chapter 53: population ecology

The number of individuals that a particular habitat can support with no degradation of that habitat is called ______. a) niche b) carrying capacity c) biotic potential d) community e) survivorship

b

"one shot" pattern of big-band reprodcution

semelparity

the defense of abounded physical space against encroachment by other individuals

territoriality

selection for traits that are sensitive to population density and are favored at high densities

K-selection

Select the correct statement about the factors that limit the growth of a population. a) if a factor limits population growth, increasing its availability will increase population growth b) density-dependent factors are biotic; density-independent factors are abiotic c) the most important factor limiting population growth is the scarcest factor in that area

a

To determine the density of a rabbit population, you would need to know the number of rabbits and __________. a) the size of the area in which they live b) the factors that limit population growth for that rabbit population c) the growth rate of that population d) the birth rate e) their pattern of dispersion

a

What are population dynamics? a) changes in populations through time b) number of individuals born each year in a population c) proportion of individuals at each possible age d) regular fluctuations in the population size of some animals

a

Which equation represents the logistic growth rate of a population? a) ΔN/Δt = rmax(N)[(K−N)/K] b) ΔN/Δt = rmax(N) c) r = b−d d) ΔN/Δt = r(N)

a

Which factor does not affect a habitat's carrying capacity? a) genetic variation in the population b) number of nesting sites c) availability of food d) intensity of predation

a

Which of the following is an example of a population? a) all of the redwood trees that live in a forest b) a spider and the fly it is about to eat c) the earthworms that live in a grassland plus the earthworms that live in a forest d)all the plants that live near each other in a forest-all the coyotes on Earth

a

Which of the following statements about age pyramids is true? a) Predictions of a population's future take into account such factors as increasing survivorship and fecundity levels that remain the same b) Age distribution in developed countries shows an hourglass pattern, with the greatest numbers of people being either very young or very old c) Age distribution in less-developed countries is bottom-heavy, indicating that these populations are dominated by the very old d) Populations in developed countries grow more quickly than populations in less-developed countries

a

Which of these organisms has a survivorship curve similar to that of humans? a) elephants b) robins c) cats d) grasses e) oysters

a

the relative number of individuals of each age in teh population

age structure

In 1970, the average age of childbearing was 28, and the average number of offspring per woman was 3 in a certain country. In 1980, the average age of childbearing was still 28, but the average number of offspring per woman was 2 in that country. If the death rate in the country remained constant during those years, how did the population growth rate change from 1970 to 1980? a) it is not possible to determine the population growth rate b) the population growth rate decreased c) the population growth rate increased d) the population growth rate stayed the same

b

Which of these organisms has a survivorship curve similar to that of oysters? a) cats b) grasses c) humans d) robins e) elephants

b

The average age of childbearing in country A is 26, whereas the average age in country B is 30. In each country, the average number of offspring per woman is 3. Which of the following statements about the population growth rate in each country must be true? a) The population growth rate in country A is lower than in country B b) The population growth rates in countries A and B are the same c) It is not possible to compare the population growth rates of countries A and B d) The population growth rate in country A is higher than in country B

c

Which of the following statements about density-independent growth is true? a) A population that is experiencing density-independent growth levels off at the environment's carrying capacity b) The per capita rate of increase may exceed rmax during density independent growth c) Density independent growth is also known as exponential growth d) Density independent growth can continue indefinitely in nature

c

Which of these species typically has a mortality rate that remains fairly constant over an individual's life span? a) humans b) grasses c) robins d) elephants e) oysters

c

oyster populations are primarily, if not exclusively, composed of _______ a) larvae b) larval and juvenile oysters c) adults d) juveniles e) prereproductive oysters

c

symbol: K the maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain

carrying capacity

a group of individuals of the same age

cohort

Under which of the following conditions would a population most likely experience exponential growth? a) environment with a low carrying capacity b) habitat with limited resources c) large number of individuals in the starting population d) young populations with few individuals

d

Which of the following statements about a population experiencing logistic growth is true? a) If the K and N values are far apart, the population will grow very slowly. b) If N is less than K, the population will not grow. c) If the K and N values are similar, the amount of available resources is high. d) If N is greater than K, the population will shrink

d

Which processes increase a population's size? a) deaths and immigration b) births and deaths c) deaths and emigration d) births and immigration

d

in the models that describe population growth, r stands for _____. a) a time interval b) population density c) carrying capacity d) per capita population growth rate e) total number of individuals in the population

d

the movement from high birth/death rates toward low birth/death rates which tends to accompany industrialization and improved living conditions

demographic transition

the study of the vital statistics of populations and how they change over time

demography

a death rate that increases with population density or a birth rate that falls with rising density

density dependent

a birth/death rate that does not change with population density

density independent

the pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of the population

dispersion

Which of the following is regarded as a density-independent factor in the growth of natural populations? a) emigration b) intraspecific competition c) predation d) interspecific competition e) flooding

e

in wild populations, individuals most often show a ______ pattern of dispersion. a) uniform b) density-dependent c) random d) equilibrium e) clumped

e

summarizes the aggregate land and water area needed to sustain a person, city, or nation

ecological footprint

occurs when r_inst is greater than zero and is constant at each instant in time

exponential population growth

contrast to semelparity repeated reproduction

iteroparity

the traits that affect an organism's schedule of reproduction and survival make up its ____________

life history

age specific summaries of the survival pattern of a population

life tables

the per capita rate of increase approaches zero as the population size nears the carrying capacity

logistic population growth

when a number of local populations are linked, it forms a ___________

metapopulation

population fluctuations from year to year or place to place

population dynamics

selection for traits that maximize reproductive success in uncrowded environments

r-selection

age specific summaries of the reproductive rates in a population

reproductive table

a plot of the proportion or numbers in a cohort still alive at each age

survivorship curve

True or False? Factors that determine the per capita rate of increase of a population include the age of breeding and the number of offspring produced each year.

true

true or false? the growth rate of a certain population increases very quickly for a time and then levels off to zero. the most likely reason that the growth rate leveled off to zero is that the population reached the carrying capacity of that environment

true

occurs when the per capita birth and death rates are equal (r=0)

zero population growth (zpg)