Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a population, a community, and an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

A population includes all the organisms of one species in an area, a community includes all the populations of different species in an area, and an ecosystem includes the community plus the abiotic environment.

Question 2

Which dispersion pattern is most likely to result from territorial behavior in animals?

Accepted Answer

Uniform distribution

Question 3

A population of birds has a per capita birth rate ($$b) of 0.3 $$and a per capita death rate ($$d) of 0.2. $$What is the per capita rate of increase ($$r) $$for this population, and what does it indicate about the population's growth?

Accepted Answer

$$r = b - d = 0.3 - 0.2 = 0.1$$, indicating the population is growing.

Question 4

Which survivorship curve is most characteristic of species that produce many offspring, most of which die young, but a few survive to adulthood?

Accepted Answer

Type III

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT an assumption of the exponential growth model?

Accepted Answer

Resources are limited and competition occurs.

Question 6

Given the logistic growth equation $$dN/dt = rN \left( \frac{K-N}{K} \right)$$, what happens to the population growth rate as $$N$$ approaches $$K$$?

Accepted Answer

The growth rate approaches zero.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a density-independent factor regulating population growth?

Accepted Answer

A severe drought reducing a population regardless of its size.

Question 8

A population of insects is growing in an environment with unlimited resources and no predation. If the initial population size is 100 and the per capita rate of increase $$r = 0.5$$, which equation would you use to model its growth?

Accepted Answer

$$\frac{dN}{dt} = rN$$

Question 9

Which life history strategy is most likely to be found in a species that lives in a stable environment, has few offspring, and invests heavily in parental care?

Accepted Answer

K-selected strategy

Question 10

Why does the logistic growth model produce an S-shaped (sigmoid) curve?

Accepted Answer

Because population growth slows as resources become limited and the population approaches carrying capacity.

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why the longer the world delays stabilizing the human population, the more difficult it will be to do so?

Accepted Answer

Because the population will overshoot carrying capacity, leading to resource depletion and a lower future carrying capacity.

Question 12

Which of the following is a characteristic of r-selected species?

Accepted Answer

High reproductive rate and low parental investment.

Question 13

A population pyramid with a broad base and narrow top most likely represents a population with:

Accepted Answer

Rapid growth and a high proportion of young individuals.

Question 14

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a metapopulation?

Accepted Answer

A group of small, isolated populations connected by occasional migration.

Question 15

If a closed population has a per capita birth rate ($$b) of 0.1 $$and a per capita death rate ($$d) of 0.15$$, what will happen to the population size?

Accepted Answer

The population will decrease because $$r = b - d = -0.05.$$

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of density-dependent regulation of population growth?

Accepted Answer

Predation rates increasing as prey density increases.

Question 17

Which equation best describes logistic population growth?

Accepted Answer

$$\frac{dN}{dt} = rN \left( \frac{K-N}{K} \right)$$

Question 18

Which of the following is a likely consequence of human disturbance on ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Decreased biodiversity and altered ecosystem function.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the relationship between carrying capacity ($$K) $$and population size in the logistic growth model?

Accepted Answer

Population growth slows as it approaches $$K$$ and stops when $$N = K.$$

Population Ecology: Principles, Patterns, and Human Impacts

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