Carrying Capacity
Definition
Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustainably support without causing long-term damage or depletion of resources.
Related terms
Limiting Factors: Limiting factors are environmental conditions that restrict the growth or distribution of a population. Examples include food availability, water supply, and competition for resources.
Overshoot: Overshoot occurs when a population temporarily exceeds its carrying capacity due to favorable conditions but eventually declines as resources become limited.
Ecological Footprint: Ecological footprint measures how much land and resources are required to sustain an individual's lifestyle and consumption patterns. It helps us understand our impact on Earth's carrying capacity.
"Carrying Capacity" appears in:
Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (5)
The population of a city is growing at a rate proportional to both its current population and the difference between its current population and a carrying capacity, K. If P(t) represents the population at time t, which of the following differential equations represents this situation?
At what population value does the logistic model reach its carrying capacity?
What happens to the population growth rate as the population approaches its carrying capacity in a logistic model?
Which of the following statements is true regarding the logistic model's behavior when the initial population is below the carrying capacity?
What happens to the population growth rate when the population exceeds the carrying capacity in a logistic model?
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 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.