Question 1

The three basic variables that make up the life history of an organism are

Accepted Answer

A)  life expectancy, birth rate, and death rate. 
B)  number of reproductive females in the population, age structure of the population, and life expectancy. 
C)  age when reproduction begins, how often reproduction occurs, and how many offspring are produced per reproductive episode. 
D)  how often reproduction occurs, life expectancy of females in the population, and number of offspring per reproductive episode. 
E)  the number of reproductive females in the population, how often reproduction occurs, and death rate. 
A)  life expectancy, birth rate, and death rate. 
B)  number of reproductive females in the population, age structure of the population, and life expectancy. 
C)  age when reproduction begins, how often reproduction occurs, and how many offspring are produced per reproductive episode. 
D)  how often reproduction occurs, life expectancy of females in the population, and number of offspring per reproductive episode. 
E)  the number of reproductive females in the population, how often reproduction occurs, and death rate.

Question 2

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 3

When climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions in biological communities that are analogous to the changes

Accepted Answer

A)  in biomes at different latitudes. 
B)  in different depths in the ocean. 
C)  in a community through different seasons. 
D)  in an ecosystem as it evolves over time. 
E)  across the United States from east to west. 
A)  in biomes at different latitudes. 
B)  in different depths in the ocean. 
C)  in a community through different seasons. 
D)  in an ecosystem as it evolves over time. 
E)  across the United States from east to west.

Question 4

What would be the effect on climate in the temperate latitudes if Earth were to slow its rate of rotation from a 24-hour period of rotation to a 48-hour period of rotation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Seasons would be longer and more distinct (colder winters and warmer summers). 
B)  There often would be a smaller range between daytime high and nighttime low temperatures. 
C)  Large-scale weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes would no longer be a part of regional climates. 
D)  Winter seasons in both the northern and southern hemispheres would have more abundant and frequent precipitation events. 
E)  There often would be a larger range between daytime high and nighttime low temperatures. 
A)  Seasons would be longer and more distinct (colder winters and warmer summers). 
B)  There often would be a smaller range between daytime high and nighttime low temperatures. 
C)  Large-scale weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes would no longer be a part of regional climates. 
D)  Winter seasons in both the northern and southern hemispheres would have more abundant and frequent precipitation events. 
E)  There often would be a larger range between daytime high and nighttime low temperatures.

Question 5

Which of the following sets of measurements would best describe a population's physical structure and vital statistics?

Accepted Answer

A)  density, dispersion, and demographics 
B)  gene frequency over time and the ratio of reproductive to nonreproductive individuals 
C)  annual precipitation averages and mean annual temperatures 
D)  minimum and maximum amounts of precipitation and annual temperature extremes 
E)  ratio of predators and the number of immigrants and emigrants 
A)  density, dispersion, and demographics 
B)  gene frequency over time and the ratio of reproductive to nonreproductive individuals 
C)  annual precipitation averages and mean annual temperatures 
D)  minimum and maximum amounts of precipitation and annual temperature extremes 
E)  ratio of predators and the number of immigrants and emigrants

Question 6

Trees are not usually found in the tundra biome because of

Accepted Answer

A)  insufficient annual precipitation. 
B)  acidic soils. 
C)  extreme winter temperatures. 
D)  overbrowsing by musk ox and caribou. 
E)  permafrost. 
A)  insufficient annual precipitation. 
B)  acidic soils. 
C)  extreme winter temperatures. 
D)  overbrowsing by musk ox and caribou. 
E)  permafrost.

Question 7

Fire suppression by humans

Accepted Answer

A)  will always result in an increase in species diversity in a given biome. 
B)  can change the species composition within biological communities. 
C)  will result ultimately in sustainable production of increased amounts of forest products for human use. 
D)  is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species. 
E)  is a management goal of conservation biologists to maintain the healthy condition of forest communities. 
A)  will always result in an increase in species diversity in a given biome. 
B)  can change the species composition within biological communities. 
C)  will result ultimately in sustainable production of increased amounts of forest products for human use. 
D)  is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species. 
E)  is a management goal of conservation biologists to maintain the healthy condition of forest communities.

