What is carrying capacity (K) in population ecology?
Total population at a given time
Maximum population a habitat can support
Total number of births in a year
The ratio of males to females
2
Carrying capacity (K) is the maximum number of individuals that an environment can support sustainably.
Which of the following is a correct statement about predator-prey relationships?
Predators always eliminate their prey completely.
Prey populations are unaffected by predator numbers.
Predator and prey populations often fluctuate in cycles.
Predators only affect prey populations, but prey do not influence predator populations.
3
Predator and prey populations are interdependent and fluctuate cyclically based on each other's numbers.
Carrying capacity is the maximum population an environment can support.
Populations never exceed carrying capacity.
When resources are abundant, populations may temporarily exceed carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity can change based on environmental conditions.
Which of the following statements about population dispersion patterns is correct?
Uniform dispersion is the most common in nature.
Clumped dispersion occurs when resources are evenly distributed.
Random dispersion occurs when individuals are neither attracted to nor repelled by one
another.
Species never show more than one type of dispersion pattern.
3
Random dispersion occurs when individuals are distributed unpredictably, without attraction or repulsion.
Which of the following statements about biotic potential is incorrect?
Biotic potential is the maximum reproductive capacity of a population.
It is always reached under natural conditions.
Environmental resistance prevents populations from reaching biotic potential.
r-selected species have a higher biotic potential than K-selected species.
2
Populations rarely reach their full biotic potential due to limiting environmental factors.
