Which process describes a population increasing rapidly when resources are abundant and then slowing as resources become limited?

Which process describes a population increasing rapidly when resources are abundant and then slowing as resources become limited?

• A. Logistic growth
• B. Exponential growth
• C. Primary succession
• D. Immigration

Answer: (A)

Logistic growth describes a population that expands quickly when resources are plentiful but then slows as those resources become limited and competition increases. When a population is small, resources are abundant and the number of births outpaces deaths, so it grows rapidly. As the population grows, individuals compete for food, space, and mates, and the environment can only support a certain number of individuals—the carrying capacity. This increased competition and resource strain reduce the growth rate, causing the curve to bend and level off, stabilizing near the carrying capacity. This pattern is more realistic for many natural populations than unchecked, exponential growth, which would keep accelerating without bound. Other options describe different ideas: exponential growth is relentless and unbounded, primary succession is about how an ecosystem develops on bare ground, and immigration refers to individuals moving into an area rather than the growth pattern of a population.

Logistic growth describes a population that expands quickly when resources are plentiful but then slows as those resources become limited and competition increases. When a population is small, resources are abundant and the number of births outpaces deaths, so it grows rapidly. As the population grows, individuals compete for food, space, and mates, and the environment can only support a certain number of individuals—the carrying capacity. This increased competition and resource strain reduce the growth rate, causing the curve to bend and level off, stabilizing near the carrying capacity. This pattern is more realistic for many natural populations than unchecked, exponential growth, which would keep accelerating without bound. Other options describe different ideas: exponential growth is relentless and unbounded, primary succession is about how an ecosystem develops on bare ground, and immigration refers to individuals moving into an area rather than the growth pattern of a population.