Limiting factor - ecosystem, Biology

Assignment Help:

Limiting Factor - Ecosystem

In all ecosystems one factor, usually abiotic, limits the growth of organisms and is therefore called a limiting factor. The limiting factor is one that outweighs all the other factors that are necessary for the growth of organisms. It is the primary determinant for growth because it lies beyond the minimum and maximum limits o the range of tolerance. For example, phosphorus is a limiting factor in certain aquatic ecosystem. It is the first to be used up. When phosphorus is reduced, the growth of algae is impaired. So, this is an example, where pho3phorus is in short supply and is thus a limiting factor. As mentioned above just as the shortage of any abiotic factor impairs the survival of organisms In an ecosystem, so can an excess.

Any factor that is in excess may b detrimental for the living organisms, directly or indirectly. You may be wondering how' Let us consider an example of a power plan1 from where the hot water pours into a nearby stream. As a result, the temperature or water in the area nearby shoots up from 10° C to 30° C. This sudden therryal vhock IS fatal for many fish and other aquatic organisms. The above example, illustrates the direct effect of excess of a factor. How the factors indirectly affect living beings is illustrated by the following example. If we over-water or flood a patch of land having trees on a prolonged basis then the excess water saturates, the soil by displacing air needed by the trees from the soil pores, thus creating anaerobic conditions. As a result, the roots get deprived of oxygen leading to the death of the trees. The excess of the water thus indirectly affect the survival of trees adversely.


Related Discussions:- Limiting factor - ecosystem

Hydrophilicity plot, Hydrophilicity Plot is a computer plot which checks t...

Hydrophilicity Plot is a computer plot which checks the relative summed hyrophobicity or hydrophilicity of adjacent amino acid sidechains (usually within a moving window of about

What percentage should be homozygous, If 40% gene pool is heterozygous then...

If 40% gene pool is heterozygous then what percentage should be homozygous?

Adaptation, Adaptation is the tendency of an organism to suit its environm...

Adaptation is the tendency of an organism to suit its environment; one of the main points of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by the natural selection: organisms adapt to thei

Determine the atp-sensitive potassium channel, ATP-sensitive potassium chan...

ATP-sensitive potassium channel A. The channel is a spanning protein with a receptor site for ATP located on an intracellular region of the protein. B. When blood plasma lev

Hypomagnesaemic tetany , Hypomagnesaemic tetany (grass tetany, grass stagge...

Hypomagnesaemic tetany (grass tetany, grass staggers, lactation tetany) Hypomagnesaemic tetany is a multifactorial complex metabolic disorder, which is  characterized by reduct

Birth control - permanent methods, PERMANEN T METHOD - 1. Vasectomy in...

PERMANEN T METHOD - 1. Vasectomy in male. 2. Tubectomy in female. 3. Leproscopy is used in tubal ligation , to ligate fallopian tubes.

What is the function of the right ventricle, What is the function of the ri...

What is the function of the right ventricle? To where does the right ventricle pump the venous blood? The function of the right ventricle is to get venous blood from the right

How do bones grow, Q. How do bones grow? Bones form and develop through...

Q. How do bones grow? Bones form and develop through a process known as ossification. There are two types of ossification: endochondral ossification and intramembranous ossific

Define the symptoms in bone marrow of pernicious anaemia, Define the sympto...

Define the symptoms in Bone marrow of pernicious anaemia? The nucleated red cells of the marrow are greatly increased.  The successive nucleated cell stages in erythropoiesis a

What is the central dogma of molecular biology, What is the central dogma o...

What is the central dogma of molecular biology? Succinctly (and clearly) describe the concept.

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd