BRAINCAKESpecies Distribution
Distribution describes where a species is found within a habitat and how its individuals are spread out. Abundance tells us how many; distribution tells us where.
Distribution is determined by abiotic factors (such as light intensity, soil pH, soil moisture, temperature, mineral ions and exposure to wind or waves) and biotic factors (such as competition, predation, grazing and the availability of food). A species can only live where conditions fall within its range of tolerance.
Individuals in a population may be spread in three patterns:
- Random: the position of one individual is unrelated to others, often where resources are evenly spread (e.g. dandelions on a lawn).
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More in The Nature of Ecosystems
- Competition
- Intraspecific Competition
- Interspecific Competition
- Species Abundance
- Ecological Techniques
- Quadrats
- ACFOR Scale
- Point Quadrats
All 39 lessons in The Nature of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics