Department of Education

10 National Capital Region

SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE
MARIKINA CITY

Science
Quarter 3 – Module 9
Population Growth and Carrying Capacity

AURORA A. LAZARO

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 What I Need to Know

The purpose of this module is to help you understand an ecosystem as being

capable of supporting a limited number of organisms. The module is divided into
two lessons, namely:
● Lesson 1 – Population Growth and Carrying Capacity
● Lesson 2 – Population Growth Affecting Carrying Capacity
After going through this module, you are expected to explain the relationship
between population growth and carrying capacity. S10LT-IIIi-42
Specifically, you are expected to:
● explain the relationship of population growth and carrying capacity using models; and
● explain how population growth affects carrying capacity.

What I Know
Read the statement carefully and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which maintains the carrying capacity of the ecosystem?

A. Resources D. Increase in insect
B. Climate variations population
C. Occurrence of typhoon

2. Which DOES NOT describe carrying capacity?

A. Maximum number of organisms that the ecosystem can support
B. Can be declined when there is overcrowding of population
C. Can be changed when ecological succession occurs
D. Resources used by the organisms

3. Assume that there are 3400 butterflies of specific species living on the farm.
What would happen to the population size of butterflies if the 3400 number
exceeds the carrying capacity of the farm?
A. Increase C. Decrease
B. Fluctuate D. Maintained

For items 4 and 5, refer to the graph on the right.

4. What happened to the population size of
Population

organisms from Year A to B?

B C
A. Declines D
B. Fluctuates
Size

C. Increases
D. Steady
Carrying Capacity
A
Years of Observation

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5. What year that the population size exceeds carrying capacity?
A. Year A C. Year C
B. Year B D. Year D

6. What is most likely to happen when the oxygen is declining in a river?

A. The population of fish increases rapidly.
B. The population size of fish is maintained.
C. The fish will migrate to other parts of the river.
D. The number of fish in the river will still survive.

7. A large portion of the forest is converted to agricultural land. Trees and

other plants are removed. What is the effect of this on the carrying capacity
of the forest?
A. Increase
B. Decrease
C. More stable
D. Makes the organisms resilient

8. Why does population growth rapidly increase when population size is below
the carrying capacity of the ecosystem?
A. Organisms reproduce rapidly, too.
B. Organisms get their wants anytime.
C. Organisms have enough supply for their needs.
D. Organisms can interact freely with other organisms.

9. Which is NOT the possible impact of the declining number of native trees in
the forest ecosystem?
A. A decline in the competition in food
B. Less shelter from a strong typhoon
C. Decrease in the stability of the forest
D. Loss of nesting sites of some native birds

10. What will happen to the population growth if the population size approaches
carrying capacity?
A. Stable
B. Increase
C. Maintained
D. Slow down

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Lesson Relationship of Population Growth
1 and Carrying Capacity

What’s In
Match the phrase in column A with the correct term in column B, then with its
description in column C. Write your answer in the space provided.
Column A Column B Column C
(Phrase) (Terms) (Description)
____1. Different A. This is the variety of organisms
organisms ____A. Typhoon that has a direct effect on
ecological diversity.
B. It is a natural disturbance that can
____2. Planting of withstand most organisms in the
____B. Biodiversity ecosystem which increases
crops on a land area
ecological stability.

____3. Severe winds C. It is the process of animals

that may cause ____C. Principle of transferring to transfer energy from
damage to the least effort one animal to another by capturing
ecosystem before eating their prey.
____4. Hawk eating D. Organisms tend to hunt prey that
____D. Agriculture
snake is easy to find.
E. It is a man-made disturbance that
____5. Hawk can eat
____E. Predation can lower the stability of the
frog, snake, and bird
ecosystem.

