Limiting Factor

Real World Example

Imagine trying to fill a bathtub with a severely clogged drain. Just as the slow drainage restricts how full the bathtub can get, an environmental factor like a drought limits how large a population can grow. In this analogy, the clogged drain represents the drought, and the bathtub represents the environment; both the drain and the drought restrict the capacity—one by preventing water from accumulating and the other by limiting resources needed for population growth.