Biotic and Abiotic

Factors

Lesson Essential Question: What abiotic factors help organisms live & thrive?

• Recall that the foundation of environmental science is ecology

• Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and with their environment

• Ecology studies the interactions between biotic (living) factors and abiotic (nonliving) factors

BIOTIC FACTORS• All the living things or their

materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment (bio = life)

• Biotic Factors include:OrganismsTheir partsTheir wastes

Their presenceTheir

interactions

ABIOTIC FACTORS• All the non-living physical and

chemical factors which affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce (a in abiotic = not, non)

• Abiotic Factors include:TemperatureSunlightAir

WaterWindSoil

BIOTIC or ABIOTIC?• Sandy soil• Cool temperatures• Cactus• Flea infestation• Smog• Salinity• Predation• Feces

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SUMMARYAnswer the essential question in two parts:

1. List three abiotic factors that affect life on land. Explain the importance of each.

2. List three abiotic factors that affect life in water. Explain the importance of each.