Question

What is the likely outcome for the population of a species in an ecosystem with a carrying capacity of 1,000 individuals when there are currently 2,000 individuals of that species present?

A. Size will slowly increase.
B. Size will decrease.
C. Will show a clumped dispersion pattern.
D. Size will remain at equilibrium.

Answer 1

The population size of the species that currently exceeds the ecosystem's carrying capacity will likely decrease until it aligns with the available resources, aligning with logistic growth dynamics.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an ecosystem has a carrying capacity for a species at 1,000 individuals but currently supports 2,000 individuals, the likely outcome is that the population size will decrease. This decrease happens because the environment can only sustain a certain amount of individuals with the available resources. When a population exceeds carrying capacity, it typically faces scarcity of resources, leading to increased competition, higher mortality rates, and potentially lower birth rates until the population size aligns with the environment's carrying capacity. This scenario often results in logistic growth, showing an 'S-shaped' curve where the population growth levels off as it reaches the carrying capacity.