Stoichiometric Constraints
Stoichiometric constraints create evolutionary pressures for efficient nutrient use and retention.
Organisms require nutrients in specific ratios. Marine phytoplankton need carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C:N:P) in approximate ratios of 106:16:1. When environmental ratios differ from organismal requirements, organisms face stoichiometric constraints. Growth is constrained by whichever nutrient is least available relative to demand (Liebig's Law of the Minimum).
Business Application of Stoichiometric Constraints
Stoichiometric constraints create evolutionary pressures for efficient nutrient use and retention. Organizations similarly face constraints where multiple resources must be available in appropriate ratios - a surplus of one resource cannot compensate for scarcity of another critical input.