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Multiple Choice
Based on the population growth graph, which shows a rapid increase followed by a plateau, what can be concluded about the population?
A
The population is unaffected by environmental resistance.
B
The population has reached its carrying capacity.
C
The population is declining due to high mortality rates.
D
The population is experiencing exponential growth with no limiting factors.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of population growth. Population growth typically follows a pattern where it starts with a slow increase, accelerates rapidly (exponential growth), and eventually slows down or plateaus due to limiting factors such as resource availability, predation, or competition.
Step 2: Analyze the graph described in the problem. A rapid increase followed by a plateau suggests that the population initially experienced exponential growth but later stabilized due to environmental resistance or limiting factors.
Step 3: Define carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely, given the availability of resources, space, and other ecological factors.
Step 4: Relate the plateau in the graph to carrying capacity. The plateau indicates that the population has reached a balance where births and deaths are equal, and the environment can no longer support further growth due to resource limitations.
Step 5: Conclude that the population has reached its carrying capacity, as this is the most logical explanation for the observed pattern in the graph.