Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors

In the graph to the right, what is the population of deer at the carrying capacity of the environment?

• 3

• 7

• 70

• 40

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In a forest ecosystem, which of the following is NOT an example of a limiting factor that would greatly affect a rabbit population?

• a rainy season

• a disease that causes rabbits to die

• grass available to eat

• the population of hawks that eat rabbits

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When a population grows past the ecosystem's carrying capacity, what happens to the population?

• It continues to grow higher and higher.

• The population starts to die off and returns to the carrying capacity.

• The population will go extinct due to lack of resources.

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The graph to the right shows the interaction of the wolf and moose populations on Isle Pekie. If the moose population continues to increase, the wolves' food supply will increase. What will most likely happen to the wolf population as a result?

• It will decrease.

• It will increase.

• It will remain the same.

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Something in the environment that keeps a population from steadily increasing is known as

• a limiting factor

• population density

• the carrying capacity

• reproduction

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The picture to the right represents a sunny, dry desert.

Which factor most likely limits the desert’s carrying

capacity for plant life?

• the number of animals that eat plants

• the amount of sunlight

• the availability of space to grow

• the availability of water

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The reason that organisms cannot produce populations of unlimited size is that

• Populations always stay exactly the same.

• The resources of Earth are limited.

• There is no carrying capacity for the whole Earth.

• Species rarely compete with each other for food.

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Which factor that limits a population’s size is important especially when population numbers become large and dense?

• seasonal changes

• extreme weather

• competition for food

• sea level height

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In a large Maine forest with many animals and lots of space, there are only a small number of bears. Which of these most likely limits the population of bears in the forest?

• cloud cover in the atmosphere

• space

• supply of food

• types of trees in the area

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A population of salamanders that live in a river require clear, fresh water to survive. New housing developments have caused tons of sediment to muddy the river. Which

of these most likely will happen to the salamander population?

• The salamanders go live on land.

• The salamanders will move across land to another river.

• The salamanders will quickly adapt to living in the muddy water.

• The salamanders will decrease in number because of the water quality.

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