Understanding Populations

Which factor is a density-dependent limiting factor on the population of a species?

• predation

• unusual weather

• natural disasters

• seasonal variation

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

On a farm, there has been a sudden spike in the rodent population, causing an increase in crop damage and, as a result, loss of income. What practice might have contributed to the spike in the rodent population?

• planting corn instead of wheat

• planting more crops than usual this year

• hunting and killing the snakes on the farm

• using an organic fertilizer instead of the usual chemical fertilizers

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Many factors determine the health of an aquatic ecosystem. Which choice lists ONLY abiotic factors?

• the number of species of algae, fish, and water fowl present in the ecosystem

• the acidity of the water, the number of species of insects, and the air temperature

• the oxygen content of the water, the water temperature, and the chemical composition of the bottom mud

• the amount of sunlight penetrating the water, the phosphorus content of the water, and the number of species of fish

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

If a population grows larger than its environmental carrying capacity, then

• death rate may rise.

• immigration rate may increase.

• birth rate may rise.

• death rate may fall.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

____________________________ occurs when one organism benefits and the other organism is not affected.

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Predation

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

What is one biotic factor that affects the size of a population in an ecosystem?

• local geography

• number of predators present

• average yearly temperature

• average yearly precipitation

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which type of population growth shows organisms increasing at a very fast rate (J shaped curve)?

• Logistic

• Exponential

• Constant

• Stabilizing

What happens to prey population as the predator population increases?

• It decreases.

• It increases.

• It remains the same.

• None of the above.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which of the following is not a factor that would increase reproductive potential?

• Mating more frequently

• Reproducing more often

• Reproducing earlier in life

• Producing more offspring at a time

Any abiotic or biotic factor in an ecosystem that causes a population’s size to slow or decrease is a ____________ factor.

• growth

• limiting

• carrying

• density dependent

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4