What does carrying capacity refer to in population ecology?

Carrying capacity is a fundamental concept in population ecology that describes the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can sustainably support over time. This concept takes into account various limiting factors such as food availability, habitat space, water supply, and predation pressures. When a population exceeds its carrying capacity, the environment can become degraded, leading to resource depletion and increased mortality rates, which ultimately can reduce the population back to a sustainable level.

Understanding carrying capacity is crucial for managing wildlife populations and natural resources because it helps predict how populations will change in response to environmental factors and human impacts. This concept is distinct from other options, as it specifically refers to the limits of population growth in relation to the resources and conditions available in an ecosystem, rather than the number of species, availability of resources alone, or reproductive rates.