Bio Honors Chapter 5 and 6 Study Guide
How does emigration affect population size?
Emigration decreases the size of the population
How can a demographer, or scientist who studies demography, predict how a population will change in the future?
A demographer studies the social and economic factors that affect a population and the age structure in order to predict how it will change
What is a density-independent limiting factor? Give two examples
A density-independent limiting factor is a limiting factor that affects all populations regardless of size, such as a rainstorm, drought, fire, and certain human activities.
What causes acid rain? What is the effect of acid rain on natural habitats?
Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released into the air. It kills plants and changes the chemistry of water and soil.
What type of population growth curve can be observed in graphs I and II of Figure 5-1?
Both populations show a logistic growth curve.
Differentiate between exponential and logistic growth
Exponential growth occurs when the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate. Logistic growth occurs when a population's growth slows or stops following a period of exponential growth.
Sequence the historical events that contributed to the current human population growth.
Hunters and gathers, agriculture, plowing and farming techniques, and last the industrial revolution
Discuss biodiversity as a source of medicine.
If biodiversity decreases then types of medicine will also decrease.
Formulate a hypothesis that, if supported by testing, would explain the trend shown in Figure 1 after 1990.
If they finally notice the damage being done of the biosphere then they will reduce the use of chemical fertilizer
What are introduced species? How are they a threat to biodiversity?
Introduced into new habitats, these organisms often become invasive species that reproduce rapidly and crowd out native species.
What kept the human population growth rate low before the Industrial Revolution?
Limiting factors, such as food scarcity and diseases, kept the human population growth rate low.
How do modern subsistence hunters differ from ancient hunter-gatherers?
Mostly all modern hunter use some sort of technology such as guns while ancient hunters don't use any technology.
From Figure 5-1, which species has the greater growth rate overall when grown together? Describe the growth curve of P. caudatum in graph III.
Overall, P. aurelia had the greater growth rate. P. caudatum had the greater initial growth rate, but was eventually excluded by P. aurelia. P. caudatum eventually died out.
What is the most likely explanation for the decline of the P. caudatum shown in graph III of Figure 5-1?
P. aurelia is a better competitor for limited resources, such as food.
According to Figure 5-1, which species has the greater initial growth rate when they are grown in separate cultures?
P. caudatum
How does population growth in the United States compare with that of China and India?
Population growth has slowed in the United States, but China and India are only in the beginning stage of demographic transition where the population is still growing rapidly.
Examine the trend in chemical fertilizer use from 1965 to 1990 shown in Figure 6-2. Is this a sustainable development of resources? Explain.
The kind of increase in the use of chemical fertilizers from 1965 to 1990 is not sustainable. The application of fertilizers can interfere with food webs and biogeochemical cycles.
Are the limiting factors for all cultures in Figure 5-1 density-dependent or density-independent? Explain.
The limiting factors are density-dependent. In Graphs I and II, the population growth rate decreased and leveled out when the population size reached carrying capacity, as did P. aurelia in Graph III.
Describe the data in Figure 1. Does it indicate that the Green Revolution was meeting its goal? Explain.
The use of chemical fertilizers increased steadily and the goal was meet because food production increased.
Explain the limiting factors that control population growth
Under ideal conditions, populations will continue to grow if there are not factors that limit their growth. Limit growth are like predation and competition.
What are the goals of sustainable development, and upon what principles are sustainable practices based
Using natural resources without causing long term environmental harm. To use insects to control insect pests
Discuss one of the challenges to conservation efforts in developing countries.
Water. They must dig, sometimes deep to find a vein of water. Then, the transport of it, if they live far away, and its conservation.
What is the tragedy of the commons?
the tendency for a common resource to be overused
What is a biodiversity hotspot, where is one in the U.S.?
biodiversity hotspot is a place where species are at the borders of extinction because of human activities. The California Floristic Province.
Differentiate between density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors.
density-dependent processes occur when population growth rates are regulated by the density of a population Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is not dependent on the number of individuals in the population.
Discuss four ways population size can change.
immigration, birth rates, death rates, and emigration
How might the trend in Figure 6-2 up to 1990 relate to the practice of monoculture?
in which farmers planted large fields with a single, highly productive crop year after year. To support these fields, farmers relied on chemical fertilizers to boost plant growth.
How is Earth like an island?
limited resources, carrying capacity
Describe three services that are provided by a healthy biosphere
solar energy, production of oxygen, water purification