10

Science
Quarter 3 – Module 7:
Population Growth and Carrying
Capacity
Science – Grade 10
Quarter 3 – Module 7: Population Growth and Carrying Capacity
First Edition, 2020

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Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

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Science
Quarter 3 – Module 7:
Population Growth and Carrying
Capacity
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to
use this module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress
while allowing them to manage their own learning at home.
Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as
they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

As a learner, you must learn to become responsible of your own
learning. Take time to read, understand, and perform the different
activities in the module.
As you go through the different activities of this module be
reminded of the following:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any
part of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the
exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer Let Us Try before moving on to the other
activities.
3. Read the instructions carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking
your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are done.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this
module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always
bear in mind that you are not alone. We hope that through this material,
you will experience meaningful learning and gain deep understanding
of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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 Let Us Learn
A wonderful day to you little scientist! Module 7 is about Population
Growth and Carrying Capacity. In this module, you will explain the
relationship between population growth and carrying capacity (S10LT-IIIi-42).

Specifically, you are expected to:

1. Identify the limiting factors of population growth and carrying

capacity.
2. Give the relationship between the population growth and carrying
capacity.

Let Us Try!

Choose the best answer to assess your prior knowledge about

biodiversity and stability and write this on a separate paper.

1. Biodiversity can affect the ________ of ecosystems and the _________ of

populations.
A. existence; life C. stability; sustainability
B. life; existence D. sustainability; stability

2. The following are levels of biodiversity EXCEPT.

A. Ecosystem C. Population
B. Genetic D. Species

3. Why are invasive species a threat to biodiversity?

A. They can be harmful to C. They can outcompete native
humans. organisms for their resources.

B. They can cause harm to the D. All statements are true

environment.

4. Human threats include the following EXCEPT.

A. Habitat destruction C. Pollution

B. Population growth D. Weather or natural conditions

5. Population size is affected by the following factors EXCEPT.

A. Birth Rate C. Emigration
B. Death rate D. Logistic Growth

Let Us Study

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What is a population?

A population is a group of living things of the same species living in a

certain area.

Figure 1. Sample Population of people

in a certain community

Factors that can cause a change in population size.

1. Birth rate: Number of births
2. Immigration: Movement into a population
3. Death rate: Number of deaths
4. Emigration: Movement out of a population

Populations grow when:

-the birth rate is greater than the death rate.
Populations decline when:
-the death rate is greater than the birth rate.

What is carrying capacity?

The carrying capacity is the maximum population size a certain
environment can support for an extended period of time.
The populations of most living things tend to fluctuate naturally around
a certain level. That level is the carrying capacity. The following is a graph of
a population at the carrying capacity of its ecosystem.

Logistic Growth
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Exponential Growth
Carrying Capacity

Figure 2 below shows the two phases of population growth. In the first
phase, there is exponential growth or a J-shaped pattern because it is
gradually increasing not limited by the resources. Logistic growth or an S-
shaped pattern occurs in phase two because it will stabilize. The population
will go up and down slightly as a result of the population reaching the
maximum for the resources available.
Population Growth forms:
1. Exponential growth/ J-shaped
2. Logistic Growth/ S-shaped

These population growth curves are used by

environmental scientists and
conservation biologists as one way to monitor
and prevent more threatened species. Therefore,
understanding carrying capacity and population
growth help scientists track these species
and prevent extinction.

Every ecosystem has “limiting factors”. These are things that affect the
size of a population in that ecosystem.
Examples of Limiting Factors

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1. Resources

Resources such as food, water, light, space, shelter, and access to

mates are all limiting factors. If an organism, group, or population does not
have enough resources to sustain it, individuals will die through starvation,
desiccation, and stress, or they will fail to produce offspring.

2. Environmental Conditions or weather

Two of the most prominent examples are temperature change and

precipitation. These are widely affected by the climate, and seasonal changes
within the area. Maintaining a correct body temperature is vitally important
for almost all organisms to perform metabolic functions effectively.

3. Biotic factors

Biotic factors such as predation, herbivory, parasitism, and interspecific

and intraspecific competition, are also limiting factors. These tend to be
density-dependent factors.

