In His 1798 Book, an Essay on the Principle of Population

Multiple Choice

In his 1798 book, An Essay on the Principle of Population, Thomas Malthus stated: "the power of [Earth's human] population [to increase] is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man." He explained that our population increases exponentially while we can increase our food supply only linearly. In modern terminology, what did Malthus mean by "the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man"?

A) biotic potential
B) birth rate
C) carrying capacity
D) environmental resistance
E) growth rate