AP Biology Chapter 53 Population Ecology

The Allee effect is a phenomenon that occurs when population size A. Becomes too small B. Becomes too large C. Approaches carrying capacity D. Exceeds carrying capacity E, More than one of the above

A. Becomes too small

The most common kind of dispersion in nature is: A. Clumped B. Random C. Uniform D. Indeterminate E. Dispersive

A. Clumped

A biologist reported that a sample of ocean water had 5 million diatoms of the species Coscinodiscus centralis per cubic meter. What was the biologist measuring? A. Density B. Dispersion C. Carrying capacity D. Quadrats E. Range

A. Density

All of the following have contributed to the growth of the human population except: A. Environmental degradation B. Improved nutrition C. Vaccines D. Pesticides E. Improved sanitation

A. Environmental degradation

A table listing such items as age, observed number of organism alive each year, and life expectancy is known as a(n): A. Life table B. Mortality table C. Survivorship curve D. Rate table E. Insurance table

A. Life table

Which of the following characterizes relatively K- selected populations? A. Offspring with good chances of survival B. Many offspring per reproductive episode C. Small offspring D. A high intrinsic rate of increase E. Early parental reproduction

A. Offspring with good chances of survival

Which of the following would most likely exhibit uniform dispersion? A. Red squirrels, which hide food and actively defend territories B. Cattails, which grow primarily at edges of lakes and streams C. Dwarf mistletoes, which parasitize particular species of forest trees D. Tassel-eared squirrels, which are nonterritorial E. Lake trout, which seek out deep water

A. Red squirrels, which hide food and actively defend territories

A small population of white-footed mice has the same intrinsic rate of increase (r) as a large population. If everything else is equal, A. The large population will add more individuals per unit of time B. The small population will add more individuals per unit time C. The two populations will ad equal numbers of individuals per unit time D. The J-shaped growth curves will look identical E. The growth trajectories of the two populations will proceed in opposite directions

A. The large population all more individuals per unit of time

To measure the population density of monarch butterflies occupying a particular park, 100 butterflies are captured, marked with a small dot on a wing, and then released. The next day, another 100 butterflies are captured, including the recapture of 20 marked butterflies. One would estimate the population to be: A. 200 B. 500 C. 1,000 D. 10,000 E. 900,000

B. 500

Which of the following would not be considered a metapopulation? A. A prairie-dog town B. A swarm of locusts C. Birds on a neighboring island D. Mosquitoes in tree holes E. People in a village

B. A swarm of locusts

How would the dispersion of humans in the United States best be described? A. Dense B. Clumped C. Random D. Intrinsic E. Uniform

B. Clumped

The pattern of dispersion for a certain species of kelp is clumped. The pattern of dispersion for a certain species of snail that lives only on this kelp would likely be: A. Absolute B. Clumped C. Demographic D. Random E. Uniform

B. Clumped

Which of the following is an incorrect statement about the regulation of populations? A. The logistic equation reflects the effect of density-dependent factors, which can ultimately stabilize populations around the carrying capacity B. Density-independent factors have an increasingly greater effect as a population's density increases C. High densities in a population may cause physiological changes that inhibit reproduction D. Because of the overlapping nature of population-regulating factors, it is often difficult to precisely determine their cause-and-effect relationships E. The occurrence of population cycles in some population may be the result of crowding of lag times in the response to density-dependent factors

B. Density-independent factors have an increasingly greater effect as a population's density increases

Pattern of spacing for individuals within the boundaries of the population A. Cohort B. Dispersion C. Allee effect D. Iteroparous E. Semelparous

B. Dispersion

Which of the following is a density-independent factor limiting human population growth? A. Social pressure for birth control B. Earthquakes C. Plagues D. Famines E. Pollution

B. Earthquakes

If you were to keep records on a cohort of wild animals for the purpose of developing a life table, you would be most successful if you chose to keep records on: A. Migratory birds B. Elephants in a national park C. Mosquitoes D. Earthworms in a backyard E. Pelagic squid

B. Elephants in a national park

You are observing a population of lizards when you notice that the number of adults has increase and is higher than previously observed. One explanation for such an observation would include: A. Reduction in death rate B. Increased immigration C. Increased emigration D. Decreased emigration E. Both B and D

