Question

If populations of species 1 and species 2 are competing for resources, what is the population growth rate for species 2 if the population of species 2 is at carrying capacity?

1) dN₂/dt < 0
2) dN₂/dt > 0
3) dN₂/dt = 0
4) There is not enough information to determine

Answer 1

When species 2 is at its carrying capacity, the population growth rate for species 2 (dN2/dt) is equal to zero, which indicates no further growth.

Step-by-step explanation:

If populations of species 1 and species 2 are competing for resources, and species 2 is at carrying capacity, the population growth rate for species 2 can be represented by the equation:

Population growth = rN [(K-N)/K]

Here, 'r' is the intrinsic rate of increase, 'N' is the population size, and 'K' is the carrying capacity. When the population size 'N' is equal to the carrying capacity 'K', the term (K-N)/K becomes zero, indicating no further growth. Therefore, when species 2 is at its carrying capacity, the population growth rate for species 2, or dN2/dt, will be equal to zero.

The correct answer to the question is: 3) dN2/dt = 0