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Population and how it changes - class-XII

Description: population and how it changes
Number of Questions: 50
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Tags: ecology and environment zoology human population
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All the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in an area form a 

  1. Carrying capacity

  2. Biome

  3. Ecosystem

  4. Biological community

  5. Geographical community


Correct Option: D

Individuals of a species which occur in a particular area constitute

  1. Flora

  2. Fauna

  3. Population

  4. Flora and fauna


Correct Option: C

The correct sequence, from simplest to most complex is represented by

  1. Population - organism - community - ecosystem - biosphere

  2. Organism - population - community - ecosystem - biosphere

  3. Organism - population - community - biosphere - ecosystem

  4. Population - organism - community - biosphere - ecosystem

  5. Organism - community - population - ecosystem - biosphere


Correct Option: B

All of the following are population's characteristics except

  1. Number of individuals

  2. Phenotype

  3. Sex ratio

  4. Age distribution

  5. Death rate


Correct Option: B

Choose the correct statement.

  1. A species is one type of population.

  2. A species is a local subset of a population.

  3. A population is a local subset of a species.

  4. A population encompasses many different species.

  5. The terms population and species are interchangeable.


Correct Option: C

Study of ecology of population is called as

  1. Autecology

  2. Synecology

  3. Ecosystem

  4. Demecology


Correct Option: D
Explanation:
Autecology is the study of the interactions of an individual organism or a single species with the living and nonliving factors of its environment. 
Synecology is the branch of science that deals with the natural community and its environment.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms where the biotic and abiotic components interact with each other.
Demecology is that branch of biology which deals with the ecology of populations
Therefore, the correct answer is option D

Organisms belonging to the same species form a

  1. Population

  2. Community

  3. Ecosystem

  4. Trophic level

  5. Guild


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Species is the basic unit in a biological classification and taxonomic ranking system. Generally, species is defined as a group of organisms in which two individuals are capable of reproducing their offspring, Organisms belonging to the same species in a particular locality is termed as population. 

Smallest unit to evolve through natural selection is

  1. Cell

  2. Clade

  3. Organism

  4. Population

  5. Species


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

According to Darwin, evolution happens through natural selection which is a differential success in reproduction and adaptation of the organisms to their environment. The population is defined as a group of interbreeding organisms belonging to a particular species and sharing a common geographic area. Thus the smallest unit that can evolve through natural selection is the population. Thus, the correct answer is option D.

An example of population is

  1. All the honeybees in an orchard in one spring

  2. All the plants and animals in a forest

  3. The living and nonliving factors in a meadow

  4. The life in Earths atmosphere

  5. All the buffalo in 1840


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The term population refers to the number of animals or people in a particular place. The term also includes  group of similar organisms living in the same region or habitat such as organisms of the same species or number of honeybees in an orchard in one spring.

Individuals of a species which occur in a particular area constitute ______________.

  1. Flora

  2. Fauna

  3. Community

  4. Population


Correct Option: D

The stationary phase of a population occurs when



  1. Natality > Mortality

  2. Natality = Mortality

  3. Mortality > Natality

  4. Natality $ = 0$


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Stationary phase (zero growth or plateau rate) of population occurs when birth and death rates are equal, the population stabilizes around the carrying capacity of the environment.

Individuals of any species at a place from

  1. biotic community

  2. ecosystem

  3. population

  4. biome


Correct Option: C
Explanation:
A. Biotic community is a group of populations of different species in a given area.
B. The ecosystem is the community of organisms that interact with each other and their surroundings or environment.
C. A population is a group of individual organisms of same species living in a given area.
D. A biome is a complex of different type of communities which are maintained under more or less similar climatic conditions.
So, the correct answer is 'Population'.

Individual of one kind occupying a particular geographic area at a given time are called

  1. Community

  2. Population

  3. Species

  4. Biome


Correct Option: B

Changes in nature of population are called as

  1. Demography

  2. Vital index

  3. Demecology

  4. Population dynamics


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Population Dynamics is a branch of science. It deals with and studies the age, and size of a population. It also studies the other components of a population. As a result, it studies the over all nature of the population.

So, option D is the correct answer.