B. Increased immigration

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

B. The growth rate will approach zero

A predator might be more likely to be spotted if a large number of prey are all together than it would be by a single prey animal A. Cohort B. Dispersion C. Allee effect D. Iteroparous E. Semelparous

C. Allee Effect

A density dependent factor: A. Cohort B. Dispersion C. Allee effect D. Iteroparous E. Semelparous

C. Allee effect

A population is correctly defined as having which of the following characteristics? I. Inhabiting the same general area II. Individuals belonging to the same species III. Possessing a constant and uniform density and dispersion A. I only B. III only C. I and II only D. II and III only E. I. ,II, and III

C. I and II only

In order to construct a reproductive table for a sexual species, you need to A. Assess sperm viability B. Keep track of all the offspring of a cohort C. Keep track of all the females in a cohort D. Keep track of all the offspring of the females in a cohort E. Keep track of the ratio of deaths to births in a cohort

C. Keep track of all the females in a cohort

A demographer studying a population of a particular organism would be least likely to be engaged in which of the following? A. Constructing a life table to the organism B. Sampling the population and determining the sex ration C. Studying courtship behavior between males and females D. Measuring birth and death rates E. Estimating how long an individual of a given age will live.

C. Studying courtship behavior between males and females

In which of the following habitats would you expect to find the largest number of K- selected individuals? A. An abandoned field in Ohio B. The sand dunes south of Lake Michigan C. The rain forests of Brazil D. South Florida after a hurricane E. A newly emergent volcanic island

C. The rain forests of Brazil

Imagine that you are managing a large ranch. You know from historical accounts that wild sheep used to live there, but they have been extirpated. You decide to reintroduce them. After doing some research to determine what might be an appropriately sized founding population, you do so. You then watch the population increase for several generations, and graph the number of individuals (vertical axis) against the number of generations (horizontal axis). The graph will appear as A) a diagonal line, getting higher with each generation. B) an ʺS,ʺ increasing with each generation. C) an upside-down ʺU.ʺ D) a ʺJ,ʺ increasing with each generation. E) look like none of the above

D) a ʺJ,ʺ increasing with each generation.

Life history strategies usually result from: A. Environmental pressures B. Natural selection C. Conscious choice D. A and B only E. A, B, and C

D. A and B only

Which of the following variables is (are) more important in contributing to the rapid growth of human populations? A. The high percentage of young people relative to the whole population B. The average age to first give birth C. The carrying capacity of the environment D. A and B only E. A,B, and C

D. A and B only

Your friend comes to you with a problem. It seems his shrimp boats arenʹt catching nearly as much shrimp as they used to. He canʹt understand why because originally he caught all the shrimp he could handle. Each year he added a new boat, and for a long time each boat caught tons of shrimp. As he added more boats, there came a time when each boat caught somewhat fewer shrimp, and now, each boat is catching a lot less shrimp. Which of the following topics might help your friend understand the source of his problem? A. Density-dependent population regulation B. Logistic growth and intrinsic characteristics of population growth C. Density-independent population regulation D. A and B only E. A, B, and C

D. A and B only

You are studying a population of finches on one island in the archipelago. You find that your population is much larger than you would predict from your careful recording of hatching, fledgling, and death rates. The likely explanation for this observation is: A. You are dealing with a metapopulation B. Your island is the source of emigration C. Your island is the source of immigration D. A and C only E. A, B, and C

D. A and C only

Which of the following can contribute to density-dependent regulation of populations? A. The accumulation of toxic waste B. Intraspecific competition for nutrients C. Predation D. All of the above E. None of the above

D. All of the above

Field observation suggests that populations of a particular species of herbivorous mammal undergo cyclic fluctuations in density at three- to five-year intervals. Which of the following represent (a) plausible explanation(s) of these cycles? A. Periodic crowding affects the endocrine system, resulting in increased aggressiveness. B. Increases in population density lead to increased rates of predation. C. Increases in rates of herbivory lead to changes in the nutritive value of plants used as food. D. All of the above are plausible explanations of population cycling. E. Only B and C are plausible explanations of cycling in the population

