Question 1

Use the survivorship curves in Figure 53.1 to answer the following questions.
   
Figure 53.1
-Which curve best describes survivorship in elephants?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
E)  E

Question 2

During exponential growth, a population always

Accepted Answer

A)  grows by thousands of individuals. 
B)  grows at its maximum per capita rate. 
C)  quickly reaches its carrying capacity. 
D)  cycles through time. 
E)  loses some individuals to emigration. 
A)  grows by thousands of individuals. 
B)  grows at its maximum per capita rate. 
C)  quickly reaches its carrying capacity. 
D)  cycles through time. 
E)  loses some individuals to emigration.

Question 3

According to the logistic growth equation

Accepted Answer

A)  the number of individuals added per unit time is greatest when N is close to zero. 
B)  the per capita growth rate (r) increases as N approaches K. 
C)  population growth is zero when N equals K. 
D)  the population grows exponentially when K is small. 
E)  the birth rate (b) approaches zero as N approaches K. 
A)  the number of individuals added per unit time is greatest when N is close to zero. 
B)  the per capita growth rate (r) increases as N approaches K. 
C)  population growth is zero when N equals K. 
D)  the population grows exponentially when K is small. 
E)  the birth rate (b) approaches zero as N approaches K.

Question 4

Please read the paragraph below and review Figure 53.2 to answer the following question.
Researchers in the Netherlands studied the effects of parental care given in European kestrels over five years. The researchers transferred chicks among nests to produce reduced broods (three or four chicks), normal broods (five or six chicks), and enlarged broods (seven or eight chicks). They then measured the percentage of male and female parent birds that survived the following winter. (Both males and females provide care for chicks.)
   
Figure 53.2: Brood size manipulations in the kestrel: Effects on offspring and parent survival.
-Which of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn from this graph?

Accepted Answer

A)  Female survivability is more negatively affected by larger brood size than is male survivability. 
B)  Male survivability decreased by 50% between reduced and enlarged brood treatments. 
C)  Both males and females had increases in daily hunting with the enlarged brood size. 
D)  There appears to be a negative correlation between brood enlargements and parental survival. 
E)  Chicks in reduced brood treatment received more food, weight gain, and reduced mortality. 
A)  Female survivability is more negatively affected by larger brood size than is male survivability. 
B)  Male survivability decreased by 50% between reduced and enlarged brood treatments. 
C)  Both males and females had increases in daily hunting with the enlarged brood size. 
D)  There appears to be a negative correlation between brood enlargements and parental survival. 
E)  Chicks in reduced brood treatment received more food, weight gain, and reduced mortality.

Question 5

Natural selection involves energetic trade-offs between

Accepted Answer

A)  choosing how many offspring to produce over the course of a lifetime and how long to live. 
B)  producing large numbers of gametes when employing internal fertilization versus fewer numbers of gametes when employing external fertilization. 
C)  the emigration of individuals when they are no longer reproductively capable or committing suicide. 
D)  increasing the number of individuals produced during each reproductive episode with a corresponding decrease in parental care. 
E)  high survival rates of offspring and the cost of parental care. 
A)  choosing how many offspring to produce over the course of a lifetime and how long to live. 
B)  producing large numbers of gametes when employing internal fertilization versus fewer numbers of gametes when employing external fertilization. 
C)  the emigration of individuals when they are no longer reproductively capable or committing suicide. 
D)  increasing the number of individuals produced during each reproductive episode with a corresponding decrease in parental care. 
E)  high survival rates of offspring and the cost of parental care.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about human population in industrialized countries is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

A)  Life history is r-selected. 
B)  Average family size is relatively small. 
C)  The population has undergone the demographic transition. 
D)  The survivorship curve is Type I. 
E)  Age distribution is relatively uniform. 
A)  Life history is r-selected. 
B)  Average family size is relatively small. 
C)  The population has undergone the demographic transition. 
D)  The survivorship curve is Type I. 
E)  Age distribution is relatively uniform.

Question 7

Logistic growth of a population is represented by dN/dt =

Accepted Answer

A)    
B)  rN 
C)  rN (K + N) 
D)  rN   
E)  rN   
A)    
B)  rN 
C)  rN (K + N) 
D)  rN   
E)  rN

Question 8

Pacific salmon and annual plants are excellent examples of

Accepted Answer

A)  cohort disintegration. 
B)  dispersion. 
C)  Allee effect. 
D)  iteroparous reproduction. 
E)  semelparous reproduction. 
A)  cohort disintegration. 
B)  dispersion. 
C)  Allee effect. 
D)  iteroparous reproduction. 
E)  semelparous reproduction.

Question 9

Which of the following causes populations to shift most quickly from an exponential to a logistic population growth?

