GEF

Unit 2  |  Humanity’s Ecological Footprint 39 As early humans learned to grow plants and domesticate animals for food, they were able to stay in one place. Settlements were built and populations increased. Agriculture settlements required greater land and water, increasing the ecological footprint. 2.3  POPULATIONGROWTH AND CARRYING CAPACITY Carrying capacity is the maximum population of a species a habitat can support. Some of the factors that limit carrying capacity include available food, water, and shelter. The Earth is a human habitat. Its human carrying capacity depends on enough food, clean water, and shelter to support the global human population. Earth’s natural systems are taxed trying to keep up with population growth and urban sprawl. CARRYING CAPACITY The ability of a particular habitat to support human or animal populations without environmental degradation.