How do limiting factors impact local ecosystems? limiting factors prevent populations in ecosystems from growing any larger. if any of the limiting factors change, animal and plant populations change, too. limiting factors do not prevent populations in ecosystems from growing any larger. if any of the limiting factors change, animal and plant populations do not change, too. limiting factors can never impact ecosystems. as biodiversity of an ecosystem increases, the ability to withstand environmental stress due to the loss of a single species or group also increases, improving the sustainability of the ecosystem.