Ecology Regents Practice Exam

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading the habitat. It plays a crucial role in regulating not only predator populations but also prey populations and the overall balance of the ecosystem. When the carrying capacity is reached, the number of organisms that can be supported is limited, which directly affects the availability of resources such as food, shelter, and breeding sites.

In the context of predator populations, when the carrying capacity is met, the number of predators can be limited by the availability of prey. If the prey populations are declining due to over-predation or other ecological factors, predator populations will also be affected as they rely on those prey species for their sustenance. Therefore, carrying capacity maintains a balance in the ecosystem by preventing predator populations from growing unchecked, which could lead to the over-exploitation of prey and subsequent ecosystem collapse.

This understanding of carrying capacity emphasizes the interconnectedness of species within an ecosystem and illustrates how it serves as a regulatory mechanism for maintaining population sizes in relation to available resources.