AP Environmental Science

Unit:

Population

Exam III: Chapter 6 (Population Biology) & Chapter 7(Human Population)

1. In the real world, many factors determine the numbers of organisms in any one population. Yet, a "superfly"
with unlimited food and no mortality would show what type of growth?
A. Carrying capacity geometric increase
B. Irruptive growth
C. Exponential growth
D. Logistic growth
E. Malthusian growth
2. A population growing at 1 percent per year should double in about ___ years.
A. 30
B. 70
C. 10
D. 2
E. 0.7
3. Carrying capacity is the population
A. That an environment can support in an optimal year
B. Of a species that an environment can support on a long-term basis
C. That remains after a catastrophic dieback has occurred
D. Of a species without limiting factors
E. Of a species without predators
4. In the real world, population explosion is usually followed by
A. Continuous high population levels
B. A gradual decrease in population as food supplies dwindle
C. A tremendous increase in genetic diversity
D. A gradual increase in population due to the availability of mates
E. A population crash
5. A dieback or population crash, often occurs after a species ________ its environmental carrying capacity.
A. Meets
B. Undershoots
C. Overshoots
D. Oscillates around
E. Decreases

6. An island has formed off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
has determined that there is enough land area for a herd of 100 elk, yet they say the carrying capacity is only
60 elk. This inequality can best be explained by the fact that the
A. DNR is probably being careful not to overestimate
B. DNR must have added up the environmental resistance incorrectly
C. Elk population will probably fluctuate between 60 and 100 animals
D. Physical factor of space is only one of the determiners for population size in a community
E. Law of limiting factors determines the maximum growth rate for a given population
7. Logistic growth rates are those in which a population
A. Grows very slowly when conditions are good and when conditions are not optimal
B. Grows rapidly when conditions are good, then slows as it approaches carrying capacity
C. Overshoots and dies back repeatedly
D. Remains significantly below carrying capacity
E. Grows at a constant rate of increase per unit time
8. The horizontal line on a population oscillation graph represents
A. Fecundity
B. Biotic potential
C. Predator populations
D. Arithmetic growth
E. Carrying capacity
9. Which of the following organisms has the highest biotic potential?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Dogs
Elephants
Oak trees
Humans
Lions

10. Widespread starvation is an example of _________ population control.

A. Predator-caused
B. Biotic
C. Density-dependent
D. Density-independent
E. Abiotic
11. You are studying an organism that is a pioneer species is an opportunist and does not care for its offspring.
This organism probably has a _________________ population growth strategy.
A. k-adapted
B. r-adapted
C. Irregular
D. Catastrophic
E. R-adapted and irregular

12. You are studying an organism that is fairly large, matures slowly, lives fairly long and cares for its offspring.
This organism probably has a _________________ population growth strategy.
A. K-adapted
B. R-adapted
C. Irregular
D. Catastrophic
E. R-adapted and irregular
13. Density-independent population control factors cause mortality
A. When the population becomes too large
B. When the density becomes too high
C. When the population becomes too small
D. When the density becomes too low
E. Regardless of population size
14. The term "fecundity" refers to an organism's ____________ while fertility is ______________.
A. Physical ability to reproduce; actual number of offspring produced
B. Actual number of offspring produced; physical ability to reproduce
C. Average life span; physical ability to reproduce
D. Replacement level of reproduction; actual number of offspring produced
E. Physical ability to reproduce; replacement level of reproduction
15. Based on the graph, the average ______________ of people in the United States is around 80 years.
A. Survivorship
B. Mortality
C. Fecundity
D. Life span
E. Life expectancy
16. The longest period of life that a given type of organism can reach is known as
A. Survivorship
B. Life span
C. Life expectancy
D. Mortality
E. Fecundity
17. Which of the following is an abiotic population control mechanism?
A. Predation
B. Disease
C. Water shortages
D. Prey shortages
E. Competition

