3.4 Carrying Capacity

Which of the following are considered limiting factors that determine an ecosystem's carrying capacity for a species?

• Food, water, and habitat.

• Sunlight, temperature, and wind.

• Predator population size and disease resistance.

• Birth rate, death rate, and migration.

What is the immediate ecological effect when a population significantly exceeds its carrying capacity?

• The population stabilizes at a new, higher level.

• A rapid increase in biodiversity.

• A die-off due to resource depletion, disease, or conflict.

• An increase in the birth rate.

What is carrying capacity (K) in an ecosystem?

• The maximum number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support indefinitely.

• The total biomass of all species in an ecosystem.

• The rate at which a population grows exponentially.

• The number of predators an ecosystem can sustain.

What was the primary cause of the sharp die-off in the reindeer population on St. Paul Island, as discussed in the video?

• A sudden increase in predator populations.

• A severe disease outbreak among the reindeer.

• Overgrazing of lichen, their primary winter food source.

• Extreme weather conditions leading to starvation.

Explain the impact that the canine virus had on the moose population based on the graph.