Question

when a population grows past the ecosystems carrying capacity, what happens to the population?
the population will go extinct due to lack of resources
the population starts to die off to return to carrying capacity
the population grows then finds a new carrying capacity
the population continues to grow

Explanation:

Carrying capacity is the maximum population an ecosystem can support. When a population exceeds this, resource scarcity (like food, space) causes mortality. Option 1 is extreme (extinction isn’t immediate/guaranteed). Option 3 is illogical (ecosystems have defined carrying capacities, not easily “new” ones). Option 4 is wrong (resources limit growth). Option 2 is correct: the population dies off (due to resource limits, competition) until it’s back within the carrying capacity.

Answer:

B. the population starts to die off to return to carrying capacity