Question

Activity B:

Get the Gizmo ready:


• Click Reset.


• On the SIMULATION pane, make sure Ample is


selected for the amount of LAND available.


Density-dependent


limiting factors


Introduction: Population density is the number of individuals in a population per unit of area. Some limiting


factors only affect a population when its density reaches a certain level. These limiting factors are known as


density-dependent limiting factors.


Question: How does a density-dependent limiting factor affect carrying capacity?


1. Think about it: What do you think some density-dependent limiting factors might be?


2. Predict: Suppose a shopping mall is built near a rabbit warren, leaving less land available for rabbits. How


will this affect the environment's carrying capacity?


3. Experiment: Use the Gizmo to find the carrying capacity with Am

Answer 1

Density-dependent limiting factors restrict population growth when population densities reach a certain level; these factors essentially establish a habitat's carrying capacity, which is the maximum population size an environment can support. Examples include availability of food, disease, and competition over resources.

Step-by-step explanation:

A density-dependent limiting factor influences a population's size and growth conditional on the population's density. Examples of such limiting factors include availability of food, predation, disease, and migration capacity. When a population reaches a size, or population density, where these factors exert enough pressure, the growth of the population is restricted.

In relation to carrying capacity, these density-dependent limiting factors determine the maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustain. In other words, these limiting factors help define the carrying capacity of an environment.

As an example, if a shopping mall built near a rabbit warren reduces the available land for the rabbits, the decrease in plant food sources, a key density-dependent factor, could lower the environment's carrying capacity for the rabbit population.

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