A population is most likely to experience exponential growth when resources are abundant and the initial population size is small.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if predators are absent
• D. Only if mutation rate is high

Answer: (A)

When resources are plentiful and crowding is minimal, a population can grow exponentially because the increase in individuals is proportional to how many are already present. With little competition for food and space, the intrinsic growth rate remains high, so the number of organisms rises rapidly over time according to N = N0 e^{rt}. Starting small helps because density-dependent factors aren’t yet limiting; as the population grows, those constraints kick in and growth slows, shifting toward a logistic pattern as carrying capacity is approached. While removing predators or changing mutation rate can influence survival or evolution, they don’t define the rapid, unchecked growth seen when resources aren’t limiting. This scenario aligns with exponential growth, so the statement is true.