18. Which of the following is a biotic population control mechanism?

A. Nutrients
B. Precipitation
C. Day length
D. Climate
E. Pathogens
19. In general, abiotic regulatory factors tend to be ___________ while biotic factors tend to be
_____________.
A. Interspecific; intraspecific
B. Intraspecific; interspecific
C. Density-dependent; density-independent
D. Density-independent; density-dependent
E. Interspecific; density-independent
20. Which of the following is an intraspecific interaction?
A. Mutualism
B. Territoriality
C. Parasitism
D. Predation
E. All of these are examples of intraspecific interactions
21. Island biogeography explains the phenomenon of _______ terrestrial species on islands small and far from
the mainland when compared to larger islands that are closer to the mainland and have __________ terrestrial
species.
A. Fewer; more
B. More; fewer
C. Larger; smaller
D. Smaller; larger
E. About the same number of; about the same number of
22. How does island biogeography apply to ecosystems other than islands?
A. Relatively rare ecosystems such as coastal areas are more stable if they have high species diversity
B. Habitats that are large and close to development are more adversely affected than smaller fragmented
habitats
C. Habitat fragmentation has formed islands of habitat in "oceans" of development
D. Along with islands in oceans and lakes, the principles of island biogeography apply only to wetland areas
E. Island biogeography is only concerned with islands in oceans and lakes
23. Genetic diversity is lost in a small population when
A. The ecological diversity is high
B. Genetic mutations cause some individuals in a population to be different in coloration or size
C. Individuals from other populations are introduced into the population and the genes are diluted
D. Only a few individuals survive a catastrophe
E. Genetic mutations cause most individuals in a population to have similar genetic makeup

Use the following information. DNA studies suggest that all existing cheetahs share a single male ancestor that
survived in the not-too-distant past. Generally, all male cheetahs are now nearly genetically identical and have
abnormal sperm with decreased reproductive success. The population is extremely vulnerable and genetically,
may be predestined for extinction.
24. The first part of this scenario describes
A. The founder effect or a demographic bottleneck
B. Genetic drift
C. Inbreeding
D. Malthusian strategies
E. Inbreeding or a genetic drift
25. Historically, up until the middle ages, human populations were mostly limited by
A. Low fertility rates
B. Culturally imposed family planning practices
C. Disease, famine and war
D. Religious restrictions on marriage
E. Infanticide
26. Human population growth most closely resembles
A. Carrying capacity geometric increase
B. Irruptive growth
C. Malthusian growth
D. S-shaped growth curve
E. J-shaped growth curve
27. The world human population reached 1 billion in about _________ and passed ____________ in 1999.
A. 1400; 78 billion
B. 1500; 6 trillion
C. 1600; 78 million
D. 1700; 6 million
E. 1800; 6 billion
28. The population theory held by Thomas Malthus was that the human population would
A. Never reach its environment's carrying capacity
B. Develop a modern utopia
C. Reach its environment's carrying capacity and then maintain equilibrium
D. Maintain equilibrium with its carrying capacity
E. Outstrip its resources, then suffer starvation and misery
29. Demography is the science that describes
A. The earth's carrying capacity
B. Population changes and characteristics
C. Energy resources
D. Food production
E. Environmental factors that affects population sizes

30. Ninety percent of the world's population growth in the next century is expected to occur in
A. Less-developed countries
B. China
C. Developed countries
D. Moderately developed nations
E. India
31. The I = PAT formula says that our environmental impacts (I) are the product of
A. The population size times affluence and the amount of time it took for the population to reach
B. its current size
C. The population size times affluence and the technology used to produce goods and services consumed
D. The population size times the amount of technology used
E. The percentage of affluence times the percentage of technology produced
32. The zero population growth rate is slightly over two children per couple because
A. We always need slightly more young people
B. The older generation is dying
C. Some children die and some couples do not have children
D. That is as low as birth rates can reasonably be expected to get
E. The zero population growth rate is not slightly over two children per couple

33. According to the graph, which region has the greatest fertility reduction?
A. Africa
B. The Americas
C. Eastern Mediterranean
D. Europe
E. South-East Asia
34. The total fertility rate is the number of children born
A. To the average woman per year
B. To the average woman during her lifetime
C. In the world during a single year
D. In a population during a single year
E. In a population during an entire generation

35. The main cause of world population growth in the past 300 years has been
A. Increasing fecundity
B. Rising fertility
C. Higher birthrates in developing countries
D. Increasing immigration
E. Falling mortality

