wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Carrying capacity and vocabulary

Total questions: 70

Worksheet time: 2hrs 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the carrying capacity of the graph?

a)

1000

b)

8000

c)

800

d)

600

2.

What happens if a population grows past its carrying capacity?

a)

The population keeps growing

b)

The population starts to die off

c)

The entire species will go extinct

d)

The carrying capacity just increases

3.

This may cause a population to increase

a)

increase of food supply

b)

removal of predators

c)

removal of disease

d)

all of these

4.

The largest number of individuals that an environment can support long term is...

a)

carrying capacity

b)

emigration

c)

immigration

d)

population density

5.

Something that regulates the size of a population is called...

a)

a limiting measure

b)

a limiting factor

c)

carrying capacity

d)

biodiversity

6.

What is the carrying capacity of the graph?

a)

around 500

b)

more than 800

c)

less than 300

d)

around 700

7.
Which of the following would INCREASE the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
a)
increase in predators
b)
disease
c)
increase in available food
d)
drought
8.

When death rate is equal to birth rate...

a)

population increases

b)

population decreases

c)

population stays the same.

d)

population rapidly increases then becomes stable

9.

When the death rate rises and the birth rate lowers...

a)

population increases

b)

population decreases

c)

population stays the same

d)

all of these

10.

When birth rate is high and death rate is low...

a)

population increases

b)

population decreases

c)

population stays the same

d)

all of these

11.

Which factor that limits a population’s size is important especially when population numbers become large and dense?

a)

seasonal changes

b)

extreme weather

c)

competition for food

d)

sea level height

12.

A group of the same type of organism living together in the same place at the same time is a

a)

Population

b)

Limiting Factors

c)

Immigration

d)

Birth Rate

13.

If a disease destroying barley plants swept through an ecosystem, what would happen to the bird population that eat barley plants?

a)

The bird population would stay the same

b)

The bird population would infinitely increase

c)

The bird population would decrease

14.

On which day did the population represented in the graph below reach the carrying capacity of the ecosystem?

a)

Day 11

b)

Day 8

c)

Day 3

d)

Day 5

15.
Which type of growth is best illustrated by this rabbit population?
a)
exponential
b)
logistic
c)
S-shaped
d)
predator-prey
16.
If the amount of food or resources available increases, the carrying capacity for an animal:
a)
Stays the same
b)
Increases
c)
Decreases
d)
Fluctuates
17.
Will competition increase/decrease the carrying capacity of an ecosystem for the animal in competition?
a)
Decrease
b)
Increase
18.
Limiting factors are sometimes helpful because they can keep the population from getting to large.
a)
True
b)
False
19.

Which limiting factor would increase due to the number of individuals in a population (aka; density-dependent)?

a)

Unusual weather

b)

Natural disaster

c)

Disease

20.
Which limiting factor is density independent?
a)
competition
b)
disease
c)
natural disasters
21.
Which of the following is an EXAMPLE of a limiting factor?
a)
Water
b)
the color of the sky
c)
Migration
d)
Thick fur
22.
In a forest ecosystem, which of the following is the best example of a limiting factor for a rabbit population?
a)
Squirrel Population
b)
Sunlight
c)
Grass available
23.

In a forest ecosystem, which of the following is NOT an example of a limiting factor that would greatly affect a rabbit population?

a)

a rainy season

b)

a disease that causes rabbits to die

c)

grass available to eat

d)

the population of hawks that eat rabbits

24.

When a population grows past the ecosystem's carrying capacity, what happens to the population?

a)

It continues to grow higher and higher.

b)

The population starts to die off and returns to the carrying capacity.

c)

The population will go extinct due to lack of resources.

25.

The graph to the right shows the interaction of the wolf and moose populations on Isle Pekie. If the moose population continues to increase, the wolves' food supply will increase. What will most likely happen to the wolf population as a result?

a)

It will decrease.

b)

It will increase.

c)

It will remain the same.

26.

The picture to the right represents a sunny, dry desert.

Which factor most likely limits the desert’s carrying

capacity for plant life?

a)

the number of animals that eat plants

b)

the amount of sunlight

c)

the availability of space to grow

d)

the availability of water

27.

The reason that organisms cannot produce populations of unlimited size is that

a)

Populations always stay exactly the same.

b)

The resources of Earth are limited.

c)

There is no carrying capacity for the whole Earth.

d)

Species rarely compete with each other for food.

28.

Which factor that limits a population’s size is important especially when population numbers become large and dense?

a)

seasonal changes

b)

extreme weather

c)

competition for food

d)

sea level height

29.

In a large Maine forest with many animals and lots of space, there are only a small number of bears. Which of these most likely limits the population of bears in the forest?

a)

cloud cover in the atmosphere

b)

space

c)

supply of food

d)

types of trees in the area

30.

A population of salamanders that live in a river require clear, fresh water to survive. New housing developments have caused tons of sediment to muddy the river. Which

of these most likely will happen to the salamander population?

a)

The salamanders go live on land.

b)

The salamanders will move across land to another river.

c)

The salamanders will quickly adapt to living in the muddy water.

d)

The salamanders will decrease in number because of the water quality.

31.

A scientist was studying a population of fish in a pond over a period of 10 years. He observed that

the population increased each year for 3 years, and then remained nearly constant for the rest of

the study. The best explanation for this observation is that the population had

a)

stopped reproducing

b)

reached carrying capacity

c)

mutated into a different species

d)

run out of food and all died

32.

One species of Galapagos finches, the cactus finch, eats insects off cactus plants. A disease kills off most of the cacti in the Galapagos Islands.


