The biotic factors are all the plants, animals, fungi, protozoa and bacteria that in one way or another interact in a given physical space.
The inert or abiotic factors are the conditions of light, temperature, minerals, soil and water, among others, found in a physical space that determine the existence of living beings.
Both biotic and abiotic factors make up the ecosystem. In ecology, the ecosystem is the set of communities of living beings that interact with each other and the elements of the environment that surrounds them.
Let’s imagine for a moment that an ecosystem is a play. The biotic factors are the participants: actors, directors, audience and technicians. On the other hand, the abiotic factors will be the theater environment, the stage, the seats and the lighting.
Biotic factors Abiotic factors Definition Biological component of the ecosystem Physical and chemical component of the ecosystem What are they?
Floors
Animals
Fungus
protozoa
bacteria
Light
Temperature
Air
pH
minerals
Classification Producers Consumers Decomposers Examples Animals such as rodents and reptiles, xerophytic plants such as cacti and shrubs in the desert. Lichens, mosses, bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and animals such as arctic hare and fox in the tundra. Palm trees, trees, orchids, mushrooms, toucans, macaws, monkeys, snakes and a great diversity of insects in the tropical jungle. High temperatures during the day, little annual precipitation, sandy and poor soils in the desert. Temperature below 0ºC most of the year, frozen soils and strong winds in the tundra. Average and stable temperatures, abundant rainfall, fertile organic soils in the tropical forest.
Biotic factors
Grass, shrubs, and herbivores like rabbits make up the biotic factor of a prairie ecosystem.
Biotic factors are the biological components of an ecosystem. It includes all living organisms and microorganisms, such as plants, animals, and bacteria, found in a defined region and interacting with each other.
Among the biotic factors we can find:
producer beings: represented by plants that produce their own food from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.
be consumers: represented by animals that have to feed on plants (herbivores) or other animals (carnivores). Animals such as humans and pigs consume plants and animals (omnivores), while earthworms and flies feed on organic waste (detritivores).
decomposing beings: represented by organisms that transform organic compounds into inorganic ones, such as fungi and bacteria, and obtain their nutrients from them.
Examples of biotic factors
Rodents like mice, plants like cacti and small shrubs, as well as reptiles like snakes and lizards all interact in the desert ecosystem. Plants like lichens and mosses, bacteria like proteobacteria and cyanobacteria, archaea and protozoa such as amoebas, animals such as the arctic rabbit and the fox are the biotic components of the tundra. Large trees, palm trees, bromeliads, orchids, climbing plants, a diversity of decomposing fungi, a wide variety of insects, amphibians such as frogs and toads, monkeys, gorillas and a diversity of birds, such as toucans and macaws, make up the tropical rainforest ecosystem.
Types of relationships between biotic factors
Biotic factors interact with each other in a positive, negative or neutral way. These interactions can be between individuals of the same species or intraspecific and between different species or interspecific. Interspecific relationships include:
mutualism: is the interaction between species where both win. For example, butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers and at the same time transport pollen to other flowers, promoting fertilization between plants.
competition: is the relationship established between beings when they feed on the same plant or animal in a region. For example, jaguars and pumas are carnivorous cats that compete for the same prey.
predation: Occurs when one species feeds on another. For example, wolves feed on other animals, such as cows. One of the big problems of livestock in mountainous areas is the attack of cattle by wolves.
Parasitism: It is the relationship that occurs when one of the organisms takes advantage of another by damaging it. We find it in insects that suck blood from mammals.
commensalism: Establishes if a species takes advantage of another without causing harm. For example, remoras take advantage of the waste left by sharks.
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abiotic factors
The abiotic factors of a tundra ecosystem are low temperatures, strong winds, and low water availability.
Abiotic factors are those elements of the ecosystem that sustain and determine the functions of living beings. They are called “abiotic” (to=without and bios= life) because it corresponds to the non-living element of the ecosystem. We can distinguish two classes of abiotic factors:
physical: includes all those elements that are part of the environment and that are not consumed, such as light and its intensity, the amount of rain or snow that falls in a certain place and time, the wind, the type of soil.
chemicals: include the major nutrients that can be found in air, water, or soil, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, iron, copper, calcium, and salts.
Abiotic factors determine the survival of species. For example, seed germination is favored between 20ºC and 30ºC. At these temperatures, plants also grow faster.
Examples of Abiotic Factors
High temperatures, poor and dry soils, and low humidity levels that only support a few organisms characterize the abiotic component of the desert. Low temperatures most of the year, with strong winds, frozen soils and reduced solar radiation prevail in the tundra ecosystem. The stable average temperatures and sunlight throughout the year, with abundant rainfall and fertile soils favor the great biodiversity of the tropical forest.
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References
Begon, M., Townsend, CR, Harper, JL (2006). Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems. 4th. ed. Blackwell Publishing. Carlton, Australia.
Kaushik, A., Kaushik, C.P. (2010). Basics of environment and ecology. New Age International Publishers. New Delhi.
Monge R., S. (2015). Didactic proposal for the teaching-learning of the structure and processes in the ecosystem for upper secondary education. [Tesis Maestría] National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico.