1. Population Growth, Limiting Factors & Carrying Capacity
Biology

2. Essential Question
How do limiting factors affect carrying capacity of ecosystems?

3. Population Growth - Exponential
Under ideal conditions with unlimited resources, the larger a population gets, the faster it grows.
Not realistic - limiting factors prevent this type of growth from continuing

4. Population Growth - Logistic
Eventually all populations stop exponential growth
Limiting factors stabilize growth

5. Limiting Factors Control population sizes
Biotic: food, mates, disease, predators
Abiotic: space, water, weather

6. Density Dependent Limiting Factors
Only affect population sizes when they reach a certain density
Ex: predator-prey relationship

7. Density Independent Limiting Factors
Affect population sizes regardless of density
Ex: natural disasters

8. Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources
Where a population stabilizes following exponential growth