Question

1. what could happen to organisms in the population if they grow beyond the environments carrying capacity?

your answer:
chart: organisms in a natural ecosystem, fig 2 carrying capacity, graph with population (millions) on y - axis, years 1900, 1925, 1950, 1975, 2000, 2025 on x - axis, a blue line labeled carrying capacity and a red line showing population growth

Explanation:

When a population exceeds carrying capacity, resources (food, space, etc.) become scarce. This causes increased competition, higher mortality (starvation, disease, predation), and the population will likely decline back to or below the carrying capacity as the environment can’t sustain the excess.

Answer:

If a population grows beyond the environment’s carrying capacity, resources like food, water, and space become insufficient. This leads to increased competition, higher mortality (from starvation, disease, predation), and the population will likely decline (through death or emigration) until it is at or below the carrying capacity, as the environment can no longer support the excess organisms.