Population Growth
A rabbit population has plenty of water and shelter, but very little grass. What is the grass?
Limiting factor
Name a density-independent factor
Flood, natural disaster, etc...
Which population would probably be most stable over time?
One close to carrying capacity
Large areas of rainforest are cleared for farming. What is one likely result?
Habitat loss
A native plant used to make medicine disappears because its habitat is converted to farmland. This demonstrates a connection between biodiversity and—
Ecosystem services
What action would best help control an invasive plant population?
Prevent its spread and remove established plants
After a forest fire, grasses begin growing in soil that remains. What process is occurring?
Secondary succession
Why can a wolf pack hunt more effectively than a single wolf?
Cooperation allows them to capture larger prey
Why does recycling aluminum conserve natural resources?
Less new ore needs to be mined
A population grows rapidly when resources are unlimited. What type of growth is occurring?
Exponential
A deer population rises above its carrying capacity. What will most likely happen next?
Competition increases
A wildfire destroys vegetation regardless of how many deer live in the area. The wildfire is what kind of factor?
Density-independent
Removing vegetation from steep hillsides may increase—
Soil erosion
What is usually the best way to protect a species that depends on a specific habitat?
Preserve its habitat
Fertilizer runoff enters a lake and causes rapid algae growth. What will likely happen to dissolved oxygen?
Decrease
Why is recovery after a forest fire often considered secondary succession?
Soil remains after the disturbance
Fish swimming together in schools may have a survival advantage because of what?
Group movement can reduce an individual's risk of predation
Making a ton of recycled metal requires much less energy than producing the same amount from raw ore. What is a likely benefit?
Lower energy use and emissions
Why does population growth often slow as a population becomes larger?
Resources become limited
A new irrigation system allows more crops to grow in an area. How could this affect human carrying capacity?
Increase it
Which ecosystem probably has the greatest biodiversity?
8 species with similar population sizes
A highway divides a forest into several isolated sections. This is an example of—
Habitat fragmentation
An invasive insect enters an ecosystem without natural predators. What will most likely happen first?
Its population may grow rapidly
Why can an algal bloom harm fish?
Decomposition can use up dissolved oxygen
What event would most likely begin primary succession?
A volcanic eruption creating new rock
What is an example of group behavior in animals
Ants working together to gather food
Engineers create a biodegradable container, test how quickly it breaks down, and redesign it based on results. Which part of the design process is demonstrated?
Testing and improving a solution
What does carrying capacity describe?
Largest population an environment can support
Thirty birds live on an island with enough food for only twenty birds. What will most likely occur?
Competition for food increases
Why can high biodiversity make an ecosystem more resilient?
More species may perform different ecological roles
Why can habitat fragmentation harm animal populations?
It may separate populations from food and mates
An invasive species eats the same food as a native species. What is the most likely effect?
Competition increases
What human activity is most likely to add excess nitrogen and phosphorus to waterways?
Fertilizer runoff
Decomposers help ecosystems by what action?
Recycling nutrients
What is a possible disadvantage of living in a large group?
Disease may spread more easily
Scientists record phosphorus pollution as 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 units over five time periods. What trend does the data show?
Decreasing
What factor is most likely density-dependent?
Disease, starvation, etc..
Name a resource that could limit the growth of a plant population
Amount of
- sunlight, water, soil, etc...
A disease kills one species of tree in a forest. Which forest would probably recover best?
A forest containing many different tree species
Wetlands are drained to build houses. Which ecosystem service is most directly reduced?
Water filtration
An invasive plant replaces native plants and provides less food for local insects. What could happen?
Native insect populations may decrease
A city reduces fertilizer runoff into a lake for several years. What change would indicate improvement?
Fewer algae blooms
Restoring plants to damaged land can help reduce nutrient runoff because plants do what?
Store nutrients in their tissues
A flock of birds responds together when one bird detects a predator. How does this behavior help the group?
It can increase survival
If nutrient pollution in a bay continues to decrease, what outcome is most reasonable?
Algal blooms decrease and aquatic life may recover