MIDTERM

Question 1

In a population of birds, the average beak size is selected against and the large and small
size beaks are selected for. This is an example of:
A) Directional selection.
B) Disruptive selection.
C) Stabilizing selection.
D) Frequency dependent selection

Answer 1

B) Disruptive selection

Question 2

Within a population, if the average is selected for and the two opposing extremes are
selected against, this is an example of:
A) Directional selection.
B) Disruptive selection.
C) Stabilizing selection.
D) Frequency dependent selection

Answer 2

C) Stabilizing selection

Question 3

The Principle of Allocation states that:
A) Organisms have a tendency to allocate more time and energy to a single preferred
offspring while neglecting others.
B) Organisms have a tendency to select the smallest prey available rather than exert more
energy in capturing larger prey.
C) Organisms that build larger nests produce fewer offspring.
D) If an organism uses energy for one function it reduces the amount of energy available for
other functions.
E) Plants allocate their energy such that larger seedlings come from smaller seeds.

Answer 3

D) If an organism uses energy for one function it reduces the amount of energy available for
other functions.

Question 4

Consider two female fish of the same species that are the same size at 2 months of age. At
3 months of age, one fish (A) begins to lay eggs (spawn), while the other (B) begins to lay
eggs at 9 months of age. Which of the following statements represents what will most
likely happen?
A) ‘A’ will produce larger eggs than ‘B’.
B) ‘A’ will lay more eggs at first spawning than will ‘B’.
C) ‘A’ will live longer and spawn more frequently than ‘B’.
D) At 2 years of age, ‘A’ will have a smaller body size than ‘B’.

Answer 4

D) At 2 years of age, ‘A’ will have a smaller body size than ‘B’.

Question 5

Ectotherms:
A) control their body temperature via external sources of energy
B) control their body temperature via external and internal sources of energy
C) are also known as reptiles
D) are also known as Poikilotherms
E) do not have a high survival rate

Answer 5

A) control their body temperature via external sources of energy

Question 6

Which of the following is the best description of the pattern of survivorship in this
population?
A) Type I
B) Type II
C) Type III
D) Cannot be determined

Answer 6

A) Type I

Question 7

Based on these data, which pattern of change in population size is demonstrated by this life
table?
A) Increasing population size from generation to generation.
B) Stable population size from generation to generation.
C) Decreasing population size from generation to generation.
D) Cannot be determined

Answer 7

C) Decreasing population size from generation to generation.

Question 8

Which of the following conditions will always result in population growth?
A) R0 is positive
B) R0 is > 1
C) r is positive
D) Either A or C
E) Either B or C

Answer 8

E) Either B or C

Question 9

A Stable Age Distribution:
A) Occurs when a population is stable (not increasing or decreasing).
B) Is sensitive to starting conditions (e.g. number of individuals in each age class).
C) Occurs when Ro = 1.
D) Cannot be reached by a population that is decreasing.
E) Occurs when values of lx and mx do not change over time.

Answer 9

E) Occurs when values of lx and mx do not change over time.

Question 10

The term rmax can be estimated as the Y intercept from the (linear) relationship between:
A) b and density.
B) d and density.
C) dN/dt and density.
D) r and density.
E) K and density

Answer 10

D) r and density.

Question 11

Type I survivorship curve indicates:
A) low juvenile mortality and high mortality in older adults
B) high juvenile mortality and low mortality in older adults
C) low juvenile mortality and low mortality in older adults
D) high juvenile mortality and high mortality in older adults
E) equal chance of dying at any age

Answer 11

A) low juvenile mortality and high mortality in older adults

Question 12

Type III survivorship curve indicates
A) low juvenile mortality and high mortality in older adults
B) high juvenile mortality and low mortality in older adults
C) low juvenile mortality and low mortality in older adults
D) high juvenile mortality and high mortality in older adults
E) equal chance of dying at any age

Answer 12

B) high juvenile mortality and low mortality in older adults

Question 13

Density is defined as:
A) the number of individuals within a population.
B) abundance.
C) the number of individuals per unit area or volume.
D) the distribution of individuals within a given area.
E) None of the choices are correct

Answer 13

C) the number of individuals per unit area or volume.

Question 14

A metapopulation is:
A) a group of individuals of the same species living together in one area
B) a group consisting of a single, continuously distributed population
C) a group of spatially isolated subpopulations which are connected by significant change of
individuals among patches
D) a group of spatially isolated subpopulations which are connected by genetic drift
E) a very large population

Answer 14

C) a group of spatially isolated subpopulations which are connected by significant change of
individuals among patches

Question 15

In the figure above in question 17, if the population density at time t is illustrated as the
star, what is currently happening to this population and what do you expect to see in the
future?
A) Right now, the total birth rate is at the same level as the per capita death rate, the
population should remain stable in the future.
B) Right now, the total birth rate is lower than the death rate, the population should increase.
C) Right now, the per capita birth rate is higher than the per capita death rate, the total
population should decrease.
D) Right now, the per capita birth rate is lower than the per capita death rate, the population
should decrease in the future

Answer 15

D) Right now, the per capita birth rate is lower than the per capita death rate, the population
should decrease in the future

Question 16

The thermoneutral zone of a homeothermic animal is:
A) the temperature range at which conductive heat gain and convective heat loss are equal.
B) the temperature range at which metabolic enzymes can operate.
C) the temperature range at which the metabolizable energy intake equals metabolizable
energy output.
D) the temperature range over which the metabolic rate does not change.
E) None of the choices are correct.

Answer 16

E) None of the choices are correct.

