Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

Chapter 09
Population Distribution and Abundance
 

Multiple Choice Questions

 

1. ______________ is/are defined as a group of potentially breeding organisms within a

species in a given space and time. 
A. Density
B. Populations
C. Distribution
D. Abundance
E. Community

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.00.01 Define population, density, and abundance.
Section: 09.00
Topic: Population Ecology
 

2. Density is defined as 

A. the number of individuals within a population.
B. abundance.
C. the number of individuals per unit area.
D. the distribution of individuals within a given area.
E. None of the choices are correct.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.00.01 Define population, density, and abundance.
Section: 09.00
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

3. Caughly's research on the distribution of three different species of Australian kangaroos

(Macropus giganteus, M. fuliginosus, and M. rufus) suggests the 
A. physical environment limits the distribution of the kangaroos.
B. topography limits the distribution of the kangaroos.
C. amount of rainfall limits the distribution of the kangaroos.
D. temperature limits the distribution of the kangaroos.
E. None of the choices are correct.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.01.03 Discuss the factors limiting the distributions of plants and animals on geographic and local spatial scales.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

4.  Which statement about organisms' "niches" is false?  

A.  The niche summarizes environmental factors influencing growth, survival, and
reproduction of a species.
B.  The niche concept was developed by Joseph Grinnell and Charles Elton.
C.  The "fundamental" niche refers to physical, but not biological, aspects of the environment.

D.  Interactions such as competition and parasitism may restrict the size of an organism's
niche.
E.  In the laboratory, two species with identical niches are especially easy to maintain in a
mixed culture.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.01.01 Define niche and distinguish between the fundamental niche and the realized niche.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

5. The __________ defines the physical conditions under which a species might live, in the
absence of interaction with other species. 
A. functional niche
B. realized niche
C. principle niche
D. fundamental niche
E. primary niche

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.01.01 Define niche and distinguish between the fundamental niche and the realized niche.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

6. The tiger beetle Cicindela longilabris inhabits higher latitudes and elevations than other
North American tiger beetles; Schultz, Quinlan, and Hadley concluded that all of the
following factors contributed to these cooler environmental preferences except: 
A. higher metabolic rates.
B. lower body temperatures.
C. increased water proofing.
D. both higher metabolic rates and lower body temperatures.
E. both higher metabolic rates and increased water proofing.

Bloom's Level: 5. Evaluate

Learning Outcome: 09.01.03 Discuss the factors limiting the distributions of plants and animals on geographic and local spatial scales.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

7. Cornell studied the distribution of barnacles Chthamalus stellatus and Balanus balaoides
along the coast of Scotland and indicated that, along with the physiology of each barnacle,
______________ also played a large role in their distribution pattern. 
A. topography
B. competition
C. salinity
D. predation
E. temperature

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.01.03 Discuss the factors limiting the distributions of plants and animals on geographic and local spatial scales.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

8. In order to determine whether a species is common or rare, ecologists use all of the
following criteria except: 
A. habitat tolerance.
B. evolutionary existence.
C. geographical range.
D. local population size.
E. None of the choices are correct.

Bloom's Level: 5. Evaluate

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.01 List the seven forms of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

9. Research on North American bird populations have indicated that populations are
_____________, distributed on a __________________ scale. 
A. clumped; small
B. random; small
C. regular; small
D. regular; large
E. clumped; large

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.03.01 Review evidence that wintering and breeding birds are clumped at large scales.
Section: 09.03
Topic: Population Ecology
 

10. Whittaker's research on North American tree distribution examined ____________

gradients and concluded that the tree distribution was __________________. 
A. temperature; random
B. temperature; clumped
C. moisture; clumped
D. moisture; random
E. soil; random

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.03.02 Explain the clumped distributions of trees along moisture gradients in terms of niches (concept 9.1).
Section: 09.03
Topic: Population Ecology
 

11. Which of the following word pairs are mismatched? 

A. random distribution; aggressive interaction
B. clumped distribution; attraction to a common source
C. regular distribution; antagonistic behaviors
D. large scale distribution; substantial environmental changes
E. small scale distribution; insignificant environmental changes

Bloom's Level: 5. Evaluate

Learning Outcome: 09.02.02 Describe random, regular, and clumped distributions.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

12. The rarest animal is the _______________________ and the rarest plant is the
_______________. 
A. Northern spotted owl; Pacific Yew
B. Siberian tiger; Asplenium septrionale
C. Tasmanian devil; Welwitschia
D. Mountain gorilla; Prichardia Monroe
E. Mountain gorilla; Asplenium septrionale

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.02 Give examples of organisms showing each form of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

13.  'Rarity I' can be described as:  

A.  restricted range, narrow habitat tolerances, small local populations
B.  restricted range, broad habitat tolerances, large local populations
C.  extensive range, narrow habitat tolerances, large local populations
D.  restricted range, broad habitat tolerances, small local populations
E.  extensive range, broad habitat tolerances, small local populations

