Answer:
c. limiting factor.
Explanation:
The limiting factors are environmental or ecological factors that act directly on the living beings of a population, limiting their size, since these factors determine their birth, mortality, migrations, etc. They are the ones that regulate the growth and expansion of a species.
If environmental factors are optimal for the development of a living being, they favor the growth of that organism in that biotope. But if any of these factors prevents the growth of a species, there is talk of a limiting factor.
Among these physical and chemical factors that determine the biotope include:
- Abiotic factors (do not depend on population density):
Climate:
Light. Only the most superficial organisms access it in water. On land, there is also competition in leafy areas to access it.
Temperature. Some living beings cannot live at the temperature that others live.
Water: It is necessary that it rains or that living beings can access water in order to live. If there is no water, they die.
Atmospheric pressure.
Non-climatic:
Soil factors: The chemical composition of the soil, its pH, salinity, etc. It makes some plant species may or may not survive in it.
Factors of the aquatic environment: The concentration of O2, dissolved CO2, the degree of salinity, the existence of currents, etc., limits the development of some organisms.
- Biotic factors (depend on population density):
Food. If they do not have enough food, the population will have to be smaller.
Interspecific relationships. The number of predators limits the number of prey, and vice versa.
Intraspecific relationships. The relationships established between individuals of the same species can also limit their existence.
