Population ecology - growth models, carrying capacity, population interactions - Question Bank
1. If a population's size is above the carrying capacity (K), what is expected to happen to the growth rate?
2. Which type of population interaction is represented by the symbol -/-?
3. A population experiencing a negative growth rate (dN/dt < 0) implies:
4. The study of how populations interact with each other and their environment is known as:
5. When resources are abundant, a population is most likely to exhibit which growth pattern?
6. The concept of 'niche' in ecology refers to:
7. Which of the following is an example of a density-dependent limiting factor that affects human populations?
8. In the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model, oscillations in population sizes are caused by:
9. The logistic growth model predicts that a population's growth rate will slow down as it approaches:
10. A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time, capable of interbreeding, is defined as a:
11. The term 'population interaction' refers to:
12. A population's intrinsic rate of increase (r) is highest when:
13. Which of the following interactions is characterized by + / - relationship?
14. What is the term for a population's tendency to increase in size when it is small and decrease when it is large, often leading to extinction?
15. In the logistic growth model, if N approaches 0, the growth rate (dN/dt) is approximately:
16. Which of the following is an example of a density-dependent factor that can regulate population size?
17. Niche partitioning is a mechanism that allows:
18. If two species compete for the same niche, one species is likely to be eliminated or driven to extinction, according to the:
19. The principle that states that two species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist indefinitely is known as:
20. What happens to the predator population when the prey population declines significantly?
21. In a predator-prey cycle, an increase in the prey population typically leads to:
22. A population's growth is limited by the availability of food, water, shelter, and mates. These are collectively known as:
23. Which scenario best describes intraspecific competition?
24. The equation for logistic growth is often written as dN/dt = rN(K-N)/K. What does dN/dt represent?
25. A population's biotic potential is:
26. Allelopathy, where one plant produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of another, is a form of:
27. Which interaction benefits both species involved?
28. When a population fluctuates around the carrying capacity, it suggests:
29. In the logistic growth model, when the population size (N) is much smaller than the carrying capacity (K), the growth rate is:
30. The relationship between a lion and a zebra is an example of:
31. When two bird species nest in the same tree and compete for nesting sites, this is an example of:
32. Barnacles attached to a whale, benefiting from a place to live and feed while the whale is largely unaffected, is an example of:
33. The interaction between a tick and a dog is an example of:
34. If a population is experiencing exponential growth, what does this imply about the environment?
35. Which of the following is an example of a density-independent factor affecting a population?
36. What is the term for the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support?
37. In the logistic growth equation dN/dt = rN(1 - N/K), the term (1 - N/K) represents:
38. The formula for the exponential growth rate is dN/dt = rN, where 'r' represents:
39. Amensalism is an interaction where:
40. Commensalism is an interaction where:
41. Parasitism is characterized by:
42. Competition occurs when:
43. Predation is an interaction where:
44. Mutualism is a type of population interaction where:
45. Factors like floods, wildfires, and extreme temperatures that limit population growth regardless of population density are called:
46. Which of the following is a density-dependent factor that limits population growth?
47. When a population reaches its carrying capacity (K), its growth rate approaches:
48. The logistic growth model, often depicted as an 'S-shaped' curve, accounts for:
49. In the logistic growth model, what does 'K' represent?
50. The 'J-shaped' growth curve is characteristic of which population growth model?