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1.9 Life History: r/K Selection — Test 1
Q1. A characteristic feature of r-selected species is:✓ Large clutch (brood) size
Q2. r-selection is characterised by:✓ Early sexual maturity
Q3. Which is NOT a characteristic of r-selected species?✓ Iteroparity (repeated reproduction)
Q4. Which statement is FALSE about r-selected species?✓ They have long generation times
Q5. A characteristic feature of K-selected species is:✓ First reproduction later in life
Q6. A population with a low intrinsic growth rate (r ≈ 0.2) is most likely to show:✓ Late sexual maturity and small clutch size
Q7. The ecological strategies in which organisms are favoured for investing energy in either rapid reproduction or in maintenance and competitiveness are termed:✓ r- and K-selection
Q8. Compared with K-selection, r-selection favours:✓ Rapid development, smaller body size and early, semelparous reproduction
Q9. The trait set best characterising an r-selected species is:✓ Type III survivorship, short lifespan and density-independent mortality
Q10. Mayflies, Pacific salmon and annual grain crops have in common that they are:✓ Semelparous
Q11. Which of the following is NOT semelparous?✓ Dracaena (a long-lived perennial)
Q12. A specialist species typically has:✓ A narrower niche and high efficiency of resource use
Q13. An organism that shows a high level of parental care is also most likely to show:✓ Iteroparity
Q14. Big trees in a forest are best characterised by which reproductive strategy?✓ Later age at first reproduction and few large seeds
Q15. A statement that best supports the concept of trade-offs in life-history evolution is:✓ An increase in seed size is usually associated with a decrease in seed number
Q16. Conditions that favour the production of a small number of large-sized offspring include: A. Scarcity of food during early life; B. Provision of parental care; C. High early mortality regardless of size; D. Predators preferring large prey.✓ A and B
Q17. A newly discovered species is small-bodied (<10 cm) and short-lived (<20 days). Its most likely reproductive strategy is to:✓ Breed early, only once, producing many small offspring
Q18. In a rodent species, snakes selectively prey on large, older individuals. The favoured life-history response is:✓ Early reproduction and slow growth
Q19. A population age structure with relatively few individuals in the pre-reproductive stage and many in the post-reproductive stage indicates a population that is:✓ Declining
Q20. Match each reproductive concept with its description and select the correct option.✓ A-ii, B-i, C-iii, D-iv