Biotic and Abiotic: The ecosystem consists of biotic and abiotic elements interacting with each other. They are equally important in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem, without which life can not exist. Studying biotic and abiotic factors is very important as it makes us more aware of the ecosystem’s sensitivity and how we must preserve it.

Ecologists are experts at studying and analysing the biotic and abiotic factors in the ecosystem. Key findings from their study shed more light on the ecological changes, population dynamics and many important events in our ecosystem. The study also helps identify whether any particular species is becoming extinct, getting overpopulated, or predicting any upcoming disease outbreaks. Let us learn more about the differences between the biotic and abiotic factors and some examples of each category.

Definition of Biotic and Abiotic Factors

All living organisms and their relationship are called biotic factors, and all non-living components are called abiotic factors. We say the relationship between living organisms can also be called biotic factors because events like diseases, parasitism, and predation are all connected to the overpowering of one type of living organism by the other.

Examples of Abiotic Factors: Plants, Animals, Bacteria, Algae, Fungi, etc.

Examples of Abiotic Factors: Light, Temperature, Water, etc. They are also called Oceanic Abiotic Factors. Ocean currents and salinity are two examples.

Examples of Abiotic Factors

As already mentioned, abiotic factors are the non-living components of the ecosystem, which can be either chemical or physical. Here are the most important ones.

Sunlight: We all know how important sunlight is as the biggest source of energy in the ecosystem. Plants bank on sunlight to prepare their food and control the temperature.

Oxygen: It is important on many levels; for breathing, breaking down food into energy and so on. This is how it plays a significant role in metabolism.

Temperature: The temperature of the ecosystem, be it on land or on water, controls the organism’s survival, growth and productivity. We witness how many species have adapted to the changing temperatures in our ecosystem to survive.

Wind: Wind is closely connected to temperature as it moves water that can bring down the atmosphere’s temperature. Wind also carries seeds with it, allowing for vegetation to spread.

Classification of Biotic Factors

There is a non-stop exchange of energy that occurs in the ecosystem. This is fundamental to the existence of all living and non-living beings. Depending on the method of energy exchange that occurs, biotic factors may be classified as

1. Producers
2. Consumers
3. Decomposers

What are these, and how different are they from each other? At what level of the ecosystem do they exist? Let us learn all about them in the remaining section of this article.

Properties	Producers	Consumers	Decomposers
Secondary Name	Also known as Autotrophs	Also known as Heterotrophs	Also known as Saprotrophs
Function	Convert abiotic factors into food. For example, they use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to prepare their own food through Photosynthesis.	Can not make their own food. They get energy by feeding on other producers or consumers.	They feed on organic matter that is rotten, like dead plants and animals and breaks them into inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
Examples	Examples are plants and algae	Can be herbivores (horses, elephants), carnivores (lions, wolves) or omnivores (birds, bears)	Earthworms, bacteria and fungi

Difference Between Biotic and Abiotic Factors

We hope you are clear about the definition of biotic and abiotic factors now. Now, let us move on to the difference between them.

Comparison	Biotic Factors	Abiotic Factors
Definition	Living things present in the ecosystem	Non-living things present in the ecosystem
Do they depend on each other for food?	No	Yes
Adaptation to the environment	Yes	No
Examples	Plants, animals, algae, fungi and so on	Temperature, soil, climate, water currents and so on
Origin	Biosphere	Lithosphere (land), Hydrosphere (water) and Atmosphere (air)

Why We Must Study Biotic and Abiotic Factors?

A deep understanding of biotic and abiotic factors helps ecologists decipher the changes in the ecosystem for the good and bad of all beings on the planet. As we all know, every factor in the ecosystem has a dependency on another at varying levels. It might be direct or indirect, but the truth is, sometimes, as humans, we inflict irreversible damage on the ecosystem that shakes its balance. Therefore, the awareness of biotic and abiotic factors is critical to preserving ecology.

The interaction between the biotic and abiotic factors can be seen in every ecosystem on the planet, be it ‘tide pools’, which is the smallest ecosystem, to the oceanic ecosystem, which is the largest, covering more than 70% of the earth. It is not the sole responsibility of a particular individual or a group to care for the biotic and abiotic factors but a collective responsibility of each individual on this planet to think critically and contribute towards the cause.

We hope that this detailed article on Biotic and Abiotic Factors: Definition and Differences was of help in your exam journey. For more educational resources, visit Embibe. Happy Learning.