Biotic Environmental Factors Flashcards

Biotic Environmental Factors Overview

• Biotic environmental factors constitute the biological components and interactions that influence ecosystems. Key biotic factors include:

  • Intraspecific competition.

  • Interspecific competition.

  • Symbiosis between two members of different species.

  • Mimicry.

  • Predation.

  • Disease.

Fundamental Syllabus Objectives

• The study of biotic factors is guided by the following academic objectives:

  • Use species diversity indices, species interactions (predation, competition, symbiosis, disease), and abiotic factors (climate, substrate, size/depth of an area) to compare ecosystems across spatial and temporal scales.

  • Explain how environmental factors limit the distribution and abundance of a species in an ecosystem.

  • Explain the classification of organisms according to the following species interactions: predation, competition, symbiosis, and disease.

Essential Glossary of Terms

• Biotic: Pertaining to the living components of an environment.

• Intraspecific: Occurring within a single species.

• Interspecific: Occurring between different species.

• Predator: An organism that captures and feeds on another organism.

• Competition: The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources.

• Symbiosis: A close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms.

• Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

• Cooperation: An interaction where individuals work together for mutual benefit.

• Commensalism: A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

• Amensalism: A relationship where one organism is inhibited or destroyed and the other remains unaffected.

• Parasitism: A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another (the host).

Competition and Resource Scarcity

• Competition occurs in any given ecosystem because there are strictly limited resources. Organisms must compete for items essential for survival and reproduction, including:

  • Shelter.

  • Food sources.

  • Water.

  • Mates.

• Intraspecific Competition:

  • This involves competition between members of the same species.

  • This interaction drives the biological principle of "Survival of the fittest."

  • Only the individuals with the highest fitness survive to pass their genes on to subsequent generations.

• Interspecific Competition:

  • This involves members of different species competing for the same resources within an ecosystem.

Predation and Disease

• Predation:

  • This interaction occurs when one organism kills another organism for the purpose of food.

• Disease:

  • Disease is classified alongside predation, competition, and symbiosis as a primary species interaction that influences ecosystem dynamics.

Symbiotic Relationships and Classification

• Organisms are classified based on the nature of their symbiotic interactions. The effects on Species A and Species B are categorized as positive ($+$), negative ($-$), or neutral ($0$):

  • Mutualism: Species A benefits ($+$) and Species B benefits ($+$).

  • Cooperation: Species A benefits ($+$) and Species B benefits ($+$).

  • Commensalism: Species A benefits ($+$) while Species B experiences no effect ($0$).

  • Amensalism: Species A experiences no effect ($0$) while Species B is negatively impacted ($-$).

  • Parasitism: Species A benefits ($+$) while Species B is negatively impacted ($-$).

Specialized Biological Interactions: Mimicry

• Mimicry:

  • This interaction occurs when one species evolves to mimic the characteristics of a different species.

Cognitive Assessment Verbs for Scientific Analysis

• Identify: Distinguish; locate, recognize, and name; establish or indicate who or what someone or something is; provide an answer from a number of possibilities; recognize and state a distinguishing factor or feature.

• Classify: Arrange, distribute, or order in classes or categories according to shared qualities or characteristics.

• Determine: Establish, conclude, or ascertain after consideration, observation, investigation, or calculation; decide or come to a resolution.

• Analyse: Dissect to ascertain and examine constituent parts and/or their relationships; break down or examine in order to identify the essential elements, features, components, or structure; determine the logic and reasonableness of information; examine or consider something in order to explain and interpret it, for the purpose of finding meaning or relationships and identifying patterns, similarities, and differences.