Biotic Factors

Edexcel A-level BiologyThe Nature of EcosystemsLesson 5 of 39

Biotic factors are the effects of living organisms on other organisms in an ecosystem. The main ones are:
• Food availability: the amount of food produced by other organisms.
• Competition: organisms competing for limited resources such as food, light, water, space or mates. Intraspecific competition is between members of the same species; interspecific competition is between different species.
• Predation: one animal killing and eating another.
• Parasitism and disease: organisms living on or in a host and harming it.
• Finding a mate and holding a territory.
• Mutualism: close relationships that benefit both species.

More in The Nature of Ecosystems

• Ecosystem
• Habitat
• Community
• Abiotic Factors
• Biosphere
• Primary Succession
• Climax Community
• Secondary Succession

All 39 lessons in The Nature of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics