Ecosystems Limiting Factors

Let’s suppose…. We have two mice… …and they produce the standard 56 “pups” (baby mice) each year. …and each of these mice goes on to have 56 babies each year….

Soon….. We’d be over-run with mice on the planet!! Why doesn’t this occur?

Limiting Factors A limiting factor is an abiotic or biotic factor that restricts the number of individuals in a population.

Limiting Factors Limiting factors can include: Competitors Disease and Parasites Weather Fires Available Habitat Predators

Competitors Birds of prey Live in forests on the edge of fields Eat mice and other rodents Nest in trees Red-Tailed Hawk Barred Owl

Disease and Parasites Diseases and parasites can be dependent on population size and habitat

Weather Storms Drought Flooding Heat/cold

Fires Fire can lead to succession which is a change in a community over time.

Available Habitat Human activities play a large role Development, damming rivers, clear cutting forests.

Predators Predator-prey relationship can be a delicate balance between the two populations.

Predator / Prey As the prey population increases, the predator population increases. As the prey population decreases, then so does the predator population.

Example: Lynx and Hare:

Carrying Capacity All populations have a carrying capacity A carrying capacity is the largest population that an area can support.