wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Population Ecology

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The common brushtail possum is a marsupial native to Australia. This possum was introduced to New Zealand where it had no natural predators and had an abundant food supply. Which of these likely occurred a few years after the introduction of this possum to New Zealand?

a)

The possums became extinct.

b)

The possums developed shorter life spans.

c)

The possum population grew to a larger size.

d)

The possum population evolved into a different species.

2.

Processes that remove individuals from a population.

a)

death and emigration

b)

birth and immigration

3.

What type of growth is represented in this graph?

a)

exponential

b)

logistic

c)

survivorship curve

d)

predator-prey

4.

What is the carrying capacity of the following graph?

a)

1000

b)

8000

c)

800

d)

600

5.

Which of the following populations is most likely to go extinct?

a)

a very small population in an unstable environment

b)

a moderate-sized population of r strategists

c)

a large population with lots of genetic variability

d)

all would be equally likely to go extinct

6.

How many types of survivorship curves are there?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

7.

A good way to estimate the population size.

a)

mark-recapture

b)

count everyone of them

c)

satellites

d)

cameras

8.

Refer to the diagram of the survivorship curve.
Which curve best describes an organism that invests a lot of energy in parenting?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

this is not a survivorship curve

9.

Which best describes the graph of logistic growth?

a)

S-shaped

b)

J-shaped

c)

W-shaped

d)

U-shaped

10.

What is the carrying capacity of the graph?

a)

around 500

b)

more than 800

c)

less than 300

d)

around 700

11.

What is the largest number of individuals that an environment can support long term?

a)

carrying capacity

b)

emigration

c)

immigration

d)

survivorship

12.

Describes organisms with a high death rate (or low survivorship rate) immediately following birth. Examples include bacteria, fishes, and invertebrates.

a)

Type I

b)

Type II

c)

Type III

d)

Type IV

13.

The average number of individuals per unit of area or volume is called ______.

a)

Population size

b)

Population systematics

c)

Population density

d)

Population distribution

14.

If birth rate plus immigration exceeds death rate plus emigration, a population _______.

a)

grows

b)

declines

c)

stays the same

d)

none of the above

15.

The lion is the natural predator of the zebra. If the zebra population drops, what will likely happen to the lion population?

a)

drop

b)

thrive

c)

be unaffected

d)

decrease, then increase exponentially

16.

Under ideal conditions with unlimited resources, a population will have ________.

a)

linguistic growth

b)

experimental growth

c)

exponential growth

d)

logistic growth

17.

These organisms occupy stable environments, are larger in size and have longer life expectancies. They produce, during their life spans, fewer offspring, but place a greater investment in each.

a)

k-strategist

b)

r-strategist

c)

m-strategist

d)

s-strategist

18.

These organisms typically live in unstable, unpredictable environments & are able to reproduce rapidly (exponentially). They do not take care of their young & are subject to predation.

a)

k-strategist

b)

r-strategist

c)

m-strategist

d)

s-strategist

19.

Which of the following are density independent factor(s)?

a)

competition for resources

b)

predator-prey relationships

c)

parasitism and disease

d)

weather, natural disaster and man made disturbances

20.

What term is used to define anything that regulates the size of a population?

a)

density

b)

a limiting factor

c)

carrying capacity

d)

biodiversity

21.

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

22.

Which of the following is a density-dependent factor affecting population size?

a)

A) Natural disasters

b)

B) Disease

c)

C) Climate change

d)

D) Habitat destruction

23.

What is the carrying capacity of an environment?

a)

A) The maximum number of individuals an environment can support

b)

B) The minimum number of individuals needed for a population to survive

c)

C) The average number of offspring produced by an individual

d)

D) The rate at which a population increases

24.

In a mark-recapture study, 100 fish are captured, marked, and released. Later, 100 fish are captured again, and 10 of them are marked. What is the estimated population size?

a)

A) 1000

b)

B) 500

c)

C) 100

d)

D) 200

25.

Which of the following best describes a population experiencing exponential growth?

a)

A) The population size increases at a constant rate

b)

B) The population size increases rapidly and then stabilizes

c)

C) The population size doubles at regular intervals

d)

D) The population size decreases over time