Question 1

Which statement about human demographic trends is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  As women's status and education increase, they choose to have more children. 
B)  After 1950, mortality rates increased rapidly in most developing countries. 
C)  A human population in which women reproduce at a later age will experience slower population growth. 
D)  The movement from high birth rates and low death rates to low birth rates and high death rates is called the demographic transition. 
A)  As women's status and education increase, they choose to have more children. 
B)  After 1950, mortality rates increased rapidly in most developing countries. 
C)  A human population in which women reproduce at a later age will experience slower population growth. 
D)  The movement from high birth rates and low death rates to low birth rates and high death rates is called the demographic transition.

Question 2

What kind of curve represents exponential growth?

Accepted Answer

A)  ascending straight line 
B)  J-shaped 
C)  S-shaped 
D)  descending straight line 
A)  ascending straight line 
B)  J-shaped 
C)  S-shaped 
D)  descending straight line

Question 3

An ecologist hypothesizes that predation by a particular owl species is the major factor controlling the population of a particular rabbit species. If this is the case, which of the following population effects could be expected in this rabbit-owl pair?

Accepted Answer

A)  A fall in the owl population should cause a fall in the rabbit population. 
B)  A fall in the rabbit population should cause an increase in the owl population. 
C)  An increase in the incidence of disease in the rabbit population should not change the owl population. 
D)  An increase in the owl population should cause a fall in the rabbit population. 
A)  A fall in the owl population should cause a fall in the rabbit population. 
B)  A fall in the rabbit population should cause an increase in the owl population. 
C)  An increase in the incidence of disease in the rabbit population should not change the owl population. 
D)  An increase in the owl population should cause a fall in the rabbit population.

Question 4

To obtain optimal production in a small garden, one should

Accepted Answer

A)  plant seeds in rows with minimal spacing between rows. 
B)  plant seeds in clumps with large spaces between clumps. 
C)  plant seeds in a uniform pattern throughout the garden. 
D)  sow seeds randomly throughout the garden. 
A)  plant seeds in rows with minimal spacing between rows. 
B)  plant seeds in clumps with large spaces between clumps. 
C)  plant seeds in a uniform pattern throughout the garden. 
D)  sow seeds randomly throughout the garden.

Question 5

Consider a stable frog population living at carrying capacity in a pond. If an average female produces 6,000 eggs during her lifetime and an average of 300 tadpoles hatch from these eggs, how many of these tadpoles will, on average, survive to reproduce?

Accepted Answer

A)  0 
B)  2 
C)  10 to 20 
D)  more than 100 
A)  0 
B)  2 
C)  10 to 20 
D)  more than 100

Question 6

If a population has a birth rate of 40 individuals per 1,000 per year and a death rate of 30 individuals per 1,000 per year, how will the population change each year? (Assume that the population is below carrying capacity and that there is no immigration or emigration.)

Accepted Answer

A)  It will decrease by 70%. 
B)  It will increase by 1%. 
C)  It will increase by 5%. 
D)  It will increase by 100%. 
A)  It will decrease by 70%. 
B)  It will increase by 1%. 
C)  It will increase by 5%. 
D)  It will increase by 100%.

Question 7

Thanks to a new conservation program, a population with only 200 individuals at the beginning of the year is growing exponentially. The population has a per capita birth rate of 0.5 per year and a death rate of 0.2 per year. What is the growth rate during the year? What will the population be at the end of the year?

Accepted Answer

A)  growth rate = 60 per year; population = 260 
B)  growth rate = 6 per year; population = 206 
C)  growth rate = 260 per year; population = 60 
D)  growth rate = 30 per year; population = 230 
A)  growth rate = 60 per year; population = 260 
B)  growth rate = 6 per year; population = 206 
C)  growth rate = 260 per year; population = 60 
D)  growth rate = 30 per year; population = 230

Question 8

In terms of population dynamics, "boom-and-bust" cycling is a situation in which

Accepted Answer

A)  a population moves back and forth between rapid growth and decline. 
B)  a growing population overshoots the carrying capacity of its environment and experiences a crash before stabilizing. 
C)  the sex ratio in a population shows repeated oscillations. 
D)  the populations of two competing species oscillate in unison. 
A)  a population moves back and forth between rapid growth and decline. 
B)  a growing population overshoots the carrying capacity of its environment and experiences a crash before stabilizing. 
C)  the sex ratio in a population shows repeated oscillations. 
D)  the populations of two competing species oscillate in unison.

