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Carrying Capacity Notes
Population Density is the measurement of a population
per unit area.
Populations are often measured in organisms per mile or
organisms per acre.
For example, deer populations might be 250 deer/mile.
Healthy populations must maintain a certain population
density.
Too low of a population density can lead to an extinction
vortex where difficulties can lead to species extinction.
Problems which lead to this are
1. Difficulties finding a mate
2. Inbreeding which weakens the species
Too high of a population density can threaten the
ecosystem’s carrying capacity.
Carrying Capacity is the population size of a species that
an environment can sustain for a long period of time.
Sometimes a population exceeds the carrying capacity
When the population is too large for an extended period
of time, the following will occur:
 Large number of the population will die
 Environment and resources are damaged
 Environmental carrying capacity shrinks
An environment’s carrying capacity is determined by
Limiting Factors.
Limiting factors can be biotic or abiotic.