Textbook Question
Based on current growth rates, Earth's human population in 2019 will be closest to
a. 2.5 million
b. 4.5 billion
c. 7.5 billion
d. 10.5 billion
Ch. 53 - Population Ecology
Urry11th EditionCampbell BiologyISBN: 9789357423311
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry8
- Ch. 2 - The Chemical Context of Life8
- Ch. 3 - Water and Life6
- Ch. 4 - Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life9
- Ch. 5 - The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules9
- Ch. 6 - A Tour of the Cell6
- Ch. 7 - Membrane Structure and Function6
- Ch. 8 - An Introduction to Metabolism6
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation10
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis7
- Ch. 11 - Cell Communication7
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle10
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles10
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene Idea14
- Ch, 15 - The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance7
- Ch. 16 - The Molecular Basis of Inheritance9
- Ch. 17 - Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein9
- Ch. 18 - Regulation of Gene Expression10
- Ch. 19 - Viruses6
- Ch. 20 - DNA Tools and Biotechnology8
- Ch. 21 - Genomes and Their Evolution8
- Ch. 22 - Descent with Modification: A Darwininan View of Life6
- Ch. 23 - The Evolution of Populations5
- Ch. 24 - The Origin of Species6
- Ch. 25 - The History of Life on Earth6
- Ch. 26 - Phylogeny and the Tree of Life7
- Ch. 27 - Bacteria and Archaea8
- Ch. 28 - Protists7
- Ch. 29 - Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land7
- Ch. 30 - Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants7
- Ch. 31 - Fungi5
- Ch. 32 - An Overview of Animal Diversity4
- Ch. 33 - An introduction to Invertebrates6
- Ch. 34 - The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates7
- Ch. 35 - Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development8
- Ch. 36 - Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants8
- Ch. 37 - Soil and Plant Nutrition10
- Ch. 38 - Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology8
- Ch. 39 - Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals8
- Ch. 40 - Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function8
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition7
- Ch. 42 - Circulation and Gas Exchange7
- Ch. 43 - The Immune System6
- Ch. 44 - Osmoregulation and Excretion6
- Ch. 45 - Hormones and the Endocrine System8
- Ch. 46 - Animal Reproduction8
- Ch. 47 - Animal Development8
- Ch. 48 - Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling6
- Ch. 49 - Nervous Systems8
- Ch. 50 - Sensory and Motor Mechanisms5
- Ch. 51 Animal Behavior6
- Ch. 52 - An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere7
- Ch. 53 - Population Ecology10
- Ch. 54 - Community Ecology9
- Ch. 55 - Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology8
- Ch. 56 - Conservation Biology and Global Change6
Chapter 53, Problem 3
Scientific study of the population cycles of the snowshoe hare and its predator, the lynx has revealed that
a. Predation is the dominant factor affecting prey population cycling.
b. Hares and lynx are so mutually dependent that each species cannot survive without the other.
c. Both hare and lynx population sizes are affected mainly by abiotic factors.
d. The hare population is r-selected and the lynx population is K-selected.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of population cycles: Population cycles refer to the fluctuations in population size over time, often influenced by various factors including predation, resource availability, and environmental conditions.
Examine the role of predation: Predation can significantly impact prey populations by controlling their numbers. Consider how the lynx, as a predator, might affect the snowshoe hare population through predation.
Consider mutual dependence: Evaluate whether the snowshoe hare and lynx populations are interdependent, meaning that the survival of one species is closely linked to the presence of the other.
Analyze abiotic factors: Abiotic factors such as climate, habitat, and food availability can influence population sizes. Determine if these factors play a major role in the population cycles of hares and lynxes.
Differentiate between r-selected and K-selected species: r-selected species typically have high reproductive rates and short lifespans, while K-selected species have lower reproductive rates and longer lifespans. Assess whether the hare and lynx fit these descriptions.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Predation and Population Dynamics
Predation is a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey, significantly influencing the population dynamics of both species. In the context of the snowshoe hare and lynx, predation is a critical factor that can lead to cyclical fluctuations in their populations, as the predator's survival depends on the availability of prey, and vice versa.
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03:01
Community Dynamics Example 1
R-selected and K-selected Species
R-selected species, like the snowshoe hare, are characterized by high reproductive rates, short generation times, and the ability to exploit unstable environments. In contrast, K-selected species, such as the lynx, tend to have lower reproductive rates, longer lifespans, and are adapted to stable environments where they compete for limited resources. These strategies affect how each species responds to environmental pressures.
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04:08r/K Selection
Abiotic Factors in Population Ecology
Abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical components of the environment, such as temperature, water availability, and habitat conditions, that can influence the population sizes of organisms. In the study of hare and lynx populations, understanding how these factors impact each species is crucial, as they can affect food availability, habitat suitability, and survival rates, thereby influencing population cycles.
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05:45Population Ecology
Related Practice
Textbook Question
A population's carrying capacity
a. May change as environmental conditions change
b. Can be accurately calculated using the logistic growth model
c. Increases as the per capita population growth rate decreases
d. Can never be exceeded
Textbook Question
The observation that members of a population are uniformly distributed suggests that
a. Resources are distributed unevenly.
b. The members of the population are competing for access to a resource.
c. The members of the population are neither attracted to nor repelled by one another.
d. The density of the population is low.
Textbook Question
Population ecologists follow the fate of same-age cohorts to
a. Determine a population's carrying capacity
b. Determine the birth rate and death rate of each group in a population
c. Determine if a population is regulated by density-dependent processes
d. Determine the factors that affect the size of a population
Textbook Question
Analyzing ecological footprints reveals that
a. Earth's carrying capacity would increase if per capita meat consumption increased.
b. Current demand by industrialized countries for resources is much smaller than the ecological footprint of those countries.
c. It is not possible for technological improvements to increase Earth's carrying capacity for humans.
d. The ecological footprint of the United States is large because per capita resource use is high.