Distinguish, differentiate, compare and explain what is the Difference between Biotic and Abiotic resources. Comparison and Differences.
Difference between Biotic and Abiotic resources
1. All those resources which are obtained from the biosphere and have life are known as biotic resources. All those resources which are composed of non-living things are called abiotic resources.
2. Biotic resources can be classified as producers, consumers and decomposers. Abiotic resources can be classified as renewable and non renewable.
3. Forests, livestock, human beings are examples of biotic resources. Light, rain, rocks, soil, water are examples of abiotic resources.
What are biotic and abiotic components?
Abiotic factors refer to non-living physical and chemical elements in the ecosystem. Abiotic resources are derived from the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
Examples of abiotic factors are water, air, soil, sunlight, and minerals. Biotic factors are living organisms in the ecosystem. They originate from the biosphere and possess the ability to reproduce. Examples of biotic factors are animals, birds, plants, fungi, and other similar organisms.
Relevance
The scope of abiotic and biotic factors spans across the entire biosphere, or global sum of all ecosystems. Such factors can have relevance for an individual within a species, its community or an entire population. For instance, disease is a biotic factor affecting the survival of an individual and its community. Temperature is an abiotic factor with the same relevance.
Some factors have greater relevance for an entire ecosystem. Abiotic and biotic factors combine to create a system or, more precisely, an ecosystem, meaning a community of living and nonliving things considered as a unit. In this case, abiotic factors span as far as the pH of the soil and water, types of nutrients available and even the length of the day. Biotic factors such as the presence of autotrophs or self-nourishing organisms such as plants, and the diversity of consumers also affect an entire ecosystem.
Influencing Factors
Abiotic factors affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce. Abiotic limiting factors restrict the growth of populations. They help determine the types and numbers of organisms able to exist within an environment.
Biotic factors are living things that directly or indirectly affect organisms within an environment. This includes the organisms themselves, other organisms, interactions between living organisms and even their waste. Other biotic factors include parasitism, disease, and predation (the act of one animal eating another).
Abiotic factors
Abiotic factors are the non-living parts of the environment that can often have a major influence on living organisms. Abiotic factors include water, sunlight, oxygen, soil and temperature.
- Water : Water (H2O) is a very important abiotic factor - it is often said that “water is life.” All living organisms need water. Plants must have water to grow. Even plants that live in the desert need a little bit of water to grow. Without water, animals become weak and confused, and they can die if they do not rehydrate.
- Sunlight : Sunlight is the main source of energy on Earth, which makes it an extremely important abiotic factor. Sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water to oxygen (O2) and sugar – food for the plants that later becomes food for animals. Without the sun, plants could not live, and without plants, animals could not live!
- Oxygen : Like water, oxygen (O2) is another important abiotic factor for many living organisms. Without oxygen, humans would not be able to live! This is true for the many other living organisms that use oxygen. Oxygen is produced by green plants through the process of photosynthesis, and is therefore directly linked to sunlight.
- Soil : Soil is often considered an abiotic factor since it is mostly made up of small particles of rock (sand and clay) mixed with decomposed plants and animals. Plants use their roots to get water and nutrients from the soil. Soils are different from place to place – this can be a big factor in which plants and animals live in a certain area.
- Temperature : Temperature is an abiotic factor that is strongly influenced by sunlight. Temperature plays an important role for animals that cannot regulate their own body temperature, such as reptiles. Unlike humans, whose normal body temperature is usually around 98.6?F, reptiles (such as snakes and lizards) cannot maintain a constant body temperature.
Biotic factors
Biotic factors are all of the living things in an ecosystem, such as plants and animals. These living things interact with one another in many ways. Biotic factors and their interactions can be broken down into three groups:
- Producers : All plants, such as grass and trees, are producers. These organisms absorb the sun’s energy and convert the energy into food for themselves, allowing them to grow larger, make flowers and seeds, etc.
- Consumers : These organisms, mostly animals, eat producers and/or other animals. They may also eat decomposers. Two examples of consumers are deer (eat plants) and wolves (eat animals). Consumers that only eat plants (herbivores) are often known as primary consumers.
- Decomposers : These organisms break down dead material (such as a fallen tree) into soil and return nutrients to the soil so they can be re-used by producers to create food. An example of a decomposer is a mushroom.
Biotic and abiotic interactions
A simple example would be of abiotic interaction in plants. Water, sunlight and carbon dioxide are necessary for plants to grow. The biotic interaction is that plants use water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to create their own nourishment through a process called photosynthesis.
Tags:
Difference between Abiotic resources vs Biotic
Biotic vs Abiotic resources
Differences between Abiotic resources vs Biotic
Image Credits: Freepik
