Limiting Factors

in an Ecosystem
Limiting Factors

Any biotic or abiotic

factor that restricts the
number or production of
organisms is a limiting factor.
Example: Fishbowl
The limiting factors would be
the:
-size of the bowl
-amount of water

These will limit the number

of fish that can survive in the
fishbowl
types of limiting factors

Limiting factors can be:

-Dependent factors
-Independent factors
Dependent Limiting Factors
Depend on the number of organisms.

Example:
 the amount of food available for
each organism depends on the
number of organisms
Independent limiting factors
does not depend on the number of
organisms.

Example:
-the amount of rainfall does not
depend on the number of organisms
Density-Dependent Factors
-> A limiting factor that depends on
population size

Density-dependent limiting factors include:

• competition
• predation
• parasitism
• disease
 Competition
the interaction of individuals that vie for a
common resource that is in limited supply.

the direct or indirect interaction of

organisms that leads to a change in
fitness when the organisms share
the same resource.
Effects of Competition
In the short run In the long run,
reduction in the
• competition is
number of species
living within an area, likely to increase
preventing very similar species diversity, by
species from co- acting as a force for
occurring. specialization and
divergence.
Predation
a biological interaction where one organism, the
predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey.
Parasitism
• a relationship between the two living
species in which one organism is benefitted
at the expense of the other

The organism that is

benefitted is called the
parasite, while the one that is
harmed is called the host.
 Disease
Infectious diseases are a strong
force that can affect individual
organisms, populations,
communities, and ecosystems.

Infectious diseases are caused

by parasites and pathogens
which can impair or even kill
its host.
 Surprisingly, parasites and
pathogens are a common and
integral part of healthy
ecosystems.
Abiotic limiting factors
Sunlight
Climate
Temperature
 Water
 Space
Soil chemistry
Fire
Natural disasters
Biotic limiting factors
Number of plants
Number animals
Amount of competition
Number of decomposers
parasites
Disease causing agents
Ecological indicators
are biological assemblages or taxa that
by their presence or condition indicate
something about the environment.

For example:
the presence or absence of patches of plants or
bare soil can be used as indicators of the state of the
health of the landscape.
Ecosystem indicators are:
-quantitative biological,
-chemical,
-physical,
-social,
-economic
measurements that serve as proxies of the conditions of
attributes of natural and socio-economic systems
Ecological Indicator is an organism
that gives us data about an ecosystem,
such as its biodiversity. We use
ecological indicators to gain information
about ecosystems and our impact on
those ecosystems. ‘Ecological indicator’
is a collective term for stressor
indicators, habitat response, and
exposure.
Honey Bees
The health and behavior of honey bee
populations are indicative of broader
environmental conditions, especially
since they are key pollinators. Declines
can signal problems with pesticide use,
disease prevalence, and habitat loss.
Coral Reefs
Coral bleaching events serve as
indicators of ocean health,
signaling changes in water
temperature, salinity, and acidity.
Bird Populations
Changes in bird migration patterns
and populations help scientists gauge
the health of various ecosystems. If the
population of a specific bird declines,
for example, it might indicate habitat
loss or the effects of climate change.
Phytoplankton
These microscopic organisms form the
base of the aquatic food web. Their
population fluctuations reflect changes
in water quality.