What’s New

Determine how much you know about the carrying capacity and population
growth.
A. Choose in the box the term being described in the following statements.
Carrying capacity Population density Population Size
Population Population growth rate

__________1. Number of organisms in a population

__________2. Maximum number of population that an ecosystem can support
__________3. Group of organisms belonging to the same species that can interbreed
naturally

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__________4. Natural increase in the population represented by the difference
between birth and death rates
__________5. Group of organisms that are living
per unit area

No. of Organisms
B. Study the graph on the right then answer the
following questions.
1. Which year has the highest number of
organisms? __________________________
2. What happened to the number of
organisms from the first to the third year
of observation? ______________________
3. What do you think are the factors affecting 1s 3rd
2n
such observation to the population of the Years of dObservation
t
organisms? _________________________

What Is It
The population is defined as the group of organisms belonging to the same
species and can reproduce their offsprings. The number of individual organisms in
a population is called population size. This is affected by birth and death rates.
The growth or reduction of the population has an impact on the ecosystem.
The increase in population size is called population growth. Each organism
in the population consumes resources in the ecosystem. As the population
increases more resources are needed to support them. When resources become
scarce, competition among organisms increases which may cause hunger, disease,
and mortality of organisms. Therefore, there is no population of species that can
grow indefinitely. There is a limit on the number of organisms that can occupy a
specific habitat. The maximum number of populations that the environment can
sustainably support is called carrying capacity. This varies from one ecosystem to
another ecosystem depending on the available resources, and space.
Carrying capacity can be affected by many factors such as food, energy,
shelter, and resources for
r max reproduction. These factors are
also called limiting factors.
r (population

When every organism in the

growth rate)

r positive
population can have a fair share
0 N=K of these factors and the death
r negative and growth rate become stable,
the population has leveled to
N (Population Size) the carrying capacity of the
Source: Campbell (1996, p. 1106)
ecosystem.
Fig. 1: Logistic Population Growth Model

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The logistic population growth model (Fig.1) shows the effect of population
density (the number of organisms living per unit area) in the population size which
grows towards the carrying capacity.
This model assumes that population growth (r) is rapid when the population
size (N) is below carrying capacity (K). However, when the population size
approaches carrying capacity, the population growth slows down. If the population
size is higher than the carrying capacity, the population growth decreases. This
model can be used to predict the additional individuals that an ecosystem can
accommodate.

What’s More
Use the graph on the right to answer the
following questions.
1. Is there an increase in the population of
fish at the beginning of time? If yes,
what causes this increase?
______________________________________
_______________________________________
2. What happens to the population of the
fish starting from the third column to
the fourth column of time?
______________________________________
______________________________________
3. What are the factors that limit the
increase in the population size of the fish?
_________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What happened to the population growth as it approaches the carrying
capacity? ___________________________________________________________________

What I Have Learned

Answer the following questions.

1. What is carrying capacity? ________________________________________________

2. What are the factors determining the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
___________________________________________________________________________

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 3. Using the logistic model of population growth, how is population growth
related to the carrying capacity of ecosystems?
___________________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Read the information below about the Philippine Eagle then answer the questions
that follow.
Research Findings
The Philippine Eagle is a giant bird of prey that can only be seen in 4 islands
in the Philippines- Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. It is one of the largest
and most powerful among forest raptors.

They are also listed as CRITICALLY

ENDANGERED by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with an estimated
number of only 400 pairs left in the wild.
Basic Information:
Philippine Eagles are solitary and territorial
creatures.
They live in 4000-11000 hectares of forest
land to thrive in the wild, depending on the
number of prey items in the area
They typically nest on the large dipterocarp
trees like the native species Lauan.
They can live up to 40+ years in captivity but
probably much less in the wild.
(Adapted from: https://www.philippineeaglefoundation.org/the-philippine-eagle)

Guide Questions:
1. Where is the habitat of the Philippine Eagle?
___________________________________
2. What is the present population size of Philippine Eagle? ____________________
3. What do you think are the factors that make the Philippine Eagle critically
endangered? ______________________________________________________________
4. What are the resources in the forest that support the population growth of
the Philippine Eagle? ______________________________________________________
5. What would happen to the population of the Philippine Eagle if the
resources in the forest decline?
_________________________________________________________

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Complete the statements below.
1. The population size is dependent on _____________ and ______________.
2. As the population size of organisms increases, the resources in the
ecosystem _________________.
3. There is no indefinite growth of population due to the _______________.
4. As the population size approaches the carrying capacity, the population
growth ____________________.
5. If the population size is below the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, the
population growth ____________________.

