Understanding Carrying Capacity Environmental Science Learning Target I

Learning Target I will predict if population size will increase or decrease based upon

Carrying Capacity Key Point #1: An environment can only support as many organisms as

Aquaculture Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as

Carrying Capacity Key Point #2: We can read a carrying capacity graph to predict

Carrying Capacity Population size Time When a population is BELOW its carrying capacity, it

Carrying Capacity Population size Time But if it increases too much and rises ABOVE

Carrying Capacity Population size Time This happens over and over… but the increases and

Carrying Capacity Population size Time Until eventually, the population size BECOMES STABLE AT THE

Carrying Capacity determined by such as above it Population decreases below it Limiting Factors

Carrying Capacity Carrying capacity can also have a broader meaning. It can be defined

Closing An environment can only support as many organisms as there is available food,

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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

Carrying Capacity Key Point #2: We can read a carrying capacity graph to predict changes in population size Population size Dotted line = Carrying Capacity Graph line = Population size at a specific time Time

Carrying Capacity Population size Time When a population is BELOW its carrying capacity, it will INCREASE in size Birth rate exceeds death rates

Carrying Capacity Population size Time But if it increases too much and rises ABOVE its carrying capacity, it will DECREASE in size Death rate exceeds birth rate

Carrying Capacity Population size Time When a population is BELOW its carrying capacity, it will INCREASE in size Birth rate exceeds death rates

Carrying Capacity Population size Time This happens over and over… but the increases and decreases get smaller and smaller…

Carrying Capacity Population size Time Until eventually, the population size BECOMES STABLE AT THE CARRYING CAPACITY

Carrying Capacity determined by such as above it Population decreases below it Limiting Factors Food Water 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