Limiting factor

A limiting factor causes a population to decrease in size. A few limiting factors are food, shelter, water, space, and weather conditions (sunlight, precipitation, temperature). An example of a limiting factor is sunlight in the rain forest, where growth is limited to all plants in the under story unless more light becomes available.

A number of potential factors could influence a biological process, but importantly only one is limiting at any one place and time. This recognition that there is always a single limiting factor is vital in ecology; and the concept has parallels in numerous other processes.

Some other limiting factors in biology are water availability, temperature, shelter, or predatation. See Liebig's Law.

See also

• Abiotic component
• Bateman's principle
• Biotic component
• Competition (biology)
• Competitive exclusion principle
• Ecology
• Resource (biology)
• Shelter

References

• Raghothama, K. G. & Karthikeyan, A.S. (2005) Phosphate acquisition. Plant and Soil, 274 37-49.
• Taylor, W. A. (1934). Significance of extreme or intermittent conditions in distribution of species and management of natural resources, with a restatement of Liebig's law of the minimum. Ecology, 15: 374-379.
• Shelford, V. E. (1952). Paired factors and master factors in environmental relations. Illinois Acad. Sci. Trans., 45: 155-160
• Sundareshwar P.V., J.T. Morris, E.K. Koepfler, and B. Fornwalt. (2003). Phosphorus limitation of coastal ecosystem processes. Science 299:563-565.efhh

-Natalie August