Going Deeper… Limiting Factors
A limiting factor in an ecosystem is something that can limit the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population. Weather conditions can act as limiting factors. Here are a few examples:
- A lack of rain can cause water to be stagnant, limiting nutrients and food from mixing into the water where fish can find them.
- Too much rain can cause nutrients to runoff into the water, which can lead to harmful algal blooms.
- Too little wind will means not enough oxygen in the water for fish to breathe.
- Heavy winds can cause currents, which tire fish and can push them into new areas.
