Deck 5: Population Ecology Gray Wolves Return to Yellowstone

Question 1

A wind-pollinated species like a dandelion would best fit which form of population distribution?

A)clumped
B)uniform
C)random
D)irregular

Answer 1

random

Question 2

Population density is best defined as _____________.

A)the location and spacing of individuals with their range
B)the number of individuals per unit area
C)individuals found in groups or patches within a habitat
D)individuals spread out irregularly over an environment and with no discernable pattern

Answer 2

the number of individuals per unit area

Question 3

A population at low density is more likely to _____________.

A)undergo high intraspecific competition
B)lose genetic variability
C)be randomly distributed
D)show rapid rates of disease spread
E)adapt to environmental changes

Answer 3

lose genetic variability

Question 4

Which of the following are characteristics of a population?

A)all the same species
B)interaction between members
C)interbreeding
D)live in the same geographic area
E)all of these answer choices are correct

Question 5

Which is the rarest form of population distribution naturally found in nature?

A)clumped
B)uniform
C)random
D)irregular

Question 6

Bacteria that can cause tooth decay undergo boom-and-bust cycles based on the availability of sugars in the mouth for growth.Which of the following is/are a resistance factor(s)affecting the sugar's carrying capacity?

A)low-sugar food choices
B)brushing teeth
C)flossing teeth
D)dental care
E)all of these answer choices are correct

Question 7

What is one negative effect of a low-density population?

A)competition for resources
B)quick spreading of disease
C)inbreeding
D)increased fighting

Question 8

Why would a clumped distribution be an advantage for a bee-pollinated plant?

Question 9

Why might a minimum viable-population not be an ecologically effective population?

Question 10

Subtracting the death rate from the birth rate gives the _____________.

A)biotic potential
B)carrying capacity
C)logistic growth
D)population growth rate
E)exponential growth

Question 11

________ population(s)is/are more susceptible to the effects of predation.

A)A small
B)A large
C)Neither small nor large
D)Both small and large
E)A minimum viable

Question 12

Individuals of a population that are spread out irregularly over their environment with no discernable pattern are referred to as living in a _________________ distribution.

A)random
B)clumped
C)uniform
D)irregular
E)none of the above

Question 13

The range of a given population is best defined as the geographic area where ______________.

A)the population can be found
B)the population used to exist
C)one individual of the population is able to travel
D)food can be found for the population
E)only one species is found

Question 14

Which of the following is unlikely to be a factor in determining the minimum viable population for a specific population?

A)fire frequency
B)mating rituals
C)flocking
D)schooling behavior
E)foraging

Question 15

All populations eventually reach a maximum number as they experience resistance factors.What is the name of the term describing this maximum size?

A)biotic potential
B)carrying capacity
C)growth rate
D)population density
E)population distribution

Question 16

The minimum viable population is the _____________.

A)smallest number of individuals that allows the population to survive long term
B)smallest number of populations required to make up an ecosystem
C)same number of individuals for each population
D)smallest area required for a mating ritual
E)smallest flock size that would protect against predators

Question 17

Which of the following terms best describes the population distribution of humans in relation to the biosphere?

A)clumped
B)random
C)uniform
D)irregular

Question 18

Predators,competitors,and diseases are all examples of _____________.

A)limiting factors
B)density-independent factors
C)resistance factors
D)logistic factors
E)population growth factors

Question 19

Germany currently has a negative growth rate for people.Which of the following statements is true about this population?

A)birth rate > death rate
B)death rate > birth rate
C)birth rate = death rate
D)Choices A and C could be true.

Question 20

Human populations have exceeded the natural carrying capacity of the Earth.Pick the factor(s)that allows us to increase the carrying capacity for humanity.

A)fossil fuel-based agriculture
B)advancements in healthcare
C)habitat destruction
D)biotechnology
E)all of these answer choices are correct

Question 21

Why is weather considered to be a density-independent factor?

Question 22

Deer mice have a high biotic potential.Therefore,they have a ______________.

A)high birth rate and high death rate
B)high birth rate and low death rate
C)low birth rate and high death rate
D)low birth rate and low death rate
E)none of the answer choices are correct

Question 23

Several decades ago,around 24 rabbits were introduced into the wild of Australia,a country with no native rabbit population,mild winters,and large rabbit-friendly food supplies.Where do you think the rabbit population is today,and was it a big deal that only 24 rabbits were released?