Population is

  1. All animals of an area

  2. All plants of an area

  3. All plants and animals of an area

  4. All individuals of a species


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The answer is population because, population is defined as a community that consists of all the individuals of a given species in a specific area. All animals and plants of an area defines all species of plants or animals and in that sense we can say that number of plants or animals in the given area is there. But for a population to form we take into account all the individuals of a given species only, it makes it specific and therefore cannot comprise of  all the animals or plants. So the correct answer is ' all Individuals of a species'. 

Which one of the following sequences was proposed by Darwin and Wallace for organic evolution?

  1. A) overproduction, variations,constancy of population size, natural selection

  2. B) variations, constancy of population size, over production, natural selection

  3. C) over production, constancy of population size, variations and natural selection

  4. D) variations, natural selection,over production, constancy of population size


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The sequence proposed by Darwin and Wallace for organic evolution is Overproduction, variations, constancy of population size, natural selection.First the species produces enormous number of offspring which contains variation. Then extra population is eliminated because not all the offspring can survive because of population stress. Lastly the natural selection operates for the survival of the fittest.

In sugar factories____ of total crushing in bagasse

  1. $40\%$

  2. $60\%$

  3. $30\%$

  4. $70\%$


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Bagasse is the residue of sugar cane  after the sugar cane containing the  juice is crushed and squeezed. Bagasse around 40%-50% of total sugar cane. 

So, the correct answer is 40%  

A group of individuals of a plant or animal species, inhabiting a given area is called

  1. Biome

  2. Population

  3. Ecosystem

  4. Community


Correct Option: B

The transient population between two adjacent ecotypes is called as

  1. Deme

  2. Polytypic

  3. Cline

  4. Hybrid


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The diverse climate and the seasonal variations lead to the formation of several zones having flora and fauna with the phenotypic difference. An ecocline or simply cline describes an ecotone in which a series of biocommunities display a continuous gradient. The term was coined by the Huxley in 1938. Clines are the source of genetic and phenotypic variations. It consists of different forms of species, that exhibit gradual phenotypic and / or genetic differences over a geographical area, typically as a result of  diverse environmental condition. 

The smallest unit that can evolve through natural selection is

  1. Cell

  2. Clade

  3. Organism

  4. Population

  5. Species


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The differential success in the reproduction of individual organisms is a natural selection that takes place due to the interactions between individual organisms and their environments. Studies however, show that individual organisms do not evolve but it is the population that evolves. Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Refer to the table below containing data obtained for a rabbit population over a period of several years.

Year Number of rabbits
1 4
2 17
3 62
4 245


Assuming unlimited resources, what would be the approximate expected rabbit population in year 5?

  1. 5000

  2. 1000

  3. 500

  4. 300

  5. 100


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

If the resources are unlimited, the population can continue growing exponentially. In the first year, there were 4 rabbits. In the second year, there were approximately 4 × 4 (42), or 16 rabbits. In the third year, there were 4 × 4 × 4 (43) rabbits, about 64. In the fourth year, there were approximately 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 (44) rabbits, or about 256. Following this pattern, we can assume in the fifth year there would be approximately 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 (45), or 1024 rabbits which is approximate 1000. 

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Populations have all of the following characteristics except

  1. Number of individuals

  2. Phenotype

  3. Sex ratio

  4. Age distribution

  5. Death rate


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

A population is a group of individual of a species inhabiting a particular geographic area. Number of individuals (population size), sex ratio (ratio of total individuals of two genders), age distribution (number of individuals in different age groups namely, childhood, adults and old age) and death rate (ratio of number of dying individuals to total population size) are some of the characters of population. The phenotype is visual/physical expression of the genotype of an individual; hence, it is characters of individually determined by its genotype. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Which of the following is not the characteristic of population?

  1. Size

  2. Density

  3. Age distribution

  4. Phenotype

  5. Death rate


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The phenotype is not the characteristic of the population. It is the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment

Total size is the number of individuals in a population.
Population density is defined as the number of individuals per unit area or per unit volume of the environment.
Distribution is the spatial pattern of individuals in a population relative to one another.
Death rate means mortality which means the rate of death of individuals in a population. 
Therefore, the correct answer is option D.

Population growth is not affected by which one of the following density-dependent factor?

