BIOL 355: Ecology (Section B) Exam #2 Version B KEY Fall 2026
Follow these DIRECTIONS for full credit:
1. Fill out the Gradescope Bubble Sheet with:
a. Your full name
b. Your B-Number next to ID
c. Version B under Version/Section
d. Your discussion section under Section.
2. Write your full name and B-Number on the exam packet.
3. Fill in the appropriate answer bubble for all multiple choice questions, and
answer the short answer questions completely.
4. After the exam, read and sign the academic integrity statement and return the packet.
By signing below, I acknowledge that this practice packet is for independent study and that I will follow my course academic
honesty rules during any real assessment.
NAME___________________________________________ Discussion Section:________
B#______________________________
Signature____________________________________
Exam directions:
There are 50 questions on this practice exam. Read every answer choice carefully before selecting the best answer based on
BIOL 355 ecology concepts.
1. Which set lists the four direct demographic processes that change the size of a population through time?
*a. Immigration, emigration, births, and deaths
b. Birth rates, carrying capacity, niche breadth, and dispersal
c. Death rates, survivorship, mutualism, and competition
d. Immigration, range size, density, and dispersion
2. Density dependent growth occurs when the per capita growth rate decreases mainly because of which condition?
a. More rainfall than usual
*b. Increased intraspecific competition
c. A rare mutation in one individual
d. A temporary sampling error
3. A botanist predicts where an introduced vine may spread by comparing temperature, rainfall, soil type, and light levels
between its native range and a new region. This approach is best described as:
*a. Ecological niche modeling
b. Competitive exclusion
c. A survivorship analysis
d. A mark-recapture census
4. Which statement best represents a common life history tradeoff?
*a. High fecundity often occurs with lower investment per offspring
b. High fecundity always causes higher adult survivorship
c. Slow development always produces more offspring
d. Every species can maximize survival, growth, and reproduction at the same time
5. In the logistic growth equation, which term represents the change in population size through time?
a. N/K
b. 1 - (N/K)
c. rN
*d. dN/dt
1
, BIOL 355: Ecology (Section B) Exam #2 Version B KEY Fall 2026
6. In the logistic growth equation, which term represents the early exponential growth component when resources are not yet
limiting?
a. N/K
b. 1 - (N/K)
*c. rN
d. dN/dt
7. Which situation most clearly shows a clumped dispersion pattern?
a. Trees evenly spaced in an orchard
b. Penguins nesting at regular intervals
*c. Mussels clustered on patches of suitable rock
d. Wind-blown seeds scattered randomly across bare ground
8. Which statement about geographic ranges is FALSE?
a. Ranges can shift as climate and habitat change
b. Population density is often lower near range edges
*c. A species can have unlimited density everywhere inside its range
d. Dispersal ability can affect range limits
9. A Type I survivorship curve is most commonly associated with:
a. High mortality early in life
b. Fairly constant mortality across all ages
*c. Low juvenile mortality and high mortality at old age
d. No age-specific differences in survival
10. Which pattern is most consistent with a Type III survivorship curve?
a. Few offspring and high parental care
*b. Many offspring and high early mortality
c. Equal death risk at every age
d. No reproduction until old age
2
Follow these DIRECTIONS for full credit:
1. Fill out the Gradescope Bubble Sheet with:
a. Your full name
b. Your B-Number next to ID
c. Version B under Version/Section
d. Your discussion section under Section.
2. Write your full name and B-Number on the exam packet.
3. Fill in the appropriate answer bubble for all multiple choice questions, and
answer the short answer questions completely.
4. After the exam, read and sign the academic integrity statement and return the packet.
By signing below, I acknowledge that this practice packet is for independent study and that I will follow my course academic
honesty rules during any real assessment.
NAME___________________________________________ Discussion Section:________
B#______________________________
Signature____________________________________
Exam directions:
There are 50 questions on this practice exam. Read every answer choice carefully before selecting the best answer based on
BIOL 355 ecology concepts.
1. Which set lists the four direct demographic processes that change the size of a population through time?
*a. Immigration, emigration, births, and deaths
b. Birth rates, carrying capacity, niche breadth, and dispersal
c. Death rates, survivorship, mutualism, and competition
d. Immigration, range size, density, and dispersion
2. Density dependent growth occurs when the per capita growth rate decreases mainly because of which condition?
a. More rainfall than usual
*b. Increased intraspecific competition
c. A rare mutation in one individual
d. A temporary sampling error
3. A botanist predicts where an introduced vine may spread by comparing temperature, rainfall, soil type, and light levels
between its native range and a new region. This approach is best described as:
*a. Ecological niche modeling
b. Competitive exclusion
c. A survivorship analysis
d. A mark-recapture census
4. Which statement best represents a common life history tradeoff?
*a. High fecundity often occurs with lower investment per offspring
b. High fecundity always causes higher adult survivorship
c. Slow development always produces more offspring
d. Every species can maximize survival, growth, and reproduction at the same time
5. In the logistic growth equation, which term represents the change in population size through time?
a. N/K
b. 1 - (N/K)
c. rN
*d. dN/dt
1
, BIOL 355: Ecology (Section B) Exam #2 Version B KEY Fall 2026
6. In the logistic growth equation, which term represents the early exponential growth component when resources are not yet
limiting?
a. N/K
b. 1 - (N/K)
*c. rN
d. dN/dt
7. Which situation most clearly shows a clumped dispersion pattern?
a. Trees evenly spaced in an orchard
b. Penguins nesting at regular intervals
*c. Mussels clustered on patches of suitable rock
d. Wind-blown seeds scattered randomly across bare ground
8. Which statement about geographic ranges is FALSE?
a. Ranges can shift as climate and habitat change
b. Population density is often lower near range edges
*c. A species can have unlimited density everywhere inside its range
d. Dispersal ability can affect range limits
9. A Type I survivorship curve is most commonly associated with:
a. High mortality early in life
b. Fairly constant mortality across all ages
*c. Low juvenile mortality and high mortality at old age
d. No age-specific differences in survival
10. Which pattern is most consistent with a Type III survivorship curve?
a. Few offspring and high parental care
*b. Many offspring and high early mortality
c. Equal death risk at every age
d. No reproduction until old age
2
