Indicative Content

Commentary

Estimating carrying capacity is problematic for human populations and differs from other species because:

Any four from the following:

Human populations can modify their environment in order to (artificially) increase/inflate their carrying capacity; [1 mark]
Human carrying capacity is highly dynamic OR influenced/determined by many complex / interconnected / highly changeable factors e.g. cultural / economic / technological factors; [1 mark]
Human innovation e.g. technological advancements / new agricultural practices, can significantly alter carrying capacity, making it difficult to predict/estimate; [1 mark]
(However) for other species, carrying capacity is influenced/determined by resource biotic factors/interaction and abiotic factors/ interactions / resource availability; [1 mark]
Other species are (often) in greater balance with their ecosystem/habitat / have less ability to modify their environment; [1 mark]
Human populations have the potential to overshoot their carrying capacity due to innovation/technology/healthcare; [1 mark]
Human migration / the movement of people across regions or countries can lead to (relatively rapid) shifts in carrying capacity, as people adapt to new environments/resources; [1 mark]
Global trade/interconnectedness / modern transportation / trade networks mean that resources can be imported and exported, influencing the carrying capacity of different regions; [1 mark]
Cultural attitudes/practices/traditions/beliefs/values can shape resource use / (greatly) affect the carrying capacity of a population; [1 mark]
Populations of other species show much greater similarity in behaviour(s) / resource use so easier to estimate the carrying capacity of whole species; [1 mark]
Human populations may influence ecosystems in ways that create feedback loops e.g. global warming / climate change, either increasing or decreasing human carrying capacity over time; [1 mark]
Government policies / political decisions e.g. land use regulations / environmental protection laws / population control measures, can (significantly) impact carrying capacity; [1 mark]

The carrying capacity for human populations is a concept that refers to the maximum number of individuals that a given environment or ecosystem can support over the long term without degrading the natural resource base and ecosystem services

It represents the sustainable population size that a region or planet can maintain given the available resources and environmental conditions

factors that influence the carrying capacity for human populations:

Resource Availability
Technology and Efficiency
Environmental Health
Waste Absorption
Social and Economic Factors
Climate and Climate Change
Sustainability Practices
Cultural and Lifestyle Choices
Population Growth Rate

Human Population Carrying Capacity (SL IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))

Topic Questions