3.2.2 Population Ecology

Question 1

What does carrying capacity and limiting factors mean?

Answer 1

The total population able to be supported by a particular environment

Organisms are limited by resources, predators, disease, parasites and overcrowding

Question 2

What are some limiting factors and the different categories of them

Answer 2

There is Density Dependent

• usually biotic
• an increase in population, results in a decrease in growth rate
• competition
• predation
• waste accumulation
• diseases and parasites

Then Density Independent

• usually abiotic
• affect growth regardless of density
• natural disasters
• pollution
• overshoot= more births then carrying capacity

Question 3

What can change population (growth rate)

Answer 3

Growth rate= (birth + immigration) - (deaths + emigration)