacity

Use the graph to answer the following question. In the figure, curves A-D depict per capita rate increases (r). Which of the following best explains the difference between the shapes of these curves?

Analyzing ecological footprints reveals that

As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following outcomes is predicted by the logistic equation?

Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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