We explain what biotic and abiotic factors are, how they relate, and some examples. We also explain what food chains are. Please read other MTV articles. Search engines are not ranking small websites, please check at least two Article or Post. That will help, thank you!
What are biotic and abiotic factors?
Biotic and abiotic factors are two of the core elements studied by ecology, that is, the scientific discipline dedicated to ecosystems to understand how relationships are built between life and the non-living elements that surround it.
Thus, biotic factors are those living beings that inhabit an ecosystem, nourishing themselves from it, reproducing, and in turn serving as sustenance for other species. In contrast, abiotic factors are those that originate in inert matter, that is, they are the set of chemical materials and physical forces that constitute the ecosystem and exert certain effects on living beings.
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All ecosystems are composed of these two types of factors, between which more or less complex relationships are woven, constituting the environment. Humans are not exempt from these types of relationships, although they are distinguished from other animals in that they have the psychological and technological tools to modify the environment, rather than irremediably adapting to it, as other species do in their respective habitats.
Biotic Factors and Examples
The term “biotic factors” essentially refers to the flora, fauna, and fungi of an ecosystem, that is, the total number of plant, fungal, and animal species. Microorganisms (microflora and microfauna) may also be included, depending on the level of detail with which the ecosystem is studied.
These biotic factors are characterized by their desire for survival, that is, they are organisms that fight to maintain internal order and continue to exist, and by their reproductive capacity, that is, their innate tendency to produce more new individuals of the species. Thus, the different species of living beings that share a habitat are in constant competition for available food resources and the search for protection from natural elements (such as rain, cold, or heat).
For this reason, many species make a continuous effort to control the necessary resources, whether food, territory, water, or fertile females for reproduction, which they compete for both with other species (interspecific competition) and with other individuals of their own species (intraspecific competition).
At the same time, many species build bonds of cooperation and mutual aid, known as cooperative relationships (inter- and intraspecific): mutualism, in which both individuals or species benefit; commensalism, in which they share resources without harming or benefiting from each other; and symbiosis, in which they cooperate so closely that they depend on each other for survival.
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Examples of biotic factors include:
- Animals: reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, worms, sponges, echinoderms, among many others.
- Microorganisms, both multicellular and unicellular, such as bacteria, archaea, and protozoa. Marine plankton: zooplankton (animal) and phytoplankton (plant).
- Fungi and yeast, both free-living and parasitic.
- Plant species: trees, shrubs, plants, vines, grasses, algae, among many others.
Food Chains
The competitive relationships between living beings are complex and lead to the exchange of matter and energy between different species. That is, the matter that makes up the body of a living being is assimilated by another when it feeds on it, as predators do when they ingest and digest their prey. Furthermore, when predators die, the matter in their bodies is assimilated by decomposing species, thus returning to the cycle.
Depending on the place a species occupies within this cycle of matter transmission, also called the food chain or trophic chain, we can distinguish between three groups of living beings:
Producing or autotrophic organisms
Those that are capable of generating their own food from inorganic elements, such as water, sunlight, or soil elements. This group includes plant species and a few other autotrophic organisms, which give rise to organic matter by transforming inorganic matter for their own benefit.
Consumer or Heterotrophic Organisms
Organisms that cannot generate their food from inorganic elements, but must consume the organic matter of other living beings. Those that consume the organic matter of producer organisms are known as herbivores or primary consumers; while those that consume the organic matter of primary consumers (and other types of consumers) are known as carnivores or secondary consumers. For example: A deer is a primary consumer, as it feeds on leaves and stems; while a panther feeds on deer and is therefore a secondary consumer. There may also be other intermediate consumers in between.
Decomposing or Detritus-Feeding Organisms
Those that feed on the organic matter of producers and consumers, but once the latter have died and their bodies begin the decomposition process. Detritus feeders are responsible for recycling organic matter back into the cycle of life. They not only feed on the bodies of deceased organisms but also decompose them into simpler substances that producers or autotrophs use to their advantage (i.e., organic fertilizer).
Abiotic Factors and Examples
The term “abiotic factors” encompasses a very diverse set of non-living components of an ecosystem, such as water, air, sunlight, atmospheric gases, or mineral components in the soil. These elements do not have life of their own, but are essential for the existence of living beings, as they are used by producers to generate organic matter: plants, for example, use carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to produce organic molecules (sugars).
Furthermore, abiotic factors affect living beings in various ways, forcing them to adapt to their environment. The change in temperature during cold seasons, for example, forces trees to lose their leaves to save water during periods of low sunlight, and many animals to accumulate resources to hibernate during the harshest weather.
Abiotic factors can be classified according to their nature into two groups:
Chemical factors
Those that have to do with the composition of matter, such as water, atmospheric gases (oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, among others), and mineral elements in the soil (calcium, iron, phosphates, among others).
Physical factors
Those that have to do with natural forces, movement, and energy, such as sunlight, ambient temperature, meteorological phenomena (rain, hail, snow, among others), or the Earth’s relief.
Finally, examples of abiotic factors include:
Solar radiation, which provides light and heat to the Earth’s surface.
- The different stages of water in its hydrological cycle: ice, liquid water, water vapor in the atmosphere, and water droplets in precipitation.
- Ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, which determine the climate, which changes cyclically throughout the year.
- Minerals in the soil, different types of rocks, and relief features.
- Tides caused by the pull of the Moon.
Relationship between biotic and abiotic factors
Biotic and abiotic factors are closely and continuously related. On the one hand, abiotic elements serve as a starting point for biotic organisms to feed, as in the case of autotrophic nutrition, or for respiration, a process in which living beings ingest gases useful for their metabolism, such as oxygen.
On the other hand, natural elements shape the survival patterns of living beings, fostering an adaptive response on their part, that is, forcing them to protect their survival in different ways or to take advantage of moments of calm. Rain, for example, is essential for plant life and for cooling the environment, maintaining a stable climate.
Thus, in a very dry season, living beings must compete for available water, which may involve migration to wetter regions and, consequently, fighting for territory with other species. Something different happens in deserts, whose continuously dry environment fosters the adaptation of creatures, which develop over generations bodies and metabolisms capable of minimizing water consumption or retaining reserves of this substance within themselves.
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References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- What are biotic and abiotic factors? on the CCH Academic Portal of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
- Biosphere at britannica.com
- Biotic and abiotic factors – Concept, relationship, and examples – concepto.de
