- (C) Environmental resistance or limiting factors consists of all factors in an
environment that limit a population’s ability to increase in numbers.
Predation, competition for resources, disease, limited food and space, etc.,
all work to hold a population in check. Environmental resistance can be
either density-dependent or density-independent. Factors that are density-
dependent are stronger when a population has a higher density (more
crowded). Examples would include predation, parasitism, disease, and
competition for space or food. Density-independent factors (usually abiotic)
will kill organisms—whether they are crowded or not. Examples would
include floods, storms, earthquakes, fire, etc. In nature, biotic potential and
environmental resistance work together to level out population numbers to
an amount that can be supported by the environment. When environmental
resistance “pushes down” on J curve growth, the curve levels into what is
known as an S curve (or sigmoid curve) and reflects a balanced community.
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(Marvins-Underground-K-12)
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