Final answer:
The statement 'Limiting factors can be population dependent and population independent' is true. Limiting factors affect population sizes and can be density-dependent or density-independent, impacting populations differently based on their size and density.
Step-by-step explanation:
Limiting factors can indeed be population dependent (density-dependent) and population independent (density-independent). Therefore, the statement is True. Density-dependent factors vary according to population size and density. For example, when a caterpillar population becomes too large, a decrease in food availability can cause the population to decline. Conversely, density-independent factors affect populations regardless of their size or density, such as when a pesticide kills caterpillars irrespective of how many there are.
In real-life ecosystems, these factors can interact in complex ways. For instance, a dense deer population reduced by a density-independent event like a harsh winter may recover faster if enough deer remain to reproduce, highlighting the interaction between density-dependent reproductive rates and density-independent mortality events.