Deck 30: Ecology and Populations

Question 1

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

A) The death rate exceeds the birth rate.
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.

Answer 1

A
Explanation: The growth rate is determined by birth rate - death rate. This will be a negative number if the death rate is larger than the growth rate.

Question 2

What is 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 lifespan.
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.

Answer 2

E
Explanation: The biotic potential determines how quickly a population can grow under ideal circumstances.

Question 3

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

Answer 3

A
Explanation: The fish are clumped around food sources and crevices for hiding from predators.

Question 4

Which of the following is true about the current state of human population growth?

A) During the 20^th century, global human population growth has been high.
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 birth rate.
E) The doubling-time for the human population is increasing.

Question 5

Emperor penguins defend an area around their nests. Their territory encompasses a complete circle around the nest with approximately a 0.5m 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 6

Which of the following represents replacement reproduction.

A) A couple has only 1 child.
B) A couple has no children but each has two siblings.
C) Each couple has only 2 children.
D) A government policy that limits the number of children per family.
E) A couple with 4 children.

Question 7

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 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.

Question 8

Figure:
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 9

All of the following impact 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 10

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 lead 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 11

Figure:
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 12

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 13

Which of the following is true about the majority of 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 14

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 500m² area. What is the population density?

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

Question 15

Which of the following represents a Type II survivorship curve?

A) organisms that have lots of offspring but only a few survive to reproduce
B) organisms that have an equal probability of dying all age groups
C) organisms that provide parental care
D) organisms that survive for many years before they reproduce
E) organisms that have low mortality during their early years

Question 16

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

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

Question 17

In European countries such as Italy, people are delaying childbirth and or choosing to have only 1 or no children. 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

Question 18

Which of the following represents a Type III 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 produce offspring every 3 weeks. One Daphnia produces 8 young and after 1.5 weeks 4 of these individuals are still alive.
D) Bald eagles return to the same mates and nests each year. They typically have 2-3 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. One female produces approximately 600 eggs, but at least 400 of these will be eaten before they ever reach the ocean.

Question 19

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 20

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 2 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 produce offspring every 3 weeks. One Daphnia produces 8 young and after 1.5 weeks 4 of these individuals are still alive. - Type II
D) Bald eagles return to the same mates and nests each year. They typically have 2-3 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. One female produces approximately 600 eggs, but at least 400 of these will be eaten before they ever reach the ocean. - Type I

Question 21

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 22

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

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

Question 23

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 24

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 25

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 26

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

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

Question 27

Exponential growth

A) has 3 phases.
B) results in accelerating growth.
C) produces an "s" shaped growth curve.
D) requires limited resources.
E) declines over time.

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of exponential growth?

A) 2000→2000→2000
B) 1500→1600→1700
C) 1500→1550→2010
D) 1000→1500→2000
E) 2000→1500→1000

Question 29

Jacob is studying a population of wrens in Michigan. Over several years, he notices that the population always stabilizing 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 30

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 31

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 32

Different populations living in the same geographical region is a(n) ________.

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

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. This 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

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 35

Honey bees 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(n) ________________.

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

Question 36

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

A) parasitism
B) a wildfire
C) a tornado
D) flooding
E) reduction in birth rate

Question 37

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 38

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

A) parasitism
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 39

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 2 summers were record drought years and food became increasingly scarce. Over these 2 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 40

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 (assume that no deaths occur during this period)?

A) approximately 250
B) approximately 275
C) approximately 300
D) approximately 350
E) approximately 400

Question 41

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

Question 42

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 non living aspects are studied within the field of environmental science.
C) During the study of environmental science living organisms are studied while the non living 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 43

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 tolerant 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 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

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 pre reproductive stage
B) Increase the number of individuals in the post reproductive 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 48

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 49

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 50

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 a(n) __________.

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

Question 51

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 52

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(n) ________ factor.

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

Question 53

This photo is an example of a(n) ______________.

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

Question 54

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

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

Question 55

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