Final answer:
Exponential growth describes a pattern of population growth where the rate at which a population grows increases as the population size increases, assuming unlimited resources. Such growth is initially slow but accelerates over time, shown as a J-shaped curve. This growth transitions to logistic growth as resources become limited.
Step-by-step explanation:
This type of growth occurs when the members of the population are reproducing at a constant rate. The term that best describes this pattern of population growth is exponential growth. Exponential growth is characterized by the rate at which a population grows increasing alongside the increasing size of the population, assuming there are unlimited resources available. Initially, population growth may start slowly, but it accelerates as the population gets larger, resulting in a growth pattern that can be represented by a J-shaped curve. Exponential growth often occurs in natural environments when species have abundant resources and relatively few predators or diseases to limit their growth.
However, this type of growth cannot sustain indefinitely because eventually resources become limited, leading to a slowdown in growth and eventual stabilization. This subsequent phase, where growth rate slows down and levels off at the carrying capacity of the environment, is known as logistic growth.