Ecology Population Growth Models 4

Question 1

A predator-prey system modeled by Lotka-Volterra equations typically produces:

Accepted Answer

Continuous, neutrally stable oscillations

Answer

The basic Lotka-Volterra model produces closed-cycle, neutrally stable oscillations where prey and predator populations cycle perpetually around an equilibrium.

Question 2

Which graph shape would you expect if you plot per capita population growth rate (dN/Ndt) against population size N under logistic growth?

Accepted Answer

A straight line with negative slope

Answer

Under logistic growth, per capita growth rate declines linearly from r (at N=0) to 0 (at N=K), producing a straight line with negative slope.

Question 3

What is the biological significance of the parameter 'b' in the Beverton-Holt stock-recruitment model used in fisheries ecology?

Accepted Answer

The density-dependence parameter that limits recruitment

Answer

In the Beverton-Holt model, 'b' is the density-dependence parameter that determines how quickly recruitment saturates as spawning stock increases.

Question 4

An island biogeography model predicts species richness at equilibrium based on:

Accepted Answer

The balance between immigration and extinction rates

Answer

The MacArthur-Wilson equilibrium theory predicts species richness where the rate of new species immigration equals the rate of local species extinction.

Question 5

Which term describes the phenomenon where a population temporarily overshoots carrying capacity before crashing back down?

Accepted Answer

Overshoot and collapse

Answer

Overshoot and collapse occurs when a rapidly growing population exceeds K before density-dependent feedback can halt growth, causing resource depletion and a subsequent crash.

Ecology Practice Test

Ecology Practice Test

Ecology Population Growth Models 4