APES Unit 3 Assessment MCQ

Salamanders, ospreys, snapping turtles, and beavers all live in aquatic habitats. Salamanders lay their eggs in small freshwater pools and feed on insects. Osprey habitats include rivers, bays, and swamps and the birds feed on fish and other animals in the water or on land. Snapping turtles live in fresh or brackish water and feed on plants, fish, frogs, and snakes. Beavers build lodges on islands, pond banks, and lake shores and eat a variety of shrubs, grasses, and crops.

Based on the information provided above, which of the following species would best be classified as a specialist?

• Salamanders

• Ospreys

• Snapping turtles

• Beavers

Answer explanation

Correct. A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources. A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions and/or has a limited diet. The salamander best fits this description, as it can only reproduce in small pools and feeds only on insects. All other species listed are generalists.

Raccoons eat a variety of foods and can live in a variety of habitats, including locations near humans. Tiger salamanders eat an abundance of worms and insects and require wetland habitats so they do not dry out. Which of the following best identifies the two different species?

• Raccoons are decomposers, and tiger salamanders are scavengers.

• Raccoons are carnivores, and tiger salamanders are herbivores.

• Raccoons are generalists, and salamanders are specialists.

• Raccoons have a Type II survivorship curve, and tiger salamanders have a Type I survivorship curve.

Answer explanation

Correct. Specialists, like the tiger salamander, need a stable habitat. Raccoons can live almost anywhere and have a varied diet, which are characteristics of generalists.

Correct statements about the northern spotted owl include which of the following?

I. It is a pioneer species that is an opportunistic feeder.

II. It is dependent on mature, old-growth forest for its habitat.

III. It is a carnivore at or near the top of the food chain.

• I only

• II only

• III only

• I and II

• I and III

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Members of an r-selected species characteristically

• grow slowly

• produce few offspring

• reach sexual maturity quickly

• have long life spans

• are very protective of their offspring

The crude growth rate, r , of a population is calculated by

• multiplying the existing population size by life expectancy

• dividing the crude birth rate by 2

• dividing the doubling time by 70

• adding the crude birth rate to the crude death rate

• subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate

Which of the following species is most likely to provide extensive parental care to its offspring?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Answer explanation

Correct. K

K -selected species have fewer offspring per reproductive event and expend significant energy for each offspring.

Directions: The following questions(s) refer to the five graphs shown below, which illustrate different relationships between populations and time.

Which graph best illustrates a population growing at its biotic potential?

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

The diagram above illustrates how the number of individuals in a population changed with time as a result of external stresses and resource limitations. Which lettered portion of the curve most likely corresponds to the carrying capacity of the ecosystem?

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the figure below. A, B, C, and D represent population growth curves, E represents the carrying capacity. Represents the biotic potential of the species

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to the lettered points of the curves plotted on the graph below. The curves show two possible patterns of change in population size over time for a certain species of small mammal in an ecosystem.

Population growing exponentially

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4