The combined concept of limiting factors merges Liebig’s Law of the Minimum with Shelford’s Law of Tolerance. It posits that an organism's success is restricted by the resource in shortest supply (the "weakest link") and its ability to survive within a specific environmental range. Essentially, growth is limited not just by "too little" of an essential nutrient, but also by "too much" of a physical factor (like heat or light). This framework recognises that factors interact—one resource can sometimes substitute for another—and that tolerance limits are often narrowest during critical life stages like reproduction.
- Teacher: Jyotismita Das