Deck 30: Ecology of Populations

Question 1

Which of the following populations has the greatest biotic potential?

A) Population A in which females start to reproduce at 1 year and produce 2 offspring each year.
B) Population B in which females reach sexual maturity in 6 months and produce 1 offspring each 12-month reproductive cycle.
C) Population C in which males reach sexual maturity in just 3 months.
D) Population D in which individuals reach sexual maturity in 6 months and produce 5 offspring each year.
E) Population E in which individuals produce 20 offspring starting at 5 years of age.

Answer 1

D
Explanation: Biotic potential is a measure of how quickly a population increases. Thus the more offspring that are produced, the faster the population grows.

Question 2

In which of the following areas is human population growth the lowest?

A) Africa
B) North America
C) Australia
D) Europe
E) South America

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In European countries such as Italy, people are delaying childbirth and/or choosing to have no children or only one child. Which of the following age structure diagrams illustrates this type of trend?

A) increasing population
B) decreasing population
C) stable population
D) This trend is not depicted in these diagrams.

Answer 3

B
Explanation: In these countries, there are fewer individuals in the prereproductive age group.

Question 4

Which of the following is true about the majority of less-developed countries LDCs)?

A) They consume the most fossil fuels.
B) They support the highest populations.
C) They produce the most hazardous wastes.
D) They have the largest environmental impact.
E) They exhibit the highest per capita resource consumption.

Question 5

Schools of parrot fish tend to remain within close proximity to coral reefs for protection from predators and for easy access to food sources. What type of distribution does this represent?

A) clumped
B) random
C) dense
D) uniform
E) independent

Question 6

Above is a life history table for a minnow small fish). Based on this table, what type of survivorship curve do these animals have?

A) type I
B) type II
C) type III
D) type IV
E) type V

Question 7

The birthrate in a small town is 14 per 1,000 per year and the death rate is 5 per 1,000 per year. What is the annual growth rate for this town?

A) 9%
B) 0.9%
C) 19%
D) 1.9%
E) 0.19%

Question 8

Which of the following represents a type II survivorship curve?

A) a curve depicting organisms that have a large number of offspring, but only a few offspring survive to reproduce
B) a curve depicting organisms that have an equal probability of dying at all age groups
C) a curve that depicts organisms that provide some level of parental care
D) a curve that depicts organisms that survive for many years before they reproduce
E) a curve that depicts organisms that have low mortality during their early years

Question 9

The growth rate continues to rise in some Asian countries. This is because

A) there is a higher number of reproductive individuals compared to postreproductive individuals.
B) there is a higher number of postreproductive and reproductive individuals compared to prereproductive individuals.
C) there is a higher number of prereproductive and reproductive individuals compared to postreproductive individuals.
D) there is an equal number of prereproductive and reproductive individuals.
E) there are more postreproductive individuals compared to prereproductive individuals.

Question 10

Which of the following descriptions is not associated with the correct survivorship curve?

A) Black bear females usually produce just one cub. The cub nurses from the female for several months and can remain with the mother for up to two years. - Type I
B) Each spring an oak tree drops thousands of seeds, but only a few will ever reach sexual maturity. - Type III
C ) Daphnia are planktonic crustaceans that produce offspring every three weeks. One Daphnia produces eight
Offspring, and after 1.5 weeks, four of these individuals are still alive. - Type II
D) Bald eagles return to the same mates and nests each year. They typically have two to three eggs and with parental care provided by both parents, the survival rate of the chicks is high. - Type II
E) As adults, female leatherback sea turtles return to the beaches where they hatched to lay their own brood.

Question 11

Prairie dogs are highly social, burrow-dwelling rodents. Families have a strict social hierarchy and their "towns" can span hundreds of acres. In one colony, 750 animals live in a 500 m² area. What is the population density?

A) 15
B) 1.5
C) 150
D) 2.5
E) 25

Question 12

What is meant by an organism's biotic potential?

A) The rate at which the population grows.
B) The number of offspring that an organism produces over its entire life span.
C) The age at which an organism reaches sexual maturity.
D) The number of individuals in the prereproductive stage.
E) The maximum rate of population growth with unlimited resources.

Question 13

Which of the following represents a type I survivorship curve?

