Exam 9: Population Distribution and Abundance

Refer to the figure. From 1950 to 2010, the average sea temperature has _______ approximately _______^oC.

Only a small proportion of the world's species are found on each individual continent. Which organism is an exception and has a widespread distribution across most continents?

Place a species distribution in order from smallest to largest.

Suppose that two species of rabbits inhabit an area. Which technique would provide estimates of their relative population densities, as opposed to estimates of their absolute densities?

Individuals of a plant species are counted in five transects that are each 2  2 meters. In these transects, 8, 15, 19, 27, and 31 plants are found. What is the density per square meter of this species?

An evolutionary ecologist is studying the evolutionary change in populations of lizards that reproduce via parthenogenesis. How do these individuals form?

Which negative effect can habitat fragmentation have on a metapopulation?

Which species will most likely exhibit a regular or nearly regular pattern of dispersion?

In a mark-recapture study to estimate the size of a rodent population, researchers catch and mark 30 individuals. Two days later, they again capture a number of rodents and find that 20% of the individuals are marked. Assuming no births, deaths, or migrations, what is the estimated size of the population?

According to the work of Estes and others, an increase in _______ would lead to an increase in the abundance of urchins.

Which type of mammals would you most likely find on a small oceanic island that is 2,000 kilometers away from any other land mass and has not been colonized by humans?

You are studying a type of tree that grows in dense groups made up of many individuals. These groups are generally separated by quite some distance, so each group is relatively isolated from the others. What are three possible factors that might cause this patchy distribution, and what kinds of data would you collect to determine the factor that is responsible for the dispersion you observe?

Which of the following best describes the most frequent dispersion pattern of the shrub Clematis fremontii in glades?

Which statement about the Aleutian Island community is true?

In the Seychelles warbler, territorial behavior would favor a _______ population dispersion pattern, and cooperative breeding would favor a _______ population dispersion pattern.

Imagine two small, isolated tropical islands located far from the mainland that are similar in size and physical characteristics. Although the islands have been habitable for millions of years, a small population of frogs occupies only one of the islands, having appeared there 30 years previously. What are two possible reasons why the frogs colonized the one island, and only relatively recently? What factor does not appear to have prevented them from colonizing the other island?

Individuals of a plant species are counted in four transects that are each 2 * 3 meters. In these transects, 6, 15, 18, and 33 are found. What is the density per square meter of this species?

Which statement about populations is false?

Refer to the figure. Assume that the number of individuals of Laminaria is on a linear trajectory in the figure. If Duggins had sampled the kelp density 1.5 years after urchin removal, predict the approximate number of individuals of Laminaria he would have counted.

Refer to the table. Ecologists have been monitoring three metapopulations of butterflies. According to Levins's metapopulation model, which population(s) in the table would be expected to persist for a long time?