Deck 3: Evolution,biodiversity,and Population Ecology

Question 1

The carrying capacity is the __________________.

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

Answer 1

maximum sustainable population that a given environment can support

Question 2

What characteristics do humans share with r -selected species?

A)rapid population growth that is largely unchecked
B)considerable energy and resources spent providing for offspring
C)ability to survive well past the age of reproduction
D)high reproductive output
E)prolonged parental care

Answer 2

rapid population growth that is largely unchecked

Question 3

Population distribution describes __________________.

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

Answer 3

the spatial arrangement of individuals of a single species within a particular area or ecosystem

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem?

A)a colony of leafcutter ants and the leaves they harvest for their fungal garden
B)a colony of leafcutter ants,the leaves they harvest,the fungi that they cultivate and tend to,and the soil nutrients and moisture needed for their garden
C)a colony of leafcutter ants,the leaves they harvest,and the fungi that they cultivate and tend to
D)a colony of leafcutter ants living in a forest
E)These are all examples of ecosystems.

Question 5

Groups of organisms with low biotic potential,such as gray whales, __________________.

A)are r -selected
B)show the initial stages of the extinction process
C)have escaped from the processes of natural selection and adaptation
D)are K -selected
E)are not subject to density -dependent limiting factors

Question 6

Mutation and __________________ are the key mechanisms that generate and maintain genetic variation among individuals in most populations.

A)adaptations
B)inbreeding
C)natural selection
D)sexual reproduction
E)asexual reproduction

Question 7

Heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change course,isolating two groups of lizards from one another.If they remain isolated for a long period of time,__________________ .

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

Question 8

A niche specialist is __________________.

A)more likely to go extinct than a niche generalist
B)more likely to thrive in human -modified environments than a niche generalist
C)more likely to use a wide variety of resources than a niche generalist
D)more likely to have a large geographic distribution than a niche generalist
E)more likely to adapt to climate change than a niche generalist

Question 9

Populations in which the probability of dying is constant at every age exemplify __________________.

A)type III survivorship
B)arithmetic growth
C)type I survivorship
D)type II survivorship
E)natural selection

Question 10

Unregulated populations tend to increase by __________________.

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

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)Until recent history,extinctions have always happened gradually and on a small scale.
B)The number of species existing at one time has decreased throughout history.
C)Natural selection always favors complexity and a larger body size.
D)Species on Earth today are just a fraction of all species that ever lived.
E)Most organisms present early in Earth's prehistory were more complex than modern organisms.

Question 12

A population is __________________.

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

Question 13

How do feral pigs relate to the malaria problem in Hawaii?

A)Pigs dig holes in the rainforest floor,creating water holes where mosquitoes can breed.
B)Feral pig farmers spend time outdoors and put themselves at risk of being bitten by mosquitoes that carry malaria.
C)The pig problem and the malaria problem in Hawaii are unrelated.
D)Pigs help destroy the eggs of mosquitoes by wallowing in mosquito -infested mudholes.
E)Malaria is spread from pigs to mosquitoes to humans in Hawaii because pigs are an alternate host for malaria.

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

Extinction is __________________.

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

Question 16

Which of the following scenarios best describes a density -dependent factor limiting population growth?

A)An April blizzard kills off many migrating barn swallows,which could not tolerate the cold and snow.
B)A particularly dry summer shrinks and dries up many ponds in central Canada,causing increased aggression and competition for limited nest sites among female common goldeneyes (ducks).
C)A tropical storm strikes one of the Hawaiian Islands and wipes out a population of nénés that had been recovering from near -extinction.
D)A particularly snowy winter makes it difficult for female deer to find food,thus affecting their ability to reproduce.
E)A homeowner sprays her lawn with broadleaf herbicide to kill the dandelions that have started growing there that spring.

Question 17

High population density can __________________.

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

Question 18

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question
Organisms that are closely related have a recent common ancestor.Of the following,which choice lists organisms that are most closely related to each other?

A)lizards and crocodiles
B)lampreys and sharks
C)mammals and turtles
D)bony fish and birds
E)lungfish and amphibians

Question 19

Endemic species __________________.

