Earth's Carrying Capacity
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The human population recently reached 7 billion people. The carrying capacity or K is dependent on the environment, and the abundance of available limiting resources. Since we have the capability to increase the Earth's natural resources, we are not reaching the K capacity. We have improved our agriculture and industrial technology, which is believed to increase the Earth's carrying capacity K. The technological improvement in agriculture would lead to increase in food supply to keep up with the growing population. Social changes and rising education have also contribute to stabilizing the Earth's carrying capacity. Women are delaying having family and the birth rate is is low. These factors such as delayed reproduction will decrease the population growth rate.
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Solution Summary
The carrying capacity is the "maximum stable population size that a particular environment can support over a relatively long period of time." (1) The questions facing all of us and the Earth as a whole is that are we in danger of reaching the Earth's carrying capacity? The answer is no. We are not in danger of reaching the Earth's carrying capacity for our species. Why? There are several reasons:
Carrying capacity or K is dependent on the environment, and the abundance of available limiting resources. Since we have the capability to increase the Earth's natural resources, we are not reaching the K capacity.
We have improved our agricultural and industrial technology, which is believed to increase the Earth's carrying capacity.
The technological improvement in agriculture would lead to increase in food supply to keep up with the growing population. (2)
Reduced family size by the develop countries such as the US and China. The social changes and rising education have inspired an increasing number of women to delay reproduction than ever before. The social factors will contribute to the prevention of reaching the Earth's carrying capacity K.
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Do you feel we are nearing the Earth's carrying capacity for our species?
Suggestions: The carrying capacity is the "maximum stable population size that a particular environment can support over a relatively long period of time." (1)
No, we are not in danger of reaching the Earth's carrying capacity for our species. Why? There are several reasons:
1. Carrying capacity or K is dependent on the environment, and the abundance of available limiting resources
2. Since we have the capability to increase the Earth's natural resources, we are not reaching the K capacity.
3. We have improved our agricultural and industrial technology, which is believed to increase the Earth's carrying capacity.
a. Technological improvement in agriculture would lead to increase in food supply to keep up with the growing population. (2)
4. Reduced family size by the develop countries such as the US and China
a. Social changes and rising education have inspired an increasing number of women to delay reproduction than ever ...
Purchase this Solution
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