AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -density-independent factor, also called limiting factor, in ecology, any force that affects the size of a population of living things regardless of the density of the population (the number of individuals per unit area).

Detailed explanation-2: -Density-independent limiting factors affect all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size and density. Unusual weather such as hurricanes, droughts, or floods, and natural disasters such as wildfires, can act as density-independent limiting factors.

Detailed explanation-3: -These density-independent factors include food or nutrient limitation, pollutants in the environment, and climate extremes, including seasonal cycles such as monsoons. In addition, catastrophic factors can also impact population growth, such as fires and hurricanes.

Detailed explanation-4: -In the natural world, limiting factors like the availability of food, water, shelter and space can change animal and plant populations. Other limiting factors, like competition for resources, predation and disease can also impact populations.

Detailed explanation-5: -Density-dependent factors have varying impacts according to population size. Different species populations in the same ecosystem will be affected differently. Factors include: food availability, predator density and disease risk. Density-independent factors are not influenced by a species population size.