Homework 1

Make sure to include your name in the name of your file. Write your answers below and
submit them in .DOC or .PDF format via Canvas. Do not email them or hand in a hard copy. This
assignment is due at the start of class (10 AM) on Monday, August 3. The answer key will be
posted at the same time.
The information on this assignment covers everything from global warming through what was
covered in lecture on Friday, July 31.
Short Answer part I
1. Explain nuclear winter.
The winter-like conditions created with by the reflectance of radiant energy by
particulates blasted into the atmosphere by nuclear explosions
2. Name two chemicals which react with water in the atmosphere to form acids and which
acids they form.
Sulfur Dioxide forms sulfuric acid
Nitrous oxide forms nitric acid
3. Explain the relationship between number of species and geographic range size in
mammals.
A greater number of mammals have small geographic ranges due to a high degree of
specialization in each species. Few mammals have large geographic ranges, or are
adapted to a variety of climates and environments.
4. What are the 6 factors limiting the geographical distributions of organisms?
Temperature
Precipitation
Predation/Pathogens
Mutualists
Competition
Soil Type
5. Briefly explain 4 examples of invasive species we discussed in class, including where
they came from (if possible) and where they were introduced.
Kudzu Vine- Climbing vine from Japan introduced in Southeastern United States to hold
loose gravel and soil along roadways, possible controls through biological methods such
as grazers, fungi, etc.
Prickly Pear cactus- From Southwestern United States introduced to Eastern Australia,
eventually controlled through introduction of cactoblastis moth larvae
Rabbits- From Europe to Australia, myxomitosis utilized to control population
8o
6. Explain the difference between fundamental and realized niches.

Fundamental niche- resources and habitats a species could use

Realized niche- resources and habitats used given constraints and competitors
7. Describe the 6 types of interactions between each species and who benefits in each case.
Neutral- neither species is affected by interactions
Mutualism- both species benefit from interaction
Commensalism- one species benefits from interaction, while other is not affected
Competition- both species negatively affected by interactions
Predation- predator benefits, prey is killed
Parasitism- parasite benefits, host is harmed
8. Explain the difference between logistic and exponential growth curves, which is more
realistic and why.
Exponential Growth Curve- population gradually increases at a faster and faster rate,
growth continues infinitely
Logistic Growth Curve- population gradually increases at a faster and faster rate over
time, but levels off at a constant carrying capacity (k)
Logistic Growth curves are more realistic since resources available for use among
populations are limited
9. Explain population cycles using the example from class.
Some populations do not necessarily level off, but cycle, contingent upon the presence of
another population. This is tends to be rare. The example given pertains to the snowshoe
hare and its predator, the lynx. Since the snowshoe hare represents a food source for the
lynx, the lynx population will fluctuate depending on the numbers of snowshoe hare
present. As snowshoe population increases, lynx populations increase and vice versa.
10. Explain five ways ancient civilizations implemented self-imposed population control.
Intercourse Avoidance
Abortion
Infanticide
Abandoning/killing off elderly
Splitting groups along family lines
11. Define birth rate.
Birth rate- number of births per year per 1000 individuals
12. Explain the three types (shapes) of population growth and the terms prereproductive,
reproductive and postreproductive.
Prereproductive- refers to prepubescent years (around 0-14)
Reproductive- refers to years one can readily bear offspring (15-44)
Postreproductive- refers to years after one can readily bear offspring (45+)
The number of women in each category (age structure) determines the trajectory of
population growth. In an expanding population, most ages fall under the prereproductive
phase, making a pyramidal shape for age structure. In a stable population,
prereproductive individuals are more or less counterbalanced by individuals in the

reproductive and postreproductive phases, forming a parabolic shape. In a diminishing

population, there are significantly more individuals in the postreproductive phase,
forming a lightbulb shape of the age structure diagram.
13. Explain what a survivorship curve is and what the three types are. Provide an example of
each.
Survivorship curves are graphs that demonstrate the proportion of individuals that survive
to each age in a given species
Type I survivorship high in early years (Ex: Humans)
Type II- mortality independent of age (Ex: Squirrels)
Type III- mortality high in early years (Ex: Clams)
14. Provide an example of organisms with extremely low (~1 hour), extremely high (10-100
year) and intermediate (1 month 1 year) generation times.
Extremely low- bacteria
Intermediate- rabbits
Extremely high- humans
15. In terms of survivorship and productivity tables, define the variables lx, mx and R0. What
use is each variable?
lx- age-survivorship, proportion of individuals making it to each birthday
mx- age-specific fecundity, number of births in that particular year (at particular age)
R0- natural reproductive rate
Multiple Choice part I
1. The natural pH of rain is:
a. 1-3
b. 4-6-c. 7
d. 8-10
e. None of the above
2. The effects of ozone depletion are most extreme:
a. Over the tropics
b. Over deserts
c. Over the ocean
d. Over the poles-e. None of the above
3. If two species of birds living in different parts of the same tree, the relationship between
the birds is an example of:
a. Competitive exclusion
b. Commensalism
c. Resource partitioning-d. Overexploitation
e. None of the above

