Chapter 9: Population Ecology

Chapter 9 Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. The changes in population size, density, dispersion, and age structure are known as a. succession. b. demography. c. population dynamics. d. biotic potential. e. carrying capacity. ____ 2. The most common pattern of population dispersion found in nature is a. random. b. uniform. c. clumped. d. dispersed. e. none of these answers ____ 3. You are an ecologist studying the population dynamics of an ecosystem. You observe that resources are not evenly distributed. You predict the population dispersion pattern is a. uniform. b. random. c. clumped. d. dispersed. e. none of these answers ____ 4. Which of the following is not one of the age structure categories? a. prereproductive b. reproductive c. postreproductive d. elderly e. none of these answers ____ 5. Emigration is a. one-way movement of individuals into the area of an established population. b. one-way movement of individuals into an uninhabited area. c. one-way movement of individuals out of a particular population to another area. d. the repeated departure and return of individuals to and from a population area. e. all of these answers ____ 6. A population will increase if a. natality decreases. b. mortality increases. c. the biotic potential increases. d. the environmental resistance increases. e. all of these answers ____ 7. Which of the following factors leads to an increase in biotic potential? a. too much or too little light b. low reproductive rate c. too many competitors d. optimal level of critical nutrients e. specialized niche ____ 8. Carrying capacity refers to a. reproductive rate. b. interaction of natality and mortality. c. the maximum size of population the environment will support. d. the proportion of males to females. e. the intrinsic rate of increase. ____ 9. A logistic growth curve depicting a population that is limited by a definite carrying capacity is shaped like the letter ____. a. J b. L c. M d. S e. N ____ 10. An exponential growth curve depicting an ever-growing population is shaped like the letter ____. a. J b. L c. M d. S e. N ____ 11. A population crash occurs when a. a population approaches its carrying capacity. b. environmental resistance comes into play gradually. c. resources are essentially unlimited. d. a population overshoots carrying capacity and environmental pressures cause effects. e. the population growth rate slows. ____ 12. A population grows, overshoots its carrying capacity, and crashes, most likely from a. a positive feedback loop. b. a negative feedback loop. c. a time delay between a positive feedback loop and a negative feedback loop. d. an accumulation. e. none of these answers ____ 13. Humans have extended Earth's carrying capacity for the human species by a. controlling many diseases. b. using energy resources at a rapid rate. c. using material resources at a rapid rate. d. increasing life span. e. all of these answers ____ 14. Density-dependent population controls include all of the following except a. disease. b. human destruction of habitat. c. parasitism. d. competition for resources. e. predation. ____ 15. Density-independent population controls include all of the following except a. drought. b. fire. c. resource competition. d. unfavorable chemical changes in the environment. e. habitat destruction. ____ 16. All of the following are general types of population change curves except a. explosive. b. stable. c. cyclic. d. irruptive. e. irregular. ____ 17. Which of the following terms best describes the type of population change you would expect to find for a muskrat population in a state that has just outlawed trapping? a. explosive b. c. d. e. stable cyclic irruptive irregular ____ 18. Wolves controlling deer populations are an example of a. bottom-up population control. b. top-down population control. c. producer-level control. d. predator control. e. none of these answers ____ 19. K-strategists a. have high genetic diversity. b. are more responsive to environmental changes than r-strategists. c. exhibit fast rates of evolution. d. are generally less adaptable to change than r-strategists. e. reach reproductive age rapidly. ____ 20. Which of the following is an r-strategist? a. human b. insect c. rhinoceros d. saguaro cactus e. whale ____ 21. Which of the following best describes the survivorship curve you would expect to find for a mountain gorilla? a. late loss b. constant loss c. early loss d. no loss e. none of these answers ____ 22. Which of the following best describes the survivorship curve you would expect to find for a fish? a. late loss b. constant loss c. early loss d. no loss e. none of these answers ____ 23. Which of the following connections among population cycle, survival strategies, and survivorship curves would you most expect to see? a. boom-and-bust; K-strategist; early loss b. boom-and-bust; r-strategist; early loss c. stable; r-strategist; early loss d. stable; K-strategist; early loss e. stable; r-selected species; late loss ____ 24. Which of the following types of species is least vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? a. generalists b. specialists c. large predators d. migratory species e. keystone species ____ 25. Which of the following is not one of the basic lessons from nature? a. Sunlight is the source of energy that sustains ecosystems. b. Soil, water, air, and organisms are renewed through natural processes. c. All populations of organisms except humans are kept in check by natural means. d. Energy is required to maintain energy flow and recycle chemicals. e. There are always limits to population growth and resource consumption. Matching ____ 26. Choose the letter that represents when resources are not limiting and a population can grow at its intrinsic rate of increase. ____ 27. Choose the letter that represents population size at which a population in a particular environment will stabilize when its supply of resources remains constant. ____ 28. Choose the letter that represents limiting abiotic factors. ____ 29. Choose the letter that represents a population's capacity for growth. ____ 30. Choose the portion of the curve that results from reproductive time lag. ____ 31. Choose the portion of the curve that results from the biotic potential and environmental resistance. ____ 32. Choose the portion of the graph that can also be called a dieback. ____ 33. Choose the portion of the graph that represents the number of reindeer that can be sustained indefinitely in a given area. ____ 34. Choose the portion of the graph that represents the number of reindeer that exceeded the capacity of their environment. Chapter 9 Answer Section MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 2. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 3. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 4. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 5. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 6. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 7. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 8. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 9. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 10. ANS: A DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 11. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 12. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 13. ANS: E DIF: D TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 14. ANS: B DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 15. ANS: C DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 16. ANS: A DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 17. ANS: D DIF: E TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 18. ANS: B DIF: M TOP: 9-1 POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CARRYING CAPACITY 19. ANS: D DIF: M TOP: 9-2 REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND SURVIVAL 20. ANS: B DIF: E TOP: 9-2 REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND SURVIVAL 21. ANS: A DIF: E TOP: 9-2 REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND SURVIVAL 22. ANS: C DIF: E TOP: 9-2 REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND SURVIVAL 23. ANS: B DIF: M TOP: 9-2 REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND SURVIVAL 24. ANS: A DIF: E TOP: 9-3 EFFECTS OF GENETIC VARIATIONS ON POPULATION SIZE 25. ANS: C DIF: D TOP: 9-4 HUMAN IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEMS: LEARNING FROM NATURE MATCHING 26. ANS: A DIF: M OBJ: Labeling 27. ANS: B DIF: M OBJ: Labeling 28. ANS: D DIF: M OBJ: Labeling 29. ANS: C DIF: M OBJ: Labeling 30. ANS: A DIF: E OBJ: Labeling 31. ANS: B DIF: E OBJ: Labeling 32. ANS: C DIF: M OBJ: Labeling 33. ANS: A DIF: M OBJ: Labeling 34. ANS: B DIF: M OBJ: Labeling