Final answer:
Limiting factors in a population regulate growth and prevent it from increasing forever.
Step-by-step explanation:
Limiting factors play a crucial role in limiting the growth of a population and preventing it from increasing in size forever. These factors can be divided into two categories: density-dependent and density-independent factors. Density-dependent factors include competition for resources, predation, and disease, which become more significant as the population size increases. On the other hand, density-independent factors such as natural disasters and weather conditions can impact the population regardless of its size.
For example, in a population of rabbits in a forest, as the population size increases, there will be more competition for food resources like grass and plants. Eventually, the limited availability of food will cause the population growth to slow down and reach carrying capacity, the maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustain.
In summary, limiting factors help prevent a population from increasing indefinitely by imposing constraints on resources, predation, and other factors that become more detrimental as the population size grows.
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