Review Questions

Which of the following methods will tell an ecologist about both the size and density of a population?

1. mark and recapture
2. mark and release
3. quadrat
4. life table

Which of the following is best at showing the life expectancy of an individual within a population?

1. quadrat
2. mark and recapture
3. survivorship curve
4. life table

Humans have which type of survivorship curve?

1. Type I
2. Type II
3. Type III
4. Type IV

How is a clumped population distribution beneficial for prey animals?

1. Being a member of a larger group provides protection for each individual from predators.
2. Prey animals rely on each other to acquire food.
3. Prey animals live in small family groups to raise young.
4. Clumped population distributions ensure that at least one member of the population knows how to identify the seasonal migration route.

Which of the following is associated with long-term parental care?

1. few offspring
2. many offspring
3. semelparity
4. fecundity

Which of the following is associated with multiple reproductive episodes during a species’ lifetime?

1. semiparity
2. iteroparity
3. semelparity
4. fecundity

Which of the following is associated with the reproductive potential of a species?

1. few offspring
2. many offspring
3. semelparity
4. fecundity

Species with limited resources usually exhibit a(n) ________ growth curve.

1. logistic
2. logical
3. experimental
4. exponential

The maximum rate of increased characteristic of a species is called its ________.

1. limit
2. carrying capacity
3. biotic potential
4. exponential growth pattern

The population size of a species capable of being supported by the environment is called its ________.

1. limit
2. carrying capacity
3. biotic potential
4. logistic growth pattern

Species that have many offspring at one time are usually:

1. r-selected
2. K-selected
3. both r- and K-selected
4. not selected

A forest fire is an example of ________ regulation.

1. density-dependent
2. density-independent
3. r-selected
4. K-selected

Primates are examples of:

1. density-dependent species
2. density-independent species
3. r-selected species
4. K-selected species

Which of the following statements does not support the conclusion that giraffes are k-selected species?

1. Giraffes are approximately 6’ tall and weigh 150 lbs at birth.
2. Wild giraffes begin mating at 6-7 years of age.
3. Newborn giraffes are capable of coordinated walking within an hour of birth, and running within 24 hours of birth.
4. Giraffes rarely give birth to twins.

Which of the following events would not negatively impact Yellowstone’s grey wolf carrying capacity?

1. snow in winter
2. a beaver damming a river upstream
3. a forest fire
4. chronic wasting disease in the deer population

A country with zero population growth is likely to be ________.

1. in Africa
2. in Asia
3. economically developed
4. economically underdeveloped

Which type of country has the greatest proportion of young individuals?

1. economically developed
2. economically underdeveloped
3. countries with zero population growth
4. countries in Europe

Which of the following is not a way that humans have increased the carrying capacity of the environment?

1. agriculture
2. using large amounts of natural resources
3. domestication of animals
4. use of language

The first species to live on new land, such as that formed from volcanic lava, are called ________.

1. climax community
2. keystone species
3. foundation species
4. pioneer species

Which type of mimicry involves multiple species with similar warning coloration that are all toxic to predators?

1. Batesian mimicry
2. Müllerian mimicry
3. Emsleyan/Mertensian mimicry
4. Mertensian mimicry

A symbiotic relationship where both of the coexisting species benefit from the interaction is called ________.

1. commensalism
2. parasitism
3. mutualism
4. communism

Which of the following is not a mutualistic relationship?

1. a shark using an aquatic cleaning station
2. a helminth feeding from its host
3. a bumblebee collecting pollen from a flower
4. bacteria living in the gut of humans

The ability of rats to learn how to run a maze is an example of ________.

1. imprinting
2. classical conditioning
3. operant conditioning
4. cognitive learning

The training of animals usually involves ________.

1. imprinting
2. classical conditioning
3. operant conditioning
4. cognitive learning

The sacrifice of the life of an individual so that the genes of relatives may be passed on is called ________.

1. operant learning
2. kin selection
3. kinesis
4. imprinting

Why are polyandrous mating systems more rare than polygynous matings?

1. Only males are capable of multiple rounds of reproduction within a single breeding season.
2. Only females care for the young.
3. Females usually experience more intrasexual selection pressure than males.
4. Females usually devote more energy to offspring production and development.