A) Spiders produce egg sacs with thousands of offspring, but only a few survive to adulthood.
B) Each spring an oak tree drops thousands of seeds, but only a few will ever reach sexual maturity.
C) Daphnia are planktonic crustaceans that produce offspring every three weeks. One Daphnia produces eight young and after 1.5 weeks, four of these individuals are still alive.
D) Bald eagles return to the same mates and nests each year. They typically have two to three eggs and with parental care provided by both parents, the survival rate of the chicks is high.
E) As adults, female leatherback sea turtles return to the beaches where they hatched to lay their own brood.

Question 14

See Figure 30.4. Many countries in Europe have negative growth because of very low birthrates.
Blooms Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 30.02.02 Distinguish between more-developed countries MDCs) and less-developed countries LDCs) with regard to population
growth.
Section: 30.02
Topic: Human Population Growth
Which of the following is true about the current state of human population growth?

A) The 21st century has seen the highest global human population growth.
B) Human populations tend to be evenly distributed.
C) After the Industrial Revolution, population growth increased.
D) The current global death rate exceeds the current global birthrate.
E) The doubling time for the human population is increasing.

Question 15

Above is a life history table for a minnow small fish). Based on this table, how many years until the population drops to less than 50% of its original population?

A) < 1
B) > 1
C) 1-2
D) 2
E) 3

Question 16

All of the following impact a population's ability to reach biotic potential except

A) resource abundance.
B) the number of offspring produced each reproductive cycle.
C) chances of survivorship until sexual maturity.
D) how frequently each individual in the population reproduces.
E) the age at which reproduction ends.

Question 17

Which of the following represents replacement reproduction?

A) A couple has only one child.
B) A couple has no children but each has two siblings.
C) Each couple has only two children.
D) A government policy limits the number of children per family.
E) A couple has four children.

Question 18

Which of the following is true about populations with a negative growth rate?

A) The death rate exceeds the birthrate.
B) The population will remain the same size for several generations.
C) The age structure diagram looks like a pyramid.
D) The population has reached its carrying capacity.
E) The majority of the population is prereproductive.

Question 19

Emperor penguins defend an area around their nests. Their territory encompasses a complete circle around the nest with approximately a 0.5 m radius. If each nesting penguin has this same size and shape territory, what type of distribution will these animals exhibit?

A) clumped
B) random
C) dense
D) uniform
E) independent

Question 20

All of the following are true about human population growth except

A) the majority of the world's human population live in Asia.
B) the Black Plague resulted in a decreased growth rate in the 1300s.
C) changes during the Industrial Revolution led to a steep rise in the human population.
D) we will reach the Earth's carrying capacity within the next 20 years.
E) human population densities tend to be highest along the coasts.

Question 21

When a population reaches the stable equilibrium phase, this is considered

A) the carrying capacity of the environment.
B) logarithmic growth.
C) exponential growth.
D) the minimum number of individuals that the environment can sustain.
E) the slow growth stage.

Question 22

Jacob is studying a population of wrens in Michigan. Over several years, he notices that the population always stabilizes at around 45 individuals. Forty-five individuals is

A) the density.
B) the growth rate.
C) a density-dependent factor.
D) a density-independent factor.
E) the carrying capacity.

Question 23

If a population of 200 squirrels has a 10 percent growth rate each year, how many individuals will there be in the population after 3 years assuming that no deaths occur during this period)?

A) approximately 250
B) approximately 266
C) approximately 300
D) approximately 350
E) approximately 400

Question 24

Honeybees have been declining at dramatic rates in the last few years. Colony collapse disorder has been linked to a virus and results in hives completely emptied of bees among both wild populations and domestic hives. Recently, scientists have suggested that infected bees may contaminate flowers that they visit and thus spread the disease. This is an example of a

A) clumped distribution.
B) density-dependent factor.
C) random factor.
D) density-independent factor.
E) biotic potential.

Question 25

What is the carrying capacity for the population of beetles indicated by the graph?

A) ~ 5,000
B) ~ 10,000
C) ~ 100,000
D) ~ 2,500
E) cannot be determined from the graph

Question 26

A population growth curve that exhibits both exponential growth and a stable equilibrium phase is

A) growing exponentially.
B) growing logistically.
C) unsustainable.
D) not yet at its carrying capacity.
E) exhibiting a J-shaped curve.

Question 27

Different populations living in the same geographical region is an)

A) organism.
B) population.
C) community.
D) ecosystem.
E) biosphere.

Question 28

All of the following are true about equilibrium populations except

A) larger individuals.
B) long time required to reach sexual maturity.
C) production of few offspring.
D) little or no parental care.
E) long life span.

