Fiveable
Fiveable

or

Log in

Find what you need to study


Light

Find what you need to study

3.4 Carrying Capacity

1 min readjanuary 7, 2023

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

A population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in a particular geographic area. Each population needs specific resources due to size, reproductive strategies, and survivorship curves. However, there is a limit to the number of individuals that an ecosystem can support.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Exponential_Carrying_Capacity.svg/1024px-Exponential_Carrying_Capacity.svg.png

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

Ecosystem Limitations

If ecosystems had an infinite amount of resources, populations would grow exponentially. Since resources are, in fact, finite, (K) is the maximum population size of a species that can be sustained, given the food, habitat, water, sunlight, and other necessities available in the environment. 

Once a population exceeds , a population overshoot occurs. Population overshoot can lead to a range of negative consequences, such as resource depletion, environmental degradation, and increased competition for resources. In some cases, population overshoot can lead to a population crash, where the population size decreases rapidly as individuals are unable to find the resources they need to survive. This crash is also referred to as a .

Die-offs are attributable to combinations of a lack of available resources, famine, disease, and competition.

🎥 Watch Jenni MacLean review this key topic here.

Key Terms to Review (2)

Carrying capacity

: Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support without degrading the ecosystem or depleting resources.

Die-off

: A die-off refers to a sudden and significant decline in the population of a species, resulting in a large number of individuals dying within a short period of time.

3.4 Carrying Capacity

1 min readjanuary 7, 2023

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

Karla Jauregui Sandoval

A population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in a particular geographic area. Each population needs specific resources due to size, reproductive strategies, and survivorship curves. However, there is a limit to the number of individuals that an ecosystem can support.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Exponential_Carrying_Capacity.svg/1024px-Exponential_Carrying_Capacity.svg.png

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

Ecosystem Limitations

If ecosystems had an infinite amount of resources, populations would grow exponentially. Since resources are, in fact, finite, (K) is the maximum population size of a species that can be sustained, given the food, habitat, water, sunlight, and other necessities available in the environment. 

Once a population exceeds , a population overshoot occurs. Population overshoot can lead to a range of negative consequences, such as resource depletion, environmental degradation, and increased competition for resources. In some cases, population overshoot can lead to a population crash, where the population size decreases rapidly as individuals are unable to find the resources they need to survive. This crash is also referred to as a .

Die-offs are attributable to combinations of a lack of available resources, famine, disease, and competition.

🎥 Watch Jenni MacLean review this key topic here.

Key Terms to Review (2)

Carrying capacity

: Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support without degrading the ecosystem or depleting resources.

Die-off

: A die-off refers to a sudden and significant decline in the population of a species, resulting in a large number of individuals dying within a short period of time.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.