Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Density-dependent factors are elements that affect the population growth rate depending on how dense the population is. These can include competition, predation, disease and food availability.
Related terms
Intraspecific Competition: This is competition between members of the same species - like guests at the party all wanting the last slice of pizza.
Interspecific Competition: This is competition between different species - imagine if you had dogs and cats at your party both wanting to eat the same bowl of pet food.
Predator-Prey Dynamics: This refers to interactions between two species where one species (the predator) feeds on another (the prey) - kind of like if some uninvited 'party crashers' showed up and started eating all the food meant for your invited guests.