Question

Which of the following describes how an abiotic factor can impact the population dynamics in an ecosystem?

A) Seasonal variations in temperature can cause some individuals in a population to die.
B) Organisms that compete for the same resources will keep each other from overpopulating.
C) Predators will prevent herbivores from depleting the plants and other resources in an ecosystem.
D) Internal parasites that invade wild turkeys can reproduce and cause a decline in the wild turkey population in New Hampshire.

Answer 1

Seasonal variations in temperature, an abiotic factor, can affect population dynamics by causing individual deaths, which is independent of the population's density and demonstrates the role of abiotic factors in an ecosystem's carrying capacity.

Step-by-step explanation:

An abiotic factor can impact the population dynamics in an ecosystem by affecting the survival and reproduction of species independently of their population density. For example, seasonal variations in temperature can cause some individuals in a population to die. This is a density-independent regulation, meaning that the mortality rate due to these abiotic factors occurs regardless of the population's density. Cold winter weather, for instance, may lead to the death of certain animals whether the population is large or small. Such factors demonstrate how the environment's carrying capacity and the survival rates of a population are influenced by abiotic elements like weather, temperature, and natural disasters.