Chapter 9 Population Distribution & Abundance Flashcards
Mountain tops and river basins are considered to be _________ boundaries, while countries and parks are considered to be _________ boundaries to populations.
natural
artificial
Which of the following would be areas where population biology would inform decision making?
response to epidemics
pest control
wildlife management
Which of the following are considered to be characteristics of populations?
density
spacing
growth rate
There are limits to how much organisms can compensate for ______ variation.
environmental
The environmental limits of a species are considered to be the species’ ______.
niche
A population is defined as ______.
members of a species living in a defined area
The difference between the realized and the fundamental niche is the additional requirement of
________ factors as part of the definition of the
________ niche.
biotic
realized niche
The greatest threat to biological diversity and integrity of the biosphere is the growth of ______ populations.
human population
The number of individuals per unit area is known as ______.
density
Behavioral, physiological, and anatomical characteristics interact with the ______ to influence the geographical distribution of populations.
environment
To an ecologist, niche summarizes the environmental characteristics that influence the ______, ______, and ______ of a species.
growth
survival
reproduction
Through which of the following factors may climate be indirectly influencing the distributions of kangaroo species?
water supply
food production
habitat
The difference between Grinnel’s niche concept and that of Elton was the inclusion of ______ factors in Elton’s definition.
abiotic
Match the kangaroo species to its biome. This match will reflect the factors that control their distribution.
Eastern Grey -
Western Grey -
Red -
Temperate and tropical forests
Mediterranean wood- and shrub land
Savannah and desert
The presence of tiger beetles on southern mountain tops can be explained by climate change associated with ______. (Select all that apply.)
glacial retreat
global warming
Schultz found that measurements of water loss, metabolic rates and temperature preferences _________ between the populations of C. longilabris.
were similar
Precipitation may be ______ influencing the distribution of kangaroos through other factors such as food production, habitat, and even pathogens or parasites.
indirectly
The climate found at higher elevations is most similar to that of ______.
boreal forests
Even though they have a similar distribution, locally, E. frutescens and E. farinosa differ in the ______ they are found in.
microclimates
The movement of tiger beetles northward and to higher elevations as a result of climatic warming is supported by evidence from ____________.
the fossil record
The larvae of Balanus are found at ______ levels of the intertidal zone compared to Chthamalus.
similar
Schultz found that for the tiger beetle C. longilabris, metabolic rates were ______ and preferred temperatures ______ than for other species of tiger beetles.
higher; lower
Variation in leaf pubescence (“hairiness”) of Encelia species varied in relationship to ______ along the gradient that Ehleringer and Clark studied.
moisture
In response to competitive interactions in the experiments by Connell and in nature, the spatial distribution of Chthamalus can be considered to be a ______ niche.
realized niche
The difference in pubescence between E. farinosa and E. frutescens results in ______ by E. frutescens in order to prevent overheating.
greater transpiration
When talking about the distributions of organisms, “large-scale” versus “small-scale” refers to ______ change relative to the size of the organism.
environmental
Connell found that the upper limits to the distributions of the intertidal barnacles are determined by susceptibility to ______.
dessication
Animals living near watering holes would be an example of a ______ distribution.
clumped
On a mountain slope, where environmental change occurs quickly with changes in elevation, a “small-scale process” would be a ______ land area than an area where environmental change was more gradual.
smaller
Attraction between individuals would produce a more ______ distribution.
clumped