  1. Limited nutrients

  2. Climate and temperature

  3. Build-up of toxins

  4. Predation

  5. Limited water


Correct Option: B
Explanation:
Climate temperature is not related to density-dependent factors affecting population growth because density-dependent factor is a limiting factor that depends on population size.
Density-dependent limiting factors include:
•   competition
•   predation
•   parasitism
•   disease, nutrients and water availability
Thus, the correct answer is option B. 

The relationship between a population and a species is described by

  1. A species is one type of population

  2. A species is a local subset of a population

  3. A population is a group of organisms occupying a specific area

  4. A population encompasses many different species

  5. The terms population and species are interchangeable.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Population is a group of individuals of same species that occupy a specific area. A species can have one or more than one population i.e. population is local subset of species and a species can have many populations inhabiting in different areas. Since many populations that can interbreed make a species, these terms are not interchangeable.  Thus, the correct answer is option C.

What is the demographic transition of a society?

  1. Low birth rates and low death rates

  2. Low birth rates and high death rates

  3. High birth rates and low death rates

  4. High birth rates and high death rates

  5. High birth rates and high emigration


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Demographic transition of a society is the changing pattern of the population from high birth and death rates to the low birth and death rates over the time period. It indicates the economic changes in the particular region as the country develops from a pre-industrial to an industrialized one. Thus, the correct answer is option A.

Which of these best describes a population? 

  1. All of the frogs, dragonflies and water nymphs living in a pond.

  2. All of the soil organisms in a garden including the type of soil and moisture content of the soil.

  3. All of the E. coli bacteria living in your intestines.

  4. All of the different types of birds living in a wetland.

  5. An individual Eastern Spotted Skunk Iivng in a prairie.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:
Population is a group of individual organisms of the same species in a given area.
Among all options, its option C which describes a population because it is showing the group of individuals of one species only i.e. E. coli living in a given area (intestine in this case).
So, the correct answer is 'All of the E. colibaceria living in your intestines'.

First population count in India was started in

  1. 1852

  2. 1891

  3. 1901

  4. 1951


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

First population count in India was done in 1872 but due to many irregularities in it, 1891 census is considered as country's first census.

Populations are said to be sympatric when ......

  1. Two populations live together and freely interbreed to produce sterile offspring

  2. Two populations are physically isolated by natural barriers

  3. Two populations are isolated but occasionally come together to interbreed

  4. Two populations share the same environment but cannot interbreed


Correct Option: D

The sum total of the populations of the same kind of organisms constitute

  1. Colony

  2. Genus

  3. Community

  4. Species


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Species is a group of the same kind of the organisms.

Genus is a group of organisms which maybe of different species.
colony is usually an association of two or more different kind of organisms which live together usually in mutual relationships.
Community is a big group of organisms which may be of different kind but live together and use the same resources in the same area.
So the correct answer is' Species'.

The aggregate of process that determine the size and composition of any population is known as

  1. Population dynamics

  2. Population dispersal

  3. Population explosion

  4. Population density


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Population dynamics is a study of population. it includes size and age of a population, and also its composition. It considers these as dynamic systems. It also studies the biological environment affecting these dynamics.

So, option A is the correct answer.

Populations connected by dispersing individuals are called

  1. Demes

  2. Community

  3. Metapopulation

  4. Both B and C


Correct Option: C
Explanation:
Metapopulation is a group of populations that are separated by space but consist of the same species. It is a population in which individuals are spatially distributed in a habitat to two or subpopulations.
So the correct answer is 'Metapopulation'.

Individuals having similar life cycle experiencing similar ecological parameters at similar stage of life cycle are

  1. Guild

  2. Population

  3. Ecocline

  4. Biotype


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

"Population" is defined as a group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a same given area. Members of a population often rely on the same resources and are subject to similar environmental constraints.

"Guild" is any group of species that exploit either same resources or different resources in related ways. Also, it is not necessary that the species within a guild occupy the same, or even similar  ecological niches.
"Ecoline"  is a physical transition zone. It is a variation of the physicochemical environment of one or two physicochemical factors.
"Biotype" is a group of individuals that are genetically identical but form a physiologically distinct race within a species, having dissimilar parameters.
Hence, answer is "Population".

Population was termed as self perpetuating unit by :

  1. Malthus

  2. Spencer

  3. Mobius

  4. Odum


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Malthus termed population as "Self perpetuating unit" in his book, "An Essay on the Principle of Population," which was published in 1798.