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.01 List the seven forms of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

14.  'Rarity II' can be described as  

A.  restricted range, narrow habitat tolerances, and small local populations.
B.  restricted range, broad habitat tolerances, and large local populations.
C.  extensive range, narrow habitat tolerances, and large local populations.
D.  restricted range, broad habitat tolerances, and small local populations.
E.  extensive range, broad habitat tolerances, and small local populations.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.01 List the seven forms of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

15.  'Extreme Rarity' can be described as  

A.  restricted range, narrow habitat tolerances, and small local populations.
B.  restricted range, broad habitat tolerances, and large local populations.
C.  extensive range, narrow habitat tolerances, and large local populations.
D.  restricted range, broad habitat tolerances, and small local populations.
E.  extensive range, broad habitat tolerances, and small local populations.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.01 List the seven forms of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

16.  Which of the following are characteristics of a population?  

A.  consists of a single species
B.  has an age distribution
C.  has a birth rate
D.  has an emigration rate
E.  All of the choices are correct.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.00.01 Define population, density, and abundance.
Section: 09.00
Topic: Population Ecology
 

17. Ehleringer and Clark found that variation in leaf pubescence among plants of the genus
Encelia appears to correspond to the distribution of these species along a ____________
gradient from the California coast eastward. 
A. light intensity
B. moisture
C. temperature
D. both light intensity and moisture
E. both moisture and temperature

Bloom's Level: 5. Evaluate

Learning Outcome: 09.01.03 Discuss the factors limiting the distributions of plants and animals on geographic and local spatial scales.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

18. In a _____________ distribution, individuals have a much higher probability of being

found in some than in others. 
A. regular
B. clumped
C. uniform
D. random
E. partitioned

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.02.02 Describe random, regular, and clumped distributions.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 

19. Donald Phillips and James MacMahon showed that the distribution pattern of creosote
bush, Larrea tridentata, changes in the following sequence as they grow: 
A. clumped, regular, random
B. regular, random, clumped
C. random, regular, clumped
D. random, clumped, regular
E. clumped, random, regular

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.02.03Discuss the mechanisms producing changes in distribution, as stands of creosote bush age.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 

20. A group of individuals of a single species inhabiting a specific area is called a

____________. 
A. community
B. biome
C. population
D. ecosystem
E. tribe

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.00.01 Define population, density, and abundance.
Section: 09.00
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

21. Caughley found the distributions of the three largest kangaroo species in Australia are
determined by 
A. hunting pressure.
B. severe competition for den sites.
C. severe predation.
D. climate.
E. All of the choices are correct.

Bloom's Level: 5. Evaluate

Learning Outcome: 09.01.03 Discuss the factors limiting the distributions of plants and animals on geographic and local spatial scales.
Section: 09.01
Topic: Population Ecology
 

22. According to the results of Philips and MacMahon, which of the following relationships
of variance to mean shrub density would be expected for young creosote bushes? 
A. variance=mean
B. variance>mean
C. variance<mean
D. variance/mean<1
E. variance/mean=1

Bloom's Level: 3. Apply

Learning Outcome: 09.02.03Discuss the mechanisms producing changes in distribution, as stands of creosote bush age.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 
 

True / False Questions

 

23.  The creosote bush (Larrea tridentate) can have a random, clumped, or regular distribution
pattern.  
TRUE

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.02.03Discuss the mechanisms producing changes in distribution, as stands of creosote bush age.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

24.  Often small scale distribution patterns gathered from mountain gradients can be used to
draw conclusions about large scale distribution patterns.  
TRUE

Bloom's Level: 5. Evaluate

Learning Outcome: 09.02.01 Define small and large scale from an ecological perspective.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 

25. In general, research indicates that as the average body mass of an organism increases,
population density also increases. 
FALSE

Learning Outcome: 09.04.01 Draw a scatter plot of the general relationship between organism size and population density.
Section: 09.04
Topic: Population Ecology
 

26. Often an organism with a broad habitat tolerance is called a generalist. 

TRUE

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.01 List the seven forms of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

27. Research by Hubble and Johnson showed that aggressive social interactions among
stingless bees in the tropical dry forests of Costa Rica can produce and enforce a clumped
distribution. 
FALSE

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.02.04 Explain how interactions between individuals in a population are thought to influence distribution patterns in
populations.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 
 

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Chapter 09 - Population Distribution and Abundance

Fill in the Blank Questions

 

28. Animals with antagonistic behaviors will most likely be distributed in a

________________ pattern. 
regular

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.02.04 Explain how interactions between individuals in a population are thought to influence distribution patterns in
populations.
Section: 09.02
Topic: Population Ecology
 

29. An organism with a narrow habitat tolerance is called a ________________________. 

specialist

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 09.Applications.01 List the seven forms of rarity described by Rabinowitz.
Section: Applications
Topic: Population Ecology
 

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