Biotic components

Biotic components, or biotic factors, can be described as any living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem. Biotic components are typically sorted into three main categories: • • Consumers, otherwise known as heterotrophs, depend upon producers (and occasionally other consumers) for food. • Decomposers, otherwise known as detritivores, break down chemicals from producers and consumers (usually antibiotic) into simpler form which can be reused. Contents • 1 Influences • 1.1 Species • 1.2 Pathogens and Disease Outbreaks • 1.3 Human Contact • 2 See also • 3 References Influences [ ] Species [ ] Nearly all species are influenced by biotic factors in one way or another. If the number of predators was to increase, the entire food chain would be affected as any prey falling below that specified predator in the food chain will become prey. If the prey is not given enough time by the predator to repopulate, this could not only cause the endangerment and extinction of the prey, but of the predator as well. Contradicting a decrease in population size, if a particular species reproduces too rapidly, this will cause an increase in population size, thus affecting the environment around them. Pathogens and Disease Outbreaks [ ] When disease outbreaks occur, it can be detrimental to an ecosystem. When a disease hits, it will usually affect more than one species, thus causing a serious outbreak. This has the potential to set off a chain reaction thus, causing enda...

Alexandrea Dillon Alexandrea has taught secondary science for over six years. She has a bachelors degree in Teaching Secondary Science and a Masters of Education in Instructional Design. She's TESOL certified and a National Geographic Certified Educator. In addition, she was the spotlight educator for National Geographic in late 2019. • Instructor What is Biotic Potential? Reproduction is essential for the continuation of every species on Earth. A species is a group of similar organisms that are capable of interbreeding with each other. Not all species reproduce through sexual reproduction, though it is the only way that mammals reproduce. Plants can reproduce both sexually and asexually through methods such as fragmentation, propagation, spores, seed dispersal, and budding. Regardless of a species' mode of reproduction, the definition of biotic potential is the maximum capacity to bring forth living things. Biotic means living, whereas abiotic is defined as non-living. The biotic potential of an organism indicates how fast a species produces offspring when not limited by the environment. Ideal conditions are hardly ever present outside of a laboratory. Biotic potential also predicts how fast an organism can reach and exceed the carrying capacity of its environment. Limiting factors could include any of the following: • Shelter • Food • Light • Space • Nutrients • Predation • Water • Mate accessibility In the desert pictured here, there is plenty of space, so that is likel...

Biotic factors are the living things in an ecosystem that have an impact on other living things and/or the environment. The tropical rainforests (also known as tropical wet forests) are found in the equatorial regions of Earth and they contain the oldest major vegetation type still in existence. Flowering plants first appeared in tropical rainforests about 100 million years ago. About 40 million years ago when the climate became cooler and drier, other types of vegetation evolved across larger areas as these forests expanded. Over 50% of the plant and animal species on Earth are found in tropical rainforests. Biotic Factors of the Tropical Rainforest Biotic factors in any ecosystem are classified as producers (autotrophs), consumers (heterotrophs) and decomposers (detritivores). Plants are mostly producers and the decomposers are organisms like fungi and earthworms. Consumers have to eat other organisms to get their energy. Animals Animals are consumers and rely on producers to make some of their food, but they eat other consumers, too. Animals that live in the tropical rainforests include birds like parrots, the collared sunbird, the keel-billed toucan, pigeons and the bird of paradise. Other animals are spider monkeys, deer, kinkajou, okapi, Western lowland gorillas, tree kangaroos, pigs, elephants, rhinoceroses, leopards, bandicoots, opossums and the three-toed sloth. Plants One hectare of tropical rainforest can have over 800 species of trees and 1,500 species of highe...

BIOTIC COMPONENT Biotic components are living creatures that have an impact on other species in their environment, either directly or indirectly Examples include plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as their trash. Abiotic components of an ecosystem include all chemical and physical elements, i.e. non-living components. The phrase “biotic components” refers to all of the living things that comprise an ecosystem. The animals, the plants, and the microorganisms are examples of this. The waste from living things and the remains of dead species are also considered to be biotic components. Even the most inhospitable regions of our world have biological components. The planet is teeming with biological organisms. As far as we can tell, there are no biological components on the surface of Mars. The surface of the planet Mars. Ecosystems, on the other hand, have abiotic components, which are the pieces of an ecosystem that are not alive. The elements that make up this category might range from rocks to temperature, sunlight, clouds, and compounds in the soil. Definition of Biotic Factors The living components of an ecosystem are referred to as biotic factors.Because of the way ecosystems work – as complex systems of competition and cooperation in which any life form’s action can affect all the others – any living creature inside an ecosystem might be considered a biotic factor. Soil bacteria, plant life, top predators, and pollution can all have a significant impact on whi...

The Great Barrier Reef, located off of Australia’s eastern coast, is the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world. The reef covers an area over 300,000 square kilometers and includes a wide range of ocean depth, and it contains such biodiversity as to make it one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth. Much like any other ecosystem on Earth, the Great Barrier Reef relies on biotic and abiotic components to keep it functional and stable. Coral is the basis for the diverse animal and plant life in the Great Barrier Reef. Coral consists of polyps, which are very small creatures that reproduce to form colonies. These colonies of coral make up the reefs in this ecosystem. Polyps live inside shells comprised mostly of calcium carbonate, which is what most people identify as coral, as these shells are what remain behind after the polyps have died and form the structure of the reefs. Coral takes the form of antler, plate, fan or brain shapes, and groups of coral form a forest-like appearance. These biotic components of the Great Barrier Reef create a habitat for other living things. Sea Animals Animals such as sea turtles, crabs, sea urchins and fish act as consumers in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. Primary consumers in this ecosystem include zooplankton and herbivorous fish, while other fish that eat coral polyps or barnacles that eat plankton make up a group of secondary consumers. Large reef fish, sharks, eels and barracudas make up the tertiary consumers at the top of th...

Producers, also called • Air plants • Apricot mallow • Arctic azaleas • Arctic moss • Arctic poppy • Arctic willow • Avocado • Ball moss • Bamboo • Banana trees • Bear berry • Bees - yellow jacket, wasp, honey, carpenter, hornets • Big galleta • Blue Dicks • Bromeliads • Bush muhly • Caribou moss • Cassava • Cotton grass • Cyanobacteria • Desert needle • Eel grass • Epiphyte • Ferns • Fluff grass • Fremont's pin cushion • Fruit trees - lemon, orange, apple, etc • Green algae • Green sulfur bacteria • Hay • Indian rice grass • Joshua trees • Juniper • Lichens • Living rocks - Lithops • Marsh grass • Orchids • Owl's clover • Pasque flower • Periwinkle • Phytoplankton • Pines • Pinyon pines • Purple sulfur bacteria • Red algae • Red brome • Red maids • Resurrection fern • Rubber trees • Shrubs • Seaweeds • Sedges • The corpse lily • Turf algae • Turfed saxifrage • Venus fly traps • Vicia cracca • Vines • White fir • Zooxanthellae Consumers, also called • Acacia ant • American alligator • Anteater • Arctic bumble bees • Arctic ground squirrel • Arctic hare • Arctic peregrine falcon • Arctic shrews • Arctic wolf • Badger • Barracuda • Bass • Bats - most • Bears - black, American, Asian, grizzly, Kodiak,sun, Polar • Bighorn sheep • Bobcats • Cactus wrens • Canada goose • Caribou • Catfish • Cattle - zebu, taurine, sanga, dwarf lulu, chianina, brown • Swiss Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Chuckwalla • Crab • Colobus monkey • Common kingsnake • Cougar • Coyote • Crocodile • Dall sheep • De...