Carrying capacity practice 1

Carrying capacity is:

• the number of prey a predator can eat
• the maximum or highest number of a population of one organism that an ecosystem can support over many years
• the maximum number of babies an organism can have

A population is:

• all the organisms in an ecosystem
• all the organisms of one species that live as a group

Limiting factors are:

• things the organism needs (resources) in the environment of an organism that limit the size of its population
• things in the environment that cause one individual organism to have a shortened life

The graph shows that the carrying capacity of the population or organisms is:

• 60,000
• 80,000
• 100,000

The graph shows a rabbit population over time. The dashed line represents the carrying capacity of the rabbits. What would happen to the position of the dashed line if the ecosystem was in a drought (lack of rain) for many years.

• It would stay the same because carrying capacity can never change
• It would be lower because changed environmental conditions can change the carrying capacity of an ecosystem
• it would be higher because the rabbits would learn to eat another food source

The graph shows a rabbit population over time. The dashed line represents the carrying capacity of the environment for the rabbits. Which of the following IS NOT something that could cause the carrying capacity to increase?

• a predator that is good at killing rabbits is introduced into the ecosystem
• the climate of the area changes so that it is rainier, causing more grass to grow
• a disease causes voles, which compete with rabbits for food, to die
• a species of grass that is more nutritious (better for rabbit health) moves into the area

Fish called trout live in freshwater streams and rivers. The dashed line represents the carrying capacity of the trout. The trout sometimes exceed (go over) the carrying capacity for a short period of time. What causes the decrease in population AFTER trout exceed the carrying capacity?

• some trout leave for another river
• the trout use up a limited resource such as food when they are overpopulated, and the population goes down because survival and reproduction decrease

The graph shows fluctuations in the population sizes of a predator and its prey. Which of the statements below describes the relationship between the population sizes of the predator and its prey?

• After predator populations increase, prey populations decrease
• predator numbers are always greater than prey numbers

The graph shows the changes in moose populations in Maine over time. When the population got too high, wildlife scientists allowed higher amounts of hunting. Which year did the higher amount of hunting begin, according to the graph?

The graph shows the growth of a population of small flies called fruit flies that are grown in jars for experiments. Which of the letters represents the carrying capacity of a jar for fruit flies?

• A
• B
• C
• D