Question

Study the pairs given below and select the wrongly matched pair.

• A. J-shaped growth curve - Unlimited resources
• B. S-shaped growth curve - Indefinite resources
• C. Logistic growth model - Realistic situation
• D. Exponential growth model - Unrealistic situation

Answer 1

The correct option is B S-shaped growth curve - Indefinite resources

The growth of a population shows specific patterns that can be predicted.

In an ideal condition, where there is an unlimited supply of food and resources, the population growth will follow an exponential model in which the population shows a steady increase in the number of individuals over time. This can be graphically represented by a J-shaped curve.

In a logistic growth model, a population in a habitat has limited resources. It initially shows slow growth (lag phase), followed by phases of acceleration (log phase) and then deceleration. It finally reaches the last phase (stationary phase) in which it attains carrying capacity i.e the maximum number of individuals of a population that can be sustained in a given habitat. After reaching carrying capacity, population growth slows down or stops altogether. This can be graphically represented by a sigmoid curve or S-shaped curve.