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

Question 20

Which of the following descriptions of a hummingbird best describes its niche?

A)has a slender bill
B)eats mosquitoes
C)can fly backwards
D)can migrate across the Gulf of Mexico
E)lays two eggs

Question 21

Scientists often depict their understanding of an organism's evolutionary ancestry in diagrams called __________________.

A)phylogenetic trees
B)branchograms
C)taxonomic trees
D)ancestral trees
E)classification trees

Question 22

What kind of distribution do we typically see within a population of a species that maintains nesting territories,such as red -winged blackbirds?

A)clumped
B)logarithmic
C)uniform
D)random
E)clustered

Question 23

Describe the sixth mass extinction event and its specific causes.

Question 24

Which of the following are the major factors that determine a population's growth rate?

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

Question 25

A coyote can alter its diet to match seasonal abundance of plants,fruits,or small animals,and would therefore be considered __________________ .

A)a specialist,able to specialize on whatever is available at the time
B)a generalist
C)an organism with a type II survivorship curve
D)an endemic
E)density independent and resource -neutral

Question 26

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

Question 27

Dog breeds are a classic example of artificial selection.Which of the following is another example of artificial selection?

A)breeding wild cabbage to create broccoli and cauliflower
B)inserting a gene for herbicide resistance into soybeans
C)chimney swifts adapting to human presence and selectively nesting in chimneys
D)choosing what kind of holiday greenery to purchase
E)crossing a lion and a tiger to get a sterile animal called a liger

Question 28

Which of the following best illustrates a type I survivorship curve,with higher death rates at older ages?

A)redwood trees
B)dandelions
C)large mammals such as gorillas
D)large open -water ocean fish,such as tuna
E)small mammals such as mice

Question 29

A species of bird had an original range covering the entire eastern half of the United States from New England down to Florida,west to the Rocky Mountains.During a period of glaciation,the eastern part of the range was cut off from the western part for 2000 years.Then the glaciers melted and the birds' original 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 should they look for in their study?

Question 30

When a population approaches its carrying capacity,its resources __________________.

A)become more scarce as population growth rate decreases
B)increase in supply as the population size decreases
C)increase in supply because the population size is decreasing
D)generally become infinite in supply
E)decrease in supply but are more accessible to competitors

Question 31

Which of the following has been an effect of ecotourism in Hawaii?

A)The trash from millions of visitors has choked out mangrove forests on the island of Oahu.
B)Conservation efforts have become more financially feasible because of increased tourist dollars.
C)Ecotourism has always been banned in Hawaii,but other Pacific islands have experienced myriad negative effects of ecotourism.
D)A large marine reserve in Hawaii was forced to close because of the increased need to feed tourists.
E)Tourists have irreparably damaged sensitive coral reef ecosystems.

Question 32

Which of the following pairs lists an r -selected organism followed by a K -selected organism?

A)elephant; whale
B)grasshopper; whale
C)pine tree; dandelion
D)dandelion; pine tree
E)elephant; pine tree

Question 33

Briefly describe the process of speciation,and define allopatric speciation.

Question 34

The invasive European buckthorn invades a local forest preserve.Initially,the population of buckthorn rapidly increases,and then it begins to level off.This pattern of population growth most closely resembles __________________.

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

Question 35

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 36

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 species' response to natural selection?

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

Question 37

Discuss the role of humans in regulating carrying capacity for the human species and in altering the carrying capacity for other species.

Question 38

You are an ecologist researching divergent evolution on the Galapagos Islands.Which of the following might you be studying?

A)the spread of an invasive bird species that has been introduced to some of the islands
B)the processes by which the various species of finches on the islands diverged from a common ancestor
C)the geological processes by which the islands were formed millions of years ago
D)the processes by which several unrelated species of birds developed flightlessness as a result of the islands' lacking natural predators
E)the similarities that have arisen between two completely unrelated species of birds that are competing for the same resources

Question 39

Which of the following would best represent a clumped population distribution pattern?

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