BIO 311D - FINAL EXAM REVIEW 200 Practice Questions and Answers
with Explanations
Question 1: Which of the following is the best definition of ecology?
A) The study of individual organisms and their anatomy
B) The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment
C) The study of cellular processes in living things
D) The study of evolutionary relationships among species
Answer: B
Rationale: Ecology is defined as the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their
environment, including both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
Question 2: Population size is influenced by which of the following four factors?
A) Births, deaths, immigration, emigration
B) Births, deaths, predation, competition
C) Births, deaths, mutation, genetic drift
D) Births, deaths, natural selection, adaptation
Answer: A
Rationale: The four factors that directly affect population size are births (natality), deaths (mortality),
immigration (individuals entering the population), and emigration (individuals leaving the population
Question 3: A population that is growing exponentially will have:
A) A constant number of individuals added per unit time
B) An increasing number of individuals added per unit time
,C) A decreasing number of individuals added per unit time
D) No change in population size
Answer: B
Rationale: Exponential growth (dN/dt = rN) results in the number of individuals added per unit time
increasing as the population size increases, because the growth rate is proportional to the current
population size.
Question 4: The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely is called the:
A) Biotic potential
B) Environmental resistance
C) Carrying capacity (K)
D) Population density
Answer: C
Rationale: Carrying capacity (K) is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment
can support sustainably given available resources such as food, habitat, water, and other necessities.
Question 5: In logistic population growth, as the population size (N) approaches the carrying capacity
(K), the growth rate (dN/dt):
A) Increases exponentially
B) Remains constant
C) Approaches zero
D) Becomes negative
,Answer: C
Rationale: In logistic growth, the term (K-N)/K approaches zero as N approaches K, causing the overall
growth rate dN/dt = rN[(K-N)/K] to approach zero.
Question 6: K-selected species typically exhibit which of the following characteristics?
A) Early maturation, many small offspring, little parental care
B) Late maturation, few large offspring, extensive parental care
C) Rapid population fluctuations, high dispersal ability
D) Short lifespan, high reproductive rate
Answer: B
Rationale: K-selected species are adapted to stable environments near carrying capacity, characterized
by late maturation, few large offspring, extensive parental care, and longer lifespans.
Question 7: Which survivorship curve is characterized by high survival throughout most of life followed
by rapid decline in old age?
A) Type I
B) Type II
C) Type III
D) Type IV
, Answer: A
Rationale: Type I survivorship curves (e.g., humans, large mammals) show high survival during early and
middle life, with most mortality occurring among older individuals.
Question 8: Type III survivorship curves typically occur in:
A) Organisms that produce many offspring with little parental care
B) Organisms that produce few offspring with extensive parental care
C) Large mammals
D) Birds and small mammals
Answer: A
Rationale: Type III survivorship curves characterize species that produce large numbers of offspring with
little parental care; most offspring die young, but those that survive live longer.
Question 9: Interspecific competition occurs when individuals of different species:
A) Cooperate to use the same limited resource
B) Compete for the same limited resource
C) Predate upon each other
D) Engage in mutualistic relationships
Answer: B
Rationale: Interspecific competition is competition between individuals of different species for a shared,
limited resource such as food, water, or nesting sites.
with Explanations
Question 1: Which of the following is the best definition of ecology?
A) The study of individual organisms and their anatomy
B) The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment
C) The study of cellular processes in living things
D) The study of evolutionary relationships among species
Answer: B
Rationale: Ecology is defined as the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their
environment, including both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
Question 2: Population size is influenced by which of the following four factors?
A) Births, deaths, immigration, emigration
B) Births, deaths, predation, competition
C) Births, deaths, mutation, genetic drift
D) Births, deaths, natural selection, adaptation
Answer: A
Rationale: The four factors that directly affect population size are births (natality), deaths (mortality),
immigration (individuals entering the population), and emigration (individuals leaving the population
Question 3: A population that is growing exponentially will have:
A) A constant number of individuals added per unit time
B) An increasing number of individuals added per unit time
,C) A decreasing number of individuals added per unit time
D) No change in population size
Answer: B
Rationale: Exponential growth (dN/dt = rN) results in the number of individuals added per unit time
increasing as the population size increases, because the growth rate is proportional to the current
population size.
Question 4: The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely is called the:
A) Biotic potential
B) Environmental resistance
C) Carrying capacity (K)
D) Population density
Answer: C
Rationale: Carrying capacity (K) is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment
can support sustainably given available resources such as food, habitat, water, and other necessities.
Question 5: In logistic population growth, as the population size (N) approaches the carrying capacity
(K), the growth rate (dN/dt):
A) Increases exponentially
B) Remains constant
C) Approaches zero
D) Becomes negative
,Answer: C
Rationale: In logistic growth, the term (K-N)/K approaches zero as N approaches K, causing the overall
growth rate dN/dt = rN[(K-N)/K] to approach zero.
Question 6: K-selected species typically exhibit which of the following characteristics?
A) Early maturation, many small offspring, little parental care
B) Late maturation, few large offspring, extensive parental care
C) Rapid population fluctuations, high dispersal ability
D) Short lifespan, high reproductive rate
Answer: B
Rationale: K-selected species are adapted to stable environments near carrying capacity, characterized
by late maturation, few large offspring, extensive parental care, and longer lifespans.
Question 7: Which survivorship curve is characterized by high survival throughout most of life followed
by rapid decline in old age?
A) Type I
B) Type II
C) Type III
D) Type IV
, Answer: A
Rationale: Type I survivorship curves (e.g., humans, large mammals) show high survival during early and
middle life, with most mortality occurring among older individuals.
Question 8: Type III survivorship curves typically occur in:
A) Organisms that produce many offspring with little parental care
B) Organisms that produce few offspring with extensive parental care
C) Large mammals
D) Birds and small mammals
Answer: A
Rationale: Type III survivorship curves characterize species that produce large numbers of offspring with
little parental care; most offspring die young, but those that survive live longer.
Question 9: Interspecific competition occurs when individuals of different species:
A) Cooperate to use the same limited resource
B) Compete for the same limited resource
C) Predate upon each other
D) Engage in mutualistic relationships
Answer: B
Rationale: Interspecific competition is competition between individuals of different species for a shared,
limited resource such as food, water, or nesting sites.
