Which term describes the maximum number of individuals a given environment can support over time?

• A. Biomass.
• B. Density independence.
• C. Carrying capacity.
• D. Mutation rate.

Answer: (C)

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals an environment can support over time. It comes from the balance between resources available—like food, water, space, and shelter—and the population’s demand for those resources. When a population is small, resources are plentiful and growth can be rapid. As it grows, resources become scarcer, and growth slows until births and deaths balance out, causing the population to level off near this limit. If the population pushes beyond this limit for too long, resources run down and the number can drop until it stabilizes again around the carrying capacity. This idea is often shown with a logistic growth pattern, where growth slows as N approaches K, the carrying capacity.

Biomass refers to the total mass of living material, not how many individuals can be supported. Density independence means factors that affect the population regardless of its size, like a severe storm. Mutation rate is about genetic changes and isn’t about how large a population can be.