Question 24

Which of the following is a density-independent factor?

A)fire
B)avalanche
C)tornado
D)Fire,avalanche,and tornado are all density-independent factors.
E)Fire,avalanche,and tornado are all density-dependent factors.

Question 25

A predator is an example of a(n)_____________.

A)density-dependent factor
B)density-independent factor
C)commensalism
D)mutualism
E)herbivore

Question 26

The term that describes a population growing at its biotic potential is ________________.

A)exponential growth
B)logistic growth
C)carrying capacity
D)birth rate < death rate
E)birth rate = death rate

Question 27

_______________population growth produces an S curve when plotted over time.

A)Exponential
B)Biotic
C)Potential
D)Logistic
E)Resistance

Question 28

Which of the following influences population size?

A)access to food
B)presence of predators
C)sufficient habitat
D)presence of pathogens
E)all of these answer choices are correct

Question 29

Early in the colonization of a new habitat,a population will show _____________,shifting to _____________ as the density of the population increases.

A)resistance; biotic potential
B)exponential growth; logistic growth
C)logistic growth; exponential growth
D)biotic potential; overshoot
E)exponential growth; logistic growth.

Question 30

Which of the following is true of r-selected species?

A)They usually give high parental care to their offspring.
B)They can live in unpredictable or seasonally changing environments.
C)They are slow to respond to environmental changes.
D)Their population size tends to be stable.
E)They have long life spans.

Question 31

What would happen to a large moose population if wolves were removed from the ecosystem? Explain your answer in terms of density-dependent or density-independent factors.

Question 32

The biotic potential (r)of a population occurs when _____________.

A)the birth rate equals 100
B)the death rate equals 0
C)there are no environmental limits to survival or reproduction
D)both the birth rate equals 100 and the death rate equals 0

Question 33

Which of the following factors affecting the human population is not density dependent?

A)starvation
B)aggressive behavior
C)disease
D)forest fires

Question 34

What are some biological characteristics of a species that determines its life-history strategy?

A)maturity rate
B)life span
C)level of fecundity
D)maturity rate,life span,and level of fecundity
E)maturity rate and life span

Question 35

Lions in a savanna will increase in population as the total population of their prey species in the ecosystem increases.The number of lions present in the ecosystem is _____________.

A)a density-independent factor
B)a reproductive strategy
C)a density-dependent factor
D)the biotic potential
E)at carrying capacity

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?

A)long life
B)early maturity
C)rapid growth of an individual
D)many,small offspring
E)niche generalists

Question 37

Why is it ultimately better for a population to have some resistance factors (that is,factors that reduce a population's size)?

Question 38

A farm field becomes abandoned and milkweed plants grow up in numbers over time.Based on the shape of the graph below,what kind of growth is this population experiencing? Where is the population in its growth,and what does this mean?

Question 39

Bighorn sheep were introduced to an island in the Gulf of California in 2010.Originally,75 bighorns were introduced.When a census was taken in 2011,there were 100 bighorns found.What is the growth rate of the bighorns on the island?

A)33%
B)3%
C)25%
D)4%
E)10%

Question 40

A good example of a K-selected species would be _______________.

A) E. coli (a bacterium)
B) ants
C) wolves
D) blackberry plants
E) mushrooms

Question 41

The number-one reason for the endangered status of many species is _____________.

A)disease
B)habitat destruction
C)storms and floods
D)volcanic activity

Question 42

When a wolf population goes from high to low as a result of a decrease in moose population,both the moose and wolves experience _____________.

A)boom-and-bust cycles
B)overshoot-and-crash cycles
C)natural population cycles
D)up-and-down cycles

Question 43

Which species would be better suited to survive an unexpected environmental change?

A)r-selected species
B)K-selected species
C)Both r-selected species and K-selected species would be able to survive.
D)Neither r-selected species nor K-selected species would survive.

Question 44

Which species' offspring are more likely to survive?

A)r-selected
B)K-selected
C)Both r-selected species and K-selected species are likely to survive.
D)Neither r-selected species nor K-selected species is likely to survive.

