Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems
Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Ecosystems
Conditions or Environmental Factors in One Place
Abiotic Factors
- Physics: Light and shadow, wind, barometric pressure, altitude, solar radiation.
- Chemicals: The amount of air and soil water, salinity, dissolved oxygen.
Biotic Factors
- Intraspecific: Family association, colonial, social, gregarious.
- Interspecific: Mutualism, commensalism, renters, predation.
Abiotic Factors Determining the Terrestrial Environment
- Light: The main source of energy in most ecosystems and essential to life on the planet.
- Temperature: Experiences great variations and changes with the seasons.
- Air Humidity: The amount of water in the air that organisms need for their vital functions.
Homeotherms and Poikilotherms
- Homeotherms: Birds and mammals that maintain a constant internal temperature.
- Poikilotherms: Have a temperature similar to that of the medium.
Are poikilotherms or homeotherms better adapted to their environment?
Homeotherms are better adapted. Poikilotherms migrate or are buried because they do not support the changes well.
Hydrophilic and Drought-Tolerant Plants
- Hydrophilic: They live in very humid and dark environments. They have thin skin and lots of stomata to facilitate water loss.
- Xerophile: They live in dry environments. Their leaves are transformed into thorns and needles to prevent evaporation.
Abiotic Factors Determining the Aquatic Environment
- Light: Determines the existence of photosynthetic organisms. The amount depends on the transparency and depth.
- Temperature: The temperature determines the amount of oxygen dissolved in water.
- Salinity: The concentration of dissolved mineral salts and influences the distribution of aquatic species.
- Quantity of Oxygen: If there is a large contact area between the atmosphere and water, there is more oxygen exchange. The concentration depends on temperature and depth.
- Hydrostatic Pressure: Increases every 10 meters of depth. Has no effect on the shape of living things.
- Viscosity: As water is very high, it provides that the bodies are suspended in water and hampers their movement.
- Density: Is responsible for the buoyancy of the life forms that need hard or rigid parts in their body.
- Movements of Water: It strikes at the coast and in the upper reaches of the rivers.
Ecological Niche
It is the role of a species within an ecosystem. If two species share a niche, they will be in competition, and one of them may move to another niche.
Determinants of Soil Abiotic Factors
- Climate: It influences the type of vegetation and thus determines the amount of organic matter.
- Topography: The amount of water that penetrates the soil and the degree of erosion depend on it.
- Temperature: High temperatures favor the decomposition of organic matter.
- Light: The soil is a dark environment. Many organisms living in soil present adaptations to darkness.
- Gas Composition: In the depths, CO² increases and oxygen decreases.
- Concentration of Salts: It depends on the activity of decomposers and the chemical alteration of rocks.
Characteristics of Aquatic Ecosystems
Rivers
- High Course: Water gradients and fast currents.
- Medium Course: Softer currents, slower water, and riverine forests.
Lakes
- Ecosystems composed of deep and permanent water bodies.
- Light and temperature affect the ecosystem.
- The temperature determines the dynamics of the water.
Wetlands
- Soil saturated with water.
- They are very fragile ecosystems that change with the seasons.
- Miscellaneous in their origins.
Marine
- Are constantly evolving and changing.
- Atlantic Coast: Cold water, strong surf, and geologically abrupt.
- Mediterranean Coast: Warmer waters and beaches punctuated by salt deltas and lagoons.