Question 8

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 9

Which of the following graphs illustrates the growth over several seasons of a population of snowshoe hares that were introduced to an appropriate habitat also inhabited by predators in northern Canada?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

Which of the following examples of an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect is most correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  When seeds are not plentiful, trees produce more seeds. 
B)  A few organisms of a larger population survive a drought and then these survivors emigrate to less arid environments. 
C)  A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age, and the reproducing survivors of the ice age all have dense fur. 
D)  Fish that swim the fastest in running water catch the most prey and more easily escape predation. 
E)  The insects that spend the most time exposed to sunlight have the most mutations. 
A)  When seeds are not plentiful, trees produce more seeds. 
B)  A few organisms of a larger population survive a drought and then these survivors emigrate to less arid environments. 
C)  A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age, and the reproducing survivors of the ice age all have dense fur. 
D)  Fish that swim the fastest in running water catch the most prey and more easily escape predation. 
E)  The insects that spend the most time exposed to sunlight have the most mutations.

Question 11

Which of the following events might you predict to occur if the tilt of Earth's axis relative to its plane of orbit was increased to 33 1/2 degrees?

Accepted Answer

A)  Summers and winters in the United States would likely become warmer and colder, respectively. 
B)  Winters and summers in Australia would likely become less distinct seasons. 
C)  Seasonal variation at the equator might decrease. 
D)  Both northern and southern hemispheres would experience summer and winter at the same time. 
E)  Both poles would experience massive ice melts. 
A)  Summers and winters in the United States would likely become warmer and colder, respectively. 
B)  Winters and summers in Australia would likely become less distinct seasons. 
C)  Seasonal variation at the equator might decrease. 
D)  Both northern and southern hemispheres would experience summer and winter at the same time. 
E)  Both poles would experience massive ice melts.

Question 12

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 13

Which of the following statements best describes the effect of climate on biome distribution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Average annual temperature and precipitation are sufficient to predict which biome will be found in an area. 
B)  Seasonal fluctuation of temperature is not a limiting factor in biome distribution if areas have the same annual temperature and precipitation means. 
C)  Not only is the average climate important in determining biome distribution, but so is the pattern of climatic variation. 
D)  Temperate forests and grasslands are different biomes because they receive a different quality and quantity of sunlight, even though they have essentially the same annual temperature and precipitation. 
E)  Correlation of climate with biome distribution is sufficient to determine the cause of biome patterns. 
A)  Average annual temperature and precipitation are sufficient to predict which biome will be found in an area. 
B)  Seasonal fluctuation of temperature is not a limiting factor in biome distribution if areas have the same annual temperature and precipitation means. 
C)  Not only is the average climate important in determining biome distribution, but so is the pattern of climatic variation. 
D)  Temperate forests and grasslands are different biomes because they receive a different quality and quantity of sunlight, even though they have essentially the same annual temperature and precipitation. 
E)  Correlation of climate with biome distribution is sufficient to determine the cause of biome patterns.

Question 14

The eight climographs in Figure 40.1 show yearly temperature (line graph and left vertical axis) and precipitation (bar graph and right vertical axis) averages for each month for some locations on Earth. Choose the climograph that best answers the question.
   Figure 40.1
-Which climograph shows the climate for location 1?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  C 
C)  E 
D)  G 
E)  H 
A)  A 
B)  C 
C)  E 
D)  G 
E)  H

Question 15

Air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades. Which statement best describes the outcome of this encounter between a landform and an air mass?

Accepted Answer

A)  The cool, moist Pacific air heats up as it rises, releasing its precipitation as it passes the tops of the mountains, and this warm, now dry air cools as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
B)  The warm, moist Pacific air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the windward side of the range, and this cool, now dry air mass heats up as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
C)  The cool, dry Pacific air heats up and picks up moisture from evaporation of the snowcapped peaks of the mountain range, releasing this moisture as precipitation when the air cools while descending on the leeward side of the range. 
D)  These air masses are blocked by the mountain ranges, producing high annual amounts of precipitation on the windward sides of these mountain ranges. 
E)  These air masses remain essentially unchanged in moisture content and temperature as they pass over these mountain ranges. 
A)  The cool, moist Pacific air heats up as it rises, releasing its precipitation as it passes the tops of the mountains, and this warm, now dry air cools as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
B)  The warm, moist Pacific air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the windward side of the range, and this cool, now dry air mass heats up as it descends on the leeward side of the range. 
C)  The cool, dry Pacific air heats up and picks up moisture from evaporation of the snowcapped peaks of the mountain range, releasing this moisture as precipitation when the air cools while descending on the leeward side of the range. 
D)  These air masses are blocked by the mountain ranges, producing high annual amounts of precipitation on the windward sides of these mountain ranges. 
E)  These air masses remain essentially unchanged in moisture content and temperature as they pass over these mountain ranges.

Question 16

What is the limiting factor for the growth of trees in the tundra?

