ASU BIO 182 Exam 3 Study Guide: Population Ecology, Growth
Models & Sampling Methods|Complete Questions with A+
Graded Rationales Latest Updated 2026
Which group is not a population?
all four groups are populations
How would you estimate the number of whales in a population?
mark and recapture
What is a population?
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time
True or False? Sampling quadrats would be the better method for estimating the number of
whales in a population.
false
True or False? Mark and recapture would be the better method for estimating the number of
saguaros in a population.
true
True or False? The shrinking population between 1965 and 1970 could have resulted from a
decrease in the birth rate or an increase in the death rate.
true
True or False? The growing population between 1985 and 1995 could have resulted from a
decrease in emigration or an increase in immigration.
true
The human population has grown ____________________
exponentially
The growth of a population depends on __________________
the birth rate minus the death rate.
A population stops growing when it _____________________
reaches its carrying capacity.
,True or False? The carrying capacity of a population depends on the resources available in the
environment.
true
Why do bluegills nest on the edge of the lake?
The habitat in the shallow water might receive more solar radiation, holds more zooplankton
(which is what they eat), more protective over young than it in deeper water where larger fish
reside, more algae for the fish to hide in, warmer water for embryos to develop quickly and
enhance survival/fitness.
Activity: Write a Figure Legend
Bluegills prefer certain water temp; when given a choice between 27 degrees celsius and 31
degrees celsius, bluegills spent a majority of their time at 31 degrees celsius.
True or False? If males compete for space, a large male will likely force a small male to spend
less time on the side of the tank with the optimal temperature.
true
True or False? Both models assume that no individuals immigrate into the population.
false
t/f: When possible, a bluegill prefers to have a body temperature around 31°C.
true
T/F: When competing with an adult, a juvenile bluegill will always have a lower body
temperature than its preferred temperature.
False (If the environment hotter than preferred, on average, large bluegill will force small
bluegills to remain in parts of water that are hotter than preferred)
T/F: All else being equal, the carrying capacity of a lake would likely increase as more parts of
the lake warm to 31°C.
true
T/F: All else being equal, a juvenile bluegill will likely grow slower in a lake with many adult
bluegills than in a lake with few adults
true
T/F: The growth of a bluegill population would be better described by a model without density
dependence than by a model with density dependence.
, false, Because access to suitable temperatures is limited, the growth of the population will have
a carrying capacity, which requires density dependence
T/F: The number of whales was more likely estimated by sampling than by mark-recapture.
false
T/F: The shrinking population between 1965 and 1970 could have resulted from a decrease in
the birth rate or an increase in the death rate.
true
T/F: The growing population between 1985 and 1995 could have resulted from a decrease in
emigration or an increase in immigration.
true
T/F: Between 2005 and 2008, the sum of the birth and immigration rates roughly equaled the
sum of the death and emigration rates.
true
T/F: The growth of this population would be described well by an exponential model.
false
in 1904, Joseph Grinnel argued that "Two species of approximately the same food habits are not
likely to remain long evenly balanced in numbers in the same region. One will crowd out the
other." This idea became known as________. we can say that two species cannot coexist in the
same environment if they require identical resources.
competitive exclusion principle
T/F: The model of competition between species can ignore competition within species
false
T/F: The larger the competitive effect on a species (alpha or beta), the more likely the species
will persist during competition.
false
T/F: When two species have different niches, the competition coefficients (alpha and beta) are
likely to be less than 1.0.
true
Models & Sampling Methods|Complete Questions with A+
Graded Rationales Latest Updated 2026
Which group is not a population?
all four groups are populations
How would you estimate the number of whales in a population?
mark and recapture
What is a population?
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time
True or False? Sampling quadrats would be the better method for estimating the number of
whales in a population.
false
True or False? Mark and recapture would be the better method for estimating the number of
saguaros in a population.
true
True or False? The shrinking population between 1965 and 1970 could have resulted from a
decrease in the birth rate or an increase in the death rate.
true
True or False? The growing population between 1985 and 1995 could have resulted from a
decrease in emigration or an increase in immigration.
true
The human population has grown ____________________
exponentially
The growth of a population depends on __________________
the birth rate minus the death rate.
A population stops growing when it _____________________
reaches its carrying capacity.
,True or False? The carrying capacity of a population depends on the resources available in the
environment.
true
Why do bluegills nest on the edge of the lake?
The habitat in the shallow water might receive more solar radiation, holds more zooplankton
(which is what they eat), more protective over young than it in deeper water where larger fish
reside, more algae for the fish to hide in, warmer water for embryos to develop quickly and
enhance survival/fitness.
Activity: Write a Figure Legend
Bluegills prefer certain water temp; when given a choice between 27 degrees celsius and 31
degrees celsius, bluegills spent a majority of their time at 31 degrees celsius.
True or False? If males compete for space, a large male will likely force a small male to spend
less time on the side of the tank with the optimal temperature.
true
True or False? Both models assume that no individuals immigrate into the population.
false
t/f: When possible, a bluegill prefers to have a body temperature around 31°C.
true
T/F: When competing with an adult, a juvenile bluegill will always have a lower body
temperature than its preferred temperature.
False (If the environment hotter than preferred, on average, large bluegill will force small
bluegills to remain in parts of water that are hotter than preferred)
T/F: All else being equal, the carrying capacity of a lake would likely increase as more parts of
the lake warm to 31°C.
true
T/F: All else being equal, a juvenile bluegill will likely grow slower in a lake with many adult
bluegills than in a lake with few adults
true
T/F: The growth of a bluegill population would be better described by a model without density
dependence than by a model with density dependence.
, false, Because access to suitable temperatures is limited, the growth of the population will have
a carrying capacity, which requires density dependence
T/F: The number of whales was more likely estimated by sampling than by mark-recapture.
false
T/F: The shrinking population between 1965 and 1970 could have resulted from a decrease in
the birth rate or an increase in the death rate.
true
T/F: The growing population between 1985 and 1995 could have resulted from a decrease in
emigration or an increase in immigration.
true
T/F: Between 2005 and 2008, the sum of the birth and immigration rates roughly equaled the
sum of the death and emigration rates.
true
T/F: The growth of this population would be described well by an exponential model.
false
in 1904, Joseph Grinnel argued that "Two species of approximately the same food habits are not
likely to remain long evenly balanced in numbers in the same region. One will crowd out the
other." This idea became known as________. we can say that two species cannot coexist in the
same environment if they require identical resources.
competitive exclusion principle
T/F: The model of competition between species can ignore competition within species
false
T/F: The larger the competitive effect on a species (alpha or beta), the more likely the species
will persist during competition.
false
T/F: When two species have different niches, the competition coefficients (alpha and beta) are
likely to be less than 1.0.
true
