๐ The House Analogy
Think of an ecosystem like a house. ABIOTIC factors are like the building itself โ the walls, temperature, lighting, water supply. BIOTIC factors are like the people living there โ how they interact, compete for the TV remote, share food, and affect each other's lives!
ABIOTIC FACTORS (non-living):
- Light intensity โ affects photosynthesis rate, where plants can grow
- Temperature โ affects enzyme activity, metabolic rate, where organisms can survive
- Moisture/water availability โ essential for all life; affects where organisms live
- Soil pH โ affects which plants can grow, mineral availability
- Wind โ affects transpiration rate, seed dispersal, temperature
- COโ concentration โ affects photosynthesis rate
- Oxygen levels โ affects respiration, especially in water
- Mineral content โ affects plant growth (nitrates for proteins, etc.)
BIOTIC FACTORS (living):
- Competition โ for food, water, space, mates, light
- Predation โ predators reduce prey populations
- Disease โ pathogens can devastate populations
- Food availability โ affects population size
- New predators โ introduced species can cause havoc
- New pathogens โ diseases spreading to new areas
This deep dive covers Deep Dive: Biotic vs Abiotic Factors within Ecosystems Communities for GCSE Biology. Topic 1: Ecosystems Communities It is section 3 of 15 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Ecosystems Communities
What is a community in ecology?
Explain what is meant by interdependence in an ecosystem.
Quick recall flashcards
What is a habitat?
The place where an organism lives โ the specific part of the environment that provides everything the organism needs to survive.
What is a community?
All the populations of different species living and interacting in the same area at the same time.