D) FACTORS INFLUENCE

POPULATION DENSITY
Students should be able to discuss:
• Density-dependent factors – intraspecific and interspecific
competition, interference and exploitation competition
• Density-independent factors – abiotic factors
■ Many environmental factors may influence the population
dynamic
■ These factors could work in specific or in combination in
order to produce changes to population.
■ Such factors are divided into 2 categories:
 Density dependent – factors that increasingly limit
population growth as population density increases
 Density independent – factors that limit population
growth to the same degree regardless of population
density
Adapted from Dr Hasnun lecture notes
 DENSITY DEPENDENT FACTORS
Transmission rate increase
when the population increases
DISEASES such as flu in humans spread
through air

As the population increases,

predators will capture more
food Predation

Space becomes the resource for

competition. Example ; Cheetahs use
Territoriality a chemical marker in urine to warn
other cheetahs for their territorial
boundaries
 DENSITY INDEPENDENT FACTORS

Yeast used to convert carbohydrates to ethanol

Toxic waste (winemaking). The accumulation of ethanol is toxic
to yeast and will regulate the yeast population size

Intrinsic physiological factors can regulate

population size. Example, reproduction rate of
Intrinsic
white footed mice decrease even food and shelter factor
are abundant. This associated with the hormonal
changes that delay the sexual maturation

Competition Farmers minimize the effect of resource competition

for on the growth of wheat and other crops by applying
resources fertilizers to reduce nutrient limitations on crop yield
INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION

INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION

EXPLOITATION COMPETITION

INTERFERENCE COMPETITION
INTERFERENCE COMPETITION
• Individuals interfere with the
survival of other species by
fighting for resources
• Example; a male gorilla
prohibit other male from
accessing a mate by using
physical aggression
EXPLOITATIVE COMPETITION
• All individuals have the
equal access to the
resource but they differ
how fast or how efficiently
they can exploit it
 Cyclic fluctuation
Density dependent factors

Source: Hoefnagels (2015)

Adapted from Dr Hasnun lecture notes

Density independent factors • Related to abiotic factors related to weather or physical disturbances
• Examples: drought, earthquakes, floods, fire, volcano eruption and
hurricane.
• Lead to population crash or catastrophic reduction in population size

Source: Hoefnagels (2015)

Adapted from Dr Hasnun lecture notes