Question 9

Examine the age structure of Germany in the following figure. Which conclusion is not supported by the age structure?

Accepted Answer

A)  There will be large positive population growth in the near future. 
B)  There are more women than men between the ages of 60 and 70. 
C)  There will be small negative population growth in the near future. 
D)  There are more people between the ages of 25 to 39 then between 0 and 14. 
A)  There will be large positive population growth in the near future. 
B)  There are more women than men between the ages of 60 and 70. 
C)  There will be small negative population growth in the near future. 
D)  There are more people between the ages of 25 to 39 then between 0 and 14.

Question 10

Which action will likely decrease a population's size?

Accepted Answer

A)  improving the quality of its habitat 
B)  increasing the size of its habitat 
C)  practicing sustainable resource management in its habitat 
D)  decreasing the food supply available to the population 
A)  improving the quality of its habitat 
B)  increasing the size of its habitat 
C)  practicing sustainable resource management in its habitat 
D)  decreasing the food supply available to the population

Question 11

The density of Douglas firs in an old-growth forest is estimated by counting the Douglas firs in four sample plots of 1 hectare each. The number of fir trees in the plots is 10, 12, 7, and 11, respectively. What is the estimated density of firs in the forest?

Accepted Answer

A)  5 trees per hectare 
B)  10 trees per hectare 
C)  20 trees per hectare 
D)  25 trees per hectare 
A)  5 trees per hectare 
B)  10 trees per hectare 
C)  20 trees per hectare 
D)  25 trees per hectare

Question 12

A survivorship curve is a graph that plots

Accepted Answer

A)  an individual's likelihood of reproducing as a function of age. 
B)  an individual's likelihood of being alive as a function of age. 
C)  the effect of predation on a prey population. 
D)  population growth that is limited by a carrying capacity. 
A)  an individual's likelihood of reproducing as a function of age. 
B)  an individual's likelihood of being alive as a function of age. 
C)  the effect of predation on a prey population. 
D)  population growth that is limited by a carrying capacity.

Question 13

An ecologist hypothesizes that predation by a particular owl species is the major factor controlling the population of a particular rabbit species. The first step in testing this hypothesis would be to determine

Accepted Answer

A)  whether populations of the rabbit that live outside the range of the owl have higher population densities. 
B)  whether the owls eat the rabbits. 
C)  to which diseases the rabbit population is subject. 
D)  what food the rabbits eat. 
A)  whether populations of the rabbit that live outside the range of the owl have higher population densities. 
B)  whether the owls eat the rabbits. 
C)  to which diseases the rabbit population is subject. 
D)  what food the rabbits eat.

Question 14

Which example is most clearly a case of density-dependent population regulation?

Accepted Answer

A)  the summer drying of savanna grass for an insect that feeds on grass sap 
B)  a dangerous new flu strain that is transmitted among humans by sneezing 
C)  the first hard frost of fall for a population of annual morning glory vines 
D)  the occurrence of rainstorms for an opportunistic desert annual 
A)  the summer drying of savanna grass for an insect that feeds on grass sap 
B)  a dangerous new flu strain that is transmitted among humans by sneezing 
C)  the first hard frost of fall for a population of annual morning glory vines 
D)  the occurrence of rainstorms for an opportunistic desert annual

Question 15

A human population will achieve zero population growth if

Accepted Answer

A)  no couple has more than 2 children. 
B)  couples have an average of about 2.25 children each (to account for some children who do not survive to reproduce). 
C)  no couple has more than 1 child. 
D)  the birth rate equals the intrinsic rate of increase r. 
A)  no couple has more than 2 children. 
B)  couples have an average of about 2.25 children each (to account for some children who do not survive to reproduce). 
C)  no couple has more than 1 child. 
D)  the birth rate equals the intrinsic rate of increase r.

