biotic factors
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Biotic factors (also known as biotic components) are the living component in an ecosystem. The term “biotic” means “of or related to living organisms”. An ecosystem consists of all living organisms and the physicochemical components. They are also referred to as the biotic factors and abiotic factors, respectively. They interact and function together as a unit. The abiotic factors include the physical and chemical factors, such as sunlight, water, temperature, and other non-living components of an ecosystem. Biotic factors are the living components, such as bacteria, birds, and any other living things present in an ecosystem. This article is focused on the biotic factors that shape an ecosystem.
Biotic factors are defined as the living components or factors that affect an ecosystem or other organisms living in that ecosystem. Bacteria that live inside the intestine of an animal act as biotic factors that have acquired the role of helping with the proper digestion of the food in the intestine. Another example is the population of zebras, antelope, or other animals, which are the biotic factors for lions that hunt and consume them for the latter’s survival. A disease-causing virus is also a biotic factor that can affect animal and human populations by causing disease, especially on a large scale. Apart from the disease-causing (pathogen) microbes, biotic factors may also include parasites, predators, symbionts, prey, and competitors.
Role of Biotic Factors in an Ecosystem
The interaction between animals in an ecosystem shapes its environment. In a river or sea, the biotic factor examples include fish, aquatic plants, algae, and amphibians. Both the biotic and abiotic factors play their role to create a unique ecosystem.
As it is clear now that the biotic factor refers to a living thing, thus it is obvious that they need a certain amount of energy, food, and environment to function properly. They get their energy and nutrition from their environment. In an ecosystem, it is common that one biotic factor is dependent on another biotic factor to survive. For example, a deer itself is the biotic factor for predators, however, it depends on plants for survival.
Plants are also biotic factors in an environment. Their dependency, however, on other biotic factors, in terms of food is not as extensive as the animals that hunt and prey. They produce their own food by photosynthesis. Nevertheless, plants require CO2 for food production that they derive from natural sources, including from animals that breathe it out during exhalation (respiration). Also, some plants are “carnivorous”, obtaining food by capturing animals (e.g. insects) using a special trapping organ. An example of such a plant is the Venus flytrap. Despite such an extraordinary ability to feed on animals though, these carnivorous plants would still make their own food by photosynthesis. Because plants serve as the producers in an ecosystem, many organisms thrive in habitats abundant in plants. Nevertheless, other organisms are also found elsewhere not populated by plants. Examples are deep oceans, lava beds, and deserts. Examples of biotic factors in deserts are cactus plants, desert lizards, and snakes.
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