Carrying capacity is the population size or density of a species that an environment can support. Before a species hits this point, its population tends to grow at an exponential rate. However, the exponential growth of the population begins to reduce once a species surpasses the carrying capacity of its ecosystem.
.This is usually caused by factors such as disease, shortages of resources, competition within a population for other resources. It is important to note that the carrying capacity is not the same for all species living in an environment. The reason is that there are differences when it comes to the food choice, special requirements, and shelter of each species.
A species will experience a decrease in its population once its population exceeds the carrying capacity of its ecosystem. What happens next is that the affected species will begin to die off. What also causes a species to surpass the carrying capacity of its ecosystem is when there is an uncontrollable increase or growth of its population.