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
Limiting factors are environmental conditions that limit the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population of organisms in an ecosystem.
Related terms
Resource Availability: The presence and accessibility of necessary resources such as food, water, shelter etc., which can influence population size.
Habitat Space: The physical area or environment where an organism lives. Limited space can be a restricting factor for population growth.
Environmental Stressors: These are physical or biological factors like temperature changes or diseases that can limit the growth and survival of organisms.