Understanding Limiting Factors and Carrying Capaci
Explore how limiting factors like food, water, space, and weather control population growth. This worksheet explains why populations stop growing when resources run out, highlighting the balance between organisms and their environment.
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Limiting Factors and Carrying Capacity Worksheet
Directions: Read each section and complete the subsequent questions. Turn in the completed worksheet at
the end of the class period.
Limiting Factors
When living conditions in an area are good, a population will generally grow. But eventually some
environmental factor will cause the population to stop growing. A limiting factor is an environmental factor
that causes a population to decrease. Some limiting factors for populations are food and water, space, and
weather conditions.
1. Every population has limiting factors.
2. What is a limiting factor? (An environmental factor that causes a population to decrease)
3. List the types of limiting factors below (use the limiting factors to label the headings of the
following sections) :
4. Are the limiting factors abiotic or biotic factors? Explain why. (answer in complete sentences)
They are biotic factors because they aren't caused by outside forces such as pollution or the destruction of
trees
A. Food and Water
Organisms require food and water to survive. Since there isn't always an endless amount of food and water,
they are limiting factors. Suppose a bear must eat 10 fish a day to survive. The river nearby provides about
100 fish a day without harming the fish population. Five bears could easily live in this area because they
would only need 50 fish total. But if there were 15 bears they would not all survive because there would not
be enough food. No matter how much shelter and water there was, the population would not get larger than
10 bears for any extended period of time.
1. How can food and water limit population growth?
There isn't always an endless supply of food and water
Limiting Factors and Carrying Capacity Worksheet
Directions: Read each section and complete the subsequent questions. Turn in the completed worksheet at
the end of the class period.
Limiting Factors
When living conditions in an area are good, a population will generally grow. But eventually some
environmental factor will cause the population to stop growing. A limiting factor is an environmental factor
that causes a population to decrease. Some limiting factors for populations are food and water, space, and
weather conditions.
1. Every population has limiting factors.
2. What is a limiting factor? (An environmental factor that causes a population to decrease)
3. List the types of limiting factors below (use the limiting factors to label the headings of the
following sections) :
4. Are the limiting factors abiotic or biotic factors? Explain why. (answer in complete sentences)
They are biotic factors because they aren't caused by outside forces such as pollution or the destruction of
trees
A. Food and Water
Organisms require food and water to survive. Since there isn't always an endless amount of food and water,
they are limiting factors. Suppose a bear must eat 10 fish a day to survive. The river nearby provides about
100 fish a day without harming the fish population. Five bears could easily live in this area because they
would only need 50 fish total. But if there were 15 bears they would not all survive because there would not
be enough food. No matter how much shelter and water there was, the population would not get larger than
10 bears for any extended period of time.
1. How can food and water limit population growth?
There isn't always an endless supply of food and water
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Subject
Environmental Science