Question 1

The observation that members of a population are uniformly distributed suggests that

Accepted Answer

A)  the size of the area occupied by the population is increasing. 
B)  resources are distributed unevenly. 
C)  the members of the population are competing for access to a resource. 
D)  the members of the population are neither attracted to nor repelled by one another. 
E)  the density of the population is low. 
A)  the size of the area occupied by the population is increasing. 
B)  resources are distributed unevenly. 
C)  the members of the population are competing for access to a resource. 
D)  the members of the population are neither attracted to nor repelled by one another. 
E)  the density of the population is low.

Question 2

Based on current growth rates, Earth's human population in 2012 will be closest to

Accepted Answer

A)  2 million. 
B)  3 billion. 
C)  4 billion. 
D)  7 billion. 
E)  10 billion. 
A)  2 million. 
B)  3 billion. 
C)  4 billion. 
D)  7 billion. 
E)  10 billion.

Question 3

Which of the following is most likely to contribute to density-dependent regulation of populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  the removal of toxic waste by decomposers 
B)  intraspecific competition for nutrients 
C)  earthquakes 
D)  floods 
E)  fires 
A)  the removal of toxic waste by decomposers 
B)  intraspecific competition for nutrients 
C)  earthquakes 
D)  floods 
E)  fires

Question 4

Which of the following graphs illustrates the population growth curve of single bacterium growing in a flask of ideal medium at optimum temperature over a 24-hour period?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 5

Which of the following was the most significant limiting factor in human population growth in the 20th century?

Accepted Answer

A)  famine 
B)  non-HIV disease 
C)  HIV 
D)  genocide 
E)  clean water 
A)  famine 
B)  non-HIV disease 
C)  HIV 
D)  genocide 
E)  clean water

Question 6

A population is correctly defined as having which of the following characteristics?
I.inhabiting the same general area
II.belonging to the same species
III.possessing a constant and uniform density and dispersion

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

Carrying capacity is

Accepted Answer

A)  seldom reached by marine producers and consumers because of the vast resources of the ocean. 
B)  the maximum population size that a particular environment can support. 
C)  fixed for most species over most of their range most of the time. 
D)  determined by density and dispersion data. 
E)  the term used to describe the stress a population undergoes due to limited resources. 
A)  seldom reached by marine producers and consumers because of the vast resources of the ocean. 
B)  the maximum population size that a particular environment can support. 
C)  fixed for most species over most of their range most of the time. 
D)  determined by density and dispersion data. 
E)  the term used to describe the stress a population undergoes due to limited resources.

Question 8

To construct a reproductive table for a sexual species, one needs to

Accepted Answer

A)  assess sperm viability for the males in the population. 
B)  keep track of all of the offspring of a cohort. 
C)  keep track of the females in a cohort. 
D)  keep track of all of the offspring of the females in a cohort. 
E)  analyze the ratio of deaths to births in a cohort. 
A)  assess sperm viability for the males in the population. 
B)  keep track of all of the offspring of a cohort. 
C)  keep track of the females in a cohort. 
D)  keep track of all of the offspring of the females in a cohort. 
E)  analyze the ratio of deaths to births in a cohort.

Question 9

Which variables define the ecological life history of a species?

Accepted Answer

A)  the age at which reproduction begins, frequency of reproduction, and the number of offspring for each reproductive episode 
B)  the ratio of females to males, the length of the breeding season, and the number of offspring for each reproductive episode 
C)  the number of offspring produced over a lifetime by a breeding pair and the survivability of the offspring 
D)  timing breeding sessions with optimal environmental conditions and the number of offspring produced during each breeding session 
E)  the amount of parental care given after birth, the number of reproductive episodes per year, and the number of years females are capable of producing viable offspring 
A)  the age at which reproduction begins, frequency of reproduction, and the number of offspring for each reproductive episode 
B)  the ratio of females to males, the length of the breeding season, and the number of offspring for each reproductive episode 
C)  the number of offspring produced over a lifetime by a breeding pair and the survivability of the offspring 
D)  timing breeding sessions with optimal environmental conditions and the number of offspring produced during each breeding session 
E)  the amount of parental care given after birth, the number of reproductive episodes per year, and the number of years females are capable of producing viable offspring

Question 10

Which of the following assumptions have to be made regarding the capture-recapture estimate of population size?
I.Marked and unmarked individuals have the same probability of being trapped.
II.The marked individuals have thoroughly mixed with the population after being marked.
III. No individuals have entered or left the population by immigration or emigration, and no individuals have been added by birth or eliminated by death during the course of the estimate.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

In models of logistic population growth,

Accepted Answer

A)  the population growth rate slows dramatically as N approaches K. 
B)  new individuals are added to the population most rapidly at the beginning of the population's growth. 
C)  new individuals are added to the population as N approaches K. 
D)  only density-dependent factors affect the rate of population growth. 
E)  carrying capacity is never reached. 
A)  the population growth rate slows dramatically as N approaches K. 
B)  new individuals are added to the population most rapidly at the beginning of the population's growth. 
C)  new individuals are added to the population as N approaches K. 
D)  only density-dependent factors affect the rate of population growth. 
E)  carrying capacity is never reached.