Additional Activities

List five activities that we can do to increase the population size of the Philippine
Eagle. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Lesson Population Growth Affecting

2 Carrying Capacity

What’s In
Choose in the box the concept shown in the following examples. Use the
underlined phrase in each statement to identify the correct answer. Write your
answers before the number.
Carrying capacity is determined by the available resources to support
organisms.
The population size decreased naturally when it is above carrying
capacity.
The logistic population growth model can be used to predict the
increase of population over a period.
There is a rapid increase in population growth rate when the
population size is below carrying capacity.
Shelter is factor that affects the carrying capacity of ecosystem.

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 1. Philippine eagle is now critically endangered due to the loss of Lauan
trees in the forest.
2. The population size of rats boomed on the farm during planting season due
to the availability of enough rice and corn. When harvesting corn and plants
is over, their population size decreases because there is no enough food for
them anymore.
3. Anna observed that there are more insects like butterflies, bees, and
grasshoppers that can be seen living in her garden when she planted it with
different vegetables and ornamental plants.
4. Scientists observed that the number of invasive fish in Laguna Lake has
increased, and it can be predicted that its number will keep on increasing in
the following years if it is not mitigated.
5. The population of invasive fish gradually declines due to scarcity of food and
limited resources.

What’s New
Assume that you are an environmentalist, and you are observing the population of
organisms in a forest. The table below shows your hypothetical log of observation.
Study and answer the following questions.

Observed No. of Population

Organisms
1stYear 2nd Year 3rd Year
Native Ferns 343 300 152
Invasive Ferns 300 360 489
Introduced Ferns 100 256 670
Note: This is not a real statistic of the fern population.
Guide Questions:
1. How will you describe the population of the three organisms? Is it
decreasing or increasing?
a. Native Ferns
b. Invasive Ferns
c. Introduce Ferns
2. Which organisms have the highest population growth rate?
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you think is the possible reason for the population of native ferns to
decline?
___________________________________________________________________________

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 What Is It

The carrying capacity is fixed if the environment remains unchanged and

the organisms are getting an equal share of their needs. Organisms tend to
increase their population and reach their carrying capacity when the resources
they need are available in the ecosystem. In general, organisms that have small
biomass, have a short life span and numerous predators do not usually reach their
carrying capacity due to regular fluctuation in their population. For example,
insects like butterflies have fluctuating populations and rarely reach their carrying
capacity. However, organisms with large biomass that live a long time like snakes
and hogs can reach their carrying capacity and be sustained over a period.
The resources of the environment have a profound effect on the growth rate
of the population. If the individual organism in the population is getting its needs,
the population growth will increase. If the natural resources are degraded and
basic needs like food and water become scarce, the carrying capacity of the
ecosystem declines. Population growth, especially overcrowding, may cause a
decline in carrying capacity due to scarcity of resources. Moreover, ecological
succession, climate variations, and other natural large-scale disturbances can
change the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. Thus, the number of carrying
capacity in the ecosystem may change due to the aforementioned factors.

What’s More
Predator A
Study the graph below then answer the following
questions. Predator B
Population Size

Guide Questions:
1. Which population has the fastest increase in Prey
population size? ___________________________
2. Which organism has a declining population
size? ______________________________________
3. What will happen to the population size of
the prey if the population size of the 0
predators continues to increase? Years of Observation
____________________________________________
4. If the food in the ecosystem continues to deplete due to overcrowding, what will
happen to the population size of predators? __________________________________
5. How is population growth affecting carrying capacity? ________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

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 What I Have Learned

Answer the following questions.

