Final answer:
Under certain conditions, a population may grow slower than predicted by exponential growth. These conditions include low food resources, limited refuges, limited nesting sites, and limited nutrients.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under certain conditions, a population may grow slower than predicted by exponential growth. These conditions include:
- Low food resources: When there is a scarcity of food, individuals in the population may not have enough resources to reproduce at a high rate, resulting in slower population growth.
- Limited refuges: If there are limited areas or refuges where individuals can find shelter or protection from predators, population growth may be slower due to increased mortality.
- Limited nesting sites: When there are a limited number of suitable nesting sites, the ability of individuals to reproduce and raise offspring may be constrained, leading to slower population growth.
- Limited nutrients: Inadequate availability of essential nutrients can limit the reproductive capacity of individuals, thereby reducing population growth.
Overall, the presence of these limiting factors can cause a population to deviate from exponential growth and instead exhibit logistic growth, where growth rate slows as the population approaches its carrying capacity.