Limiting Factors

Front

What is a limiting factor?

Back

A limiting factor is an environmental condition that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population within an ecosystem.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can support sustainably over time.

Front

How does an increase in food resources affect carrying capacity?

Back

An increase in food resources generally increases the carrying capacity for an animal, allowing more individuals to survive and reproduce.

Front

What are density-independent factors?

Back

Density-independent factors are environmental factors that affect populations regardless of their density, such as natural disasters, climate changes, and human activities.

Front

What are density-dependent factors?

Back

Density-dependent factors are factors that affect population size in relation to the population's density, such as competition, predation, and disease.

Front

Give an example of a density-independent factor.

Back

An example of a density-independent factor is a hurricane that destroys habitats, affecting all populations in the area regardless of their size.

Front

Give an example of a density-dependent factor.

Back

An example of a density-dependent factor is the spread of disease in a crowded population, where the likelihood of infection increases as population density increases.

Front

What is exponential growth in populations?

Back

Exponential growth occurs when a population increases by a fixed percentage each year, leading to a rapid increase in numbers when resources are abundant.

Front

What is the difference between density-dependent and density-independent factors?

Back

Density-dependent factors are influenced by population size, while density-independent factors affect populations regardless of their size.

Front

What happens to a population when it exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

When a population exceeds its carrying capacity, resources become limited, leading to increased competition, starvation, and a decline in population size.