BIOTIC POTENTIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE

Biotic Potential

This is the maximum rate at which the population of a given species can increase
when there are no limits on its rate of growth.

Species vary in their biotic potential or capacity for population growth under ideal
conditions. Generally, populations of species with large individuals, such as
elephants and blue whales, have a low biotic potential while those of small
individuals, such as bacteria and insects, have a high biotic potential.

The intrinsic rate of increase (r) is the rate at which the population of a species
would grow if it had unlimited resources. Individuals in populations with a high
intrinsic rate of growth typically reproduce early in life, have short generation times
(the time between successive generations), can reproduce many times, and have
many offspring each time they reproduce. Some species have an astounding biotic
potential. With no controls on population growth, a species of bacteria that can
reproduce every 20 minutes would generate enough offspring to form a layer 0.3
meter (1 foot) deep over the entire earths surface in only 36 hours!

Fortunately, this is not a realistic scenario. Research reveals that no population can
grow indefinitely because of limitations on resources and competition with
populations of other species for those resources. In the real world, a rapidly growing
population reaches some size limit imposed by one or more limiting factors, such as
light, water, space, or nutrients, or by exposure to too many competitors, predators,
or infectious diseases. There are always limits to population growth in nature.

Environmental Resistance

This is all of the limiting factors that act together to limit the growth of a population.

Together, biotic potential and environmental resistance determine the carrying

capacity (K): the maximum population of a given species that a particular habitat
can sustain indefinitely without being degraded. The growth rate of a population
decreases as its size nears the carrying capacity of its environment because
resources such as food, water, and space begin to dwindle.
Example of Biotic Potential

Rabbits an organism with a high biotic potential

Doles vs. humans

Example of Environmental Resistance

Predation by coyotes is an environmental resistance

o Factor to rabbit population

Environmental resistance can be classified into two broad categories

Density independent factors
Density dependent factors

Biotic Potential
Biotic potential refers to unrestrained biological reproduction of offspring if
their reproduction is unrestrained.

Constraints include:
Scarcity of resources
Competition
Predation
Disease