Carrying Capacity
Definition
The maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can support indefinitely under stable conditions.
Analogy
Think of carrying capacity like the maximum occupancy limit in a building. If too many people enter, it becomes overcrowded and resources (like space, food at a buffet) become scarce.
Related terms
Population Density: The number of individuals per unit area or volume.
Limiting Factor: Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.
Ecological Succession: The process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time.
"Carrying Capacity" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (5)
Carrying capacity is represented in scientific equations and on charts with the symbol__.
A graph that seems to experience exponential growth that then plateaus once it reaches carrying capacity is called a __ growth graph.
What is the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
What happens to the growth rate of a population as it approaches the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
What happens to the growth rate of a population as it approaches carrying capacity?
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