Question 45

With global warming having increasing effects on the environment,which type of species (r or K)would you think would be better suited to survive such a global disturbance? Why?

Question 46

Which regulation is more likely to promote species diversity in the ecosystem?

A)top-down regulation
B)bottom-up regulation
C)global warming
D)boom-and-bust regulation
E)keystone species pressure

Question 47

If a population size is determined by food availability and not predation pressures,it is likely under which regulation type?

A)top-down regulation
B)bottom-up regulation
C)global warming
D)boom-and-bust regulation
E)keystone species pressure

Question 48

Numerous towns and cities in the United States have a deer population problem due to the removal of predators.How would you explain that top-down regulation would help with the overpopulation problem? In addition,are there any bottom-up regulation strategies you would suggest to the townspeople?

Question 49

During a typical predator-prey population cycle,the increase in the predator population is normally seen _____________ an increase in the prey population.

A)after
B)before
C)at the same time as
D)as not correlated with
E)as randomly changing with

Question 50

Draw a graph of population size over time for wolves and elk in Yellowstone National Park.(Hint: think about the predator-prey relationship between the two species.)

Question 51

Why is it difficult to determine whether a population's size is more affected by top-down or bottom-up regulation?

Question 52

Which species' population size is closer to its carrying capacity at any given time?

A)r-selected
B)K-selected
C)Both r-selected species and K-selected species would be able to survive.
D)Neither r-selected species and K-selected species would survive.

Question 53

How might the fact that a threatened prairie plant you are in charge of managing is an r-selected species influence the way you manage the population?

Question 54

Fire can be an effective bottom-up regulator.

Question 55

What is an example of top-down regulation?

A)availability of sunlight
B)control of a prey population by a predator
C)large amounts of food
D)drought killing young willow trees
E)none of these answer choices are correct

Question 56

Fluctuations in populations that produce a very large population followed by a crash that lowers the population size drastically and is then repeated are called _____________.

A)exponential growth
B)log growth
C)boom-and-bust cycles
D)extirpation cycles
E)carrying capacity

Question 57

The current interglacial period (global warming)has allowed humanity to expand in large numbers due to the increased capacity to grow food.Which characteristics of K-selected species will work against humanity if we have a sudden onset of the next ice age?

A)adaptation to stable environments
B)niche specialists
C)slower growth of individuals
D)late maturity
E)all of these answer choices are correct

Question 58

How does maintaining the top-down regulation by wolves help in providing for diverse fish and amphibian communities in Yellowstone?

Question 59

Availability of water,food,and sunlight are all _________ regulators.

A)biotic
B)exponential
C)logarithmic
D)bottom-up
E)top-down

Question 60

Habitat destruction,the number-one reason that species become endangered today,likely acts as which kind of regulator?

A)top-down regulation
B)bottom-up regulation
C)global warming
D)boom-and-bust regulation
E)keystone species pressure

Question 61

When the hare population increases,it is easier for the lynx to find and take a member of that population.This is an example of a _________.

A)density-dependent factor
B)density-independent factor

Question 62

Questions Science Literacy Use the graph below to answer the following questions.
Which point indicates population growth at the carrying capacity?

A)A
B)B
C)C

Question 63

Match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that it best exemplifies.

Question 64

Questions Science Literacy Use the graph below to answer the following questions.
On the graph,which point shows where resistance factors would kick in to decrease the population growth rate?

A)A
B)B
C)C

Question 65

The snowshoe hare would most likely have which kind of population growth?

A)Exponential
B)Logistic

Question 66

Questions Science Literacy Use the graph below to answer the following questions.
Which point indicates exponential growth?

A)A
B)B
C)C

Question 67

Which species is most likely to be classified as an r-selected species?

A)Canadian lynx
B)snowshoe hare

Question 68

Which of the following is TRUE based on the scenario?

A)Lynx control the hare population through bottom-up regulation.
B)The hare population would take a long time to bounce back from a sudden change in the environment.
C)Lynx control the hare population through top-down regulation.
D)The lynx population could quickly overshoot the carrying capacity.

Question 69

You would expect the snowshoe hare to have a _________biotic potential.

A)high
B)low