4. Human factors

The increase in the human population is responsible for placing many

limiting factors on species that did not historically exist. Deforestation is a
global issue, causing decline and extinctions in many populations. Resources
are also increasingly scarce due to hunting and leaching of nutrients from the
soil. Removal of predators has also disturbed the balance of natural biotic,
cycle of predators and prey; in some cases, prey animals have been able to
thrive in the absence of predators, exceeding the carrying capacity of
ecosystems and causing environmental damage.

5. Diseases and parasitism.

Diseases and parasites have more opportunities to spread and infect

individuals in larger populations, such as through contaminated water
supplies. Also, waste can accumulate quickly in large populations and this
leads to death from disease and parasites and can also impair reproduction,
reducing the size of the population.

6. Natural disaster
It is something that could happen no matter the size of the population.
Like fires and other natural disasters, odd weather, and clear-cutting
forests. A forest fire due to a lightning strike could happen whether there
are 50 deer or 500 deer. The fire could kill the deer and limit the
population. So, in other words, these factors are random occurrences that
cause the size of a population to decline.

7. Presence of invasive species

An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to

a particular area. Invasive species can cause great economic and
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 environmental harm to the new area.
2 categories of limiting factors:
a. Density-independent factors
b. Density-dependent limiting factors

a. Density-independent factors – factors that limit the size of a population,

but whose effect is not dependent on the population density or number of
individuals per unit area.
Usually, abiotic such as drought or flood, fire, and extreme
environmental pollutants. Density-independent factors will usually kill all
members of a population, regardless of the population size.

b. Density-dependent limiting factors - factors whose effect on a population

is determined by the total size of the population. Figure 2 shows the examples
of dependent-density limiting factors.

Usually biotic- diseases and parasites, competition for resources, predation,

emigration

Figure 2. Diagram of Density-dependent limiting factor

Let Us Practice

Activity 1: Interpreting Population Growth

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Part 1:
Direction: Examine the graphs below to answer the following questions.

1. Which part of the graph shows an exponential growth of population?

_______________________________________________________________

2. Which part of the graph shows a logistic growth of the population?

_______________________________________________________________

3. Which part of the graph shows a carrying capacity?

_______________________________________________________________

4. Which of the following is true of the time interval marked D on the

graph?
a. Carrying capacity has been reached.
b. Population is growing.
c. Population is declining.

5. At which time interval do you begin to see the effects of limiting factors
(such as limited food, water, space, etc...) on the population?

_____________________________________________________________________

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FOR GRAPH A:
6. What is the carrying capacity (approx.)?
____________________________________________________________________

7. Approximately during which year did this population reach the

carrying capacity of its ecosystem?
____________________________________________________________________

8. About how many years did it stay at the carrying capacity?

____________________________________________________________________

FOR GRAPH B:

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 9. What are the carrying capacities of this graph?
____________________________________________________________________

10. How many years did this population spend at the first carrying
capacity?
____________________________________________________________________

11. During which year did it reach the next carrying capacity?
____________________________________________________________________

12.Which carrying capacity is more stable? Why do you think so?

____________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Refer to the following statement when answering the next questions.

“The carrying capacity of the lake equals 150 fish.”

13.Can less than 150 fish live in the lake?

____________________________________________________________________

14.Can more than 150 fish live in the lake?

____________________________________________________________________

15. Let’s say that there are 140 fish in the lake when the amount of
resources in the lake decreases and the carrying capacity drops from 150
to 100 fish. What will happen to the fish population? Why will this
happen?
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

16. What is the relationship between population growth and carrying

capacity?

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Let Us Practice More

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Activity 2: Dependent or independent?
Direction: Read each situation in the table below, then state if it is a density-
independent limiting factor or a density-dependent limiting factor. Identify
the specific limiting factor that is occurring. Use the list of limiting factors
below.

Limiting factors: Resources, Environmental Conditions, Biotic factors,

Human factors, Diseases and parasitism, Predation, Natural disaster, and
Presence of invasive species.

Situation Density-independent Limiting Factor

or density-dependent?

