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Saturday, October 15, 2016

Biological Principles 2 -- HW#56



1.      Many species of birds form large flocks. What dispersion pattern describes this behavior? Clumped.
2.      Organisms that produce all of their offspring in a single event are semelparous.
3.      In the graph below, the top line (with the triangles) represents the fastest growth rate of the three curves.
4.      K-selected populations tend to reproduce quickly. False
5.      Dispersion is the spatial distribution of individuals.
6.      Random dispersion is rare compared to clumped dispersion. True
7.      Changes that occurred in the growth of the iguana population over time.
·         In the first few years on their new island, an iguana population had abundant food supplies, allowing all individuals to survive and reproduce.
·         Due to the unlimited resources, the population grew exponentially.
·         As generations went by, however, the population’s growth rate slowed down because food supplies became more limited.
·         Females that were poorer competitors produced lower-quality eggs, many of which never hatched. The population reached its carrying capacity, and the growth rate decreased to zero.
·         As the population grew in size and resources became limited, the population grew logistically.
8.      What is true of exponential growth?
·         It can be seen in nature when a population arrives in a new area without natural enemies.
·         A population’s resources must be unlimited for it to occur
9.      For each of the following, indicate the idealized survivorship curve being described.
·         Type 1 survivorship curve
(a)    Asian elephants, which exhibit the highest death rate late in life
(b)   Primate species that have few offspring and high levels of parental care
·         Type 2 survivorship curve
(a)    A songbird species for which the chance of death is approximately equal throughout its lifespan
·         Type 3 survivorship curve
(a)   A plant species for which the majority of seedlings do not survive more than a few days
(b)   A frog species that lays massive numbers of eggs in the water, most of which will not survive to sexual maturity
10.  What factors are examined by the field of demography?

·         Birth and death rates in a population; Population size; Distribution of ages in a population

11.  A survivorship curve with uniform death rates over time is most likely to be a type 2 curve.
12.  Based on the demographic transition model, where and when would you expect the see the highest rate of population increase? Mexico; 1925-1975
13.  A survivorship curve in which most individuals die late in life is a type 1 curve.
14.  Worldwide human population growth has been exponential since the Industrial Revolution. true
15.  You are inspired by your professor's lecture on human demography to decrease your ecological footprint. What steps would help you accomplish this goal?

·         Carpool, walk, and bike more often; Eat at least one meat-free meal per day

16.  Life history strategies differ along a continuum from what is referred to as “r-selected species” to “K-selected species”.

·         r-selected
¨      high annual per capita population growth
¨      poor competitive ability
¨      large number of offspring produced at one time
¨      reproductive age reached early
¨      short life-span
·         K-selected
¨      Stable population size at or near carrying capacity
¨      Long life-span
¨      Outcompetes other species for resources

