Question

Which is an example if an abiotic factor interacting with a biotic factor?

A.) A drought dries up a river, so deer have less water to drink
B.) A fungus causes a grove of trees to die
C.) Insects carry seeds to new places, which allow new plants to grow
D.) People plant trees in a city park

Answer 1

A) A drought dries up a river, so deer have less water to drink.

In this example, the abiotic factor is the drought, which is a non-living factor, and the biotic factor is the deer, which is a living organism. The drought interacts with the deer by reducing the availability of water, which can have negative consequences for the deer's ability to find drinking water.

Answer 2

A) A drought dries up a river, so deer have less water to drink

Background

What is an abiotic factor?

An abiotic factor is any non-living component of an environment or ecosystem.

We can split the word abiotic into its various Latin components to see where the word comes from:

a- = not

bio- = life

abiotic = not life

Examples of abiotic factors include:

• rocks
• air
• water
• weather

What is a biotic factor?

A biotic factor is any living component of an environment or ecosystem. In order for something to be alive, it must have all of the following characteristics:

1. reproduce
2. adapt
3. grow and develop
4. have and maintain homeostais

Examples of biotic factors include:

• plants
• animals
• bacteria
• fungi

Answer Walkthrough

A) A drought dries up a river, so deer have less water to drink

What are the components that are interacting with each other in this option?

1. drought
2. water
3. deer

What kind of factors are each of these components?

1. drought is an abiotic factor because it is not alive. It is a consequence of weather patterns
2. water is an abiotic factor because it is not alive since it does not fulfill the requirements of something to be alive
3. deer is a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive

This is multiple abiotic factors interacting with a biotic factor

B) A fungus causes a grove of trees to die

What are the components that are interacting with each other in this option?

1. fungus
2. tree

What kind of factors are each of these components?

1. fungus is a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive.
2. tree is a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive

These are two biotic factors interacting with each other

C) Insects carry seeds to new places, which allow new plants to grow

What are the components that are interacting with each other in this option?

1. insects
2. seeds

What kind of factors are each of these components?

1. insects are a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive.
2. seeds are a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive

These are two biotic factors interacting with each other

D) People plant trees in a city park

What are the components that are interacting with each other in this option?

1. People
2. trees

What kind of factors are each of these components?

1. people are a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive.
2. trees are a biotic factor because it is alive since it fulfills the requirements of being alive

These are two biotic factors interacting with each other

Key Words

abiotic factor

biotic factors