Lesson 3.2 - Abiotic Limiting Factors 

You learned about limiting factors of a population.  Light, food, water, and space were some limiting factors.  There are many other limiting factors of a population.  The non-living limiting factors of the environment are called abiotic limiting factors.  Abiotic means non-living. 

Read Abiotic Limiting Factors on page 261 of your textbook. Then, answer the following questions.

 

Question 1. What does abiotic mean?

Question 2. What are three abiotic limiting factors discussed in the reading?

Question 3. This is a thinking question that does not have the answer in the reading.  Lack of water obviously will limit severely the size of a population.  However, it is possible to have lots of water yet a population can be severely limited.  What are some qualities of water that make it very difficult, if not impossible, for a population to survive?

Question 4. Abiotic limiting factors can limit the size of a population by decreasing the _______________ rate and increasing the ________________ rate.

Question 5. How can the supply of matter affect the size of a population?



Check your answers with those that follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to Questions:

Question 1. What does abiotic mean?

Abiotic means non-living.

Question 2. What are three abiotic limiting factors discussed in the reading?

The three abiotic limiting factors discussed were water, matter, and weather.

Question 3. This is a thinking question that does not have the answer in the reading.  Lack of water obviously will severely limit the size of a population.  However, it is possible to have lots of water yet a population can be severely limited.  What are some qualities of water that make it very difficult, if not impossible, for a population to survive?

If water is polluted or contaminated, it can be deadly for organisms to drink.  The acidity of water can kill the living organisms in a lake.  Salty water or fresh water can be toxic to many organisms.  For example, salt water fish cannot live in fresh water, and fresh water fish cannot live in salt water.  There are other possible answers such as water temperature and oxygen levels in the water.

Question 4. Abiotic limiting factors can limit the size of a population by decreasing the _______________ rate and increasing the ________________ rate.

Abiotic limiting factors can limit the size of a population by decreasing the birth rate and increasing the death rate.

Question 5. How can the supply of matter affect the size of a population?

A poor supply of matter such as carbon and nitrogen can slow the growth of plants.  This results in a reduced food supply for organisms that eat the plants.  The populations of both the plants and the organisms that feed on the plants are then reduced and there will be a reduced carrying capacity.

 


Go to the next page to continue Lesson 3.