what are Abiotic and biotic factors?

Biotic factors are living factors that affect an organism in some way over its lifetime. Biotic factors such as competition, predation, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism and decomposers impact an organism’s life. Competition they must fight for a limited resource of the ecosystem. Predation is when a predator kills and eats its prey. Mutualism is when two organisms benefit off each other. Commensalism is organisms living in the same ecosystem and one benefiting from the other, without harming it. Parasitism is the act of one organism living in or on another and as it benefits from the organism, it also harms it. Decomposers break down dead organisms and recycle its nutrients back into the earth’s soil.

 

Abiotic factors are non-living factors in an organism’s ecosystem that affects it. Abiotic factors include light, temperature, water, fire, gas levels and soil type. Water is the basis of many ecosystems, it hydrates many mammals and creates plant growth. Temperature is a major abiotic factor for reptiles as they require warmth, as they cannot maintain a constant temperature. Fire creates fast regrowth and sprouting. Light is a vital for photosynthesis to occur, which manufactures food for plants too. Soil type determines the vegetation that growths in this area and how good it is for crop production. Gas levels must be balanced for us to breathe.