Question at position 3 As a K-selected species, what type of limiting factors would most commonly govern a bison population, once it's reached its carrying capacity?density-dependentpopulation momentumdensity-independentlogistically-independentClear my selection

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Question at position 3 As a K-selected species, what type of limiting factors would most commonly govern a bison population, once it's reached its carrying capacity?density-dependentpopulation momentumdensity-independentlogistically-independentClear my selection

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about limiting factors for a K-selected species such as a bison once the population has reached carrying capacity. It requires evaluating which type of factors would most commonly govern population size at that point.
Option 1: density-dependent. At carrying capacity, resources become limiting and pressures such as food, space, and disease typically intensify as population density increases, causing births to decrease or deaths to increase. These factors are classic density-dependent controls because their impact scales with how many individuals are present.
Option 2: population momentum. This term describes a delay between changes in birth rates and the resulting population size, often due to a young age structure, and is more about demographic inertia than a direct limiting factor at carrying capacity. It is not a limiting factor exerted by the environment itself, so it’s not the most common governing mechanism at capacity.
Option 3: density-independent. Density-independent factors affect populations regardless of density (e.g., weather events, natural disasters). Once at carrying capacity, these factors don’t become the primary regulators of population size; they act irrespective of how crowded the population is, so they are less relevant to governing dynamics at K.
Option 4: logistically-independent. This term is not a standard ecological descriptor for limiting factors. It contradicts the concept of logistic growth, which explicitly assumes density dependence as the population approaches carrying capacity. Therefore, this option describes an incorrect or meaningless idea in this context.
Overall, considering a K-selected species at carrying capacity, the most plausible and widely supported mechanism is density-dependent regulation, where higher density intensifies competition and other factor pressures, stabilizing the population around K.

Question at position 3 As a K-selected species, what type of limiting factors would most commonly govern a bison population, once it's reached its carrying capacity?density-dependentpopulation momentumdensity-independentlogistically-independentClear my selection

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