Name: ______Date: ______

Bell: ______

Studying Populations and Limiting Factors Notes

Population Density
How to Calculate Population Density
Direct Observation
Indirect Observation
Sampling
Mark and Recapture
Birth Rate
Death Rate
Immigration
Emigration
Limiting Factors
Examples of Limiting Factors
Carrying Capacity

Name: ______Date: ______

Bell: ______

Studying Populations and Limiting Factors Practice Questions

Multiple Choice

Choose the letter of the best answer.

_____ 1. If you count 20 beetles in a garden measuring 5 square meters, the population density of the beetles is

  1. 100 beetles per square meter.
  2. 20 beetles per square meter.
  3. 5 beetles per square meter.
  4. 4 beetles per square meter.

_____ 2. Counting the number of organisms in a small area and multiplying to estimate the number in a larger area is called

  1. Direct observation.
  2. Mark and recapture.
  3. Population density.
  4. Sampling.

_____ 3. The major way in which new individuals are added to a population is through

  1. Sampling.
  2. The birth of offspring.
  3. Mark and recapture.
  4. Emigration.

_____ 4. A group of antelope leaving the herd in search of better grassland is an example of

  1. Immigration.
  2. Emigration.
  3. Increasing birth rate.
  4. Decreasing death rate.

_____ 5. Which term refers to an environmental factor that prevents a population from increasing?

  1. Biotic factor
  2. Abiotic factor
  3. Immigration
  4. Limiting factor

_____ 6. The largest population that an environment can support is called its

  1. Carrying capacity.
  2. Limiting factor.
  3. Birth rate.
  4. Death rate.

_____ 7. An early winter frost preventing further growth in a tomato garden is an example of

  1. Carrying capacity
  2. A limiting factor.
  3. A biotic factor.
  4. Indirect observation.

_____ 8. All of the following are examples of limiting factors EXCEPT

  1. Food
  2. Soil
  3. Space
  4. Weather conditions

_____ 9. Population density is defined as

  1. An approximation of a number, based on reasonable assumptions.
  2. The number of individuals of a population in a specific area.
  3. The number of individuals moving into a population
  4. The smallest level of ecological organization

True or False

If the statement is true, write true. If it is false, change the underlined word or words to make the statement true.

______10. Individuals decrease the size of a population when they emigrate from it.

______11. The population density decreases as the number of individuals in an area increases.

______12. Population size generally increases if the birth rate is greater than the death rate.

______13. The carrying capacity is the smallest number of individuals in a population that can live in one area.

Completion

Fill in the word or phrase that best completes each statement.

______14. The ____ method of estimating involves multiplying the number of organisms in a small area to find the number in a larger area.

______15. Observing animal tracks is an example of ____ observation, which is used to estimate population size.

______16. A group of zebras breaking off from a herd decreases the size of the herd population through _____.

______17. The major way that populations increase in size is through the ___ of offspring.

______18. If food is scarce, it becomes a _____ factor that prevents population growth.

______19. A lack of places to build nests is an example of ______as a limiting factor for a population of birds.

Calculation

Calculate the answer to the following question. Show your work below the problem!

______20. An ecologist counts 75 cardinals in an area measuring 15 square kilometers. What is the population density of the cardinals?