Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors

CARRYING CAPACITY and LIMITING FACTORS

Organisms need resources to survive. They also require space to live. There are limited resources and only so much space in an ecosystem. These features are called limiting factors. Limiting factors regulate how many organisms live in an ecosystem. Space, food, oxygen, and water are limiting factors. Temperature and precipitation determine the climate of an ecosystem, which impacts the organisms that can live in an ecosystem.

An ecosystem can support only so large of a population. The maximum population size that an ecosystem can support is called carrying capacity. Limiting factors determine carrying capacity. The availability of abiotic factors (such as water, oxygen, and space) and biotic factors (such as food) dictates how many organisms can live in an ecosystem. Carrying capacity is also impacted by the availability of decomposers. Decomposers break down and recycle dead organisms and organic matter. They prevent dead matter from accumulating and taking up space in an ecosystem.

In an ecosystem, the population of a species will increase until reaches the carrying capacity. Then the population size remains relatively the same. If abiotic or biotic factors change, the arrying capacity changes as well. Natural disasters can destroy resources in an ecosystem. If resources are destroyed, the ecosystem will not be able to support a large population. This causes the carrying capacity to decrease. Humans can also alter carrying capacity. Our activities can decrease or increase carrying capacity. We alter carrying capacity when we manipulate resources in a natural environment. If a population exceeds carrying capacity, the ecosystem may become unsuitable for the species to survive. If the population exceeds the carrying capacity for a long period of time, resources may be completely depleted. Populations may die off if all of the resources are exhausted.

Multiple Choice

What do limiting factors do?

• Separate biotic factors from abiotic factors.

• Determine which is the predator and which is the prey.

• Regulate how many organisms live in an ecosystem.

• Determine which natural disasters will hit an area.

Drag and Drop

Organisms need ​​

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to live and survive.

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space and resources

space

resources

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following are abiotic limiting factors?

• The decomposers in an ecosystem.

• The populations of producers in a given habitat.

• Carrying capacities of several species.

• Water, space, and oxygen.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a biotic limiting factor?

• The amount of breathable oxygen available to a population.

• Food available for organisms.

• The nitrogen to oxygen ratio in the air supply.

• The number of bodies of water in a habitat.

Multiple Choice

In biology, what is carrying capacity?

• The maximum population size an ecosystem can support.

• A total list of the limiting factors.

• How much weight an organism can lift.

• How much pain an organism can tolerate.

Drag and Drop

The size of the population of a species in an ecosystem is determined by the ​

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factors available to them.

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biotic and abiotic

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Drag and Drop

Besides factors such as water, space, food, and oxygen, carrying capacity is affected by how many ​

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there are.

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organisms

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rivers

Multiple Choice

What do decomposers do?

• Feed on carnivores exclusively.

• Break down and recycle dead organisms and organic matter.

• Prevent living organisms from taking up space in an ecosystem.

• Feed on producers exclusively.

Multiple Choice

What happens to the population of a species after it reaches its carrying capacity?

• Increases linearly (in a straight line) over time.

• Increases exponentially (line is curved) over time.

• Decreases to zero in a very short amount of time.

• Remains relatively the same.

Multiple Choice

What can destroy the amount of resources in an ecosystem?

• Natural disasters.

• Tornados only.

• Hurricanes only.

• Tsunamis only.

Multiple Choice

If a natural disaster devastates an ecosystem, what will this do to the carrying capacity of the population of a species within that ecosystem?

• Increase it.

• Will not affect it, so it will stay the same.

• Always reduce it down to zero.

• Decrease it.

Multiple Choice

By which activity can humans change the carrying capacity of the population of a species?

• Studying the niches (the role an organism plays in a community) of particular species.

• Compiling a list of habitats in an ecosystem.

• Manipulating resources in its natural environment.

• Convincing it to reduce its carbon footprint.

Multiple Choice

If the population of a species is greater than its carrying capacity for a long time, what can that do to available resources in its ecosystem?

• Deplete them completely.

• Double the amount that was there.

• Nothing, as there is no causal relation.

• Triple the amount that was there.