Question 16

If a population of 5,000 zebras is growing logistically and has a carrying capacity of 10,000, what would the per capita rate of increase be if the population grew by 50 zebras in 1 year?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.2 
B)  0.1 
C)  0.02 
D)  0.01 
A)  0.2 
B)  0.1 
C)  0.02 
D)  0.01

Question 17

A test tube is inoculated with 1 × 103 cells of a bacterial strain that has a generation time of 30 minutes. The carrying capacity of the test tube for this strain is 6 × 109 cells. What will the bacterial population be after 90 minutes of culturing?

Accepted Answer

A)  3 × 103 
B)  8 × 103 
C)  1 × 109 
D)  6 × 109 
A)  3 × 103 
B)  8 × 103 
C)  1 × 109 
D)  6 × 109

Exam 36: Population Ecology

Which statement about human demographic trends is true?

What kind of curve represents exponential growth?

An ecologist hypothesizes that predation by a particular owl species is the major factor controlling the population of a particular rabbit species. If this is the case, which of the following population effects could be expected in this rabbit-owl pair?

To obtain optimal production in a small garden, one should

Consider a stable frog population living at carrying capacity in a pond. If an average female produces 6,000 eggs during her lifetime and an average of 300 tadpoles hatch from these eggs, how many of these tadpoles will, on average, survive to reproduce?

If a population has a birth rate of 40 individuals per 1,000 per year and a death rate of 30 individuals per 1,000 per year, how will the population change each year? (Assume that the population is below carrying capacity and that there is no immigration or emigration.)

In terms of population dynamics, "boom-and-bust" cycling is a situation in which

Examine the age structure of Germany in the following figure. Which conclusion is not supported by the age structure?

Which action will likely decrease a population's size?

The density of Douglas firs in an old-growth forest is estimated by counting the Douglas firs in four sample plots of 1 hectare each. The number of fir trees in the plots is 10, 12, 7, and 11, respectively. What is the estimated density of firs in the forest?

A survivorship curve is a graph that plots

An ecologist hypothesizes that predation by a particular owl species is the major factor controlling the population of a particular rabbit species. The first step in testing this hypothesis would be to determine

Which example is most clearly a case of density-dependent population regulation?

A human population will achieve zero population growth if

If a population of 5,000 zebras is growing logistically and has a carrying capacity of 10,000, what would the per capita rate of increase be if the population grew by 50 zebras in 1 year?

A test tube is inoculated with 1 × 103 cells of a bacterial strain that has a generation time of 30 minutes. The carrying capacity of the test tube for this strain is 6 × 109 cells. What will the bacterial population be after 90 minutes of culturing?

Biology: Exploring Life

The Chemical Basis of Life

The Molecules of Cells

A Tour of the Cell

The Working Cell

How Cells Harvest Chemical Energy

Photosynthesis: Using Light to Make Food

The Cellular Basis of Reproduction and Inheritance

Patterns of Inheritance

Molecular Biology of the Gene

How Genes Are Controlled

DNA Technology and Genomics

How Populations Evolve

The Origin of Species

Tracing Evolutionary History

Microbial Life: Prokaryotes and Protists

The Evolution of Plant and Fungal Diversity

The Evolution of Invertebrate Diversity

The Evolution of Vertebrate Diversity

Unifying Concepts of Animal Structure and Function

Nutrition and Digestion

Gas Exchange

Circulation

The Immune System

Control of Body Temperature and Water Balance

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Reproduction and Embryonic Development

Nervous Systems

The Senses

How Animals Move

Plant Structure, Growth, and Reproduction

Plant Nutrition and Transport

Control Systems in Plants

The Biosphere: an Introduction to Earths Diverse Environments

Behavioral Adaptations to the Environment

Communities and Ecosystems

Conservation Biology

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A test tube is inoculated with 1 × 10³ cells of a bacterial strain that has a generation time of 30 minutes. The carrying capacity of the test tube for this strain is 6 × 109 cells. What will the bacterial population be after 90 minutes of culturing?