Accepted Answer

A)  increased birth rate 
B)  removal of predators 
C)  decreased death rate 
D)  competition for resources 
E)  favorable climatic conditions 
A)  increased birth rate 
B)  removal of predators 
C)  decreased death rate 
D)  competition for resources 
E)  favorable climatic conditions

Question 10

The following questions refer to Figure 53.3, which depicts the age structure of three populations.
   
Figure 53.3
-Assuming these age-structure diagrams describe human populations, in which population is unemployment likely to be a societal issue in the future?

Accepted Answer

A)  I 
B)  II 
C)  III 
D)  No differences in the magnitude of future unemployment would be expected among these populations. 
E)  It is not possible to infer anything about future social conditions from age-structure diagrams. 
A)  I 
B)  II 
C)  III 
D)  No differences in the magnitude of future unemployment would be expected among these populations. 
E)  It is not possible to infer anything about future social conditions from age-structure diagrams.

Question 11

An ecologist recorded 12 white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, per square mile in one woodlot and 20 per square mile in another woodlot. What was the ecologist comparing?

Accepted Answer

A)  density 
B)  dispersion 
C)  carrying capacity 
D)  cohorts 
E)  range 
A)  density 
B)  dispersion 
C)  carrying capacity 
D)  cohorts 
E)  range

Question 12

Which statement is true with regard to human population growth?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is at a zero reproduction rate. 
B)  Its rate of increase continues to grow at an exponential rate. 
C)  Its rate of growth is slowing. 
D)  Its rate of growth is increasing. 
E)  There is no scientific prediction that can be made about human population growth. 
A)  It is at a zero reproduction rate. 
B)  Its rate of increase continues to grow at an exponential rate. 
C)  Its rate of growth is slowing. 
D)  Its rate of growth is increasing. 
E)  There is no scientific prediction that can be made about human population growth.

Question 13

Population ecologists follow the fate of same-age cohorts to

Accepted Answer

A)  determine a population's carrying capacity. 
B)  determine the birth rate and death rate of each group in a population. 
C)  determine if a population is regulated by density-dependent processes. 
D)  determine the factors that regulate the size of a population. 
E)  determine if a population's growth is cyclic. 
A)  determine a population's carrying capacity. 
B)  determine the birth rate and death rate of each group in a population. 
C)  determine if a population is regulated by density-dependent processes. 
D)  determine the factors that regulate the size of a population. 
E)  determine if a population's growth is cyclic.

Question 14

Refer to Figure 53.4 and then answer the following questions.
   
Figure 53.4: Infant mortality and life expectancy at birth in developed and developing countries (data as of 2005).
-What is a logical conclusion that can be drawn from the graphs above?

Accepted Answer

A)  Developed countries have lower infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries. 
B)  Developed countries have higher infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries. 
C)  Developed countries have lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries. 
D)  Developed countries have higher infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries. 
E)  Developed countries have a life expectancy that is about 42 years more than life expectancy in developing countries. 
A)  Developed countries have lower infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries. 
B)  Developed countries have higher infant mortality rates and lower life expectancy than developing countries. 
C)  Developed countries have lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries. 
D)  Developed countries have higher infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy than developing countries. 
E)  Developed countries have a life expectancy that is about 42 years more than life expectancy in developing countries.

Question 15

Exponential growth of a population is represented by dN/dt =

Accepted Answer

A)    
B)  rN 
C)  rN (K + N) 
D)  Rn   
E)  rN   
A)    
B)  rN 
C)  rN (K + N) 
D)  Rn   
E)  rN

Question 16

Which of the following examples would most accurately measure the density of the population being studied?

Accepted Answer

A)  counting the number of prairie dog burrows per hectare 
B)  counting the number of times a 1 kilometer transect is intersected by tracks of red squirrels after a snowfall 
C)  counting the number of coyote droppings per hectare 
D)  multiplying the number of moss plants counted in 10 quadrats of 1m² each by 100 to determine the density per kilometer². 
E)  counting the number of zebras from airplane census observations. 
A)  counting the number of prairie dog burrows per hectare 
B)  counting the number of times a 1 kilometer transect is intersected by tracks of red squirrels after a snowfall 
C)  counting the number of coyote droppings per hectare 
D)  multiplying the number of moss plants counted in 10 quadrats of 1m² each by 100 to determine the density per kilometer². 
E)  counting the number of zebras from airplane census observations.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about the evolution of life histories is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  Stable environments with limited resources favor r-selected populations. 
B)  K-selected populations are most often found in environments where density-independent factors are important regulators of population size. 
C)  Most populations have both r- and K-selected characteristics that vary under different environmental conditions. 
D)  The reproductive efforts of r-selected populations are directed at producing just a few offspring with good competitive abilities. 
E)  K-selected populations rarely approach carrying capacity. 
A)  Stable environments with limited resources favor r-selected populations. 
B)  K-selected populations are most often found in environments where density-independent factors are important regulators of population size. 
C)  Most populations have both r- and K-selected characteristics that vary under different environmental conditions. 
D)  The reproductive efforts of r-selected populations are directed at producing just a few offspring with good competitive abilities. 
E)  K-selected populations rarely approach carrying capacity.

