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Population size and density Knowledge-Based Practice

Biology · Ecology · Biology · Populations

5 Biology practice questions on Population size and density. Questions that assess core concepts and understanding.

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Questions

  1. 1.

    Which of the following ecological measurements represents a population density rather than a population size?

    • A) A total count of 2,400 migratory caribou in a tundra valley
    • B) An average of 12 earthworms per cubic meter of garden soil
    • C) An estimate of 350 breeding pairs of bald eagles nationwide
    • D) A census of 85,000 Atlantic cod inhabiting a coastal bay
  2. 2.

    In a heterogeneous landscape where only a fraction of the total area provides suitable living conditions for a species, how does the population's ecological density compare to its crude density?

    • A) Ecological density is lower because individuals are evaluated across a broader geographic range that includes uninhabited buffer zones.
    • B) Ecological density is higher because the population is evaluated relative to the smaller area of usable habitat rather than the total landscape area.
    • C) Ecological density is identical to crude density because both metrics distribute total abundance uniformly across the entire geographic boundary.
    • D) Ecological density is lower because habitat fragmentation inevitably reduces the reproductive rate and overall population size.
  3. 3.

    An ecologist samples a 1,000-square-meter grassland using five randomly placed 2-square-meter quadrats and counts a total of 50 individuals of a perennial plant species across all sample plots. What are the estimated population density and total population size of this plant species in the grassland?

    • A) Density: 10 individuals per square meter; Population size: 10,000 individuals
    • B) Density: 5 individuals per square meter; Population size: 5,000 individuals
    • C) Density: 25 individuals per square meter; Population size: 25,000 individuals
    • D) Density: 2.5 individuals per square meter; Population size: 2,500 individuals
  4. 4.

    Which of the following ecological scenarios would cause an immediate increase in the population density of a species without altering its total population size?

    • A) A sustained birth rate that exactly matches the mortality rate within an unchanging geographic boundary
    • B) The emigration of a significant proportion of mature individuals out of the primary geographic range
    • C) An expansion of the total habitable land area while the count of surviving organisms remains constant
    • D) A reduction in the habitable geographic area while the total number of individuals remains unchanged
  5. 5.

    Ecologists studying two separate woodland reserves record 400 individuals of a rodent species in Reserve X (area of 20 hectares) and 400 individuals of the same species in Reserve Y (area of 80 hectares). Which statement correctly compares the population size and population density of these two reserves?

    • A) Reserve Y has a higher population density than Reserve X, and their population sizes are unequal.
    • B) Both reserves have an identical population size, but Reserve X has a higher population density than Reserve Y.
    • C) Both reserves have identical population densities because they support the same total number of individuals.
    • D) Reserve X has a larger population size and a lower population density than Reserve Y.

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