Final answer:
When an animal population exceeds the environment's carrying capacity, resource scarcity leads to increased mortality, lower birth rates, and potential population collapse. Human intervention can increase carrying capacity but may harm other species and lead to concerning social and environmental issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an animal population grows larger than the carrying capacity of its environment, it is most likely that the population will suffer from the effects of resource depletion. Due to increased competition for limited resources such as land, water, food, and energy, the health and well-being of the individuals in the population can be adversely affected. This could result in increased mortality rates and lowered birth rates, which may lead to a population decline or collapse.
Humans have been able to alter their environment to increase the carrying capacity through advancements in food production and shelter engineering. However, this often comes at the expense of other species and the natural habitat. Furthermore, unchecked exponential growth of human population poses potential risks of famine, disease, and large-scale death, along with social issues such as increased crime due to overcrowding.