Understanding Wildlife
Natural Limiting Factors Affecting Habitat
that are positive (+) or negative (-)
Extreme Cold
Younger or weaker animals die
(-) There may be fewer animals born
(-) Takes more energy just to survive
Fires
Animals could get burned
(-) Food & cover burned
(-) Water source may evaporate
(+) Regrowth of nutritional vegetation
(+) Encourages grass cover
(+) Cleans out debris
Heavy Snow
(-) Movement is difficult, requires more energy
(-) Food is difficult, often impossible, to find
(-) Thermal cover is difficult to reach & often ineffective
(+) Insullates plants & animals from extreme cold
Drought
(-) Vegetation withers,
food disappears
(-) Water sources dry up
(-) Cover thins
Flood
(-) Habitat & wildlife washed
away or inundated.
(-) Vegetation drowns
(+) Disperse seeds & soil
Over-population
(-) Crowding and trampling
of vegetation
(-) Disease spreads easily
(-) Vegetation is stripped