Question 29

Organisms are more likely to face extinction if they have which of the following characteristics?

A) restricted geographic ranges
B) broad habitat tolerance
C) large local populations
D) extensive geographic ranges
E) high biotic potential

Question 30

Equilibrium populations tend to exhibit a type III survivorship curve.

A) True, because individuals tend to have fewer offspring and provide extensive parental care.
B) False, because individuals tend to have lots of offspring with no parental care.
C) True, because all individuals in the equilibrium populations are large and live for a long period of time.
D) True, because there are high rates of mortality early in life.
E) False, because equilibrium populations tend to have low mortality rates early in life.

Question 31

During a summer with lots of rain, the vegetation grew lush and the white-footed mouse populations increased due to increases in food availability. However, the next two summers were record drought years and food became increasingly scarce. Over these two years, the population size of the mice decreased due to increased competition for access to food. This increased competition is an example of

A) a density-independent factor.
B) a negative growth rate.
C) a density-dependent factor.
D) an opportunistic population.
E) logistic growth.

Question 32

If a population of 200 squirrels has a 10 percent growth rate each year, how many individuals will be born in the next year?

A) 2
B) 10
C) 20
D) 100
E) 200

Question 33

Jacob is studying a population of wrens in Michigan. During one severe winter, 5% of the birds died due to starvation and cold temperatures. Severe weather is an example of

A) a density-independent factor.
B) a negative growth rate.
C) a density-dependent factor.
D) an opportunistic population.
E) logistic growth.

Question 34

All of the following are true of BOTH logistic growth and exponential growth except

A) they both have a lag phase.
B) they both have an exponential growth phase.
C) they both have a stable equilibrium phase.
D) they are both a type of population growth.
E) they are influenced by resource availability.

Question 35

Which of the following is not characteristic of opportunistic populations?

A) short life span
B) short time to reach sexual maturity
C) production of many offspring
D) little or no parental care
E) logistic growth

Question 36

Jacob is studying a population of wrens in Michigan. Over several years, he notices that the population always stabilizes at around 45 individuals. What is the reason for this?

A) population is at maximum density
B) death rate is higher than birthrate
C) exponential growth
D) limited resources to support additional birds
E) slow lag phase

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of exponential growth?

A) 2,000→2,000→2,000
B) 1,500→1,600→1,700
C) 1,500→1,550 →2,010
D) 1,000→1,500 → 2,000
E) 2,000→1,500 →1,000

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of a density-dependent factor?

A) parasite infection
B) a wildfire
C) a tornado
D) flooding
E) freezing temperatures

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of a density-independent factor?

A) parasite infection
B) males fighting for access to females
C) wolf packs in territory disputes
D) spread of West Nile virus among chickadees
E) flooding after heavy rains

Question 40

Exponential growth

A) has three phases.
B) results in accelerating growth.
C) produces an S-shaped growth curve.
D) requires limited resources.
E) declines over time.

Question 41

What is the greatest problem that the human population will face if we fail to have a greater understanding of ecology and environmental science?

A) We will have a lack of understanding about the problems that the human population poses to the health of the biosphere.
B) We will have a lack of understanding about the ability of the human population to obtain additional resources from the environment.
C) We will not understand how to expand human society into currently uninhabited areas on the planet.
D) The human population will start to decline in size.
E) The human population will go extinct in the near future.

Question 42

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. After several years, the population stabilized with approximately 150 individuals. The butterflies and the flowers that they require for food would be considered an example of an)

A) organism.
B) population.
C) community.
D) ecosystem.
E) biosphere.

Question 43

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. During the first year, 80 caterpillars hatched from eggs laid by the butterflies and only 5 individuals in the population died. What is the growth rate for the population during this period?

A) 1%
B) 3%
C) 10%
D) 30%
E) 400%

Question 44

Which statement about ecology and environmental science is correct?

A) Ecology is a field of science that helps negate the information that is derived from the field of environmental science.
B) During the study of ecology, only living organisms are studied, while the nonliving aspects are studied within the field of environmental science.
C) During the study of environmental science, living organisms are studied, while the nonliving aspects are studied within the field of ecology.
D) The field of environmental science applies the ecological principles to human-based concerns.
E) The field of ecology focuses on human-based issues and uses them to help determine if there is going to be an environmental change.

