Question

Population Growth Essay

Choose an organism, any organism. Identify and describe the environmental factors and conditions that are required for its optimal growth and reproduction. Draw an exponential growth curve for this species increasing in numbers without limits, labeling both axes.

Now consider the factors that define K, the carrying capacity for the species. Draw a graph of logistic population growth for the species. At which point of the logistic growth curve does density dependence start to influence the population growth rate?

Answer 1

The growth of bacteria like Escherichia coli depends upon the presence of nutrient availability, presence of water, availability of space, health conditions of the bacteria, and the absence of competition from other bacterial species.

The exponential and logistic growth curves of this bacteria are shown below,

Carrying capacity of the population depends upon the availability of resources like good and water. The density dependence start to influence the population growth rate when the resources start depleting.