4. Which of the following is true?

a. Number of habitats per species goes up as number of species goes up
b. Geographic range size goes down as latitude goes up
c. North American mammals have more large geographic ranges than small
d. Rates of population growth are not uniform across a species range-e. None of the above
5. Which of these was in an example of biological control of invasive species discussed in
class?
a. Tribolium
b. myxoma virus
c. Cactoblastis-d. None of the above
6. Where are rates of death due to AIDS highest?
a. Eastern Europe and Central Asia
b. Sub-Saharan Africa-c. Middle East and North Africa
d. South and South-East Asia
e. None of the above
7. What is the annual population growth rate for the US?
a. 0.5%
b. 0.7%-c. 1.0%
d. 1.7%
e. None of the above
8. Which of the following is true?
a. Humans have a Type II survivorship curve
b. Generally, life expectancy from birth is lower for animals with faster metabolisms
than slower-c. The age at menarche (earliest onset of menstruation) in human females is
increasing with time
d. The generation time for insects is longer than for mammals
e. None of the above

Short Answer part II

16. Define the following words: haploid; homologous; gamete; and chromosome disjunction.
Haploid- one of each chromosome (n)
Homologous genetically identical
Gamete- mature haploid sex cell
Chomosome disjunction- separation of chromosomes that occurs in Anaphase I
17. Why does the survivability of individuals with trisomy go up as the length of the
chromosome affected by trisomy goes down?
The smaller the chromosome, the less impact there is on the cell. Trisomies of large
chromosomes take up too much space in the nucleus, and such fetuses automatically
abort
18. What are the two factors which influence phenotypic variation? What is heritability and
how does it relate to these factors?
Genetics
Environmental Factors
Heritability represents the proportion of phenotypic variation between individuals
genetically determined
19. What is a polygenic trait? Would the impact of any given gene be greater on the
phenotype of a trait which is highly polygenic or one which is only slightly polygenic?
Why?
Polygenic traits are traits that display a continuous distribution. The impact of genes on a
highly polygenic would be more prevalent than on one that is only slightly polygenic.
20. Use the tables provided to create Punnett Squares for the following crosses:
hint: in each case, assume the capital letters are the dominant alleles
hint: you may not need every cell in the tables
AA (female) x Aa (male)

AA

Aa

Based on your results, what is the frequency of each genotype and each phenotype (A vs.
a) among the offspring?
AA- 0.5
Aa- 0.5

AaBB (female) x aaBb (male)

aB

ab

AB

AaBB

AaBb

aB

aaBB

aaBb

Based on your results, what is the frequency of genotypes in each sexs gametes (list
them separately)? What is the frequency of each genotype and each phenotype among the
offspring?
AaBB- .25
AaBb- .25
aaBB- .25
aaBb- .25
Multiple Choice part II
9. The number assigned to each chromosome corresponds to what characteristic?
a. Number of genes on the chromosome
b. The order in which each chromosome was discovered by scientists
c. The order in which each chromosome evolved-d. The relative length of each chromosome
e. None of the above
10. Chromosome disjunction occurs in which step of meiosis?
a. Prophase II
b. Telophase I
c. Telophase II
d. Anaphase I-e. None of the above
11. Haploid refers to:
a. The presence of one copy of each chromosome-b. The presence of multiple (3+) copies of each chromosome
c. The presence of multiple (3+) copies of only one chromosome
d. Expression of a recessive trait
e. None of the above
12. Which of the following diseases is a single gene dominant trait?
a. Huntingtons--

b.
c.
d.
e.

AIDS
Gastrointestinal cancer
Sickle cell anemia
None of the above

13. Natural/native skin color is an example of what kind of trait?

a. Monogenic
b. Qualitative
c. Quantitative
d. Dominant
e. None of the above--