Chapter 40 -Population Ecology & Distribution of Organisms

Which of the following statements best summarizes the process of photosynthesis?

Energy from light is converted to chemical energy stored in organic molecules.

Suppose that a few individuals of a lizard species are transported on a log that floats from the mainland, where the lizard is abundant, to a distant island, where prior to this event no lizards (of any species) existed. The environmental conditions on the island are similar to those on the mainland. A small population of this lizard becomes established on the island; within a few years, allele frequencies in the island population differ greatly from those in mainland populations. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the genetic differences between the island and mainland populations?

genetic drift

Of the following, which is the most inclusive level of organization in nature?

biosphere

Which action influences the abiotic components of an organism's environment?

water pollution

Which aspects of a region's climate have the most impact on plants and animals?

Temperature & moisture

True or false? Weather is defined as the prevailing long-term atmospheric conditions in a particular region.

False (climate is long term)

Which of the following statements about Hadley cells is true?

As warm air rises, air at the top of the atmosphere is pushed poleward and cools.

Which location on Earth receives the most solar radiation per unit area?

The equator

What are rain shadows?

Dry regions on the leeward side of mountain ranges.

Which desert is caused by a Hadley cell?

Sahara desert

At what time of year is the intensity of solar radiation striking each of Earth's hemispheres weakest?

Weakest in Southern = June; Northern = December

Which statement accurately describes Earth on February 21, a date that falls between the December solstice and the March equinox?

Locations in the Southern Hemisphere experience more than 12 hours of daylight.

Which statement regarding the June solstice is true?

The Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun.

In most cases, the two major climatic factors affecting the distribution of organisms in terrestrial ecosystems are __________.

precipitation and temperature

What is a biome?

major type of ecosystem

What are the two major factors determining the distribution of terrestrial biomes?

temp + rainfall

Which of these biomes is characterized by little rainfall?

desert

Which of these is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth?

carniferous forest

Which biome is characterized by an extensive canopy that allows little light to penetrate to the ground and by the presence of epiphytes?

tropical rain forest

Which biome is characterized by the presence of permafrost?

tundra

Which of the following investigations is an example of the study of an abiotic factor?

investigating how the amount of annual precipitation affects the distribution of a tree species

To determine the density of a rabbit population, you would need to know the number of rabbits and __________.

the size of the region where they live

In wild populations, individuals most often show a _____ pattern of dispersion.

clumped

Which of the following is an example of a population?

all of the redwood trees that live in a forest

Which of these species typically has a mortality rate that remains fairly constant over an individual's life span?

robins

Oyster populations are primarily, if not exclusively, composed of _____.

adults

Which of these organisms has a survivorship curve similar to that of oysters?

grasses

Which of these organisms has a survivorship curve similar to that of humans?

elephants

In the models that describe population growth, r stands for ___

per capita population growth rate

The number of individuals that a particular habitat can support with no degradation of that habitat is called _____.

carrying capacity

A population's carrying capacity __________.

may change as environmental conditions change

Which of the following is regarded as a density-independent factor in the growth of natural populations?

flooding

Resource competition, territoriality, disease, and toxic wastes are some of the factors that provide _____ and help regulate population.

negative feedback

An individual organism has the option to raise various offspring and/or genetic relatives. Which of the following options represents the greatest genetic success?

One offspring, one nephew, and 2 grandchildren. (offspring = 0.5, nephews & grandkids = 0.25)

According to Hamilton's rule, __________.

natural selection favors altruistic acts when the resulting benefit to the recipient, corrected for relatedness, exceeds the cost to the altruist

On a global scale, average temperatures are highest at the equator due to __________.

Earths curvature

Plant species adapted to periodic fires are common in which terrestrial biome?

Savannah & temporal grasslands

A study quantifying the proportion of time Hawaiian monk seals spend on land would be an example of what level of ecology?

Organismal

Which level of ecology considers the effects of predation, parasitism, and competition on species distribution?

Community

Define community

is a group of populations of different species in an area

The ample rainfall of the tropics and the arid areas around 30° north and south latitudes are caused by __________.

warm air rising at the equator

Which of the following is a biotic factor that could influence the distribution of a plant species?

herbivory

A study of the effect of fire on carbon cycling in a coniferous forest would be an example of which level of ecology?

ecosystem

In an area with a heterogeneous distribution of suitable habitats, the dispersion pattern of a population would most likely be __________.

clumped (uniform is usually becuase of territoriality)

In exponential population growth, the population grows __________.

more rapidly as it becomes larger

The term (K – N)/K __________.

equals zero when population size equals carrying capacity

The life history of an organism is __________.

the traits that affect its reproduction + survival

An area of habitat where temperate broadleaf forest grades into a grassland would be referred to as __________.

ectotone

When climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions in biological communities that are analogous to the changes __________.

in biomes at different latitutdes

What is the relationship between a population and a metapopulation?

A metapopulation is composed of local populations linked by immigration and emigration.

Which of the following investigations is an example of the study of an abiotic factor?

investigating how the amount of annual precipitation affects the distribution of a tree species

To determine the density of a rabbit population, you would need to know the number of rabbits and __________.

the density of the region where they live

What is an example of a population?

all of the redwood trees in a forest

Why is a percentage scale used for the

x

-axis

rather than actual ages for survivorship graphs

This scale allows you to compare species with widely varying life spans on the same graph.

For a species with a Type II curve, less than ____% of individuals survive for 50% of the maximum life span.

10

The number of individuals that a particular habitat can support with no degradation of that habitat is called _____.

carrying capacity

A population's carrying capacity __________.

may change as environmental conditions change