Question

When a population grows according to a logistic model, what happens if the population exceeds carrying capacity?

a) The population crashes
b) The birth rate increases
c) The death rate decreases
d) The carrying capacity increases
e) The population stabilizes

Answer 1

If a population exceeds the carrying capacity in a logistic model, the death rate increases beyond the birth rate, causing the population size to decline back to or below the carrying capacity level.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a population grows according to a logistic model, if the population size exceeds the carrying capacity, the resources become depleted, and as a result, the death rate increases and may exceed the birth rate. This leads to a decrease in the population size, bringing it back down toward the carrying capacity.

This fluctuation often occurs in an undulating fashion, meaning that most populations will rise above and fall below the carrying capacity periodically rather than remaining at a constant number.