IB Biology Topic C4.1.5 Carrying Capacity and Competition for Limited Resources Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB Biology Topic C4.1.5 Carrying Capacity and Competition for Limited Resources Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Every Environment Has a Ceiling on How Many Individuals It Can Support

An environment can only supply a limited amount of food, water, space, light, and nutrients.
The maximum population size these resources can support over the long term is called the carrying capacity, written as K.

Carrying Capacity: The Maximum a Habitat Can Sustain

Definition

Carrying capacity

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely without degrading the habitat.

Carrying capacity is the number of individuals of a species that a habitat can support indefinitely.
It is set by whichever resource runs short first, known as the limiting resource.
K is not a fixed number.
1. It rises or falls when resource levels change through drought, deforestation, pollution, or a good growing season.

Common Mistake

Carrying capacity is not the largest population ever recorded.
It is the level a habitat can sustain over time, not a temporary peak.

Limiting Resources Differ for Plants and Animals

Plants: light, water, and mineral nutrients.
1. Taller plants shade smaller ones, cutting their photosynthesis.
2. Soil minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are often in short supply.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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Every Environment Has a Ceiling on How Many Individuals It Can Support

An environment can only supply a limited amount of food, water, space, light, and nutrients.
The maximum population size these resources can support over the long term is called the carrying capacity, written as K.

Carrying Capacity: The Maximum a Habitat Can Sustain

Definition

Carrying capacity

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely without degrading the habitat.

Carrying capacity is the number of individuals of a species that a habitat can support indefinitely.
It is set by whichever resource runs short first, known as the limiting resource.
K is not a fixed number.
1. It rises or falls when resource levels change through drought, deforestation, pollution, or a good growing season.

Common Mistake

Carrying capacity is not the largest population ever recorded.
It is the level a habitat can sustain over time, not a temporary peak.

Limiting Resources Differ for Plants and Animals

Plants: light, water, and mineral nutrients.
1. Taller plants shade smaller ones, cutting their photosynthesis.
2. Soil minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are often in short supply.

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

A - Unity and Diversity9 subtopics

B - Form and Function10 subtopics

C - Interaction and Interdependence9 subtopics

D - Continuity and Change12 subtopics

IB Biology Topic C4.1.5: Carrying Capacity and Competition for Limited Resources Notes

A - Unity and Diversity9 subtopics

B - Form and Function10 subtopics

C - Interaction and Interdependence9 subtopics

D - Continuity and Change12 subtopics

Every Environment Has a Ceiling on How Many Individuals It Can Support

Carrying Capacity: The Maximum a Habitat Can Sustain

Limiting Resources Differ for Plants and Animals

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Every Environment Has a Ceiling on How Many Individuals It Can Support

Carrying Capacity: The Maximum a Habitat Can Sustain

Limiting Resources Differ for Plants and Animals

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account