Question

carrying capacity
the largest population an area can support with its resources (i.e., food, water, land) is called its carrying capacity. a population usually stays near its carrying capacity because of the limiting factors of a habitat.

as a population first begins to grow it will typically exhibit exponential growth, and it will continue growing until the population overshoots the carrying capacity. the population will then run out of resources and begin to decline. it can recover and stabilize around the carrying capacity. rabbit populations established this pattern when they were first introduced into australia in the mid-1800s. at first, the rabbits multiplied quickly and the population crashed as they starved to death. however, over time, the vegetation recovered, and the rabbit population increased again.

the reintroduction of a predator, the lynx, has helped to stabilize the population so that its numbers remain relatively stable.

1. what is carrying capacity? (answer in a complete sentence by restating the question)

1. how are limiting factors related to carrying capacity? (answer in a complete sentence by restating the question)

1. label each of the blanks on the graph with the following stages of a population responding to the carrying capacity of the ecosystem with the following terms:
2. exponential growth 2) overshoot 3) decline 4) recovery 5) carrying capacity.

Explanation:

Question 12:

Carrying capacity is defined as the largest population an area can support with its resources (like food, water, land) because of the limiting factors of its habitat.

Limiting factors are related to carrying capacity as they determine the maximum population size (carrying capacity) an area can sustain by restricting resource availability or imposing other constraints.

1. The first steep - rising part of the graph (before the peak) is exponential growth, as the population grows rapidly without many constraints.
2. The peak above the carrying capacity line is overshoot, where the population exceeds the carrying capacity.
3. The drop after the overshoot is decline, as the population decreases due to lack of resources.
4. The upward trend after the decline (but below the overshoot) is recovery, as the population starts to rebound as resources recover.
5. The horizontal dashed line (or the level around which the population stabilizes) is carrying capacity, the maximum sustainable population.

So from top to bottom (or in the order of the graph's segments): 2) overshoot, 1) exponential growth, 3) decline, 4) recovery, 5) carrying capacity (the horizontal line).

Answer:

Carrying capacity is the largest population an area can support with its resources (e.g., food, water, land) due to the limiting factors of its habitat.

Question 13: