What is an organism's carrying capacity?

An organism's carrying capacity is defined as the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely without being degraded over time. This concept takes into account the available resources, such as food, water, shelter, and space, as well as the impact of environmental factors like disease, predation, and competition. When a population exceeds its carrying capacity, it can lead to resource depletion and environmental degradation, ultimately resulting in a decline in population size.

This definition highlights the importance of sustainability within ecosystems; populations tend to fluctuate around this capacity due to varying environmental conditions and interactions among species. Understanding carrying capacity is crucial for conservation efforts and wildlife management, as it helps predict how many individuals an ecosystem can support in the long term without causing harm to the habitat or the species present.