BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS

Prof. Gauri Rane

P. G. Research Centre

Dept. of Botany

M. J. College, Jalgaon

Classification of Environment:Since the environment is both physical and biological concept, it encompasses both the living and non-living components of the planet earth.

Thus on the basis of basic structure, the environment may be divided into two basic units:

(i) Physical or Abiotic environment(ii) Biotic environment.

On the basis of physical characteristic andstate, abiotic environment may be furthersubdivided into three broad categories:

(i) Lithospheric environment (solid);(ii) Atmospheric environment (Gas), and(iii) Hydrosphere environment (liquid).

The physical environment may also be viewed in terms ofclimatic conditions providing certain suits of habitat forbiological communities e.g. tropical environmenttemperate environment, polar environment etc.

The biotic component of the environment consists ofplants (flora) and animals (fauna) including man asan important factor.Thus, the biotic environment may be dividedinto:(i) Floral environment; and(ii) Faunal environment.All the organisms work to form their social groupsand organizations at several levels and thus areformed social environment wherein the livingorganisms work to derive the matter from thephysical environment for their sustenance anddevelopment. This process generates economicenvironment.

Man derives and utilizes resources from the physicaland biotic environment with his skills andtechnologies which may be termed as physical, socialand economic functions of man. The economicfunction of man makes him an environmentalgeomorphic process because through him matter andenergy from one ecosystem can be transferred toother.The biotic and abiotic components constitutetogether the Biome environment. The energycomponent includes solar energy, geochemicalenergy, thermo-electrical energy, hydro-electricalenergy, nuclear and atomic energy etc.

Factors Influencing Environment:The life of an organism is surrounded and effected by anumber of external forces. These forces are known asenvironmental or ecological factors. There are actuallyfour categories of ecological factors which affect theenvironment.

These factors may be outlined as below:

(a) Topographic or Physiographic factors:These factors include altitude, direction of mountainchains, plateaus, plains, lakes, rivers, sea level andvalleys etc.

(b) Climatic or Aerial factors:

These include atmosphere, light temperature,humidity, rainfall etc.

(c) Edaphic factors:These comprise lithosphere or soil.

(d) Biotic factors:These include all types of interactions betweendifferent forms of life. For example, man, animals,plants, micro-organisms etc. All these ecologicalfactors operate in conjunctions and not individually,affecting the life of organisms.