Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals an environment can support for a long period of time. What might happen when a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of the land?

A.

Nothing should happen to the population or the ecosystem it lives in.

B.

The population will eventually learn to use other resources.

C.

The population uses up its resources faster than they are replenished.

D.

The population improves the dynamics of the local ecosystem.

Choice c is the correct answer

C. The population uses up its resources faster than they are replenished.

Explanation:

Carrying capacity is the capacity of an ecosystem to keep organisms alive while maintaining their productivity, adaptability and regeneration. That is, this term refers to the capacity of the ecosystem to sustain a population without impairing its ability to provide natural resources needed by that population. In this case, if the population increases to exceed the carrying capacity of an ecosystem, that population will consume natural resources faster than the ecosystem's ability to replenish those resources.