The two major factors which are responsible for shaping our ecosystem are biotic and abiotic factors. Thus, we will look at the difference between biotic and abiotic to understand what they mean. Further, biotic factors are living beings of an ecosystem. On the other hand, abiotic factors are those which are non-living like physical conditions and chemical agents in the ecosystem. For instance, physical conditions are temperature, sunlight, etc. whereas chemical agents like gases, minerals, soil, etc. Hence, you see how both these factors are essential and impact the survival and process of reproduction. In addition, they also rely on each other to function properly.
Definition of Biotic
Biotic factors are those which respond to the stimuli and also need the energy to work. Further, they grow, develop, and comprise hereditary material like DNA which keeps transferring from one generation to the other. Moreover, they also have the capability to reproduce and give rise to their offsprings. Most importantly, biotic factors have heavily reliant on abiotic factors for their growth and survival through direct or indirect means. For instance, organisms that inhabit the sea are dependant on the circumstances. In addition, they are accessibility to food and nutrients, sunlight, temperature, water, pH, and more. Thus, if these factors change, it will hamper their life and their population.
Definition of Abiotic
Abiotic factors are also called environmental factors. Moreover, these along with biotic factors cover approximately the entire biosphere. In other words, it is the sum covering all the ecosystems. Moreover, abiotic factors consist of factors like humidity, light, pH, soil, temperature, wind, climate, water, gases, and more. Similarly, these non-living things influence the growth of the biotic factors in a direct or indirect manner. For instance, if the temperature of a particular ecosystem undergoes changes suddenly, it will have ill-effects on the plants, animals, and living organisms living there. Consequently, either they will migrate from that place or won’t be able to survive it and go extinct. Similarly, they may also adapt to the changes and survive.
Difference between Biotic And Abiotic
| Basis of Comparison | Biotic | Abiotic |
| Meaning | They are the living things that make up an ecosystem | They are the non-living things present in an ecosystem |
| Dependency | Depend on abiotic factors for surviving and growing | Do not depend on biotic factors to exist |
| Impact | Affects the biome, individual of a specific species, biosphere, and population | Affects the individual of a specific species, their population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere |
| Measurement | It is subjective | It is objective |
| Adaptation | Can adapt to the changes in the environment | Cannot adapt as per the environmental conditions |
| Components | They include different plants, animals, bacteria, algae | They include soil, topography, climate, and natural disturbances of an ecosystem |
| Origin | Originate from the biosphere | Originate from the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere |
| Example | Humans, wild animals, birds, insects, bacteria, etc. | Climate, soil, temperature, rainfall, pH, humidity, etc. |
More details about Biotic
Biotic factors consist of producers or autotrophs, consumers or heterotrophs, and decomposers or detrivores. Producers are the kind of organisms that prepare their food by themselves like green plants, algae, bacteria, and more.
Further, consumers are ones that are directly or indirectly dependent on producers for their food like animals. Finally, we have decomposers that feed or depend on the dead and decaying matter like fungi and bacteria.
More details about Abiotic
Abiotic factors are ones that determine the number and kind of living organisms that survive the ecosystem. Similarly, any change in abiotic factors may bring momentous changes in the biotic factors.
Moreover, abiotic resources include land, water, soil, and coal. Further, you will notice how these factors may also evolve the nature of different ecosystems. For instance, the lack of rainfall may convert a tropical ecosystem into the desert ecosystem.
FAQs about Biotic And Abiotic
Question 1: What are the three kinds of biotic factors?
Answer 1: The three kinds of biotic factors are autotrophs, heterotrophs, and detrivores.
Question 2: Give one difference between biotic and abiotic.
Answer 2: One difference between biotic and abiotic is of their measurement. In other words, the measurement of biotic factors is subjective whereas one of the abiotic factors is objective.