Which among these represent a population?

  1. Spider and trapped files in its web

  2. All plants in a forest

  3. Earthworm that lives in grassland

  4. All the Oak trees in a forest


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

population is all the organisms that belongs to the same group or species and lives in a particular geographical area with the capability of interbreeding.

All the oak trees in a forest specifically mentions a species that is present in that geographical area.

Urban population of the world is

  1. 45%

  2. 39%

  3. 35%

  4. 30%


Correct Option: A
Explanation:
The total population of the world is about 7.7 billion and out of this population, about 4.2 billion population is living in the urban area. So, the percentage of urban population of the world is about 55% which is near to 45% among all options given in the question.
So, the correct answer is '45%'.

A population is a group of

  1. Species in a community

  2. Communities in an ecosystem

  3. Individuals in a family

  4. Individuals in a species


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

A group of different organisms with related characters of a same area is called population.

So the correct option is 'individuals in a species'.

A population consists of the number of individuals in-a given area at a particular time

  1. True

  2. False


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

 A population is a group of individuals belonging to a species occupying a given area at a particular time

So, the correct option is 'True'

Match column I with column II and choose the correct option from the given codes.

Column I Column II
A. Population (i) Part of the earth consisting of all the ecosystems of the world
B. Community (ii) Assemblage of all the individuals belonging to different species occurring in an area
C. Ecosphere (iii) Group of similar individuals belonging to the same species, found in an area
D. Ecosphere (iv) Interaction between the living organisms and their physical environment
(v) Classification of organisms based on the type of environment
  1. A-(iii), B-(ii), C-(i), D-(v)

  2. A-(iv), B-(v), C-(iii), D-(i)

  3. A-(ii), B-(iii), C-(i), D-(iv)

  4. A-(iii), B-(ii), C-(iv), D-(i)


Correct Option: D
Explanation:
 Column I  Column II
 A. Population  A group of individuals of the same species occupying a particular geographic area. Populations may be relatively small and closed, as on an island or in a valley, or they may be more diffuse and without a clear boundary between them and a neighboring population of the same species.So the correct option is 'group of similar individuals belonging to same species, found in an area'.
 B. Community  A community is a small or large social unit (a group of living things) that has something in common, such as norms, religion, values, or identity. Communities often share a sense of place that is situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, town, or neighborhood) or in virtual space through communication platforms. Although communities are usually small relative to personal social ties (micro-level), "community" may also refer to large group affiliations (or macro-level), such as national communities, international communities, and virtual communities.So the correct option is 'assemblage of all the individuals belong to different species occurring in an area'. 
 C. Ecosphere  An ecosphere is a planetary closed ecological system. In this global ecosystem, the various forms of energy and matter that constitute a given planet interact on a continual basis. The forces of the four Fundamental interactions cause the various forms of matter to settle into identifiable layers.So the correct option is 'interaction between the living organisms and their physical environment'.
D. Ecosphere The biosphere of the earth or other planet, especially when the interaction between the living and nonliving components is emphasized.So the correct option is 'Part of the earth consisting of all the ecosystems of the world'.

Population ecology is an important area because it (i) ecology to population genetics and (ii) identify (i) and (ii) in the above statement and select the correct option.
                                                       

  1. distinguishes evolution

  2. distinguishes biogenesis

  3. links evolution

  4. links biogenesis


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Population ecology is the sub field of ecology that deals with the dynamics of species populations and how these populations interact with the environment. It is an important area because it links the ecology to population genetics and responsible for evolution. 

So, the correct option is 'Option C' .

The principle of competitive exclusion was enunciated by

  1. Verhulst and Pearl

  2. C. Darwin

  3. G.F. Gause

  4. MacArthur.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The principle of competitive exclusion is also called as Gause's Competitive Exclusion principle which states that two closely related species competing for the same resource can not co-exist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually and this was given by G.F. Gause. So the correct option is "G.F. Gause"

Difference between population and community is

  1. Population is the grouping of individuals of same species at the same place.

  2. Community is the grouping of individuals of same species at the same place same time.

  3. Population is the grouping of individuals of different species at the different place.

  4. Community is the grouping of individuals of different species at the same place at a same time.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

A population may be defined as a group of individuals belonging to a single species. The units of study are populations. Study of interaction between individuals in terms of growth, reproduction, dispersal etc., constitutes population ecology. 

