Question

What is the typical shape of a population growth curve? How can biotic potential be represented in the same way graphically?

Answer 1

The typical shape of population growth curve is sigmoidal (s shape). This sigmoidal shape is occurs due to short and slow initial growth which is followed by fast and longer period of growth and once again a decrease in growth occurs prior to reach stabilization or equilibrium stage. Short and slow initial growth occurs due to less population and increases later as the population increases. A decrease in growth after attaining a maximum growth occurs due to competition for survival.

However, the shape of population growth curve is not sigmoidal according to the biotic potential curve; it is crescent-shaped and approaches infinity (there is neither a decreasing stage nor an equilibrium). Biotic potential is the capability for growth of a given population under hypothetical optimum conditions, in an environment without limiting factors for such growth and thus no competition occurs. Under such conditions, the population tends to grow indefinitely.

Thus, biotic potential is represented graphically as crescent shaped.