Life on Earth - Biotic factors

Question 1

What are factors?

in terms of life on earth

Answer 1

Parts of the environment that can influence whether a species is able to live in an area or not.

Question 2

What is a biotic factor?
List the 5 biotic factors.

Answer 2

The result of interactions with other living organisms.

• Competition for resources
• Disease
• Food avaliablity
• Grazing
• Predation

Question 3

Describe Competition for resources as a biotic factor

Answer 3

It deals with INTERspecific competition. One species outcompetes another for resources, limiting the second species’ distribution.

Question 4

Describe Disease as a biotic factor

Answer 4

Can reduce populations, severe disease can prevent a species from being distributed in an area.

Question 5

Describe Food avaliability as a biotic factor

Answer 5

Organisms will compete for it if in short supply

Question 6

Describe Grazing as a biotic factor

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Describe Predation as a biotic factor

Answer 7

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.