A community may be defined as populations of different species living together in a common habitat. The members of a community may be plants as well as animals. 
Thus, the correct answer is option D.

In modern civilised world, greatest predator of man is

  1. Wild dog

  2. Tiger

  3. Man

  4. Vultures


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

In modern civilised world, the greatest predator of man is man. Man indulges itself in the activities like deforestation which creates disbalance in nature and generates threats. The population explosion, global warming and floods are the other natural process which disturbs the equilibrium.

The Allee effect is described by

  1. Population growth increases as population density increases, below a certain density.

  2. Population growth increases as population density increases, above a certain density.

  3. Population growth decreases as population density increases, above a certain density.

  4. Population growth increases as population density increases, causing density to then decrease.

  5. Population growth decreases as population density increases, causing density to then decrease.


Correct Option: C

Refer to the table below containing data obtained for a rabbit population over a period of several years.

Year Number of rabbits
1 4
2 17
3 62
4 245


Ultimately, the amount of nutrients and other resources would become limiting. What would happen to the rabbit population at that time?

  1. It would reach the carrying capacity of the environment.

  2. It would continue to grow indefinitely.

  3. It would engage in intraspecific competition.

  4. Both A and B.

  5. Both A and C.


Correct Option: E
Explanation:

If the nutrients and other resources are limited they will limit the population size and it will reach the "carrying capacity" of the environment and rabbits will compete with one another (intraspecific competition) for these limited nutrients. Therefore, the correct answer is option E.

A biological community can be best described by

  1. A group of individuals of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time

  2. All populations of different species that live and interact in the same area

  3. All populations of different species that live and interact in the same area and the abiotic environment

  4. The part of earth where life exists

  5. A group of organisms that share similar ecological niches in different areas


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The population is individuals of same species that occupy a specific area. The ecosystem is an assemblage of different species of an area and abiotic factors of a geographical area and also takes account of the interaction between them. The part of the earth where life exists is referred to as biosphere. A group of organisms that share similar ecological niches in different areas constitute species. The community is a group of populations of different species living together in a habitat and interacting with each other. Thus, the correct answer is B.

Two populations of a species of pine tree are located on opposite sides of a mountain range. The two populations are genetically similar to each other.
An invasive beetle infestation kills 80% of the trees on the west side of the range. The beetle population does not spread to the eastern side of the range, and the east tree population does not experience any beetle related loss. After the infestation, the western tree population increases in size again.
What is the expected outcome of genetic testing comparing the two populations?

  1. The genetic diversity of the west population is higher than the east population.

  2. The phenotypic variation of the west population is higher than the east population.

  3. The two populations are less genetically similar than they were prior to the beetle infestation.

  4. The two populations remain genetically similar.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Due to beetle infestation, 80% of the trees on the west side of the range were killed. This will result in the alteration of allele frequencies. Certain alleles are lost during infestation. In the small population of the west side, genetic diversity is less compared to that of a large population in the east. Due to less genetic diversity, phenotypic variations will also be lower on the west side. Hence, the two side of populations will be less genetically similar than the earlier. 

Thus, the correct answer is 'The two populations are less genetically similar than they were prior to the beetle infestation.'

For natural selection to occur, which of the following must be true for a population of organisms?

  1. Phenotypic variations must be based on genetic variations rather than on varying environmental conditions.

  2. The population must be occupying the same niche as another local population.

  3. Organisms in the population must be capable of sexual reproduction.

  4. Food resources must be limited.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Evolution takes place due to various reasons like natural selection, mutation, genetic drift. Phenotypic variations must be based on genetic variations rather than on varying environmental conditions. Sexual reproduction results in the genetic variation but does not affect the natural selection. Also, limited food resources may drive natural selection but is not the reason for natural selection to occur.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Phenotypic variations must be based on genetic variations rather than on varying environmental conditions.'

A population is made up of

  1. All individuals of any kind

  2. All groups of organisms in an area at any one time

  3. Groups of individuals of different kinds in an area

  4. Individuals of the same kind in an area at a given time


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

A population is all the organisms of the same group or species, which live in a particular geographical area, and have the capability of interbreeding. They are capable of interbreeding or reproduction.

So the correct option is 'individuals of the same kind in an area at a given time'.

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