Life on Earth - Biotic factors Flashcards
What are factors?
in terms of life on earth
Parts of the environment that can influence whether a species is able to live in an area or not.
What is a biotic factor?
List the 5 biotic factors.
The result of interactions with other living organisms.
- Competition for resources
- Disease
- Food avaliablity
- Grazing
- Predation
Describe Competition for resources as a biotic factor
It deals with Interspecific competition. One species outcompetes another for resources, limiting the second species’ distribution.
Describe Disease as a biotic factor
Can reduce populations, severe disease can prevent a species being distributed in an area.
Describe Food avaliability as a biotic factor
Organisms will compete for it if in short supply
Describe Grazing as a biotic factor
Grazing is the feeding of herbivores on grass.
Not lethal, but if grazing intensity is too high for the species involved, distribution will be limited.
Describe Predation as a biotic factor
Limits distribution of species that suffer from the loss of individuals from their population
Species with high reproductive rates = better adapted to high predation levels.
