Regulation of Population Growth

Question 1

When does the number of individuals increase exponentially?

Answer 1

• if a few individuals enter an unoccupied area where there is no shortage of food or other resources and no predators, they will reproduce

Question 2

What does exponential mean?

Answer 2

• increasing more and more rapidly

Question 3

What builds up environmental resistance?

Answer 3

• as the numbers increase, more demands are made on the available resources and this builds up environmental resistance

Question 4

What does environmental resistance cause?

Answer 4

• the birth rate/immigration rate to decrease
• and the death rate/emigration rate to increase

Question 5

What happens when a balance is reached?

Answer 5

• the population stabilises at a particular size or number

Question 6

What is the carrying capacity?

Answer 6

• the population density that the environment can support

Question 7

What does the population fluctuate around?

Answer 7

• around the carrying capacity until the environment changes again

Question 8

When does population size fluctuate?

Answer 8

• seasonally and annually
• depending on the resources available

Question 9

What kind of regulation does population size possess?

Answer 9

• population size in an ecosystem is self-regulating