Accepted Answer

A)  low precipitation 
B)  lack of sunlight 
C)  insufficient minerals in bedrock 
D)  pH of soils 
E)  permafrost 
A)  low precipitation 
B)  lack of sunlight 
C)  insufficient minerals in bedrock 
D)  pH of soils 
E)  permafrost

Question 17

Which of the following scenarios would provide the most legitimate data on population density?

Accepted Answer

A)  Count the number of nests of a particular species of songbird and multiply this by a factor that extrapolates these data to actual animals. 
B)  Count the number of pine trees in several randomly selected 10-m by 10-m plots and extrapolate this number to the fraction of the study area these plots represent. 
C)  Use the mark-and-recapture method to estimate the size of the population. 
D)  Calculate the difference between all of the immigrants and emigrants to see if the population is growing or shrinking. 
E)  Add the number of births and subtract the individuals that die to see if the population's density is increasing or decreasing. 
A)  Count the number of nests of a particular species of songbird and multiply this by a factor that extrapolates these data to actual animals. 
B)  Count the number of pine trees in several randomly selected 10-m by 10-m plots and extrapolate this number to the fraction of the study area these plots represent. 
C)  Use the mark-and-recapture method to estimate the size of the population. 
D)  Calculate the difference between all of the immigrants and emigrants to see if the population is growing or shrinking. 
E)  Add the number of births and subtract the individuals that die to see if the population's density is increasing or decreasing.

Question 18

Figure 40.2 shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labeled with letters. Choose the letter that best answers the question.
   Figure 40.2
-Which zone has the lowest biomass per unit of area?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  rising, warm, moist air masses that cool and release precipitation as they rise and then, at high altitude, cool and sink back to the surface as dry air masses after moving north or south of the tropics. 
B)  air masses that are dried and heated over continental areas that rise, cool aloft, and descend over oceanic areas followed by a return flow of moist air from ocean to land, delivering high amounts of precipitation to coastal areas. 
C)  polar, cool, moist high-pressure air masses from the poles that move along the surface, releasing precipitation along the way to the equator where they are heated and dried. 
D)  the revolution of Earth around the sun. 
E)  mountain ranges that deflect air masses containing variable amounts of moisture. 
A)  rising, warm, moist air masses that cool and release precipitation as they rise and then, at high altitude, cool and sink back to the surface as dry air masses after moving north or south of the tropics. 
B)  air masses that are dried and heated over continental areas that rise, cool aloft, and descend over oceanic areas followed by a return flow of moist air from ocean to land, delivering high amounts of precipitation to coastal areas. 
C)  polar, cool, moist high-pressure air masses from the poles that move along the surface, releasing precipitation along the way to the equator where they are heated and dried. 
D)  the revolution of Earth around the sun. 
E)  mountain ranges that deflect air masses containing variable amounts of moisture.

Exam 40: Population Ecology and the Distribution of Organisms

The three basic variables that make up the life history of an organism are

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?

When climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions in biological communities that are analogous to the changes

What would be the effect on climate in the temperate latitudes if Earth were to slow its rate of rotation from a 24-hour period of rotation to a 48-hour period of rotation?

Which of the following sets of measurements would best describe a population's physical structure and vital statistics?

Trees are not usually found in the tundra biome because of

Fire suppression by humans

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

Which of the following graphs illustrates the growth over several seasons of a population of snowshoe hares that were introduced to an appropriate habitat also inhabited by predators in northern Canada?

Which of the following examples of an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect is most correct?

Which of the following events might you predict to occur if the tilt of Earth's axis relative to its plane of orbit was increased to 33 1/2 degrees?

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?

Which of the following statements best describes the effect of climate on biome distribution?

Air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades. Which statement best describes the outcome of this encounter between a landform and an air mass?

What is the limiting factor for the growth of trees in the tundra?

Which of the following scenarios would provide the most legitimate data on population density?

Figure 40.2 shows a generalized cross section of the marine environment with various zones labeled with letters. Choose the letter that best answers the question. Figure 40.2 -Which zone has the lowest biomass per unit of area?

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

Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by

Introduction: Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

The Chemical Context of Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Transport and Cell Signaling

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Development, Stem Cells, and Cancer

Viruses

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent With Modification

Phylogeny

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

Broad Patterns of Evolution

Early Life and the Diversification of Prokaryotes

The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes

The Colonization of Land by Plants and Fungi

The Rise of Animal Diversity

Plant Structure and Growth

Resource Acquisition, Nutrition, and Transport in Vascular Plants

Reproduction and Domestication of Flowering Plants

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Homeostasis and Endocrine Signaling

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Reproduction and Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous and Sensory Systems

Motor Mechanisms and Behavior

Species Interactions

Ecosystems and Energy

Global Ecology and Conservation Biology

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