The basics of population dynamics

Question 1

Dynamics refers to what?

Answer 1

the shift in the number and composition of individuals over time.

Question 2

White tailed deer populations in South Carolina are over what?

Answer 2

1 million

Question 3

Which of these could be a goal of landowners in terms of controlling populations?

a. increase
b. stabilize
c. decrease
d. all of the above

Answer 3

d. all of the above

Question 4

True or False. Management objectives can be accomplished by manipulating a habitat or direct manipulation of an animal population

Answer 4

True

Question 5

What determines the carrying capacity of a habitat?

Answer 5

habitat components and animal space requirements in most cases

Question 6

What tends to be high when wildlife populations are low in respect to the maximum number of individuals an environment can support?

Answer 6

Birth rates ( the number of live births per female per year)

Question 7

Birth rates are low and death rates are high when what happens in a habitat?

Answer 7

The population is at or near its the maximum number the environment can support

Question 8

What is density dependence?

Answer 8

Birth and death rates to population size

Question 9

What is biotic potential?

Answer 9

A population’s ability to grow over time through reproduction

Question 10

T or F. Rabbits have a higher biotic potential or intrinsic rate than bats

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Who will respond better to habitat changes or some other type of change? higher biotic potential or lower biotic potential?

Answer 11

higher biotic potential

Question 12

What is a limiting factor?

Answer 12

It is a basic requirement that is in short supply and prevents or limits a particular wildlife population form growing (food, water, cover)

Question 13

T or F. Limiting factor are hard to determine beforehand

Answer 13

True

Question 14

Part of managing wildlife is determining what?

Answer 14

Which factor(s) are preventing population growth

Question 15

Managing wildlife populations is linked to managing what?

Answer 15

managing habitat

Question 16

What are some of the environmental constraints or decimating factors?

Answer 16

Predators, disease, hunting, trapping, weather, or a combination of these factors

Question 17

A lack of food, water and cover does what to a poulation?

Answer 17

limits its growth

Question 18

What are some examples of limiting factors?

Answer 18

Lack of appropriate nesting, brood, loafing, and winter cover from weather or predation

Question 19

What is a decimating factor?

Answer 19

It can depress or reduce a population

Question 20

Does decimating factors control animal abundance?

Answer 20

No, unless it is severe over hunting, introduction of new parasites or predators, or unusually sever weather

Question 21

If decimating factors are fairly severe in depressing a population, what will happen to it?

Answer 21

There are no factors

Question 22

What does decimating factors do in controlling a population?

Answer 22

The greater the constraints, the lower the population size, but environmental constraints exert less pressure as the population dwindles, giving it a chance to grow

Question 23

Do decimating factors offset a populations biotic potential and keep the numbers in balance with the carrying capcity?

Answer 23

yes

Question 24

This term refers to the location or pattern of animals in space either horizontally or vertically

Answer 24

Dispersion

Question 25

Vertical dispersion is extremely important when examining what?

Answer 25

The suitability of a habitat for songbirds

Question 26

Wildlife populations distribute themselves over the landscape in two patterns, name them

Answer 26

Clumped and uniform ( all other forms of distribution fall somewhere in between)

Question 27

What is the most common type of dispersion?

Answer 27

Clumped because animals are responding to the restricted availability of a habitat

Question 28

Wildlife that form clumped distributions are generally what?

Answer 28

very social and live in family units

Question 29

What are some examples of clumped dispersion?

Answer 29

covey of bobwhite quail; roosting colony of starlings, grackles or blackbirds; or a coyote family unit ( mated pair, pups from current year, and possibly yearlings)

Question 30

Animals that are very asocial are usually very territorial such as groundhogs and will be what kind of dispersion?

Answer 30

Uniform or spread out evenly across a habitat

Question 31

How is a territory formed?

Answer 31

when a individual, mated pair, or social group of animals uses an area exclusively, and defends against other members of the same species

Question 32

Movement of animals from one location to a new, permanent site is called what?

Answer 32

Dispersal

Question 33

The number of animals present on a defined area at a point in time refers to what?

Answer 33

Density

Question 34

T or F. Density is an indication of how effective a property is at supporting a a population of wildlife species

Answer 34

True

Question 35

What is the most frequently obtained measurement of wildlife populations?

Answer 35

Density