17.  A mark-recapture program marked 10 individuals in the first catch. The second catch has a total of 8 individuals, 4 of which were recaptures. What is the estimate of total population size? 20
18.  Exponential growth is rare because resources are usually limiting. true
19.  A plot of population size vs time that displays a J-shape is indicative of exponential growth.
20.  A fisheries biologist tells you she is studying a cohort of salmon returning to their birth river. What does this tell you about these salmon? They are the same age.
21.  A population would be most likely to likely have a low growth rate under what condition? At or near carrying capacity.
22.  Lions, leopards and other large terrestrial predators that maintain well-defined territories. What kind of dispersion pattern would this produce? Uniform.
23.  Setting their offspring adrift is a very important survival mechanism for invertebrate coastal species because it allows the offspring to populate new areas. True
24.  Offspring drifting away from their parents provides no genetic benefit to the species that practice this method of parenting. False
25.  A scientist studying a particular species of microorganism in the plankton finds that its distance from the water’s surface changes in response to changing light levels, water clarity, and plankton density. Which of the following is the most likely reason the microorganism changes its depth?          It is photosynthetic and must insure that it gets enough light.
26.  Most organisms that practice the method of parenting shown in the video produce large numbers of offspring each breeding cycle. What is the most likely reason that these organisms produce such large numbers of offspring? Predation of the offspring of these organisms is extremely high.
27.  If the water column did not promote the dispersal of the plankton to new areas, what are the possible outcomes of this event?
§  Increased competition among related individuals
§  Loss of diversity among the populations due to inbreeding
28.  Drought and floods are considered to be density-dependent factors potentially affecting population size. False
29.  Complete the sentences with the appropriate words to explain the concept of an ecological footprint.
§  An individual’s ecological footprint is the total amount of productive land needed for survival in a sustainable manner.
§  The primary demands contributing to the ecological footprint in developed countries are for energy (electricity and gas) and then food.
§  In addition to using more energy to power their cars and light their homes, developed countries also tend to eat more meat, which requires more land to produce than does the production of plants.
§  Globally, humans have exceeded the Earth’s carrying capacity because some populations are living in an unsustainable manner, using up resources that are not renewable.
30.  Classify each situation as a density dependent, inverse density dependent, or density independent mortality factor.
§  Density dependent
·         As a heron population grows, competition for food and nesting sites reduces offspring survival
·         Death rates from avian malaria decline a tropical bird species lose habitat
§  Inverse density dependent
·         A jaguar kills 4 antelope per week, regardless of the size of the antelope herd
§  Density independent
·         A forest fire kills 80% of the lodgepole pine trees found in a state park
·         An unusual cold spell in April resutis in very high mortality for Florida manatees
31.  r-selected species tend to have type III survivorship curves. True
32.  In a growing population, the youngest age classes have the most individuals.
33.  The ecological footprint of an average Egyptian is greater than that of an average American. False
34.  If the age structure of a country's population is balanced, what prediction can be made about the near future?             The population will not increase rapidly.
35.  A group of interbreeding individuals occupying the same habitat at the same time is a(n) population.
36.  Humans are iteroparous. False
37.  Indicate if the following statements are true or false concerning human population growth.
§  High birth rates were offset by high death rates due to wars, famines, and epidemics prior to 1750. True
§  Women marrying later in life tend to reduce the birth rate in a population. True
§  The birth and death rates, while changing over the years, have been fairly consistent across populations within a given time period, even comparing developed vs. developing countries. False
§  Improvements in public health decreased the overall death rates in populations. True
§  Human global population growth is beginning to level off as it has now hit the Earth’s carrying capacity. False
§  As total fertility rates go down, the birth rates in all countries will decrease, regardless of the age structure of the population. False
§  The total fertility rate varies between regions, and in most regions has decreased over the last 30 years. True
§  If the average fertility rate globally drops to around 2.0, the global human population size will begin decreasing. False
38.  The difference between the two lines on the graph below is the carrying capacity.
39.  Modern humans show a type I survivorship curve. True
40.  Select all of the following that are true of the intrinsic rate of population growth.
§  It is the rate of population growth under optimal conditions
§  It is not often seen in nature
§  It is most commonly seen in new, expanding populations.
41.  Organisms that reproduce repeatedly are said to be iteroparous.
42.  You are studying a population of plants that need ample rainfall and soil nitrogen to reach maturity. Reproduction in mature plants is dependent upon having high densities of pollinators in the area. Your experiment involves providing supplemental water and nitrogen-containing fertilizer to the plants for several years. Do you think these two steps will increase the carrying capacity of the population? No, because even if more plants reach maturity, the number of pollinators will still be a limiting resource.
43.  Parasitism usually affects populations in a density-dependent manner.
44.  Why is a random dispersal pattern quite rare in nature? Because resources in nature are rarely randomly spaced.
45.  Indicate the pattern of dispersion that is being described.
§  Uniform spacing
·         A mature stand of pine trees in competition for water and space
·         A species of lizards in which males defend territories of roughly the same size
§  Random spacing
·         Seedlings of a wind-dispersed plant on a fertile forest floor
§  Clumped spacing
·         A group of surgeon fish that remain together as they forage on a reef
·         A high density of Sycamore trees growing along a stream bank

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