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Transcript limiting factor notes
LIMITING FACTOR
NOTES
HABITAT
Habitat - type of environment in
which a particular species lives
4 Components of a Habitat:
Water
Food
Shelter
Space
Survival of Species
A species’ long-term survival is possible only if
organisms can adapt to changes (in available
resources and their environment) and reproduce
If an entire species is unable to respond to
changes, it could face extinction
Extinct species – no living organism of the
species exists
Endangered species – small population of the
species exists with an increased threat of
extinction
Limiting Factors
Biotic potential – a
population’s growth rate
under ideal conditions
Limiting Factor - any
biotic or abiotic factor in
an environment that
limits the size of a
population
Examples: Food, disease,
predators
TYPES OF LIMITING FACTORS
Density-dependent limiting factors – factors
that become limiting only when the number of
organisms per unit space reaches a certain level
Ex. Space, disease, competition and
predation
Density-independent limiting factors – factors
that affect all populations in the same way,
regardless of their density
Ex. Weather, seasonal cycles, natural
disasters and human activities
CARRYING CAPACITY
Carrying
Carrying Capacity of Rabbits
# of Rabbits
Capacity
the maximum
population size
that a particular
environment can
support over time;
controlled by
limiting factors
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Years
7
8
9
10
Ecosystem Stability
Changes in the environment, caused by
nature or humans, can affect the stability of
an ecosystem in positive or negative ways
Example:
A volcanic eruption kills a
community’s populations of organisms – the
area’s ecosystem is destroyed
Example: leaking septic systems release sewage
into a river, causing weed and algae growth,
which reduces the fish populations – humans
repair the leaks and ecosystem recovers