Carrying Capacity Flashcards
The Arctic tundra is covered by a think frozen soil layer called permafrost. The surface of the ground above this layer thaws during the summer. Microorganisms and some plants with shallow roots are able to survive in this thawed layer. Which factor MOST limits the diversity of life in the Arctic tundra during the summer?
The amount of fertile soils
Tundra biomes are found in the northern polar region. The ground is frozen from deep underground nearly to the surface. The thin layer of soil allows only small plant with shallow roots to grow. However, it is believed that global warming might cause tundra ground to thaw to a greater depth, allowing larger plants to grow. If this occurs, animal populations in the tundra could be expected to increase. Which BEST explains why animal populations could increase?
A limiting factor would become more available
If a disease destroying barley plants in a field swept through an ecosystem, what would happen to the barley eating bird population in the field?
The bird population would decrease.
What does this graph represent?
Exponential Growth
Copper interferes with the process of photosynthesis in algae and other aquatic plants. What would be the most likely result of an accidental spill of copper compounds in an aquatic ecosystem?
The plant and algae populations would be reduced
Considering the characteristics for the Couch’s Spadefoot, which resource is vital to reproduction
Water
What is the carrying capacity of the rabbit population in the graph?
65
Lawn fertilizers often contain phosphorus. Sometimes these fertilizers runoff into lakes. Once in a lake the excess phosphorus affects algae growth and causes eutrophication (which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen) in the lake. Which of the following should be expected as a result?
It increases the amount of algae in the lake.
Which of the following is an example of an interaction between a living and nonliving organism?
a worm using the soil as shelter
The largest number of individuals that an environment can support long term is called?
Carrying Capacity
What would most likely happen to a stable ecosystem when a population of animals exceeds the ecosystem’s carrying capacity?
The ecosystem will degrade
The milkweed plant serves an important role in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Adult monarchs lay their eggs in the milkweed plant, & then the monarch caterpillars eat the same plant during their development. Based on the relationship between monarchs and milkweed, what is one prediction a scientist could make?
A decrease in the milkweed plant would cause a decrease in the monarch butterfly.
Florida scrub jays are songbirds found mostly in dry, upland habitats. During a study that lasted several years, a researcher found that the number of breeding pairs of Florida scrub jays in the study areas remained relatively constant. For approximately every 25 acres of land, there was only one breeding pair. Which is a limiting factor that MOST likely prevents the increase of the population of scrub jays in this habitat?
The amount of food available in the area
What was the ecosystem’s carrying capacity for buffalo, base on the graph, once rinderpest was eliminated?
55,000 - 65,000
When a predator population decreases what happens to the different prey populations?
Increase
Due to the limited resources, what may happen to the buffalo in this picture?
competition would result in some getting enough water and others not getting enough water.
A population of baboons has access to plenty of food, shelter & space to live but has an inadequate supply of water. Which of these best defines the water in this situation?
limiting factor
Through succession, a field becomes a forest as hardwood trees become the dominant species in the ecosystem. Grasses are no longer able to compete as well in the forested environment?
Low levels of sunlight reaching the forest floor
Which is an example of the abiotic factors disturbing biotic factors?
A drought decreasing the water source for fish in a pond.
Which of the following has only abiotic factors:
Sunlight, soil, and water
Squirrels have many interactions in an ecosystem. Which of the following is an interaction with an abiotic factor?
Drinking water from stream
The carrying capacity of a region is affected by both biotic factors and abiotic factors. Which is abiotic factor that affects carrying capacity?
water
As human population increase, more shelter is needed. Increasing shelter often requires making a trade-off with another resource. In which case is a food resource decreased to increase a shelter resource?
Farmland is converted into house lots
Mosquitos live in standing water, if a mosquito population decreases what does that tell you about the current weather patterns?
drier than normal