Question 12

In which of the following situations would you expect to find the largest number of K-selected individuals?

Accepted Answer

A)  a recently abandoned agricultural field in Ohio 
B)  the sand dune communities of south Lake Michigan 
C)  the flora and fauna of a coral reef in the Caribbean 
D)  South Florida after a hurricane 
E)  a newly emergent volcanic island 
A)  a recently abandoned agricultural field in Ohio 
B)  the sand dune communities of south Lake Michigan 
C)  the flora and fauna of a coral reef in the Caribbean 
D)  South Florida after a hurricane 
E)  a newly emergent volcanic island

Question 13

During the spring, you are studying the mice that live in a field near your home. The population density is high, but you realize that you rarely observe any reproductive female mice. This most likely indicates

Accepted Answer

A)  that there is selective predation on female mice. 
B)  that female mice die before reproducing. 
C)  that this habitat is a good place for mice to reproduce. 
D)  that you are observing immigrant mice. 
E)  that the breeding season is over. 
A)  that there is selective predation on female mice. 
B)  that female mice die before reproducing. 
C)  that this habitat is a good place for mice to reproduce. 
D)  that you are observing immigrant mice. 
E)  that the breeding season is over.

Question 14

Why does the 2009 U.S. population continue to grow even though the United States has essentially established a ZPG?

Accepted Answer

A)  emigration 
B)  immigration 
C)  better sanitation 
D)  baby boomer reproduction 
E)  the 2007-2009 economic recession 
A)  emigration 
B)  immigration 
C)  better sanitation 
D)  baby boomer reproduction 
E)  the 2007-2009 economic recession

Question 15

The following questions refer to Figure 53.3, which depicts the age structure of three populations.
   
Figure 53.3
-Which population(s)appear(s)to be stable?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 16

Starting from a single individual, what is the size of a population of bacteria that reproduce by binary fission every 20 minutes at the end of a 2-hour time period? (Assume unlimited resources and no mortality.)

Accepted Answer

A)  6 
B)  18 
C)  128 
D)  512 
E)  1,024 
A)  6 
B)  18 
C)  128 
D)  512 
E)  1,024

Question 17

Often the growth cycle of one population has an effect on the cycle of another. As moose populations increase, for example, wolf populations also increase. Thus, if we are considering the logistic equation for the wolf population,
DN/dt = rN   ,
which of the factors accounts for the effect on the moose population?

Accepted Answer

A)  r 
B)  N 
C)  rN 
D)  K 
E)  dt 
A)  r 
B)  N 
C)  rN 
D)  K 
E)  dt

Question 18

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, which population(s)is (are)likely to experience zero population growth (ZPG)?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

Which of the following groups would be most likely to exhibit uniform dispersion?

Accepted Answer

A)  red squirrels, who actively defend territories 
B)  cattails, which grow primarily at edges of lakes and streams 
C)  dwarf mistletoes, which parasitize particular species of forest tree 
D)  moths, in a city at night 
E)  lake trout, which seek out cold, deep water high in dissolved oxygen 
A)  red squirrels, who actively defend territories 
B)  cattails, which grow primarily at edges of lakes and streams 
C)  dwarf mistletoes, which parasitize particular species of forest tree 
D)  moths, in a city at night 
E)  lake trout, which seek out cold, deep water high in dissolved oxygen

Exam 53: Population Ecology

The observation that members of a population are uniformly distributed suggests that

Based on current growth rates, Earth's human population in 2012 will be closest to

Which of the following is most likely to contribute to density-dependent regulation of populations?

Which of the following graphs illustrates the population growth curve of single bacterium growing in a flask of ideal medium at optimum temperature over a 24-hour period?

Which of the following was the most significant limiting factor in human population growth in the 20th century?

A population is correctly defined as having which of the following characteristics? I.inhabiting the same general area II.belonging to the same species III.possessing a constant and uniform density and dispersion

Carrying capacity is

To construct a reproductive table for a sexual species, one needs to

Which variables define the ecological life history of a species?

In models of logistic population growth,

In which of the following situations would you expect to find the largest number of K-selected individuals?

During the spring, you are studying the mice that live in a field near your home. The population density is high, but you realize that you rarely observe any reproductive female mice. This most likely indicates

Why does the 2009 U.S. population continue to grow even though the United States has essentially established a ZPG?

The following questions refer to Figure 53.3, which depicts the age structure of three populations. Figure 53.3 -Which population(s)appear(s)to be stable?

Starting from a single individual, what is the size of a population of bacteria that reproduce by binary fission every 20 minutes at the end of a 2-hour time period? (Assume unlimited resources and no mortality.)

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, which population(s)is (are)likely to experience zero population growth (ZPG)?

Which of the following groups would be most likely to exhibit uniform dispersion?

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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