Limiting Factors on Populations

• Biotic or abiotic factors preventing population from increasing in size at its maximum rate, also described as environmental resistance, include:

  • Resource availability: food, water, oxygen, nesting sites, carbon dioxide, or mineral ions
  • Other species: predators, grazers or parasites
  • Competition: between same species (intraspecific) or different species (interspecific)
• Density Independent: Influence is unaffected by population size; Density Dependent: Influence is directly proportional to population size