Which of these most likely would happen to the carrying capacity of the island?

a)

It would increase a small amount since the insect population would decrease.

b)

It would remain about the same since the finches would change to a different diet.

c)

It would decrease a lot because there is less to eat.

33.

Mice produce a large number of offspring all year long, yet the number of mice within a given population changes very little from year to year. The stability of the population size is most likely the result of

a)

mice continuing to reproduce when its population is large

b)

the survival of more female mice than male mice

c)

the development of mutations in young mice

d)

limiting factors that keep the population in check

34.

Ten breeding pairs of mink are introduced onto an island with no natural predators and a good supply of water and food. What will most likely happen to the mink population?

a)

It will remain relatively constant due to equal birth and death rates.

b)

It will die out.

c)

It will increase until it exceeds carrying capacity.

d)

It will decrease and then increase forever.

35.

A sample of bacteria was added to a culture dish containing a limited food supply. (Culture dishes are designed to help bacteria grow.) The dish was kept in an incubator for two weeks, where temperature that bacteria prefer to live in was kept constant. The graph to the right shows changes that occurred in the bacterial population over the two weeks.


Which statement provides the best explanation for the population increase then decrease?

a)

The bacteria were unable to reproduce until day 8.

b)

The bacteria ate all of the available food.

c)

The bacteria could not grow at all in the provided temperatures.

d)

The bacteria could not grow at all with the provided food type.

36.

Is wind a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

37.

Is soil a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

38.

Is temperature a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

39.

Is pH a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

40.

Is competition within a species a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

41.

Is predation a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

42.

Is disease a biotic or abiotic factor?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

43.

Are producers biotic or abiotic factors?

a)

biotic

b)

abiotic

44.

Abiotic factors are ___________.

a)

non-living parts of an ecosystem

b)

living parts of an ecosystem

c)

things that once were alive, but now are dead

d)

not important parts of ecosystems.

45.

Biotic factors are ___________.

a)

non-living parts of an ecosystem

b)

living parts of an ecosystem

c)

things that once were alive, but now are dead

d)

not important parts of ecosystems.

46.

Many fish die due to a drastic change in water temperature.

a)

Density-Dependent

b)

Density-Independent

47.

An extensive drought in the plains threatens wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, and springbok populations.

a)

Density-Dependent

b)

Density-Independent

48.

Which of the following is a density-dependent limiting factor?

a)

human activities

b)

unusual weather

c)

competition

d)

natural disaster

49.
Which of the following is a density-independent limiting factor?
a)
natural disaster
b)
predation
c)
disease
d)
parasitism
50.

Which of the following are examples of a density independent factors?

a)

forest fire

b)

seasonal cycles

c)

storms

d)

disease

51.

Which of the following are density dependent factors?

a)

competition for resources

b)

predation

c)

disease

d)

natural disasters

52.

A community of organisms and their environment, containing biotic and abiotic factors

a)

biotic factors

b)

producer

c)

ecosystem

53.

All the populations living in an area

a)

community

b)

poulation

c)

habitat

54.
If an area has all the wolves that it can support, the wolf population has reached its _______________________.
a)
limiting factor
b)
carrying capacity
c)
emmigration
d)
immigration
55.
What factor describes when populations increase because animals are moving into a population?
a)
Emigration
b)
Limiting Factors
c)
Immigration
d)
Exponential Growth
56.
This occurs when organisms move out of an ecosystem that is in chaos.
a)
Immigration
b)
Emmigration
c)
Birth Rate
d)
Death Rate
57.
What is an invasive species?
a)
A native (naturally found) species which are added to an area. 
b)
A non-native (not naturally found) species added to an area. 
c)
A keystone species in an environment
d)
none of the above
58.
What does biodiversity mean?
a)
Only one species in an area.
b)
The different amount of species in an area
c)
All abiotic life
d)
Nitrogen fixation
59.
A drought has hit this grassland biome. How will this effect the rabbit population?
a)
The rabbits will increase in number.
b)
The rabbit population will stay the same.
c)
The rabbit population will decrease.
d)
The rabbit population will become extinct immediately.
60.
Competition can occur between organisms for both biotic and abiotic resources.  Competition for biotic resources can be illustrated by organisms fighting for a limited amount of –
a)
air to breath
b)
mates for breeding
c)
water to drink
d)
space for nesting
61.
What growth pattern describes a population whose growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth?
a)
logistic growth
b)
population growth
c)
exponential growth
d)
predator-prey cycle
62.
What type of growth is shown in the diagram?
a)
exponential growth
b)
logistic growth 
c)
predator-prey cycle
d)
boom-bust curve
63.
What do you call a period of rapid growth?
a)
exponential growth
b)
logistic growth
c)
emigration
d)
predator-prey cycle
64.
Which type of growth is best illustrated by this rabbit population?
a)
exponential
b)
logistic
c)
S-shaped
d)
predator-prey
65.
What is the carrying capacity for this sheep population?
a)
1.8 million
b)
1.25 million
c)
1.6 million
d)
1.o million
66.
Type of growth that occurs under ideal conditions?
a)
predator-prey cycle
b)
logistic
c)
exponential
67.
Type of growth typical of invasive species...
a)
exponential
b)
logistic
c)
S-shaped
d)
predator-prey cycle
68.
What is the approximate carrying capacity of Paramecium aurelia cultured alone?
a)
150
b)
400
c)
450
d)
500
69.

Which of the graphs below shows exponential growth?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
70.

Which of the graphs below shows logistical growth?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)