D. All of the above are plausible explanations of population cycling.

Uniform spacing patters in plants such as the creosote bush are most often associated with: A. Chance B. High humidity C. The random distribution of seeds D. Antagonistic interactions among individuals in the population E. The concentration of resources within the population's range

D. Antagonistic interactions among individuals in the population

Choose the true statement from those listed below. A. Because humans are the only organisms that can consciously regulate reproduction, we will not exceed carrying capacity B. Because of their relatively high educational levels, developed countries keep their ecological footprints within their ecological capabilities C. Famines are indicators that there is not enough food in the world D. Assumptions about dietary preferences can affect predictions about carrying capacity E. None of the preceding statements is true

D. Assumptions about dietary preferences can affect predictions about carrying capacity

Which of the following aspects of an organism's life is least relevant to its life history? A. Number of offspring per reproductive bout B. Age at which it first reproduces C. Frequency of reproduction D. Frequency of dispersal E. All of the above

D. Frequency of dispersal

Carrying capacity (K) A. Is calculated as the product of annual per capita birth rate (r) B. Remains constant in the presence of density-dependent population regulation C. Differs among species, but does not vary within a given species D. Is often determined by energy limitation E. Is always eventually reached in any population

D. Is often determined by energy limitation

Reproduce more than once in a lifetime A. Cohort B. Dispersion C. Allee effect D. Iteroparous E. Semelparous

D. Iteroparous

Often the growth cycle of one population has an effect on the cycle of another. As moose populations increase, wolf populations also increase. Thus, if we are considering the logistic equation for the wolf population, dN/dt=rn(K-N)/K, which of the factors accounts for the effect on the moose population? A. r B. N C. rN D. K E. dt

D. K

Unlimited population growth is often prevented when death rates increase as population density increases. This is an example of: A. K-selection B. r-selection C. Positive feedback D. Negative feedback E. The Allee effect

D. Negative feedback

The life history traits favored by selection are most likely to vary with A. Fluctuations in K B. The shape of the J curve C. The Maximum size of a population D. Population density E. The terms used in the logistic equation

D. Population density

All of the following phrases could characterize a population except: A. Interacting individuals B. Dispersion C. Density D. Several species E. Boundaries

D. Several species

Which of the following is true? A. K-selection can be density-independent B. r-selection occurs in crowded environments C. Different populations of the same species will be consistently r- or K- selected D. r- and K- selection are two extremes of a range of life history strategies E. r- selection tends to maximize population size, not the rate of increase in population size

D. r- and K- selection are two extremes of a range of life history strategies

The units of measurement for an ecological footprint is (are): A. Weight of biomass per year B. Number of species per ecosystem C. Number of individuals per population D. Number of people per continent E. Area of land per person

E. Area of land per person

You are studying the mice that live in a pasture near your home. There are lots of mice, but you realize that you rarely observe any reproductive females. This most likely indicates A. That there is selective predation on female mice B. That female mice die before reproducing C. That this habitat is not a good place for mice to reproduce D. That you are observing immigrant mice E. Both C and D

E. Both C and D

Life tables are useful in determining which of the following? I. carrying capacity II. mortality rates III. the fate of a cohort of newborn organisms throughout their lives A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and III only E. II and III only

E. II and III only

Pacific Salmon or annual plants A. Cohort B. Dispersion C. Allee effect D. Iteroparous E. Semelparous

E. Semelparous

In a mature forest of oak, maple, and hickory trees, a disease causes a reduction in the number of acorns produced by oak trees. Which of the following would least likely be a direct result of this? A. There might be fewer squirrels because they feed on acorns B. There might be fewer mice and seed-eating birds because squirrels would eat more seeds and compete with the mice and birds C. There might be an increase in the number of hickory trees because the competition between hickory nuts and acorns for germination sites would be reduced or eliminated D. There might be fewer owls because they feed on baby squirrels, mice, and other young seed-eating birds, whose populations would be reduced E. There might be a decrease in the number of maple seeds as the disease spreads to other trees in the forest

E. There might be a decrease in the number of maple seeds as the disease spreads to other trees in the forest