1. Why do organisms with small biomass not usually reach their carrying
capacity? __________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________
2. What are the factors that may affect the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the effect of overcrowding on the carrying capacity of organisms?
__________________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do
Put a checkmark on the resources needed to maintain the carrying capacity of a
forest.
□1. Rocks □6. Ashes from volcanic fumes
□2. Grasses □7. Fertile soil
□3. Dried Soil □8. Invasive orchids
□4. Canopy of trees as nesting sites □9. Sunlight
□5. Water and Moisture □10. Different kinds of wild fruits

Assessment
Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.
Write your answer before the number.

1. Organisms with large biomass tend to reach their carrying capacity due to
the availability of small organisms which serve as their food.
2. Climate change maintains the carrying capacity of ecosystems.
3. Scarcity of food may lead to a decline in the population size of one species.
4. Overpopulation may cause scarcity of resources in the ecosystem.
5. Population growth may lead to depletion in food and other resources,
resulting in a decline in carrying capacity.

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 Additional Activities
Read the paragraph below about preserving Baguio Pine trees then answer the
questions that follow.

It is observed that the number of Baguio Pine trees is declining.

Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ordered in 2019 the DENR-CAR and Water
Resources Research Development and Extension Center (WWRRDEC) to
conduct an assessment to determine the cause of the decline. The team found
out that the Baguio Pine trees are affected by bark beetle infestation. To
address this problem, the team is continuing its assessments, focusing on the
biophysical characteristics and natural regeneration of Baguio Pine Trees. The
team also identified the and abiotic/biotic factors affecting its growth. This
assessment is very important to come up with a plan to increase the resiliency
of the Baguio Pine Trees and increase their number in Baguio City. Source:
http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/2020/02/27/wwrrdec-gears-up-in-2020-to-preserve-benguet-pine-in-baguio-city/#)

Guide Questions:

1. What species of native tree that are being studied for their resiliency in the
report? ___________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think is the role of this native tree in the ecosystem of Baguio?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Why does WWWRRDEC want to study the resiliency of such a native tree?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the impact of the declining population of pine trees on the
ecosystem of Baguio?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What would be the effect on the carrying capacity of ecosystems to other
organisms like native birds in Baguio if regeneration of Pine Trees occurred?
__________________________________________________________________________

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Read the statement carefully and encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Which changes the carrying capacity of the ecosystem?
A. Stability of ecosystem C. Occurrence of typhoon
B. Ecological succession D. Increase in insect population

2. Which BEST describes carrying capacity?

A. Number of organisms living together in an area
B. Types of organisms that can be supported by an ecosystem
C. Maximum number of species that can be supported by an ecosystem
D. Factors like food, shelter, and energy used by the number of species in
an ecosystem

3. Assume that there are 3400 butterflies of a specific species living in the
forest. What do the 3400 butterflies mean?
A. Population Size C. Population Growth
B. Carrying Capacity D. Number of species

For items 4 and 5, refer to the graph on the right.

4. It is observed that the population growth of
an organism increases rapidly when the
population size is below carrying capacity.
Which part of the graph shows this Carrying Capacity
observation?
Population

A. Year A to B B C D
B. Year B to C
C. Year A to C
Size

D. Year B to D
5. What happened to the population size from
Year B to C?
A. Decline A
B. Increase Years of Observation
C. Steady
D. Nothing happens

6. What is most likely to happen when a species of fish is introduced in a river?

A. The population of introduced fish increases rapidly.
B. The introduced fish becomes the native fish in the river.
C. The number of introduced fish in the river will not survive.
D. The population of native fish decreases because they have a new
competitor to the resources.

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 7. The population size of rats in the field increased and exceeded its carrying
capacity. What is the impact of this on the ecosystem?
A. Scarcity of resources
B. Increase in the number of preys
C. Stable competition among the rats
D. Increase in the carrying capacity of an ecosystem

8. Why does population growth decline when population size reaches the
carrying capacity of the ecosystem?
A. Birth rate decreases due to climate change.
B. Death rate increases due to scarcity of resources.
C. An ecosystem has the factors that limit population growth.
D. Organisms with a high population are easy to be found by predators.

