What is the concept of carrying capacity in ecology?

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustainably support over time without degrading the ecosystem. This concept takes into account not only the availability of resources such as food and shelter but also the impact of environmental factors like predation and disease.

In this context, it is essential to understand that carrying capacity is determined by both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors within an ecosystem. When a population exceeds its carrying capacity, it can lead to resource depletion and environmental damage, ultimately reducing the population back down to sustainable levels.

While the other options touch on important ecological concepts, they don't encapsulate the full definition of carrying capacity. The total biomass an ecosystem can support relates more to productivity rather than population limits. The number of species able to coexist focuses on biodiversity rather than the population size of a specific species. The maximum amount of resources available refers to resource availability, without considering how many individuals those resources can support sustainably. Thus, the defining characteristic of carrying capacity is indeed the sustainable population size that an environment can maintain.