Limiting Factors & Carrying Capacity

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can support sustainably.

Front

What are limiting factors?

Back

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

Front

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

Back

Density-dependent factors are influenced by population density (e.g., competition, predation), while density-independent factors affect populations regardless of their density (e.g., natural disasters).

Front

What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

Density-dependent limiting factors start to occur, leading to a decrease in the population size.

Front

Give an example of a density-independent limiting factor.

Back

Natural disasters such as floods, fires, or mudslides.

Front

What is the significance of predator-prey relationships in population dynamics?

Back

They help regulate population sizes, as predators control the population of prey species.

Front

What does logistic growth represent in population ecology?

Back

A growth model that shows how a population grows rapidly at first and then levels off as it approaches the carrying capacity.

Front

What is exponential growth in population ecology?

Back

A growth pattern where the population size increases rapidly without any limiting factors, typically represented by a J-shaped curve.

Front

How can competition affect population size?

Back

Competition for limited resources can lead to decreased survival and reproduction rates, thus reducing population size.

Front

What is the role of herbivory in limiting plant populations?

Back

Herbivory can reduce plant biomass and reproductive success, thus limiting plant population growth.