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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e
William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Population Dynamics

Practice Quizzing



1

Exponential growth in a population
A)refers to an increase by a constant amount, such as a net gain of 100 individuals, per year.
B)refers to an increase by a constant percentage each year.
C)is also called arithmetic growth.
D)includes any pattern of increase in numbers.
2

Biotic potential
A)underlies exponential growth in populations.
B)if unchecked, would cover the earth meters deep in most organisms surprisingly quickly.
C)is responsible for the J curve graph of population growth.
D)is responsible for all of the above.
3

Irruptive growth patterns in populations are characterized by
A)overshooting the environment's carrying capacity for the species.
B)rapid declines in population size.
C)population increase repeatedly running into limits imposed by finite spaces.
D)all of the above.
4

Logistic growth is characterized by
A)exponential increases in numbers.
B)arithmetic increases in numbers.
C)a constantly changing rate of increase.
D)erratic, unpredictable changes in the growth pattern.
5

Population growth patterns over time typically
A)follow a smooth J curve form.
B)follow a smooth S curve form.
C)exhibit erratic fluctuations caused by readily discernable factors.
D)exhibit complex patterns produced by complex causes.
6

Environmental resistance is composed of any and all factors that
A)tend to produce a J shaped growth curve.
B)produce an S shaped growth curve.
C)reduce population growth rates.
D)tend to produce Malthusian growth patterns.
7

A Malthusian "strategy" of population growth includes a tendency for
A)factors external to the population to control growth rates.
B)production of many small offspring that mature early.
C)organisms to have short lives and grow rapidly.
D)all of the above.
8

A logistic strategy is one
A)associated with unrestricted exponential growth until carrying capacity is exceeded.
B)associated with providing a high degree of care of young.
C)more common among organisms in lower trophic levels.
D)more typical among organisms that occupy broad ecological niches.
9

Logistic strategies are better adapted to
A)environments experiencing erratic, unpredictable swings in chemical or physical factors.
B)situations where resource utilization can be maximized through a rapid increase in population size.
C)organisms present in early successional stages.
D)fairly stable environments.
10

Earth's carrying capacity for humans depends on our
A)eating patterns.
B)range and magnitude of material consumption.
C)recreational space needs.
D)patterns of each of the above.
11

The physical ability to reproduce is called
A)fecundity.
B)fertility.
C)natality.
12

The longest period of life reached by a particular species is called its
A)life expectancy.
B)life span.
C)survivorship quotient.
13

A survivorship curve with the shape of a straight line descending over time indicates an organism whose chance of death
A)is unrelated to its age.
B)decreases as it gets older.
C)increases as it gets older.
D)is greater early in life than in later life.
14

A population's age structure refers to its
A)life span.
B)life expectancy.
C)relative number of individuals at various ages.
15

An age structure shaped like a modified mushroom indicates a population that is
A)expanding rapidly.
B)expanding slowly.
C)stable.
D)reducing in size.
16

Environmental resistance is composed of
A)density-dependent factors.
B)density-independent factors.
C)both density-dependent and independent factors.
D)neither density-dependent nor independent factors.
17

In the context of population growth regulation, intrinsic factors are those that
A)operate within or between organisms.
B)lower reproductive success by a variety of means.
C)are imposed on the population from outside.
D)increase reproductive success by a variety of means.
18

A density-dependent factor is one
A)that always increases a species' biotic potential.
B)that always lowers a species' biotic potential.
C)whose effect is influenced by the degree of crowding in the population.
D)whose effect is typically the result of extrinsic causes.
19

Density-independent factors tend to be
A)more associated with abiotic factors.
B)more associated with intrinsic factors.
C)unable to lower reproductive gains in a population.
D)more influential with natality rates than mortality rates.
20

Examples of density-dependent factors would include
A)territorial behavior reducing the number of mating pairs.
B)reduced fertility of mice kept in crowded conditions.
C)competition among different individuals of the same species for a resource resulting in reduced average litter size.
D)all of the above.
21

An example of an extrinsic, abiotic, density-independent factor regulating population growth would be ____ killing many individuals.
A)an unusual cold spell
B)a highly contagious disease
C)the explosion of a predator population
D)a pathogenic mutation in a bacterial populataion
22

Release of hatchery-raised salmon have proven very effective in returning Pacific coast salmon runs to historic levels.
A)True
B)False
23

Arithmetic growth refers to any pattern of increase of the size of a plant or animal population.
A)True
B)False
24

The maximum rate at which an organism can reproduce is called its biological potential.
A)True
B)False
25

Explosive growth better characterizes logistic growth than exponential growth.
A)True
B)False
26

The shape of a population's growth curve over time represents the dynamic interaction between a species' biotic potential and environmental resistance.
A)True
B)False
27

Knowing the proportion of a population in the pre-reproductive ages is a useful tool in predicting future populations trends.
A)True
B)False
28

An abiotic factor is something caused, produced, or otherwise associated with living organisms.
A)True
B)False