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Understanding Carrying Capacity. Environmental Science. Learning Target. I will predict if population size will increase or decrease based upon limiting factors and carrying capacity. Carrying Capacity.
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Understanding Carrying Capacity Environmental Science
Learning Target • I will predict if population size will increase or decrease based upon limiting factors and carrying capacity.
Carrying Capacity • Key Point #1: An environment can only support as many organisms as there is available food, water, and free space • Carrying capacity = maximum number of organisms that can live somewhere, based on the food, water, and free space. • Every species has a different carrying capacity. Food, water, and free space are the LIMITING FACTORS that determine carrying capacity
Aquaculture • Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants
Population size Dotted line = Carrying Capacity Graph line = Population size at a specific time Time Carrying Capacity • Key Point #2: We can read a carrying capacity graph to predict changes in population size
Population size Time Carrying Capacity • When a population is BELOW its carrying capacity, it will INCREASEin size • Birth rate exceeds death rates
Population size Time Carrying Capacity • But if it increases too much and rises ABOVE its carrying capacity, it will DECREASE in size • Death rate exceeds birth rate
Population size Time Carrying Capacity • When a population is BELOW its carrying capacity, it will INCREASEin size • Birth rate exceeds death rates
Population size Time Carrying Capacity • This happens over and over… but the increases and decreases get smaller and smaller…
Population size Time Carrying Capacity • Until eventually, the population size BECOMES STABLE AT THE CARRYING CAPACITY • Birth rate = death rate
determined by Carrying Capacity Limiting Factors such as above it Food Water Population decreases below it Space Population increases WORD BANK: water, carrying capacity, pop. size increases, limiting factors, food, pop. size decreases, space
Carrying Capacity • Carrying capacity can also have a broader meaning. It can be defined as the number of living things (plants and animals) any area of land or water can support at any one time. • Different organisms will have different carrying capacities in the same area. Thus, the carrying capacity of an ecosystem affects everything that lives in it.
Closing • An environment can only support as many organisms as there is available food, water, and free space • Carrying capacity = maximum number of organisms that can live somewhere based on these limiting factors • We can read a carrying capacity graph to predict changes in population size • Below carrying capacity = increase • Above carrying capacity = decease • Over time, population stabilizes at carrying capacity