Download Abiotic and Biotic Components

Abiotic and Biotic Components
Abioticcomponent
abiotic components (also known as abiotic factors) are non-living chemical and physical factors
in the environment, which affect ecosystems. Each abiotic component influences the number
and variety of plants that grow in an ecosystem, which in turn has an influence on the variety of
animals that live there. The four major abiotic components are: climate, parent material and
soil,
topography,
and
natural
disturbances.
From the viewpoint of biology, abiotic factors can be classified as light or more generally
radiation, temperature, water, the chemical surrounding composed of the terrestrial
atmospheric
gases,
as
well
as
soil
and
more.
The macroscopic climate often influences each of the above. Not to mention pressure and even
sound
waves
if
working
within
marineor
terrestrial
environments.
The Biome is defined as environments where organisms live in accordance to their
environments.
Those underlying factors affect different plants, animals and fungi to different extents. Some
plants are mostly water starved, so humidity plays a larger role in their biology. If there is little
or no sunlight then plants may wither and die from not being able to get enough sunlight to do
photosynthesis.
Many archaebacteria require very high temperatures, or pressures, or unusual concentrations
of chemical substances such as sulfur, because of their specialization into extreme conditions.
Certain fungi have evolved to survive mostly at the temperature, the humidity, and stability of
their
environment.
Abiotic factors in various components that determine the physical space in which living things
live,
among
the
most
important,
we
find:
•water
•temperature
•light
•pH
•soil
•nutrients
Climate
Climate includes the rainfall, temperature and wind patterns that occur in an area, and is the
most important abiotic component of a grassland ecosystem. Temperature, in tandem with
precipitation, determines whether grasslands, forests, or some combination of these two, form.
The amount and distribution of the rainfall an area receives in a year influences the types and
productivity
of
grassland
plants.
Water:
It is one of the commonest of all substances. It primary source is rainfall. Without it, life is
impossible. The Earth is made up two-thirds water and even our body is made up of two-thirds
of water. Dissolved oxygen in water enables animals and plants to live in it. Fish absorb oxygen
from water as it passes over their gills. Plants take up water from the soil. Farmers have to
water their crops at regular intervals. Our plants have a fixed amount of water. Hence, we
should
use it carefully. We should never waste
water.
Temperature:
Temperature is defined as the measure of the degree of hotness. The temperature of a place
keeps on changing. It can be measured by a thermometer. The range of temperature at a place
controls the distribution of animals. Some animals and plants can survive in hot places and
some in cold places. Camels can tolerate high temperatures of deserts. Similarly cacti can live in
deserts. Cacti store water in their stems. They have leaves which have been modified to form
spines which help them to reduce water loss. Some animals like snakes, frogs and lizards
become
less
active
in
winter.
This
is
called
hibernation.
Light:
Light helps plants to grow their food. Plants make food by the process of photosynthesis.
Soil:
The uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust is called soil. It forms when rock is worn down by wind
and rain, broken up by plant roots and enriched by dead leaves. Soils consist of three parts:
•Mineral
fragments
•The
remains
of
dead
plants
and
animals
•Animals
still
living
Soil is a medium that supports the growth of plants. It contains water and minerals which plants
take in with the help of roots. As plants are the basis of the food chains in most ecosystems, soil
is an important constituent of the Abiotic environment. If we dig deep into the ground, we will
find that each layer of soil is different. Top layer of soil is dark in color. Plants grow in the darkcolored
layer
of
soil.
This
is
called
the
topsoil.
Air:
Air has oxygen in it no organisms can survive without oxygen. Plants produce oxygen during
photosynthesis. Animals and human beings take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide. Thus a
balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide is maintained. Fast blowing air is called wind.
Winds ca cause heavy damage. But it can also help in the dispersal of seeds. Plants depend on
wind
for
pollination.
Wind
also
helps
in
dispersal
of
seeds.
Biotic
component
Biotic components' are the living things that shape an ecosystem. A 'biotic factor' is any living
component that affects another organism, including animals that consume the organism in
question, and the living food that the organism consumes. Each biotic factor needs energy to do
work and food for proper growth. Biotic factors include human influence
Biotic
components
usually
include:
•Producers, i.e. autotrophs: e.g. plants, they convert the energy *from photosynthesis (the
transfer of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy), or other sources such as
hydrothermal vents+ into food. •Consumers, i.e. heterotrophs: e.g. animals, they depend upon
producers (occasionally other consumers) for food. •Decomposers, i.e. detritivores: e.g. fungi
and bacteria, they break down chemicals from producers and consumers (usually dead) into
simpler form which can be reused. Producers are also able to capture the sun’s energy through
photosynthesis and absorb nutrients from the soil, storing them for future use by themselves
and by other organisms. Grasses, shrubs, trees, mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria are some of
the many producers found in a grassland ecosystem. When these plants die they provide
energy for a host of insects, fungi and bacteria that live in and on the soil and feed on plant
debris. Grasses are an important source of food for large grazing animals such as Sheep, Mule
Deer and Elk, and for much smaller animals such as marmots, Pocket Gophers and mice.
Consumers are organisms that do not have the ability to capture the energy produced by the
sun, but consume plant and/or animal material to gain their energy for growth and activity.
Consumers are further divided into three types based on their ability to digest plant and animal
material: Herbivores eat only plants, such as the elk that graze the grasslands of the Columbia
valley, or an insect nibbling on the leaf of a sticky geranium. Omnivores eat both plants and
animals, such as the black bear. Carnivores eat only animals, such as the red-tailed hawk or
western rattlesnake. Decomposers include the insects, fungi, algae and bacteria both on the
ground and in the soil that help to break down the organic layer to provide nutrients for
growing plants. There are many millions of these organisms in the world. Soil has many biotic
functions in a grasslands ecosystem. It provides the material in which plants grow, holds
moisture for plants to absorb, is the "recycling bin" for plant and animal matter, and provides
an important habitat for soil organisms. Soil is a vital link between the biotic and abiotic parts of
a
grassland
ecosystem.
These two components share the relationship of being dependent on each other and in this
sense they constitute an ecosystem. In order to better grasp the abiotic and biotic components
of an eco-system,