9. What is the possible impact of the declining number of native trees in the
forest ecosystem?
A. Other plants will have more food.
B. Increase the resiliency of the forest.
C. Decrease in the shelter of native birds and other animals.
D. Other organisms depending on native trees will look for other alternatives
in the forest.

10. Which is NOT needed to maintain the carrying capacity of the ecosystem?
A. Climate C. Strong winds
B. Resources D. Native organisms

Cambell, Neil A. 1996. Biology. 4th Edition. United Kingdom: Benjamin-Cummings

Publication.
DepEd. 2015. Science Learner’s Material Grade 10. Pasig City: Rex Bookstore.
Patrimonio, Estrella E. 2020. WWRRDEC Gears Up in 2020 to Preserve Benguet
Pine in Baguio City. Accessed from http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/2020/02/27/
wwrrdec-gears-up-in-2020-to-preserve-benguet-pine-in-baguio-city/
Philippine Eagle Foundation. Philippine Eagle. Accessed from https://www.
philippineeaglefoundation.org/the-philippine-eagle)
Tillery, Bill W., Enger, Eldon D. and Ross, Frederick C. 1996. Integrated Science.
New York. McGraw Hill

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 DISCIPLINE • GOOD TASTE • EXCELLENCE
14 City of Good Character
Assessment What I Can Do What’s In
True Forest in Luzon, Samar, Leyte and B, B
False Mindanao D, A
Ture 400 pairs A, D
True Deforestation, illegal logging, kaingin E, E
True (answer may vary) C, C
Additional Activities Trees like Lauan, space of 4000-11000 What’s New
Baguio Pine hectares in the forest, food and water A.
Trees They become critically endangered. Population Size
It serves as home Assessment Carrying Capacity
for birds, orchids Birth rate and death rate Population
and other Decreases Population growth rate
organisms Limiting factors Population density
(answer may Slows down B.
vary) st
Increases rapidly 1. 1 Year
To preserve the Lesson 2 2. Decrease
Baguio Pine What’s In 3. There number decreased due to large
Trees E scale disturbance (Answer may vary)
Loss of habitat A What’s More
for birds, orchids D Yes, because ethe fish have enough
and other C resources.
organisms B The population size from the third
Increase the What’s New column to forth column is the same.
carrying capacity A. Decreasing Decreasing oxygen supply, low food
of Baguio Increasing supply, disease, predators, and limited
ecosystem Increasing space
Introduced ferns The population size slows down.
Competition in resources, climate What I Have Learned
change, human activities (Answer may Carrying capacity is the maximum
Vary) number of organisms that an ecosystem
What’s More can support sustainably.
Predator A The factors determining the carrying
Prey capacity are food, shelter, energy and
Decline/decrease resources for reproduction.
Decline/decrease Population growth is increasing rapidly
Population especially overcrowding when the population size is below
may cause decline in carrying capacity carrying capacity. When the population
due to scarcity of resources size approaches carrying capacity the
What I Have Learned population growth slows down.
Their population size fluctuates due to However, when the population growth
the presence of predators and short life exceeds to the carrying capacity, the
span population size decreases.
Food, shelter, energy, space and
resources to reproduction
Overcrowding, may cause decline in
carrying capacity due to scarcity of
resources.
What I Can Do
2, 4, 5, 7, 9,10
 Development Team of the Module

Writer: Aurora A. Lazaro

Content Editors: Alma B. Castaño

Edna R. Francisco
Jessica S. Mateo

Language Editor: Lei B. Peñaflor

Illustrators: Aira Jaime B. Ocampo
Lian Joseph A. Domingo
Illustrator/
Layout Artists: Guiller P. Belen
Jemwel Dela Paz

Management Team:
Sheryll T. Gayola
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent

Elisa O. Cerveza
Chief, CID
OIC, Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

Jessica S. Mateo
EPS-Science

Ivy Coney A. Gamatero

EPS – LRMS

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Schools Division Office- Marikina City

Email Address: sdo.marikina@deped.gov.ph

191 Shoe Ave., Sta. Elena, Marikina City, 1800, Philippines

Telefax: (02) 682-2472 / 682-3989

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