Chapter 8 Understanding Populations

An example of a population is

all maple trees in a forest

Which of the following statements is correct?

an organism's habitat is a location

A population's ______ is the number of its members or unit area or per volume

density

If a pair of mice finds a place to live with plenty of food and no predators, the population of mice will probably undergo ________ growth

exponential

Over a long period of time, two species can develop adaptations that increase the benefit of their relationship in the process of ______

coevolution

A robin that does not affect the tree in which it nests is an example of _______

commensalism

In which of the following relationships is neither species harmed?

commensalism

Deaths that are caused by a disease spreading through a population are ______ dependent

density

The number of wild horses per square kilometer in a prairie is the horse populations

density

A population's _____ is usually described as even, clumped, or random

dispersion

The average age at which members of a species reproduce is that species' _______

generation time

If two species use the same food source at different times, they are ___ competitors

indirect

Unlike a predator in relation to its prey, a parasite does not usually _______ its host

kill and eat

The amount of food available for wolves in an area determines the ecosystem's carrying capacity for wolves and is a ________ resource for wolves

limiting

A true statement about parasitism is that parasites

may cause their hosts to become more vulnerable to predators

The organisms in a cow's stomach have a constant source of food; the organisms help the cow break down and use the grass it eats. This type of relationship is an example of ______

mutualism

The relationship between acacia trees and the ants that live on them is an example of

mutualism

A population has a ______ growth rate when the death rate is higher than the birth rate

negative

A species' ______ includes that species' physical home, the environmental factors necessary for that species' survival, and all its interactions with other organisms

niche

Which of the following is one of the main properties used to describe a population?

number of individuals

A liver fluke is a _______ that harms its host as it obtains food

parasite

A ______ usually only weakens its host, while a _______ usually kills its prey

parasite, predator

The relationship between a Canadian lynx and a snowshoe is an example of

predator and prey

The type of interaction between cats and mice is ______

predator-prey

Which of the following is not an example of exponential growth?

reindeer of the Pribilof Islands after eating most of the lichens

If over a long period of time, each pair of adults in a population had only two offspring and the offspring lived to reproduce, the population would

remain the same

Which of the following has the greatest effect on reproductive potential?

reproducing earlier in life

The maximum number of offspring that each number of a population can produce is the population's ______

reproductive potential

Niche ______ is when each species uses less of the niche than it is capable of using, in order to reduce competition for resources with other species

restriction

The three main properties used to describe a population are _____, _______, and ________

size, density, dispersion

Which of the following populations has a random dispersion?

solitary snakes in a desert

The carrying capacity of an environment for a particular species at a particular time is determined by the

supply of most limited resources

A relationship in which two organisms live in close association, such as mutualism and commensalism, is called _____

symbiosis

Which of the following statements is not correct?

symbiosis is a relationship in which two organisms live apart

Members of a species compete indirectly for resources by competing for a ________ and for social dominance

territory

Which of the following reproductive situations will limit a population's biotic potential?

the maximum number of offspring each individual can produce

A female dog's niche includes all of the following except

the neighbor's enclosed yard

The density of a population is

the number if individuals per unit area

Which of the following statements explains why the growth of orchids on the high branches of tropical trees is an example of commensalism?

the trees are neither benefited nor harmed

The difference between a predator and a parasite is that a predator

usually kills and eats its prey

WHich of the following would most likely cause a large number of density-independent deaths in a population?

winter storms

A species of plant has exponential growth after it is introduced into an area where it has never lived. Which statement best describes exponential growth?

within few years the population increases dramatically

Each of the following is an example of a parasite except

a cow in a pasture

Which of the following organisms has the highest reproductive potential?

bacteria

Thick fur is not an example of coevolution. Why?

because thick fur evolved in response to a cold climate, not in response to other organisms

Competition for food cannot occur

between animals from two different ecosystems

A population's growth rate is its _____ rate minus its ______ rate

birth, death

The _________ of an ecosystem for a particular species is the maximum population that the ecosystem can support indefinitely

carrying capacity

A type of interaction between two species in which both species are harmed is ______

competition