Why May Human Populations Surpass the Carrying Capacity of Their

Question

Why may human populations surpass the carrying capacity of their environment?
A) temporary reliance on stored or nonrenewable resources
B) sudden population crashes
C) increases in death rates as the population growth approaches carrying capacity
D) decreases in birth rates as resources are depleted

Accepted Answer

Human populations may surpass the carrying capacity of their environment due to temporary reliance on stored or nonrenewable resources. This can lead to a situation where the population is sustained at a level beyond what the environment can support in the long term, eventually resulting in a collapse if new sources of resources are not found. Examples of this include the use of fossil fuels or other nonrenewable resources to support energy needs or the depletion of fisheries due to overfishing.