Topic: Ecology Aim: Describe the effect of limiting factors on populations. Do Now: Take out HW ditto HW: Ditto – Measurement Review SIDE 2

Which group contains only abiotic factors?

Limiting factors Anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population

Food, light, other living things

When does competition occur? When 2 or more organisms seek same resource at the same time

When they occupy the same niche

Carrying capacity The largest # of individuals of 1 species that an ecosystem can support over time

What would happen if a population exceeds carrying capacity? Population would be forced to move of die

Although 3 different bird species all inhabit the same type of tree in an area, competition between the birds rarely occurs. The most likely explanation for this lack of competition is that these birds  (1.) are unable to interbreed  (2.) have a limited supply of food  (3.) share food with each other  (4.) have different ecological niches