Question

The carrying capacity of a population is determined by its ______.

Options

• limiting resources

• natality

• mortality

• population growth rate

Answer 1

The carrying capacity of a population is determined by its limiting resources.

Explanation:

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustain. The availability of critical resources such as food, water, and space sets it. When the population reaches this limit, growth ceases because resources become insufficient to support further increase. Thus, limiting resources govern the carrying capacity, not natality, mortality, or population growth rate alone, as they regulate the maximum sustainable population size in a given habitat.