General Biology Carrying Capacity

Question:-

With the human population projected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050 are we going to reach our carrying capacity soon?

Answer:-

There are some scientists who look at the population problem that we have passed that tipping out already, in which natural systems are very overstressed that it is not possible to recover. Therefore, renewable resources are gradually changing into non-renewable resources.

The four factors that affect the carrying capacity include:

1. Food Availability: In any habitat, food availability refers to paramount to the survival of any species.
2. Water: Water is very necessary for the animals to help in food digestion, along with controlling and regulating the temperature of the body.
3. Ecological conditions: conditions adjacent to or within an environment also impact the carrying capacity. Pollution can also be impactful in carrying capacity (Crist, Mora & Engelman, 2017).
4. Space: Animals should have a place for their shelter from poor conditions along with providing a place to reproduce. With the absence of space, a place cannot be ensured by humans for hiding and raising their young. Humans need space for resting and playing also.

These are different from other animals and organisms, as their habitat of living is quite different from ours (Searchinger et al., 2019). Their food and living habits are quite different from ours.

Water is considered to be the limiting resource along with the significant basic necessity for the survival of human as well as agricultural activities on this planet.

As animal food production is quite intensive environmentally, changing up diets are proposed by the scientists for including more fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains, and less meat.

We should consider producing more food on less land in the upcoming years else the climate crisis and world hunger will get worse.