Question 17

If the age distribution diagram is bottom-heavy or pyramidal in shape, this indicates that the
population is likely to be:
A) Stable
B) Declining
C) Growing slowly
D) Growing rapidly
E) Cannot be determined

Answer 17

D) Growing rapidly

Question 18

_______ describes dispersal into a local population and ___________ describes dispersal
out of the local population
A) immigration; emigration
B) emigration; immigration
C) immigration; range expansion
D) range expansion; emigration
E) colonization; immigration

Answer 18

A) immigration; emigration

Question 19

In a ______ functional response, initial feeding rates rise linearly at low food densities, rise
more slowly at intermediate food densities, and then level off at high densities.
A) Type I
B) Type II
C) Type III
D) Type IV
E) Type V

Answer 19

B) Type II

Question 20

______________ is/are defined as a group of potentially breeding organisms within a
species in a given space and time.
A) Density
B) Abundance
C) Distribution
D) Populations
E) Community

Answer 20

D) Populations

Question 21

dN/dt = rN represents:
A) annual growth rate.
B) geometric population growth.
C) instantaneous exponential population growth.
D) logistic growth.
E) None of the choices are correct.

Answer 21

C) instantaneous exponential population growth

Question 22

In the logistic model of population growth if r<0 then:
A) the population expands.
B) the population declines.
C) N>K
D) N=K
E) both the population declines and N>K

Answer 22

E) both the population declines and N>K

Question 23

The more seeds that a plant produces in a single reproductive episode, the ________ of
each seed.
A) greater the probability of survival
B) smaller the size
C) greater the size
D) more irregular the shape

Answer 23

B) smaller the size

Question 24

In a life table, the value lx represents the:
A) age-specific mortality rate.
B) age-specific life expectancy.
C) age-specific mortality.
D) the probability at birth of surviving to any given age

Answer 24

D) the probability at birth of surviving to any given age

Question 25

A population reaches a stable-age distribution when: A) the population stops growing. B) the birthrate is less than the death rate. C) the net reproductive rate (R0) is zero. D) the proportion of individuals in each age group remains the same

Answer 25

D) the proportion of individuals in each age group remains the same

Question 26

The rescue effect is a function of: A) birth rate. B) death rate. C) immigration. D) fecundity

Answer 26

C) immigration.

Question 27

A source population: A) must be maintained by immigrants from a sink population. B) has a high rate of extinction. C) is usually located in small, isolated patches. D) maintains a positive growth rate

Answer 27

D) maintains a positive growth rate

Question 28

n a metapopulation, the probability of local extinction increases with: A) increasing patch size and increasing isolation. B) increasing patch size and decreasing isolation. C) decreasing patch size and increasing isolation. D) decreasing patch size and decreasing isolation.

Answer 28

C) decreasing patch size and increasing isolation.

Question 29

Given the depiction of per capita births (b) and per capita deaths (d) in the figure above (question 37), which of the following statements about the equilibrium points N1 and N2 are TRUE? Select ALL options that are TRUE A) Both N1 and N2 are stable equilibria B) N1 is stable but N2 is unstable C) N1 is unstable but N2 is stable D) The population will always go to N2* regardless of the initial density E) At densities below N1* the population will go to extinction F) The equilibrium outcome depends on the initial density of the population G) Both N1 and N2 are unstable equilibria

Answer 29

C) N1 is unstable but N2 is stable E) At densities below N1* the population will go to extinction F) The equilibrium outcome depends on the initial density of the population

Question 30

Which of the following best describe the life history and survivorship curve type of an organism with low juvenile survival and early reproduction? A) K strategy; opportunistic; type III survivorship B) K strategy; equilibrium; type I survivorship C) r strategy; opportunistic; type III survivorship D) r strategy; equilibrium; type I survivorship

Answer 30

C) r strategy; opportunistic; type III survivorship

Question 31

In the hawk-dove game theory activity we did in class, a hawk’s resource gain (R) for winning an interaction against another hawk was 1 card and its cost (C) for losing an interaction was 2 cards (1 card given to opponent and 1 injury card in back pocket). If we play again and change the cost (C) to be 3 cards while keeping the resource gain (R) the same at 1 card, what do you think would happen? A) the fitness of hawks would increase faster over time B) the doves would disappear more quickly C) the hawks and doves would coexist but at a lower proportion of hawks than what we observed D) the hawks and doves would coexist but at a higher proportion of hawks than what we observed E) the hawks would take over the population F) the doves would take over the population G) we would observe the same results we saw in class

Answer 31

C) the hawks and doves would coexist but at a lower proportion of hawks than what we observed

Question 32

You study a population of killer whales in an area with carrying capacity =150. You estimate that the current population = 50 and the intrinsic rate of increase is 0.75. What size will the population be in one time unit? NOTE: round to the nearest whole number if necessary.

Answer 32

75 killer whales

Question 33

Suppose for an animal with a type 1 functional response to prey density, the prey density is 20 and the slope of the functional response line is 0.75. What would the number of prey eaten per predator per unit time be? Provide your answer with two decimals

Answer 33

15.00 prey/predator per unit of time

Question 34

Suppose the population of coyotes in Calgary has a current N of 300 and b = 1 and d = 0.75. Coyotes have one litter of pups a year and reproduce in late-winter/early-spring. What will the population be in one time unit? NOTE: round to the nearest whole number if necessary.

Answer 34

375 coyotes

Question 35

In a closed population of 100 pocket gophers that reproduce once a year, you estimate that b = 4 and d = 3 per year. The population will therefore be what size in one year's time?

Answer 35

200 pocket gophers