Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about metapopulations? What other information is related to
the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct
answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–41
60. A farmer’s land includes a wilderness area that is home to an endangered species of bird.
He wants to sell the land to a developer, and you have been hired to evaluate the
environmental concerns. “This little patch of land is not crucial for the bird species!” the
farmer says, “In fact, my land is surrounded by several other wilderness patches that also have
that bird.” You reply: “It is possible that your land acts as the ____________ and the other
areas are ___________ . If that’s the case, development would be devastating to the
population.”
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question? The key concept is to identify how the
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about metapopulations? What other information is related to
the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct
answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–43
Check All That Apply Questions
61. An underwater volcano has erupted, and as the lava cools a new island has formed.
Which types of animal species are likely to be among the first to colonize the island? (Check
all that apply)
_____ annelids
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
The key concept is to identify the types of animals that would be able to populate a newly formed island faster.
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about colonizing a new environment? What other information
is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Multiple Choice Questions
62. You work for a successful company that sells maternity clothes. They have asked you to
evaluate whether Australia or Singapore would be a better country to expand into with new
stores. What keyword will help you find the data you need to make this evaluation?
63. Within a genus that normally produces large numbers of offspring, one particular species
evolves maternal care behavior. What do you predict will happen to the survivorship curve?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–45
64. Which organism is most likely to have a type III survivorship curve?
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about the characteristics of a type III survivorship curve? What
other information is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–46
65. An unscrupulous dog breeder has been selecting for dogs that have very large litters, with
the goal of maximizing profits. Why might this strategy be counterproductive?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–47
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about the risks versus benefits of producing a large little of
puppies? What other information is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
66. A graduate student is studying the feeding behavior of a small octopus that must be
laboriously collected from the shores of a remote island. Her intern wishes to do experiments
to look at the octopus’s mating behavior. Why might the graduate student veto this idea?
67. A rancher is suspected of shooting wolves near Yellowstone National Park, and you have
been enlisted to go have a chat with him. The rancher doesn’t see any benefit to having the
wolves there. What do you say?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about the benefits of wolves in a community? What other
information is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Check All That Apply Questions
68. A population of squirrels is in a phase of exponential growth. Which events would act to
slow this growth? (Check all that apply)
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about factors that could slow down the growth of a squirrel
population? What other information is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–51
69. A developing nation with a rapidly increasing population is reaching its carrying
capacity. What change(s) could allow it to increase its carrying capacity? (Check all that
apply)
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about the carrying capacity of a population? What other
information is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Multiple Choice Questions
70. You are working in an aquarium that has been breeding an endangered species of fish for
return into the wild. You have a batch of progeny from the first generation of breeding. The
staff are discussing whether to return those fish to an area that has been completely depleted,
or add them to a partially depleted population. “Considering the Allee effect, what do you
say?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about the Allee effect? What other information is related to the
question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
71. This summer, you are returning to the research station in Costa Rica to follow up on the
population of butterflies you have been studying. You are disappointed to find that there are
fewer this year than last. In fact, at dinner your friends studying frogs and birds are
complaining about the same thing. What type of influence do you suspect?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
55–55
Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content:
What do you already know about factors that affect many different populations of
organisms? What other information is related to the question?
Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
True / False Questions
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
72. True or False: An r-selected species is more likely to become an invasive pest than a K–
selected species.
Multiple Choice Questions
73. What would be the best approach to curbing excessive human population growth?
74. What age group on a population pyramid would you examine to predict the population in
25 years?
Chapter 55 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
75. A group of international students is having a heated discussion in the dining hall. “Your
country needs to get its population under control!” asserts a student from the United States.
“Perhaps,” replies the Indian student, “but your country ______________________.”