The Serengeti plains are part of the African savanna ecosystem and are home to a variety of different species of plants and animals. The Serengeti plains experience a seven-month period of seasonal drought each year, during which the ecosystem receives only four inches of rain and the availability of some resources becomes very scarce. Which type of limiting factors does the seasonal drought in the Serengeti plains affect?
Answer
A
population-independent factors
B
density-dependent factors
C
population-dependent factors
D
density-independent factors
Explanation
Seasonal drought is an abiotic condition that affects organisms regardless of how crowded the population is. Limiting factors that affect populations independently of their density are called density-independent factors. Therefore, the drought affects density-independent factors, not density-dependent factors, which become stronger as population density increases.
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