Carrying Capacity: Concept Review

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

An ecosystem is all the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors and the interactions among them in a given area.

Front

Describe the predator-prey relationship.

Back

In a predator-prey relationship, when the prey population increases, the predator population also increases.

Front

What factors affect carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is affected by both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.

Front

Define biotic factors in an ecosystem.

Back

Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Front

Define abiotic factors in an ecosystem.

Back

Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem, such as climate, soil, water, and sunlight.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

How do predators affect the carrying capacity of prey populations?

Back

Predators can decrease the carrying capacity of prey populations by controlling their numbers.

Front

What role do resources play in determining carrying capacity?

Back

Resources such as food, water, and shelter are critical in determining the carrying capacity of an environment.

Front

What is the significance of the predator-prey cycle?

Back

The predator-prey cycle helps maintain ecological balance by regulating population sizes.

Front

How can human activities impact carrying capacity?

Back

Human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and urbanization can reduce the carrying capacity of ecosystems.