36. The population represented by the age class histogram on the right will
A. Have a large population of old people soon
B. Not grow much in the coming years
C. Soon begin to decline
D. Grow substantially in the future
E. Grow slowly in the future
37. The age class histogram on the right could represent the population of
A. The United States
B. Western Europe
C. Kenya
D. Japan
E. Sweden
38. Pronatalist pressures are influences that lead people to
A. Increase fecundity
B. Have more children
C. Have fewer children
D. Prevent infant mortality
E. Wait until later in life to have children
39. Which of the following is considered a true pronatalist pressure?
A. Legitimate needs for support in old age
B. The need for hands to help in farm work and to watch younger siblings
C. Macho pride in men who have many children
D. Woman's status determined by the number of children she has
E. All of these are correct
40. Women who ________ are least likely to have many children.
A. Cannot afford children
B. Live where many children die young
C. Are subordinate to their husbands
D. Are able to earn an income for themselves
E. All of these are correct

41. Birth rate would tend to decrease with a

A. Decrease in education
B. Decrease in affluence
C. Decrease in infant mortality rate
D. Decrease in average marrying age
E. Decrease in sanitation
42. The demographic transition refers to a country's change from
A. High birth and death rates to low birth and death rates
B. High to low birth rates and low to high death rates
C. Low to high birth rates and high to low death rates
D. A majority of young people to a majority of elderly people
E. A majority of elderly people to a majority of young people
43. A demographic transition is expected to accompany
A. Colonization, as in Africa and Asia
B. Economic development and stabilization
C. The development of capitalism
D. The introduction of modern medicine
E. All of these
Use the following demographic data on three hypothetical countries.

44. Which of the following demographic categories best identifies Country "A"?
A. Developed
B. Moderately developed
C. Less developed
D. Developing
E. Third World
45. Country "C" probably has __________ rate of female literacy when compared to the other two countries.
A. The highest
B. An intermediate
C. The lowest
D. An equal
E. It is impossible to use the data in the table to identify the rate of female literacy
46. Less developed countries can best argue that developed countries are primarily responsible for
overpopulation problems because
A. Developed countries grow most of the global food resources
B. Less developed countries have no population-based environmental problems
C. Less developed countries have recently drastically reduced their fertility rates
D. Developed countries do not understand a global society
E. Less developed countries were many times impoverished by colonialism
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47. The graph indicates that more children die

A. In the last stage of demographic transition
B. In the first stage of demographic transition
C. When their mothers are illiterate
D. When their mothers are literate
E. When their mothers are poor
48. The graph indicates that there is
A. A strong relationship between infant mortality and education for women
B. Little relationship between infant mortality and education for women
C. A relationship between infant mortality and education in general
D. More importance for female rather than male education
E. A relationship between birth rate and education for women
49. A collection of separate populations that interact with each other is called a metapopulation.
True (a) False (b)
50. According to the video Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone, acclimation pens served to
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

familiarize the wolves to the sights, sounds and smells of Yellowstone National Park
give the park ranger time to train the wolves
prevent the wolves from bolting back to their native home in Canada
both a and c
none of the above

51. According to the video Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone, when a pack of wolves start the
hunt, they often times chase the elk in a non-threatening manner, passing the baton of pursuit from wolf to
wolf. What purpose do biologists seem to think this stage of the hunt represents?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

It is how wolves have fun

It is how wolves select their target
It is how wolves exercise
It is how wolves show their dominance to one another
None of the above

53. According to the video Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone, how do biologists study wolf kills
when trying to determine which individuals in an elk herd are being taken down?
A. They do a census of the elk population regularly
B. They examine how worn the elks teeth are to determine age at kill sites
C. They examine the color and consistency of the bone marrow to get an indication of the health of the
animal.
D. Both b and c
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Select the answer a (Japan), b (Kenya) or c (India) for the following 7 questions pertaining to the video The
People Paradox from the NOVA: World in the Balance documentary series.
54. This country has a strong son preference, which is partially responsible for its high birth rates.
55. This countrys population is expected to shrink by by the year 2050.
56. Women with children are seen as a burden in this countrys workforce.
57. The husbands family often times interferes with a womans decision to use birth control in this country.
58. of this country is under the age of 25 and is reaching the reproductive age.
59. HIV/ AIDS has left 11 million orphans in this country.
60. Which country has the only increasing death rate?

