in ecology, the ability of a species to withstand unfavorable environmental factors.

The term was introduced by the American ecologist R. Chapman (1925) in connection with the dynamics of animal populations. According to Chapman, the biotic potential is the quantitative expression of the ability of organisms to withstand environmental resistance. His theory is that the potential fecundity of animals is not realized because it is suppressed by the one-sided action of the environment, with which organisms have antagonistic relations. Modern thought holds this to be a simplified view. Changes in fecundity and survival of animals occur both under the influence of abiotic factors and as a result of relations between and within species. Intrapopulation mechanisms play a major role in these processes by enabling a population to respond actively to environmental factors.