Ecological Population Dynamics Assessment

The video discusses how different environments, like rainforests and deserts, support varying population sizes due to resource availability. It explains factors affecting population growth, such as resources, predators, and diseases. The concept of carrying capacity is introduced, along with limiting factors like abiotic and biotic elements. A real-world example from Yellowstone National Park illustrates how predator reintroduction impacts elk populations. The video concludes by summarizing how both biotic and abiotic factors influence population dynamics.

What is a population in ecological terms?

• All the plants in a forest

• The number of organisms of the same species in a specific area

• A group of different species living in an area

• The total number of animals in a country

What happens to a population if resources are scarce?

• The population may grow

• The population may shrink

• The population remains the same

• The population will migrate

What is carrying capacity?

• The maximum number of different species an environment can support

• The maximum number of individuals of one species an environment can support

• The number of predators in an environment

• The total number of resources in an environment

Which of the following is an example of a limiting factor?

• The amount of sunlight

• The number of trees

• The amount of food available

• All of the above

What are abiotic factors?

• Living parts of an environment

• Non-living parts of an environment

• Factors that only affect plants

• Factors that only affect animals

Which of the following is a biotic factor?

• Water

• Sunlight

• Zebras

• Temperature

What happened to the elk population in Yellowstone National Park after wolves were reintroduced?

• The elk population increased

• The elk population decreased

• The elk population remained the same

• The elk population migrated

What abiotic factor affected the elk in Yellowstone National Park?

• The temperature

• High levels of fluoride and silica in the water

• The number of trees

• The amount of sunlight

How do natural disasters like fires and floods affect populations?

• They always increase populations

• They have no effect on populations

• They can cause populations to decrease or crash

• They only affect plant populations

What factors can impact population size?

• Only biotic factors

• Only abiotic factors

• Both biotic and abiotic factors

• Neither biotic nor abiotic factors