Question

consider the following scenario: You are a scientist observing rodents on the Galapagos islands. you notice that the introduction of new bird of prey has limited the number of rodents. What term best discribe the factor that is limiting the numbers of rodents the environment can support?

Answer 1

The term that best describes the factor limiting the number of rodents that the environment can support in this scenario is "limiting factor." In ecology, limiting factors are conditions or resources that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population. In this case, the new bird of prey is a limiting factor for the rodent population. More specifically, it could also be described as a "biotic limiting factor," since it involves a biological influence (the predation by the bird) on the rodent population.