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Ecosystems are changed by both biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors are all living things or their materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment. Biotic factors include organisms, their presence or parts, their interaction with the ecosystem, or their wastes. Additionally, parasitism, disease, and predation are considered biotic factors. Abiotic factors are factors of a non-living physical and chemical nature that affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce. These factors include light intensity, temperature, soil or rock type, pH levels, available water supplies, gasses, and pollutant levels (Bush, 2002).
Both types of factors change the equilibrium, but in different ways. For example, any change in temperature, an abiotic factor, may not only affect the ecosystem in general, but also affect the biotic factors in the ecosystem, such as aiding in the production of a given species. This species may then become overabundant, which can then change abiotic factors, such as water supplies and food supplies. The biotic elements interact with the abiotic factors to provide stability, and any change in either factor can cause...
In the beginning of an ecosystem, there is often very little life. This stage is generally called the primary or secondary stages. Over time, small temporary communities called pioneer species begin to develop, making this the serial stage. As those pioneer species develop, they alter the biotic and abiotic factors of the area, including soil stabilization, changes in water supply and temperature, and other factors. As the pioneer species advance and multiple, their efforts eventually develop to a climax stage. This climax stage is the point at which the ecosystem or biosphere has become stable (Botkins & Keller, 1997).
This progression from the beginnings of life to a stable and self renewing ecosystem is often called the progression. The amount of time need to get to the mature stage largely depends upon the type of ecosystem. In any ecosystem, the natural cycle of progression can be very easily disturbed through changes in biotic and abiotic factors, such as massive or even slight changes in water supplies, or changes in pollution…
Resources. Web site: http://www.*****/studyguides/subjects/biology-edited/contents.asp.
ecosystem" is used frequently in the popular media, and yet most people do not have a clear, working definition of an ecosystem. An ecosystem simply refers to all of the organisms and their physical environment that exist within a certain, specific area. This includes all plants, animals, and their environment, which can include water, dirt, rocks, and the air that surrounds them. For example, all of the organisms that
ability of plants to respond to environmental factors such as soil temperatures. This paper examines the effects of arti-cially warmed environment using open-top chambers (OTCs). It investigates the effect of temperature changes on the growth of Dryas integrifolia. This is in light of the growing concern of the changing climatic weather condition more so in the cold climatic regions of the world. It hypothesizes the difference in growth of
Environmental Science: Population Growth Dynamics Population Growth Dynamics: Environmental Science Population growth generally occurs in five major phases -- the lag phase, the exponential phase, the stationary phase, the overshoot phase, and the death phase. The change in the size of the snow goose population over the years is a perfect demonstration of how the process of growth flows through these five phases. This text discusses the specific events that occur in
aquatic system • Describe climate affects selected ecosystem. • Explain, based laws thermodynamics, energy flows selected ecosystem. • Examine matter transported selected ecosystem due biogeochemical cycles, carbon, hydrologic, nitrogen, phosphorus. Aquatic ecosystems Aquatic ecosystems are mainly responsible for assisting energy transfers across the planet and for making it possible for all life on earth to exist. Depending on the area where it is located and on the substances that it contains,
Stress: Regulation of Wetlands in the United States Regulation of Wetlands in the United States Defining Wetlands and their Value A wetland refers to a place where water covers the soil. A wetland is a saturated land that comprises of swamps or marshes. Lewis defines a wetland as, "an ecosystem that depends on constant or recurrent, shallow inundation or saturation at or near the surface of the substrate" (p.3). He further ascertains that
Desert Biome The ecology all over the world is different and the desert is an extreme environment. Deserts are found over one fifth of the earth surface. To be classified as a desert the rainfall is a criterion. The Iquique, Chile received only 0.6-inch rainfall for a twenty year period. Even in the worlds driest desert, like the Atacama Desert there is infrequent rain and it may also receive snowfall. (Bowman,