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Ecosystems

Ecosystems. Limiting Factors. Let ’ s suppose…. We have two mice…:. and they produce the standard 56 “ pups ” (baby mice) each year. and each of these mice goes on to have 56 babies each year…. Soon….. . We ’ d be over-run with mice on the planet!!. Why doesn ’ t this occur?.

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Ecosystems

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  1. Ecosystems Limiting Factors

  2. Let’s suppose…. • We have two mice…: and they produce the standard 56 “pups” (baby mice) each year. and each of these mice goes on to have 56 babies each year….

  3. Soon….. • We’d be over-run with mice on the planet!! Why doesn’t this occur?

  4. Limiting Factors • A limiting factor is an abiotic or biotic factor that restricts the number of individuals in a population.

  5. Limiting Factors • Limiting factors can include: • Competitors

  6. Limiting Factors • Limiting factors can include: • Competitors • Disease and parasites

  7. Limiting Factors • Limiting factors can include: • Competitors • Disease and parasites • Weather

  8. Limiting Factors • Limiting factors can include: • Competitors • Disease and parasites • Weather • Fires

  9. Limiting Factors • Limiting factors can include: • Competitors • Disease and parasites • Weather • Fires • Available habitat

  10. Limiting Factors • Limiting factors can include: • Competitors • Disease and parasites • Weather • Fires • Available habitat • Predators

  11. 1. Competitors-competition results when organisms struggle to survive in a habitat with limited resources • Birds of prey: live in forests on the edge of fields • Eat mice and other rodents • Nest in trees • Live in same habitat, use same resources, so they compete with each other Red-Tailed Hawk Barred Owl

  12. 2. Disease and Parasites • Diseases and parasites can be dependent on population size and habitat • Larger population = more parasites and disease = limit how big population gets

  13. 3. Weather • Storms • Drought • Flooding • Heat/cold

  14. 4. Fires • Fires lead to succession which is a predictable change in the community over time.

  15. 5. Available Habitat • Human activities play a large role • Development (homes, buildings, parking lots), damming rivers, clear cutting forests, hunting. • Parts of the habitat can also be limiting: amount of food(prey), available nesting sites

  16. 6. Predators • Predator-prey relationship can be a delicate balance between the two populations.

  17. Predators • As the prey population increases, the predator population increases. As the prey population decreases, then so does the predator population.

  18. Example: Lynx and Hare:

  19. What is Carrying Capacity? • Because of these limiting factors, each ecosystem has a finite capacity for growth connected to its carrying capacity.

  20. What is Carrying Capacity? • Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support.

  21. Limiting Factors of the Cedar Glade Activity • In nature, populations of organisms rarely grow uncontrolled. Each ecosystem has a carrying capacity (or number of organisms it can sustain/support). • Remember, limiting factors are biotic and abiotic factors that prevent the continuous growth of a population. • Because of limiting factors, the number of organisms in a population is often well below carrying capacity.

  22. Limiting Factors of the Cedar Glade Activity • This activity will look at limiting factors found in the Cedar Glade ecosystem, and their impact on population growth.

  23. The details of the activity…

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