The carrying capacity of owls in an Alaskan forest is seven per square kilometer.What will happen if 12 owls are confined to a 1-square-kilometer area?

Question

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The carrying capacity of the Alaskan forest for owls is seven per square kilometer. When 12 owls are confined to a 1-square-kilometer area, the population exceeds the carrying capacity of that area. This will lead to competition for resources and a decline in the population size in the future. While the owls might survive initially, the long-term population size will most likely be close to seven. Option A is unlikely since owls are typically solitary animals and may not easily develop ways to share resources. Option C is incorrect since an increase in the population size of owl prey organisms would require an increase in the carrying capacity of the forest, which is not mentioned in the question. Option D is incorrect since a short-term exponential growth is unlikely due to limited resources within the area.

The Carrying Capacity of Owls in an Alaskan Forest Is