Population and Resources Juncture Assessment

In a mountain region, tigers eat wild pigs, and wild pigs eat worms. In the last 5 years, the sizes of the populations have been stable, but recently the tiger population has increased. What will likely happen to the worm population?

• increase. The larger tiger population will lead to fewer wild pigs. The smaller wild pig population will need fewer energy storage molecules to reproduce, so they will eat fewer worms. This will lead to more births than deaths in the worm population.

• increase. An increase in the size of any population leads to an increase in the sizes of all other populations in an ecosystem.

• stay the same. Tigers do not eat worms, so the number of births and deaths in the worm population will stay the same.

• decrease. The larger tiger population will leave fewer energy storage molecules available in the ecosystem for the worm population, so there will be fewer births in the worm population.

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The data showed that all three populations were stable. Then the hawk population increased suddenly. What will likely happen to the size of the sparrow population as a result?

• stay the same. The size of their resource population did not change, so the amount of energy storage molecules available for the sparrows did not change. There will be the same number of births and deaths in the sparrow population.

• decrease. The larger hawk population will leave fewer energy storage molecules available for the sparrows, so the sparrow population will reproduce less. This will lead to fewer births in the sparrow population.

• decrease. The larger hawk population will need more energy storage molecules, so they will eat more sparrows. This will leads to more deaths than births in the sparrow population.

• increase. An increase in any population leads to an increase in the sizes of all other populations in the ecosystem.

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In the northwestern United States, both coyotes and wolves eat deer. The sizes of the populations have been stable for the last 6 years, but recently the size of the wolf population increased. What will likely happen to the coyote population?

• decrease. Fewer energy storage molecules will be available to the coyote population from the smaller deer population, so the coyote population will reproduce less. This will lead to fewer births than deaths in the coyote population.

• decrease. The larger wolf population will leave fewer energy storage molecules for all other populations in the ecosystem, so the coyote population will reproduce less. This will lead to fewer births in the coyote population.

• increase. An increase in the size of any population leads to an increase in the sizes of all other populations in an ecosystem.

• stay the same. Coyotes and wolves do not eat each other, so the number of births and deaths in the coyote population will stay the same.

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The data showed that all three populations were stable. Then the snail population increased suddenly. What will likely happen to the size of the perch population as a result?

• increase. An increase in any population within an ecosystem will lead to an increase in the sizes of all other populations in the ecosystem.

• increase. The larger snail population will provide more energy storage molecules for the perch population, so they will reproduce more. This will lead to more births than deaths in the perch population.

• stay the same. The size of its consumer population did not change, so the number of deaths in the perch population did not change. There will be the same number of births and deaths in the perch population.

• decrease. The larger snail population will take more energy storage molecules from the ecosystem, leaving fewer available for the perch population. This will lead to more deaths than births in the perch population.

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In a rainforest, both spiders and frogs eat flies. The sizes of the populations have been stable for the last 10 years, but recently the size of the frog population decreased. What will likely happen to the spider population?

• increase. The smaller frog population will leave more energy storage molecules for all other populations in the ecosystem, so all populations will reproduce more. This will lead to more births in the spider population.

• increase. More energy storage molecules will be available to the spider population from the larger fly population, so the spider population will reproduce more. This will lead to more births than deaths in the spider population.

• stay the same. Frogs and spiders do not eat each other, so the number of births and deaths in the spider population will stay the same.

• decrease. A decrease in the size of one population leads to a decrease in the sizes of all other populations in an ecosystem.

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If the resource population decreases, then the consumer population will....

• Increase

• Stay the same

• Decrease

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If a population is DECREASING this means....

• There are more births than deaths.

• There are less births than deaths.

• There are the same amount of births as deaths.

Scientists have been studying the size of three populations in a grassland. In this ecosystem, lizards eat fireflies, and fireflies eat gnats (a type of insect). The data showed that all three populations were stable. Then the lizard population decreased suddenly. What will most likely happen to the size of the firefly population as a result? The firefly population will . . .

• increase. The smaller lizard population will need fewer energy storage molecules so they will eat fewer fireflies. This will lead to fewer deaths than births in the firefly population.

• increase. The smaller lizard population will leave more energy storage molecules available for the firefly population to reproduce more. This will lead to more births in the firefly population.

• stay the same. The size of its resource population did not change, so the amount of energy storage molecules available for the fireflies did not change. There will be the same number of births and deaths in the firefly population.

• decrease. A decrease in any population causes a decrease in the sizes of all other populations in the ecosystem.

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In Australia, both opossums and foxes eat rats. The sizes of the populations have been stable for the last 12 years, but recently the size of the opossum population increased. What will likely happen to the fox population? The size of the fox population will . .

• increase. An increase in the size of any population leads to an increase in the sizes of all other populations in an ecosystem.

• stay the same. Opossums and foxes do not eat each other, so the number of births and deaths in the fox population will stay the same.

• decrease. The larger opossum population will leave fewer energy storage molecules for all other populations in the ecosystem, so the fox population will reproduce less. This will lead to fewer births than deaths in the fox population.

• decrease. Fewer energy storage molecules will be available to the fox population from the smaller rat population, so the fox population will reproduce less. This will lead to fewer births than deaths in the fox population.

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Scientists have been studying the size of three populations in a region. In this ecosystem, lions eat wild pigs, and wild pigs eat frogs. The data showed that all three populations were stable. Then the frog population decreased suddenly. What will likely happen to the size of the wild pig population as a result? The size of the wild pig population will . . .

• increase. The smaller frog population will need fewer energy storage molecules so there will be more energy storage molecules available to the wild pig population. This will lead to more births in the wild pig population.

• decrease. The smaller frog population will provide fewer energy storage molecules for the wild pig population, so the wild pig population will reproduce less. This will lead to fewer births than deaths in the wild pig population.

• decrease. A decrease in any population causes a decrease in the sizes of all other populations in an ecosystem.

• stay the same. The size of their consumer population did not change, so the number of deaths in the wild pig population did not change. There will be the same number of births and deaths in the wild pig population.

  stay the same.

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