Which term refers to maximum population size sustainable by resources?

Which term refers to maximum population size sustainable by resources?

• A. Carrying capacity
• B. Biotic potential
• C. Growth rate
• D. Environmental limit

Answer: (A)

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that the environment can support indefinitely given the available resources such as food, water, shelter and space. As a population grows, resources become scarcer, leading to increased competition, higher mortality or lower birth rates, and the population leveling off as it approaches this limit. If resources are depleted or the environment is degraded, carrying capacity can drop, causing the population to fall. Conversely, improvements in technology or resource management can raise carrying capacity by making resources more available. The other terms describe different ideas: biotic potential is how fast a population could grow under ideal conditions, not the sustainable limit; growth rate is how quickly the population increases or decreases over time; environmental limit is a generic phrase that doesn’t pinpoint the specific sustainable maximum.

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that the environment can support indefinitely given the available resources such as food, water, shelter and space. As a population grows, resources become scarcer, leading to increased competition, higher mortality or lower birth rates, and the population leveling off as it approaches this limit. If resources are depleted or the environment is degraded, carrying capacity can drop, causing the population to fall. Conversely, improvements in technology or resource management can raise carrying capacity by making resources more available. The other terms describe different ideas: biotic potential is how fast a population could grow under ideal conditions, not the sustainable limit; growth rate is how quickly the population increases or decreases over time; environmental limit is a generic phrase that doesn’t pinpoint the specific sustainable maximum.