LIMITING FACTORS
Limiting factors are environmental factors that keep a population from reaching its full potential size.
Food- any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken
into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. Shelter- a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. Water- a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H 2 O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212 F or 100C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers,etc..: it contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight. Space- the unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur. Disease- a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment Parasitism- a relation between organisms in which one lives as a parasite on another. Predation- a relation between animals in which one organism captures and feeds on others. Nesting Sites- a place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young. Weather- the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc. |
Limiting factors affect an
ecosystem because of how they affect a population, and also set the
carrying capacity in an ecosystem. A population will increase when there are
few limiting factors to stop it from decreasing. When there are many limiting
factors, a population will decrease because there are too many factors stopping
it from being able to increase. Limiting factors could be food, water, shelter,
and space. A population will compete even more for these factors so the
organisms that don't get the factors will die and the population will start to
decrease. Carrying capacities limit populations because they set the number of organisms that an ecosystem can support. The carrying capacity itself is controlled by the limiting factors in the ecosystem; if there are less limiting factors, the carrying capacity will be a higher number then if there were many limiting factors. If there are less animals in the ecosystem then the carrying capacity, there are more resources to go around. If the population in the ecosystem is at the carrying capacity, each organism will have exactly what they need but nothing extra. If the population goes over the carrying capacity, the animals will start to die because of the lack of resources until the population is back to the capacity.
Nesting sites affect populations because if they are safe and the organisms are able to be born in the safety of the nests, the population will grow but, if the nesting sites are not in a safe location and the eggs are able to be destroyed, the animals won't be born and so the population will stay the same and will decrease if no animals are able to be born and others are dying. Weather is another factor that affects population growth. When the weather is convenient for the population, it will be able to increase because its comfortable. If the weather is not convenient for the population or disrupts the population, it can decrease because of the disruption. Parasitism is a factor of population growth because more organisms that are infected by parasites can die which would decrease the population. Predation affects population growth because if more animals are being hunted and killed then being born, the population will go down versus if more animals are being born and not hunted, the population will increase. Disease is a biotic factor that can affect populations dramatically. If there suddenly is an epidemic of a disease and the population is not adapted to this disease or can't fight against it, the disease will kill of all of the organisms too weak to fight it off, leaving the population weakened and smaller in size. All of these factors affect population size, whether they are abiotic factors or biotic factors and they all help the population to either increase, decrease, or maintain its balance.
Nesting sites affect populations because if they are safe and the organisms are able to be born in the safety of the nests, the population will grow but, if the nesting sites are not in a safe location and the eggs are able to be destroyed, the animals won't be born and so the population will stay the same and will decrease if no animals are able to be born and others are dying. Weather is another factor that affects population growth. When the weather is convenient for the population, it will be able to increase because its comfortable. If the weather is not convenient for the population or disrupts the population, it can decrease because of the disruption. Parasitism is a factor of population growth because more organisms that are infected by parasites can die which would decrease the population. Predation affects population growth because if more animals are being hunted and killed then being born, the population will go down versus if more animals are being born and not hunted, the population will increase. Disease is a biotic factor that can affect populations dramatically. If there suddenly is an epidemic of a disease and the population is not adapted to this disease or can't fight against it, the disease will kill of all of the organisms too weak to fight it off, leaving the population weakened and smaller in size. All of these factors affect population size, whether they are abiotic factors or biotic factors and they all help the population to either increase, decrease, or maintain its balance.