Which statement describes logistic growth?

• A. Growth that follows a straight line regardless of population size.
• B. Growth that slows as carrying capacity is approached, producing an S-shaped curve.
• C. Exponential growth with unlimited resources.
• D. Growth that continues to accelerate indefinitely.

Answer: (B)

Logistic growth describes how a population expands when resources are limited. Early on, with plenty of food, space, and other necessities, the population can grow rapidly. But as numbers rise, competition for those resources increases, and the environment can’t support more individuals. This slows the overall growth rate and eventually levels off near the environment’s carrying capacity—the maximum population the habitat can sustain indefinitely. The resulting growth curve is sigmoidal (S-shaped): fast growth at first, a slowdown as N approaches K, and a plateau once carrying capacity is reached. This is often summarized by the idea that growth slows as carrying capacity is approached. In contrast, unlimited resources would drive exponential growth with no plateau, and growth that keeps accelerating indefinitely isn’t realistic for natural populations.