Ecological Tolerance

Range of tolerance

Range of conditions than an organism can endure before injury or death.

(temperature, salinity, pH, or sunlight)

Ecological range of tolerance zones

Optimal range, zone of physiological stress, and zone of intolerance

Optimal Range

Range where organisms survive, grow, and reproduce

Zone of physiological stress

Range where organisms survive, but experience some stress.

(such as infertility, lack of growth, decreased activity, etc.)

Zone of intolerance

Range where the organism will die

Ex: thermal shock, suffocation, lack of enough light for plants to survive, low soil moisture