1.

0 Biotic and Abiotic Components

-An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of living organisms with one another and with their environment. -Examples of ecosystems are forest, grassland, pond, field, river, lake and sea. An ecosystem consists of two components: a) Abiotic components (physical factors) b) Biotic components (biological factors) -Biotic components are the living components in the ecosystem such as plants and animals.

1.1 The Abiotic Components

-In any ecosystem, abiotic components such as pH, temperature, light intensity, humidity, topography and microclimate determine the population size and distribution of the biotic components. -The pH value of the soil and water affects the distribution of organisms. a) Most organisms live in a neutral or nearly neutral environment (pH6-7.5) b) Some plants, like the maize, grows well in an acidic condition while coconuts grow well in an alkaline condition.

-Temperature affects the biochemical reactions in the organisms. a) Organisms can live within a certain range of temperature. b) Poikilotherms are animals that cannot control their body temperature as their body temperature varies with the environmental temperature. c) Homoiotherms are animals that can maintain their body temperature. d) Plants and animals have specific characteristics to help them adapt to areas of extreme temperature. Light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis. a) The distribution of green plants will be more extensive in areas with higher light intensity. b) All organisms that live in soil prefer a dark environment. Topography refers to the shape of the Earths surface. a) Topography of a place determines the temperature, light intensity and humidity in an area. b) Three tomography factors that affect the distribution of organisms are altitude, slope(gradient) and aspects. Microclimate refers to the climate in a small habitat such a the climate in the soil and the climate below a tree trunk or a large rock.

a) Microclimate has specific temperature, humidity and light intensity within its small habitat.

1.2 The Abiotic Components -The abiotic components are classified into three groups: a) Producers b) Consumers c) Decomposers -The green plants are the producers because they can synthesise food through photosynthesis. -Consumers are organisms that feed on plants or other organisms. a)Primary consumers are herbivores that feed on plants directly. b) Secondary consumers are carnivores that feed on primary consumers directly while tertiary consumers are carnivores omnivores that feed on secondary consumers. -Decomposers are the bacteria and fungi that the fungi fungi that break down dead plants and dead animals into simple substances.

1.3 Food Chain, Food Web and Trophic Levels -A food chain shows a sequence of organisms through which energy is transferred. -Each stage in a food chain is known as a trophic level. -Through the food chain, organisms obtain energy. -In an ecosystem, several food chains interact to form a network called a food web. -In a food chain, energy is transferred from one trophic level to another trophic level. -When energy is transferred from one trophic level to another trophic level as much as 90% of the chemical energy in the food consumed is used for its metabolic activities and lost as heat, excretory products and undigested matter. -Only 10% of the energy in an organism is passed on to the organism at the next trophic level.

2.0 Interactions between biotic components Based on the feeding relationship, the interaction between biotic components is divided into three main types which are symbiosis, saprophytism and prey-predator interaction. 2.1 Interaction between Biotic Components in Relation to Feeding Symbiosis Symbiosis is an interaction between two organisms of different species that live together. in symbiosis, one organism will live in or with another organism called the host. The organism that interacts with the host will benefit from the interaction. Symbiosis is further classified into three types: a) Commensalisms