Question 45

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. The hurricane which lead to the arrival of the butterflies on the island is an example of a _____ factor.

A) clumped
B) random
C) density-dependent
D) density-independent
E) dispersed

Question 46

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. When the butterflies first arrived on the island, they did not have to compete for access to food or space. In addition, there were few natural predators such as wasps and birds which were common on the mainland. As a result, the island population will have a _____ biotic potential compared to the mainland population.

A) higher
B) lower
C) similar
D) reduced
E) stable

Question 47

Meghan is studying interactions between caribou and their wolf predators. This is an example of _____ ecology.

A) population
B) community
C) ecosystem
D) biosphere
E) demographic

Question 48

What is the correct ratio of fossil fuel consumption between the MDCs and LDCs?

A) MDCs 60% vs. LDCs 40%
B) MDCs 40% vs. LDCs 60%
C) MDCs 22% vs. LDCs 78%
D) MDCs 50% vs. LDCs 50%
E) MDCs 80% vs. LDCs 20%

Question 49

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. Prior to this event, this species did not inhabit the island, but with the ample vegetation on the island and a lack of predators, the displaced individuals were able to survive and reproduce. When the butterflies initially arrived on the island, they did not have to compete for food or space. What type of population growth did they likely exhibit?

A) logistic
B) exponential
C) density-dependent
D) density-independent
E) logarithmic

Question 50

A butterfly species has very wide distribution across southern Florida. In addition, the adults and caterpillars can use a wide array of plant species as a food source and also tolerate a broad range of temperatures. Based on these criteria, this species is unlikely to face extinction in the immediate future.

A) True, because they have a restricted geographic range.
B) False, because they have an extensive geographic range.
C) True, because they have broad habitat tolerances.
D) False, because all the local populations on the mainland and island are small.
E) True, because they have narrow habitat tolerances.

Question 51

Which of the following statements is correct about the comparison between MDCs and LDCs?

A) MDCs consume 4 times as many metals and 3 times as much paper as LDCs.
B) MDCs consume twice as much paper and 4 times as many metals as LDCs.
C) The population of MDCs is growing twice as fast as the population of LDCs.
D) MDCs produce 10 times as much hazardous waste and consume 3 times as much paper as LDCs.
E) MDCs consume 3 times as many metals and 4 times as much paper as LDCs.

Question 52

Which field of biology studies all aspects of biodiversity?

A) conservation biology
B) histology
C) geology
D) entomology
E) environmental science

Question 53

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. When the butterflies first arrived on the island, they remained in the southeast corner of the island where most of the flowering plants had not been destroyed or uprooted by the high winds and seas during the hurricane. What type of distribution do these butterflies exhibit?

A) clumped
B) random
C) dispersed
D) uniform
E) even

Question 54

If the fishing village of Hopkins, Belize, is experiencing a decreasing population, what should they do if they wish to reverse this trend and see the greatest amount of population growth in the next 10 years?

A) increase the number of individuals in the prereproductive stage
B) increase the number of individuals in the postreproductive stage
C) increase the number of individuals in the reproductive stage
D) increase the amount of medical care available for its residents
E) increase the economic opportunities for the members of the community

Question 55

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. Prior to this event, this species did not inhabit the island, but with the ample vegetation on the island and a lack of predators, the displaced individuals were able to survive and reproduce. After several years, the population stabilized with approximately 150 individuals. The 150 individuals on the island is an example of the

A) density-dependent factors.
B) biotic potential.
C) exponential growth.
D) logistic growth.
E) carrying capacity.

Question 56

Based upon the features listed, which of the following species is the most likely to go extinct?

A) Species A has a small population, has a narrow habitat tolerance, and lives on an island.
B) Species B has a large population, can withstand a large spectrum of environmental conditions, and lives all over the United States.
C) Species C has a small population, can withstand a large spectrum of environmental conditions, and lives within a small section of the forest.
D) Species D has a moderate population, can withstand a moderate spectrum of environmental conditions, and lives on an island.
E) Species E has a large local population, broad tolerance to environmental change, and a large geographic range.

Question 57

During a recent hurricane, 25 individuals of the same butterfly species were blown onto a barrier island in southern Florida. In general, each female butterfly lays more than 50 eggs each year, but only a few individuals survive for more than a month after hatching from the eggs. What type of survivorship curve most accurately represents this species?

A) type I
B) type II
C) type III
D) type IV
E) type V