1.Mrs. Dela Cruz has

45 students in her
biology class, but she
has room for 40.
Because the room was
crowded, the 5
students were asked to
go to the curriculum
chairperson to change
their schedule.
2.Dinoflagellates in
Laguna de Bay
increase in population
due to increase in
organic substance in
the body of water
brought by water
pollution.
3.The oil spill in Cavite
area harmed many
aquatic organisms in
the vicinity.

4.A new strain of

COVID virus breaks
out in the country.
5.Some parts of Davao
City experienced
flooding due to heavy
rains by typhoon

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Pablo. Hundreds of
families who lived near
the Bankerohan
Bridge evacuated their
homes.
6.Population of
tarsiers in Bohol
decreases because of
deforestation.
7. An increase in
population of house
lizards in Tamayong,
Calinan Davao City,
causes a decrease in
the population of
mosquito.

Let Us Remember

• A population is a group of living things of the same species living in a

certain area.

• Factors that can cause a change in population size.

1. Birth rate: Number of births
2. Immigration: Movement into a population
3. Death rate: Number of deaths
4. Emigration: Movement out of a population

• Populations grow when the birth rate is greater than the death rate.
o Populations decline when the death rate is greater than the
birth rate.

• Carrying capacity is the maximum population size a certain

environment can support for an extended period of time.

• Population Growth forms:

o Exponential growth/ J-shaped
o Logistic Growth/ S-shaped

• In the first phase, there is exponential growth or J-shaped pattern

because it is gradually increasing not limited by the resources.

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• Logistic growth or an S-shaped pattern) occurs in phase two because
it will stabilize. The population will go up and down slightly as result
of the population reaching the maximum for the resources available.

• Every ecosystem has “limiting factors”. These are things that affect
the size of a population in that ecosystem.

• Examples of Limiting Factors

1. Resources
2. Environmental Conditions or weather
3. Biotic factors such as Predation and herbivory
4. Human factors
5. Diseases and parasitism
6. Natural disaster
7. Presence of invasive species

• Two categories affecting the growth of population:

1. Density-independent factors - factors that limit the size of a
population, but whose effect is not dependent on the population
density or number of individuals per unit area.

Example:
a. drought or flood
b. fire
c. extreme environmental pollutants

2. Density-dependent limiting factors - factors whose effect on a

population is determined by the total size of the population.

Example:
a. diseases and parasites
b. competition for resources
c. predation
d. emigration

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 Let Us Assess

Direction: Read the questions carefully. Choose the best answer and write it
on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Cocolisap infestation outbreak has been declared in some parts of the

Philippines. The cocolisap feeds on the sap of the coconut tree and
injects toxic enzymes, resulting in discolored leaves and deformed plant
tissues that retard the growth of the coconut tree. This results in a
decrease of the survival rate of coconut trees. Which of the following
factors limit the population of coconut trees?
A. competition for resources C. emigration
B. diseases and parasites D. predation

For items 2-4, refer to the following graph.

2. What type of population growth is shown by two populations in the

graph?
A. Normal growth
B. Exponential growth
C. Logistic growth
D. S-shaped growth

3. What can you infer about the graph?

A. The graph shows that a decrease in population of the protist
Paramecium aurelia causes a decrease in the population of
Paramecium caudatum when they are grown together.
B. The Paramecium caudatum outcompetes P.aurelia for resources,
leading to the latter’s eventual extinction.
C. The graph is an example of a density-independent limiting factor.
D. The population of Paramecium caudatum decreases while the
population of Paramecium aurelia increases when they are grown
together.

4. Which of the two protists is better adapted to competition?

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 A. P. aurelia C. Both A and B
B. P. caudatum D. None of the above

5. Which of the following factors causes a decreasing wildlife population in

most of the places in our country?
A. loss of habitat C. loss of carrying capacity
B. loss of limiting factor D. loss of natural disturbances

6. A person breeds guinea pigs in a cage. After a few generations, the

breeder observes that the guinea pigs are more aggressive towards each
other, the young are less healthy and more young guinea pigs die. What
do you think will happen to the population of the guinea pigs?

A. The population will C. The population is not affected.

decrease.
B. The population will D. The population will remain the
increase same.

7. What is the carrying capacity as shown the following graph?

A. 600 C. 1000
B. 800 D. 8000

8. When a population grows above the ecosystem's carrying capacity, what

happens to the population?

