13.

2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors

KEY CONCEPT
Every ecosystem includes both living and nonliving
factors.
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors
An ecosystem includes both biotic and abiotic factors.
• Biotic factors are living things.
– plants
– animals
plants
– fungi
– bacteria
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• Abiotic factors are nonliving things.

– moisture
– temperature
sunlight
– wind
– sunlight
– soil
moisture
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Changing one factor in an ecosystem can affect many
other factors.
• Biodiversity is the assortment, or variety, of living things in
an ecosystem.
• Rain forests have more biodiversity than other locations in
the world, but are threatened by human activities.
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• A keystone species is a species that has an unusually large

effect on its ecosystem.

keystone
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• Keystone species form and maintain a complex web of life.

creation of
wetland
ecosystem

increased waterfowl
Population

keystone species
increased
fish nesting sites
population for birds
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Which of the following is an example of a biotic factor in
an ecosystem?

A. Sunlight
B. Stream
C. Tree
D. Rock
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Wind is considered to be an abiotic factor because it

A. Is not related to biodiversity

B. Is a nonliving thing
C. Is in equilibrium
D. Is not in any ecosystem
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors
A rainforest has a high level of biodiversity because it
has

A. Many abiotic factors

B. Some endangered species
C. Few connections between living things
D. A wide variety of living things
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors

A keystone species is a species that

A. Goes unnoticed if its numbers decrease

B. Alters an area by building bridges and dams
C. Leads to a decrease in an area’s biodiversity
D. Has an unusually large impact on its ecosystem.
13.2 Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Beavers are sometimes trapped for their fur. What
could be one effect of increased trapping of beavers in
an area?
A. Biodiversity among the area’s fish would increase
B. The number of herons and kingfishers would decrease
C. There would be more nesting areas for waterfowl
D. More trees would be cut down