Biology · Geography

Population Dynamics

940 Questions

Explore key concepts in population dynamics through these practice questions. The focus is on demographic transition models, population pyramids, and life history theory. These topics are useful for general studies and biology exams.

Demographic transition theoryPopulation pyramidsMathematical growth modelsLife history theory

Population Dynamics Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following causes can be attributed to the decline of population in India between 1911 and 1921?

  1. Several natural hazards
  2. Preventive checks
  3. International migration
  4. Epidemics Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 4 alone

  3. 2 alone

  4. 1 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The period 1911-1921 saw India's only population decline in modern census history, primarily due to devastating epidemics including the Spanish Flu pandemic (1918-1919), influenza, plague, and other diseases. World War I and related disruptions contributed but epidemics were the primary cause. Natural hazards, preventive checks, and international migration were not significant enough factors to cause a net decline.

Multiple choice

Population explosion is associated with

  1. high birth rate and low death rate

  2. high birth rate and high death rate

  3. low birth rate and high death rate

  4. low birth rate and low death rate
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Population explosion occurs when there's a significant imbalance between birth and death rates, specifically when birth rates remain high while death rates decline due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition. This creates rapid population growth. Option A correctly describes this condition.

Multiple choice

India is on the brink of a demographic revolution with more proportion of working-age population between 15 and 59 years. But this demographic dividend can be reaped, only if this young population has which of the following capabilities?

  1. Healthy, rich and educated

  2. Educated, poor and skilled

  3. Healthy, educated and skilled

  4. Educated, unemployed and healthy

  5. Rich, illiterate and healthy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Demographic dividend can be reaped if young population is healthy, educated and skilled. Ref : Ch 2 Economic Survey 2011-12.

Multiple choice

Which of the following attributes increases recent human population growth?

A. Agricultural revolution B. Genetic drift C. Industrial revolution D. Medical advances E. Altruistic behavior

  1. A, C, D and E

  2. B and E only

  3. A, B, C and D

  4. D and E only
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Agricultural revolution has helped mankind with new varieties of plants and bio fertilizers. Industrial revolution has given us lot of job opportunities by increasing the per capita income. Medical advances have increased our life span. Man is helping the society through his altruistic approach (to help others).

Multiple choice

Which of the following correctly defines population dispersion?

  1. Spatial distribution of individuals

  2. Movement of immigration and emigration

  3. Migration from an original place

  4. Random movement of two populations
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Spatial distribution of individuals in a particular place is called a population dispersion.

Multiple choice

On which factor does the rate of increase in a population per unit time depend, according to the law of population growth?

  1. Initial family size in the population

  2. Innate capacity of population to increase

  3. Utilized opportunity for population growth

  4. Interdependency among the members
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to the law of population growth, given by P. F. Verhulst, the rate of increase in a population per unit time depends on the population size, the innate capacity to increase and the  unutilized opportunity for population growth. He defined it with a formula – dN/dt = rN where N is the number of individuals in a population, dN/dt is the rate of change of its numbers, over time and r is the intrinsic rate of natural increase in a population.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements are true about elephants and humans?

A. Both are K strategists according to population ecologists. B. Elephants and humans show a long gestatation period during pregnancy. C. Elephants and humans have low basal metabolic rate (BMR). D. Both show long fertile period in their life time. E. Elephants and human show faster growth rate as compared to other animals.

  1. A, B and D

  2. B, C and D

  3. C, D and E

  4. A, B and E
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A, B and D are true of elephants and humans.  Both are K strategists according to population ecologists, i.e.,  they produce limited offsprings during their life spans. Elephants and humans show a long gestatation period during pregnancy and also show long fertile period in their life time.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, five statements are provided. These statements form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these statements.

A. An Indian professor (Amartya Sen, now settled in the USA and working in Harvard University) in a prestigious JRD Tata Memorial lecture in Delhi, in August 1995, on “Population Stabilization Programme” favoured 'cooperation' approach and denounced the use of coercion to bring down the lines of two famous theories of Condorcet (of France) and Malthus (of Britain).
B. Condorcet believed that female education would lead people to choose voluntarily smaller families and lower fertility rates. C. An important question has been raised now by some thinkers pertaining to population policy - that of cooperation vs coercion, or incentives vs disincentives, or Kerala model vs Chinese model. D. There are some thinkers who support cooperation while there are others who support coercion. E. He supported Condorcet's approach to the problem of population which talked of the emergence of new norms of small family size based on 'the progress of reason'.

  1. CADBE

  2. ADBEC

  3. CDAEB

  4. BAECD
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

As the thought of this para jumble is expressed in C, therefore C initiates the sequence. This narrows down our approach to 2 options either (A) or (B). 'He' in E refers to 'Indian professor' in A, thus, we have AE link. Statement B explains the Condorcet's view, thus, it follows AE. Hence, (3) is the answer.

Multiple choice

What is the primary reason for increase in human population?

  1. The increase in agricultural production

  2. The decrease in agricultural production

  3. The decrease in medical technology

  4. The increase in birth rate and decrease in death rate

  5. The decrease in birth rate and increase in death rate
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct reason.

Multiple choice

What does the term 'Population Statistics' mean?

  1. Population statistics is the number of individual organisms in a population.

  2. Population statistics is the use of statistics to analyze characteristics or changes to a population.

  3. Population statistics is the presence of a systematic difference in allele frequencies between subpopulations in a population possibly due to different ancestry, especially in the context of association studies.

  4. Population statistics is a condition of demographic balance where the number of people in a specified population neither grows nor declines, considered as a social aim by some.

  5. Population statistics is a study of a group of individuals taken from the general population who share a common characteristic, such as age, sex, or health condition.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This answer is correct.

Multiple choice

How can the population density of a particular area be computed?

  1. Dividing the total number of individuals living in that area by the total fertile land area

  2. Dividing the total number of individuals living in that area by the total urban and rural area

  3. Dividing the total number of individuals living in that area by the total land area

  4. Dividing the total number of individuals living in that area by the total urban area alone

  5. Dividing the total number of individuals living in that area by the total rural area alone
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Population density of a particular area can be computed by dividing the total number of individuals living in that area by the total land area.

Multiple choice

What does the term 'Population density' state?

  1. Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans.

  2. Population density is the branch of life sciences that studies short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental processes influencing those changes.

  3. Population density can refer to the decline in population of any organism, but this article refers to population decline in humans.

  4. Population density is a type of mathematical model that is applied to the study of population dynamics.

  5. Population density is a summation of all the organisms of the same group or species, which live in the same geographical area, and have the capability of interbreeding.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This answer is correct.