The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely.
K depends on food, water, shelter, disease and predation, and changes with the environment. Humans have raised their K through agriculture and technology, but resources like freshwater limit growth.
Overshoot leads to crashes.
K can shift due to technology or climate. Humans' ecological footprint raises debate about the planet's K.
Key idea: K is a property of environment and species, not a fixed number.
The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely.
Carrying Capacity is one of the 54 topics in Ecology. It is rated Intermediate, so it suits learners who already know the core vocabulary. Related topics in this area include Logistic Growth, Limiting Factors, Exponential Growth.
Reindeer on St. Matthew Island rose from 29 to 6000 and crashed to 42 after vegetation was destroyed.
Work through the Beginner topics in Ecology first, such as Ecology, Ecosystem, Biotic and Abiotic Factors, then return to Carrying Capacity. Intermediate topics assume the Beginner vocabulary.
The closest topics to Carrying Capacity are Logistic Growth, Limiting Factors, Exponential Growth, Biotic and Abiotic Factors. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Carrying Capacity. To practise the whole of Ecology, use the Ecology quiz.
Carrying Capacity: The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely. Logistic Growth: Growth that slows as a population nears carrying capacity, forming an S-shaped curve. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Logistic Growth and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Ecology quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
Growth that slows as a population nears carrying capacity, forming an S-shaped curve.
🌍 EcologyResources or conditions that restrict population growth, either density-dependent or density-independent.
🌍 EcologyPopulation growth at a constant per capita rate, producing a J-shaped curve in unlimited conditions.
🌍 EcologyBiotic factors are living components; abiotic factors are non-living such as light, water and temperature.
🌍 Ecology