Exam 21: B: Population Ecology on the Tracks of Wolves and Moose

The term _______ describes the interacting populations (e.g.,moose and ticks)within an ecosystem.

With the current ability of people to travel widely and even relocate across the globe,what does the term population mean in the human context? How many human populations exist on the planet? Explain your answer.

The term _______ describes all interacting species,such as moose,ticks,and wolves,as well as their surrounding environment of trees,vegetation,and climate.

A community is composed of _____ .

Predator cycles usually peak shortly after prey cycles peak.Why do you think this is?

Explain how density-independent and density-dependent factors might influence a population at different stages during its logistic growth curve.

Wolves have a significant impact on the population levels of moose on Isle Royale,but they also may have a significant impact on smaller animal populations.Explain why the presence of wolves on Isle Royale might affect the population level of squirrels feeding on the same trees as moose.

When discussing human population trends,birth rate is often expressed as a number called the total fertility rate (TFR).The TFR is the number of children an average woman in the country has in her lifetime.The number of children a couple must have to replace themselves in the population is called the total replacement rate (TRR).TRR can be used a lot like death rate when calculating population trends.As a worldwide average,each couple must have 2.1 children to replace themselves (the extra 0.1 is the result of infant mortality). TFR and TRR are given below for several countries.Which country has a decreasing population size?

How does a low predator population affect the population of a prey species?

Define carrying capacity.

List at least four factors that may influence where you might find a particular species of animal.

You are discussing population growth with a friend who says that once you know how many deer can live in 100 square miles in your state,then you know that is the same number of deer that can live in 100 square miles anywhere in the country.Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.

Proponents of hunting explain that hunting laws keep populations in check,thereby preventing massive population loss due instead to starvation.Explain this statement,incorporating the concept of carrying capacity.

What information could be obtained from wolf scat?

Which of the following conditions would lead to the fastest population growth?

It appears that all of the wolves on Isle Royale are the descendants of a single pair of wolves that made it to the island from the Canada.How would you compare the gene pool of the island's wolves to the wolves of the mainland?

Put the following in order from simplest to most complex.

Can a population exceed its carrying capacity?