Chapt 5.1 & 5.2 Test

A scientist is studying a population of sharks in the Pacific Ocean. The scientist reports that compared to a few years ago, the sharks are spending less time in equatorial waters and more time in waters near California and Alaska. Which statement describes the type of change that is occurring to the shark population?

• Their geographic range is changing.

• Their population density is changing.

• Their population distribution is changing.

• Their carrying capacity is changing.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Vernon is studying the population of deer in a tract of forest. He gathers the following data. Birthrate: ~50 deer/year Death rate: ~70 deer/year Which additional observation would support the conclusion that the deer population is NOT changing size from year to year, meaning that the net population change is 0?

• About 20 deer per year immigrate to the tract of forest.

• About 20 deer per year emigrate from the tract of forest.

• The average life span of a member of the deer population is 20 years.

• If a deer survives its first year of life, its average life span is 20 years.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The graph describes the population of dandelions in a field over the course of one summer. Which statement best describes the growth of the dandelions?

• Linear growth occurs because the field provides abundant but limited resources during the summer.

• Logistic growth occurs because the field provides unlimited resources during the summer.

• Exponential growth occurs because the field provides unlimited resources during the summer.

• Fluctuating growth patterns occur because the population reached the carrying capacity of the field during the summer.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The population of adult frogs in a wetlands ecosystem has increased to 1000 individuals, which is its carrying capacity. The frogs eat flies and other small animals, and they are prey for raccoons, snakes, and a variety of large birds. Which most likely would happen if an additional 200 adult frogs immigrated to the ecosystem?

• The carrying capacity for frogs in the ecosystem would increase by 200 frogs.

• The carrying capacity for frog predators in the ecosystem would increase by 200 individuals.

• The frog population would experience a pattern of exponential growth.

• About 200 adult frogs would die because of lack of resources, or by predation or disease.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which of the following statements describes density-independent limiting factors?

• Competition is an example.

• Parasitism and disease are examples.

• Environmental extremes, such as a hurricane or drought, are examples.

• Their effects increase as the population increases in an area.

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

A population of mountain lions lives in an alpine forest. The mountain lions hunt deer, rabbits, and other prey. As the population increases, which of these events becomes more likely to occur?

• Female mountain lions raise an increasing number of pups per litter, and a greater percentage of pups survive to adulthood.

• Competition for territory and other resources acts to slow the growth rate of the population.

• A wildfire, drought, or other natural disaster acts to decrease the mountain lion population by at least 50 percent.

• A decrease in competition acts to increase the growth rate of the population

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A team of scientists visits an island in the Caribbean Sea. They find a diverse community of turtles, lizards, birds, and a variety of trees, shrubs, and grasses. No humans live on the island. Several years later, the scientists return to the island. They find a much smaller community, with reduced populations of all of the species they had identified earlier. Some of the animals now appear to be absent from the island. Which is the most likely explanation for the changes that the scientists observed?

• Competition for resources caused all of the island populations to decrease at the same time.

• A disease or parasite affected all of the island populations.

• A natural disaster, such as a hurricane, struck the island.

• Stress from overcrowding affected all of the island populations.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Gibbons are small apes that live in the trees of southeast Asia. A scientist predicts that at the current rate of deforestation in southeast Asia, the region's carrying capacity for gibbons will decrease by 10 percent every year. The scientist's prediction provides the strongest support for which of these conclusions?

• The gibbon population will decrease by 5 percent every year until reaching a certain minimum size, which it will maintain.

• The gibbon population will decrease by 10 percent every year until reaching a certain minimum size, which it will maintain.

• Gibbons will maintain their current population size as they adapt to new environments.

• Gibbons will eventually become extinct in the wild.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

On Isle Royale, wolves are the main predators of moose. The graph shows the changing wolf and moose populations on the island over a 50-year time span. Which statement provides the strongest explanation for the trends in the two populations?

• The populations of predators and prey are limited by abiotic factors only.

• Predation acts a density-dependent limiting factor on prey, but not on predators.

• Predation acts as a density-independent limiting factor on predators, but not on prey.

• Predator-prey relationships act as density-dependent limiting factors on both predators and prey.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What is the primary limiting factor for the gibbon population in southeast Asia?

• Deforestation

• Adaptation to new environments

• Carrying capacity

• Extinction

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4