Question 1

Metapopulations

Accepted Answer

A)   occur when suitable habitat for a species is separated by unsuitable habitat.
B)   are populations whose intrinsic rate of increase (r)  is greater than 1.
C)   are composed of subpopulations that do not go extinct.
D)   are small populations likely to go extinct as a result of demographic stochasticity. A

Question 2

Consider moose that breed in the fall and give birth in the spring. During breeding, the moose population is below carrying capacity, but once the young moose are born, the moose population far exceeds carrying capacity. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   delayed density dependence.
B)   demographic stochasticity.
C)   dampened oscillations.
D)   rescue effect. A

Question 3

Which is an example of the rescue effect?
I. A small population of birds maintains a stable population size near carrying capacity.
II. A population of mice in a low-quality habitat persists because of immigration from high-quality habitats.
III. Habitat destruction reduces the quality of an environment and causes a population of lizards to decline every year until they go extinct.

Accepted Answer

A)   I only
B)   II only
C)   III only
D)   I and II
E)   II and III B

Question 4

Use the following figure to answers questions 16 to 18:
 
-Which panel illustrates a stable limit cycle?

Accepted Answer

A)   a
B)   b
C)   c
D)   d

Question 5

Consider four populations of island birds. Each island has a different carrying capacity, and the birds are subject to environmental and demographic stochasticity. Which population is LEAST likely to go extinct?

Accepted Answer

A)   island 1, K = 100
B)   island 2, K = 300
C)   island 3, K = 900
D)   island 4, K = 1,200

Question 6

What typically occurs when the number of individuals in a population exceeds the population's carrying capacity?

Accepted Answer

A)   The number of individuals continues to increase but at a faster rate.
B)   The number of individuals continues to increase but at a slower rate.
C)   The number of individuals reaches equilibrium and becomes constant.
D)   The number of individuals declines.

Question 7

Based on the figure, which year produced an unusually high number of offspring?

Accepted Answer

A)   1942
B)   1943
C)   1944
D)   1945
E)   1946

Question 8

Human activity can affect metapopulations. Under the basic model of metapopulation dynamics, when humans make it easier for individuals to travel between patches, the probability of _____ and the proportion of occupied patches _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   extinction increases; decreases
B)   extinction decreases; increases
C)   colonization increases; increases
D)   colonization decreases; decreases

Question 9

Many species exhibit population cycles with peaks at regular intervals, such as peaks in population size that occur every 6 years. Explain why it is not likely that environmental variation is the underlying cause of these regular cycles. As part of your explanation, include a description of expected differences between changes in population size due to environmental variation and changes in population size due to density-dependent population regulation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Many species exhibit population cycles with peaks...

Question 10

Use the following figure to answers questions 16 to 18:
 
-Which panel is most likely to indicate a population with a constant environment and no time delays in density dependence?

Accepted Answer

A)   a
B)   b
C)   c
D)   d

Question 11

Grasslands used to be spread across large portions of North America. However, human land use has separated formerly large, continuous grassland into many smaller isolated patches. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   habitat fragmentation.
B)   rescue effect.
C)   extinction.
D)   dampened oscillations.

Question 12

This figure shows a metapopulation for the California spotted owl. Describe two ways in which this real metapopulation differs from the assumptions of the basic model of metapopulation dynamics, = (1 − e/c).

Accepted Answer

The answer of  
This figure shows a metapopulation for...

Question 13

In the logistic growth model with time delays, the product of rτ indicates

Accepted Answer

A)   the carrying capacity of a population.
B)   the extent of oscillations in population size.
C)   the amount of demographic stochasticity.
D)   the amount of environmental stochasticity.

Question 14

Based on the predictions of metapopulation biology, which scenario can be expected to exhibit the largest fraction of occupied habitat patches?

Accepted Answer

A)   small patches isolated from one another
B)   large patches isolated from one another
C)   large patches close to one another
D)   small patches close to one another

Question 15

A herd of 25 caribou was introduced to St. Paul Island in 1911. The line shows the number of caribou on the island. Which describe(s) the entire figure correctly?
I. The pattern fits the exponential model of population growth.
II. The population experienced an overshoot.
III. The population experienced a die-off.

Accepted Answer

A)   I only
B)   II only
C)   III only
D)   II and III only
E)   I, II, and III

Question 16

Riverview has 200 individuals, Oak Park has 600 individuals, and Mountainside has 50 individuals. Rank the populations in order from the most likely to go extinct to the least likely. Explain your reasoning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Riverview has 200 individuals, Oak Park has...

Question 17

Under the basic model of metapopulation dynamics, which of the following conditions is necessary to prevent the species from going extinct?

Accepted Answer

A)   colonization rate greater than zero
B)   colonization rate equal to extinction rate
C)   colonization rate less than extinction rate
D)   colonization rate greater than extinction rate
E)   extinction rate less than 1

Question 18

When immigrants supplement a declining subpopulation, they prevent the subpopulation from going extinct. This phenomenon is known as

Accepted Answer

A)   a metapopulation.
B)   the rescue effect.
C)   demographic stochasticity.
D)   habitat fragmentation.

Question 19

Which population model incorporates random variation in population growth?

Accepted Answer

A)   deterministic
B)   stochastic
C)   stable limit
D)   metapopulation

Question 20

.  Which of the following is MOST likely to explain why Daphnia exhibits greater oscillations in population size than Bosmina?

Accepted Answer

A)   Daphnia exhibits delayed density dependence; Bosmina does not.
B)   Bosmina exhibits delayed density dependence; Daphnia does not.
C)   Daphnia's carrying capacity is higher than Bosmina's.
D)   Daphnia's carrying capacity is lower than Bosmina's.

Exam 13: Population Dynamics Over Space and Time