A. Continues to grow C. The population starts to die off to

return to carrying capacity.
B. The population will go extinct D. The population grows then finds
due to a lack of resources. a new carrying capacity.

9. If a disease destroying Barley plants in a field swept through an

ecosystem, what would happen to the Barley eating bird population in the
field?

A. The bird population would C. The bird population would

decrease. infinitely increase.
B. The bird population would D. None of the above
stay the same.
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10. What happens to the carrying capacity for an animal if the amount of
food or resources available in the ecosystem increases?
A. Decreases C. Fluctuates
B. Increases D. Stays the same

11. In a forest ecosystem, which of the following is the best example of the
limiting factors for a rabbit population?

A. Grass available C. Frog Population

B. Sunlight D. Both B and C

12. If the carrying capacity of a predator decreases, what will happen to the
carrying capacity of the prey?

A. Decrease C. Fluctuate
B. Increase D. Stay the same

13. Which will add more organisms to a population?

A. 0 animals are born C. 3 animals immigrate to the

population
B. 2 animals emigrate from the D. 5animals die
population

14. What will happen to the population when the death rate is larger than
the birth rate?
A. grow C. shrink
B. stay the same D. Nothing will change

15. Which is NOT an example of limiting factor?

A. Climate C. Available space and shelter
B. Available Food and water D. Species color

Let Us Enhance

Activity 3: Cause and Effect

Read each situation carefully and fill in the chart below.
Cause Effect
1. Statistics show that the
number of babies born per
day doubles the number of
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 death per day.
2. Palawan government creates
more improvised breeding
areas for the endangered
marine turtles and coral reef
fishes in their area.
3. Crocodiles are hunted and
killed for their skin.

Let Us Reflect

Think about this!

1. The human population is growing at an exponential rate. Since you
have learned that population cannot grow infinitely, what do you think
will happen if the human population reached its carrying capacity?

2. Make your own graph showing what will the world population be in the
year 2050? In 3000? Do you see this continuing indefinitely? Why or
why not?

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 18
Let Us Enhance
1. There will be an increase in the
population of human.
2. The population of marine species will
increase and can decrease the danger
of extinction.
3. Crocodile population will decrease and
become endangered.
Let Us Reflect
1. Answers may vary.
2. Answers may vary.
Let Us Assess Let Us Practice Let Us Try
1. B 11. 4
2. B 12. The second one is more 1. C
3. D stable, it stayed at the 2. B
4. A second carrying capacity 3. D
5. A longer. 4. D
6. A 13. Yes 5. D
7. C 14. No
8. C 15. This fish population will Let Us Practice
9. A decrease to at least 100. This 1. B
10. B will happen because the 2. D
11. A carrying capacity has 3. D
12. B decreased due to one of the 4. A
13. C following factors: fewer 5. C
14. C resources available or a 6. 250
15. D larger population. 7. 3
16. direct relationship 8. 4
9. 200 and 100
10. 2
Answer Key
 References

Herma D. Acosta, Liza A. Alvarez, Dave G. Angeles, Ruby D. Arre, Ma. Pilar
P. Carmona, Aurelia S. Garcia, Arlen Gatpo, Judith F. Marcaida,
Ma.Regaele A. Olarte, Marivic S. Rosales, Nilo G. Salazar, (2015)
Science Learner’s Material - Unit 3 - Biodiversity and Evolution,
Printed in the Philippines by REX Book Store, Inc. Published by the
Department of Education, pp. 328 – 347

Raper, Laura. 2017. Quizizz.com, “Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors –

Quiz”.https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/58598bb85694f8876686704/
carrying-capacity-and-limiting-factors

Edwards, W. J. & Edwards, C. T. (2011) Population Limiting Factors. Nature

Education.https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/popu
lation-limiting-factors-17059572/

Rios, Isabelle.2018. “What Factors Determine the Carrying Capacity of an

Ecosystem?”.https://populationeducation.org/what-factors-
determine-the-carrying-capacity-of-an-ecosystem/

19
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Davao City Division

E. Quirino Avenue, Davao City

Telephone: (082) 227 4762

Email Address: lrms.davaocity@deped.gov.ph