Organisms and Populations Question 54
54. The population of an insect species shows an explosive increase in numbers during rainy season followed by its disappearance at the end of the season. What does this show?
[2007]
(a) The food plants mature and die at the end of the rainy season
(b) Its population growth curve is of J-type
(c) The population of its predators increases enormously
(d) S-shaped or sigmoid growth of this insect.
Show Answer
Answer : b
Hints & Solutions
(b) If a population (e.g reindeer population) is allowed to grow in a predator free environment, the population grows beyond carrying capacity and there occurs population crash due to sudden shortage of food. Such growth curves also occur in insect populations during rainy season and in algal blooms.
