Seabirds nest at fairly even spacing along a cliff because each pair defends a small territory. What dispersion pattern does this show?

Mussels attach in dense patches to a few rocks in a fast-moving stream. Which pattern describes this population?

A wind-dispersed plant grows wherever a seed happens to land in a meadow with evenly available soil and light. Its locations show no consistent spacing. What pattern is this?

Creosote bushes in a desert are spaced at similar distances because nearby plants compete strongly for scarce water. Identify their dispersion pattern.

After a flood, frogs gather around the few remaining ponds in a wetland. What dispersion pattern would a survey show?

Solitary moths each lay a single egg on a leaf they choose independently, with no coordination between individuals and no consistent spacing across the forest. What dispersion pattern results?

Shrubs on a dry hillside release allelopathic chemicals that keep other seeds from germinating within a few meters of each shrub. What dispersion pattern does this tend to produce?

On a savanna, elephants are concentrated near a river during a dry season and scarce elsewhere. What dispersion pattern is most likely?

Desert shrubs grow in clusters in shallow low spots and are scarce on the higher ground between them. What most likely produces this clumped pattern?

Why can breeding seabirds on a crowded island show uniform dispersion?

A school of fish remains together while moving through open water. What most directly produces its clumped dispersion?

A forest is replanted with seedlings exactly 3 meters apart to reduce competition for water and light. What causes the resulting uniform pattern?

In a large grassland with homogeneous conditions, a plant's seeds fall close to the parent but are then dispersed unpredictably by small animals. Why might the adult plants approach random dispersion?

A colony of bats roosts in the few caves available on a limestone ridge. What environmental condition produces their clumped distribution?

A survey finds 450 deer in 90 square kilometers of forest. What is the population density?

A marsh contains 240 herons across 60 square kilometers. What density should be reported?

Two reserves each contain 600 antelope. Reserve A is 200 square kilometers, and Reserve B is 400 square kilometers. Which reserve has the greater population density?

A pond has 180 turtles in 30 hectares. A second pond has 200 turtles in 50 hectares. Which statement is correct?

A city park supports 1,200 rabbits in 40 square kilometers. After development, 900 rabbits remain in 20 square kilometers. How did density change?

A biologist records 75 salamanders in a 15-hectare woodland. What is the population density?

What does population size describe?

What measurement best describes how crowded a population is within its habitat?

Lake A contains 3,000 fish in 30 square kilometers, while Lake B contains 4,000 fish in 80 square kilometers. Which comparison is correct?

A wildlife manager reports that a prairie-dog colony has 2,500 individuals. Which population characteristic has been reported?

Two neighborhoods each contain 1,000 street trees, but one covers 10 square kilometers and the other covers 25 square kilometers. What differs between the neighborhoods?