Carrying capacity, or K

Definition

Carrying capacity, or K, is the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely given the available resources such as food, habitat, water, and other necessities. It is determined by environmental resistance factors and biotic potential.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Carrying capacity is influenced by both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors in the environment.
2. When a population exceeds its carrying capacity, it may experience a die-off or crash due to resource depletion.
3. Carrying capacity can change over time due to alterations in the environment like climate change or human activities.
4. K-selection species are those that tend to stabilize near their carrying capacity and have traits like longer lifespans and fewer offspring.
5. Mathematical models such as the logistic growth model are used to represent population growth relative to carrying capacity.

Review Questions

• What factors determine the carrying capacity of an environment?
• What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?
• How can human activities impact the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?

Related terms

Logistic Growth: A model of population growth that shows how populations grow more slowly as they approach their carrying capacity.

Biotic Potential: The maximum reproductive capacity of an organism under optimal environmental conditions.

Environmental Resistance: Factors that limit population growth and prevent organisms from reproducing at their biotic potential.