CBSE Class 12-science Answered

A population growing in a habitat with limited resources show initially a lag phase, followed by phases of acceleration and deceleration, finally an asymptote when the population density reaches the carrying capacity.

(a) Unlimited resources result in exponential growth which dep[ends on the carrying capacity of the species. The carrying capacity of a given habitat is the total number of organisms in a given species for which there are sufficient resources, so that they survive and reproduce.

(b) It is shown by the following equation-

                                     dN/dt= rN [ (K-N)/ K]        

                 where, N= population density at time‘t’

                             r= intrinsic rate of natural increase

                             K= carrying capacity

• This growth curve is shown by culture of yeast cells and human population.