* CHAHAL’s CSR INITIATIVE * Chahal Academy: A Socially Responsible Institute.
Get Free IAS Topper
Session
Get Free IAS Topper
Session
Carrying Capacity refers to the maximum population that an environment can sustainably support without degrading its resources. It is an important ecological concept related to biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and resource management.
Consider the following statements regarding ‘Carrying Capacity’:
It is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustainably support even after degrading some amount of ecosystem.
Resource use and the number of populations in an ecosystem all affect carrying capacity.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct Answer:
(B) 2 only
Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustainably support without degrading the ecosystem. Deaths and long term damage to an ecosystem occurs when a population exceeds the carrying capacity of its ecosystem.
Disease, competition, predator-prey interaction, resource use and the number of populations in an ecosystem all affect carrying capacity.
Ques: 2
What is the definition of carrying capacity?
Correct Answer:
(B) The maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain indefinitely.
Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain indefinitely, given the available resources like food, water, and shelter.
Ques: 3
What happens to a population when it exceeds its carrying capacity?
Correct Answer:
(C) The population will experience a decrease in birth rate and increase in death rate.
When a population exceeds its carrying capacity, the environmental resources become limited, leading to a decrease in birth rate and an increase in death rate. This happens because there are not enough resources, such as food, water, and shelter, to support the entire population.
Ques: 4
Which of the following factors most directly influences carrying capacity?
Correct Answer:
(B) The availability of resources like food and water.
The availability of resources like food and water is the primary factor that determines an ecosystem's carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is defined as the maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustain given its resources. Limiting factors like resource availability, including food and water, directly influence how many individuals can survive and reproduce in a specific environment.
Ques: 5
In a population at its carrying capacity, what typically occurs?
Correct Answer:
(C) Birth rate and death rate are equal, and the population remains stable.
When a population reaches its carrying capacity, it means the environment can no longer support further population growth. In this state, the number of births is balanced by the number of deaths, leading to a stable population size. The population growth rate essentially becomes zero, and the population remains relatively constant.