Question 18

Long-term studies of Belding's ground squirrels show that immigrants move nearly 2 km from where they are born and become 1%-8% of the males and 0.7%-6% of the females in other populations. On an evolutionary scale, why is this significant?

Accepted Answer

A)  These immigrants make up for the deaths of individuals, keeping the other populations' size stable. 
B)  Young reproductive males tend to stay in their home population and are not driven out by other territorial males. 
C)  These immigrants provide a source of genetic diversity for the other populations. 
D)  Those individuals that emigrate to these new populations are looking for less crowded conditions with more resources. 
E)  Gradually, the populations of ground squirrels will move from a clumped to a uniform population pattern of dispersion. 
A)  These immigrants make up for the deaths of individuals, keeping the other populations' size stable. 
B)  Young reproductive males tend to stay in their home population and are not driven out by other territorial males. 
C)  These immigrants provide a source of genetic diversity for the other populations. 
D)  Those individuals that emigrate to these new populations are looking for less crowded conditions with more resources. 
E)  Gradually, the populations of ground squirrels will move from a clumped to a uniform population pattern of dispersion.

Question 19

As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following is predicted by the logistic equation?

Accepted Answer

A)  The growth rate will not change. 
B)  The growth rate will approach zero. 
C)  The population will show an Allee effect. 
D)  The population will increase exponentially. 
E)  The carrying capacity of the environment will increase. 
A)  The growth rate will not change. 
B)  The growth rate will approach zero. 
C)  The population will show an Allee effect. 
D)  The population will increase exponentially. 
E)  The carrying capacity of the environment will increase.

Question 20

Which of the following is the most important assumption for the capture-recapture method to estimate the size of wildlife populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  All females in the population have the same litter size. 
B)  More individuals emigrate from, as opposed to immigrate into, a population. 
C)  Over 50% of the marked individuals need to be trapped during the recapture phase. 
D)  There is a 50:50 ratio of males to females in the population before and after trapping and recapture. 
E)  Marked individuals have the same probability of being recaptured as unmarked individuals during the recapture phase. 
A)  All females in the population have the same litter size. 
B)  More individuals emigrate from, as opposed to immigrate into, a population. 
C)  Over 50% of the marked individuals need to be trapped during the recapture phase. 
D)  There is a 50:50 ratio of males to females in the population before and after trapping and recapture. 
E)  Marked individuals have the same probability of being recaptured as unmarked individuals during the recapture phase.

Exam 53: Population Ecology

Use the survivorship curves in Figure 53.1 to answer the following questions. Figure 53.1 -Which curve best describes survivorship in elephants?

During exponential growth, a population always

According to the logistic growth equation

Natural selection involves energetic trade-offs between

Which of the following statements about human population in industrialized countries is incorrect?

Logistic growth of a population is represented by dN/dt =

Pacific salmon and annual plants are excellent examples of

Which of the following causes populations to shift most quickly from an exponential to a logistic population growth?

The following questions refer to Figure 53.3, which depicts the age structure of three populations. Figure 53.3 -Assuming these age-structure diagrams describe human populations, in which population is unemployment likely to be a societal issue in the future?

An ecologist recorded 12 white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, per square mile in one woodlot and 20 per square mile in another woodlot. What was the ecologist comparing?

Which statement is true with regard to human population growth?

Population ecologists follow the fate of same-age cohorts to

Refer to Figure 53.4 and then answer the following questions. Figure 53.4: Infant mortality and life expectancy at birth in developed and developing countries (data as of 2005). -What is a logical conclusion that can be drawn from the graphs above?

Exponential growth of a population is represented by dN/dt =

Which of the following examples would most accurately measure the density of the population being studied?

Which of the following statements about the evolution of life histories is correct?

Long-term studies of Belding's ground squirrels show that immigrants move nearly 2 km from where they are born and become 1%-8% of the males and 0.7%-6% of the females in other populations. On an evolutionary scale, why is this significant?

As N approaches K for a certain population, which of the following is predicted by the logistic equation?

Which of the following is the most important assumption for the capture-recapture method to estimate the size of wildlife populations?

Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

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