Limiting Factors & Carrying Capacity LE

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support sustainably, based on available resources.

Front

What are limiting factors?

Back

Environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population within an ecosystem.

Front

How does energy availability affect carrying capacity?

Back

The more energy available in an ecosystem, the higher the carrying capacity, as it supports more organisms.

Front

What role do minerals play in an ecosystem's carrying capacity?

Back

Minerals are essential nutrients that support plant growth, which in turn supports herbivores and higher trophic levels.

Front

Why can't populations grow indefinitely?

Back

Populations cannot grow indefinitely due to finite resources and environmental limitations.

Front

What is dynamic equilibrium in a population?

Back

A state where the population size remains stable over time due to balancing birth and death rates, often influenced by limiting factors.

Front

Give an example of a density-dependent limiting factor.

Back

Food availability is a density-dependent limiting factor, as its impact on population size increases with population density.

Front

Give an example of a density-independent limiting factor.

Back

Natural disasters, such as floods or wildfires, are density-independent limiting factors that affect populations regardless of their size.

Front

What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

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

Front

How do predators influence carrying capacity?

Back

Predators can lower the carrying capacity of prey populations by increasing mortality rates, thus maintaining balance in the ecosystem.