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06 Population Ecology Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 06 Population Ecology, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions
01
True or false
1 point

A population can have a large population size but a low population density if its individuals are spread across a sufficiently large area. True or false?

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

02
Fill in the blank
1 point

A population consists of individuals of the same living in a particular area at a particular .

03
Choose one
1 point

An ecologist needs to estimate the abundance of rooted plants across a meadow. Which sampling approach is most directly suited to this task?

  1. A

    Capture mobile animals, mark them, and release them for later recapture

  2. B

    Count plants in sample plots distributed through the meadow

  3. C

    Track weather conditions over several seasons

  4. D

    Count only the plants growing at the edge of the meadow

04
True or false
1 point

For a mark-recapture estimate to work well, the samples should represent the habitat, and the population should remain reasonably stable between captures. True or false?

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

05
Written response
1 point

A pond survey finds 360 fish in a surveyed area of 12 square metres. What is the population density in fish per square metre?

06
Choose one
1 point

Seeds mostly germinate in a few nutrient-rich patches of a field. Which population distribution is most likely?

  1. A

    Uniform, because individuals are spaced relatively evenly

  2. B

    Random, because individuals have no predictable spacing pattern

  3. C

    Clumped, because individuals gather around patchy resources

  4. D

    Uniform, because the seeds land near one another

07
Written response
1 point

In a dry year, a shortage of water restricts how many plants can survive in a grassland. What ecological term describes the resource that restricts population growth?

08
Choose all
1 point

Select all events that add individuals to a population.

  1. A

    Births

  2. B

    Immigration

  3. C

    Deaths

  4. D

    Emigration

09
True or false
1 point

A severe flood can reduce a population whether individuals were sparsely or densely distributed before the flood. This is an example of a density-independent effect. True or false?

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

10
Choose all
1 point

Select all factors whose effects commonly become stronger as population density increases.

  1. A

    Competition for food

  2. B

    A flood affecting a valley

  3. C

    Parasitism spreading among crowded hosts

  4. D

    Predation that has a stronger effect when prey are concentrated

11
Choose one
1 point

Under idealized exponential growth, what happens to the population's rate of increase as the population becomes larger?

  1. A

    The population grows at a constant rate regardless of its size

  2. B

    The rate of increase rises as the population gets larger

  3. C

    Growth must stop as soon as the population begins to increase

  4. D

    The population always declines when resources are abundant

12
Fill in the blank
1 point

In the simplified logistic model, population growth as population size approaches carrying capacity and is at carrying capacity.

13
Choose one
1 point

A rabbit population lives in a field where a drought reduces plant growth and food availability. What is the most likely effect on the field's carrying capacity for rabbits?

  1. A

    The carrying capacity must rise because fewer plants are available

  2. B

    The carrying capacity cannot change once a population is established

  3. C

    The carrying capacity may fall because drought reduces available resources

  4. D

    The carrying capacity must equal the rabbit population's current size

14
Open ended
1 point

After a harsh winter, a deer population has less food available. Explain how the winter and the resulting food competition can affect the population, and identify which effect is density-dependent and which is density-independent.

15
Choose one
1 point

A plant species grows in dense groups around patches where soil nutrients are abundant, with large gaps between those patches. Which population distribution best describes this pattern?

  1. A

    Clumped

  2. B

    Uniform

  3. C

    Random

16
Choose one
1 point

Researchers use mark-recapture to estimate the size of a mobile animal population. Which situation would make the estimate less reliable?

  1. A

    The second sample represents the habitat.

  2. B

    The population remains reasonably stable between captures.

  3. C

    The population changes substantially between captures.

17
Choose one
1 point

Under conditions suitable for exponential growth, what happens to the population's rate of increase as population size grows, assuming the per-capita rate of increase remains constant?

  1. A

    The population's rate of increase stays the same regardless of its size.

  2. B

    The population's rate of increase rises as its size increases.

  3. C

    The population's rate of increase falls to zero as soon as its size increases.

18
Choose one
1 point

A bird population has abundant food and water, but only a small number of suitable nesting sites. Which situation best illustrates a limiting factor?

  1. A

    A shortage of nesting sites that restricts how many pairs can reproduce

  2. B

    A seasonal change that does not affect the population's growth, size, or distribution

  3. C

    An increase in population size that cannot affect survival or reproduction

19
Written response
1 point

What ecological quantity describes the number of individuals per unit area or volume?

20
Written response
1 point

A population has 200 births, 25 immigrants, 40 deaths, and 15 emigrants during a season. What is its net change in number of individuals?