Most of us have had a teacher, a parent or somebody say to us, "You're not living up to your potential?

We all know that Individual humans have different potentials, but many of us don't consider that plants, animal and ecosystems also vary in potential

These species are growing in essentially the same environment, but one grows tall and the other nearly prostrate

This grass has the biological potential to grow  a foot taller and to produce twice as much leaf tissue, but this year it is stunted by drought

This one would probably do much better on a different soil type