EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Density-independent factors, such as environmental stressors and catastrophe, are not influenced by population density change.

Detailed explanation-2: -The category of density independent limiting factors includes fires, natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, tornados), and the effects of pollution. The chances of dying from any of these limiting factors don’t depend on how many individuals are in the population.

Detailed explanation-3: -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-4: -In general, we define density-dependent limiting factors as factors that affect the per capita growth rate of a population differently depending on how dense the population already is. Most density-dependent factors make the per capita growth rate go down as the population increases.

Detailed explanation-5: -Natural disasters can destroy resources in an ecosystem. If resources are destroyed, the ecosystem will not be able to support a large population. This causes the carrying capacity to decrease. Humans can also alter carrying capacity.