Limiting factor
The thing in shortest supply that stops a process from going any faster, such as light, carbon dioxide or temperature.
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Analogy
A bakery with plenty of flour but only one oven. The oven limits how much it can bake.
In practice
In a greenhouse, adding more carbon dioxide helps only if light is already plentiful.
Practice
Flashcards
- Name three limiting factors of photosynthesis.Light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature.
Questions people ask
How do you read a limiting factor graph?
On the rising part of the graph, the factor on the x-axis is limiting, because increasing it raises the rate. When the line goes flat, that factor is no longer limiting and something else is. Then you must increase a different factor, like carbon dioxide or temperature, to go faster.
Why do farmers use greenhouses?
Greenhouses let farmers control the limiting factors of photosynthesis. They can warm the air, add lighting and increase carbon dioxide. Plants then grow faster and produce a bigger crop. The extra cost of heating and lighting must be worth less than the extra money earned from the crop.