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AP Environmental Science
Unit: Population
Exam III:

Name: ______________________________

Ch 6: Population Biology & Ch 7: Human Populations

Part II: Constructed Response (40 points)

Instructions: Write to 4 of the following 8 questions. Select 2 from the Human Population choices
#1-4 and 2 from the Population Biology choices #5-8. You MUST choose question #1 or #2 as one of
your Human Population selections. Scratch off the 4 questions that you are NOT choosing to write
to. Please write neatly and use complete sentences.
Question 1:

Human Population

(a) Create a graph of the data from table 1 below on the axes provided.
Table 1: Worldwide Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
Year
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000

TFR
5.0
4.9
4.7
3.7
3.4
3.0

(b) Identify and discuss TWO of the causes for the trend in worldwide TFR that you graphed in part (a).
Table 2: Population Data for Selected Nations (2005)
Country
China
Japan
Kenya
United
States

TFR Crude Birth

Rate *
1.6
12
1.3
9
5.9
43
2.0
14

Crude Death
Rate *
7
8
19
8

Infant Mortality
Rate *
27
2.8
100
6.7

Per Capita Income (U.S.

Dollars)
6,500
31,400
1,000
42,000

*Rates are per thousand per year

(c) Consider the data in table 2 above. Identify and discuss TWO economic or societal factors that account for
the differences between the TFR of Kenya and that of the United States.
(c) Describe TWO human activities related to the rapidly growing world population that are having an
impact on the Earths biodiversity.

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Question 2: Human Population

A certain fictional country called Industria is tracking its population data. In 1855, the first year vital statistics
were reported for the country, the population was 1.6 million, with a crude birth rate of 43 per 1,000. At that
time the population of Industria was growing quite slowly, because of the high death rate of 41 per 1,000. In
1875 the population began to grow very rapidly as the birth rate remained at its 1855 level, while the crude
death rate dropped dramatically to 20 per 1,000. Population growth continued to increase in the small country
into the late 1800s, even though birth rates began to decline slowly.
In 1895 the crude death rate had dropped to 37, and the death rate to 12 per 1,000. In that year (1895) a
complete census revealed that the population of Industria had grown to 2.5 million. By 1950 population
growth gradually began to decline as the death rate remained at its 1895 level, while the birth rate continued to
decline to 22 per 1,000. In 1977 vital statistics revealed that the death rate was 10 per 1,000, and that
population growth had slowed even more to an annual rate of 0.4%. By 1990 Industria had reduced its birth
rate to that of its now constant, low death rate, and the population transition was complete.
(a). Create a graph and plot the crude birth-rate data from 1855 to 1990. Now plot the crude death-rate data
on the same axes. Clearly label the axes and the curves.
(b). What was the annual growth rate of Industria in 1950? What was the birth rate in Industria in 1977?
(c). Indicate TWO factors that might have accounted for the rapid decline in the death rate in Industria
between 1855 and 1895. Indicate one specific reason why the birth rate might have been so high in 1855 and
was so slow to decrease between 1855 and 1950.
(d). Determine what the population size of Industria would have been in 1951 if the population had continued
to grow at the annual rate of growth recorded for Industria in 1895.

Question 3: Human Population

What social challenges are posed by a pyramid shaped population profile versus an inverted pyramid shaped
age structure.

Question 4:

Human Population

Briefly explain how the status of women affects population growth.

Question 5: Population Biology

Compare and contrast r-selected and k-selected species. Give specific examples of each. Be sure to
include the following terms/ concepts in your answer (biotic potential, recruitment, and parental investment)

Question 6: Population Biology

Explain the history of wolf management in the United States focusing on 1) Eradication 2) Protection and 3)
Reintroduction. Be specific in your explanations and be sure to explain the impact on the ecosystem each
step of the way.

Question 7:

Population Biology

What is island biogeography and why is it important in conservation biology?

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Question 8:

Population Biology

Is carrying capacity a fixed entity? Discuss the role of humans in regulating the carrying capacity for human
species and in altering the carrying capacity for other species.

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