Answer: A growing population with a large proportion of young individuals.
- A A declining population with more old individuals than young
- B A stable population with equal numbers across all ages
- C A growing population with a large proportion of young individuals
- D A population that has gone extinct
Correct answer: C. A growing population with a large proportion of young individuals
Explanation: An age pyramid that is broad at the base (many young individuals) and narrows toward the top (fewer old individuals) typically indicates a rapidly growing population with high birth rates.
Exponential growth produces an ever-steepening J-curve with no limit, an unrealistic long-term model; logistic growth produces an S-curve that levels off at the carrying capacity K, as growth rate (K−N)/K shrinks to zero once resources are fully used.
Concept context
How organisms interact with abiotic factors and respond to stress, plus population attributes, growth models, and interspecific interactions such as predation, competition, and mutualism.