Density- Dependent Limiting Factors
- Predation: This is when a predator feeds and regulates another organism's populations. The predator-prey relationship is one of the most common Density Dependent Limiting Factors.
- Competition: When two species have to compete for resources, it is called competition. Often times, one species will win the niche, and the other must a find a new one. The Rainbow trout and the Kokanee Salmon had to take up different niches when introduced to the lake in order to stabilize their populations.
Density- Independent Limiting Factors
- Nutrient Deficiencies: One of Crater Lake's most outstanding features is the lake's incredible clarity. Unfortunately, this is really a lack of dissolved sediment, minerals, and organic matter. All of these things are essential to provide a strong, diverse ecosystem. Among the different limiting nutrients, Nitrogen appears to be the most significant. Crater Lake gets most of its nitrogen content from the depths of the lake where it then cycles up towards the surface and Eutrophic zone.(CLi) Lack of calcium carbonates prevents most if not any large shelled animals from thriving.