The document defines ecosystems and discusses abiotic and biotic factors. It explains that ecosystems contain living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components that interact. Biotic factors include organisms like plants and animals, while abiotic factors include soil, water, sunlight and temperature. Different combinations of these factors determine the specific terrestrial or aquatic ecosystem.

1. Abiotic and Biotic Factors
Module 1 Review
IRE: 201

2. What is an Ecosystem?
• An ecosystem is a specific area of land that has specific
characteristics associated with it.
• For example, would you see a crocodile in a desert?
• There are two broad categories of ecosystems: aquatic and
terrestrial.

3. Working Together
• Living and nonliving things work together to make an
ecosystem flourish.
• Ecosystems are important to our human lives because they
offer…
• Supporting services
• Provision services
• Regulating services
• Cultural services

4. Biotic Factors
• ”Bio” means life.
• Biotic factors are the living
components of an ecosystem.
• Examples include plants, animals,
fungi, microorganisms, and humans.
Fig 1: Pond Ecosystem with Abiotic and Biotic Factors
(source: http://acamrmicheal.weebly.com/ecology---
abiotic--biotic-vocabulary.html)

5. Biotic Factors
• What biotic factors can you find
located in the image to the right?
• Even if something is deceased, it is
still considered a biotic factor
because it was once living.
Fig 1: Pond Ecosystem with Abiotic and Biotic Factors
(source: http://acamrmicheal.weebly.com/ecology---
abiotic--biotic-vocabulary.html)

6. Breaking It Down
• What do you notice about figure two?
• It starts with a single organism and
builds its way to all life on earth
(biosphere).
Fig 2: Breakdown
Source: https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-the-difference-between-organism-
population- community-ecosystem-and-biosp

7. Breaking It Down
• A biome is a large, vast area of land
that has distinct climates and plants.
• A community is all the populations of
living things together.
• A population is all the members of one
kind of organism that lives in the
ecosystem.
Fig 2: Breakdown
Source: https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-the-difference-between-organism-
population- community-ecosystem-and-biosp

8. Abiotic Factors
• Abiotic means lack of life.
• Abiotic factors are the
nonliving components of an
ecosystem.
• Examples include temperature,
water, soil, air, and sunlight.
Fig 1: Pond Ecosystem with Abiotic and Biotic Factors
(source: http://acamrmicheal.weebly.com/ecology---
abiotic--biotic-vocabulary.html)

9. Abiotic Factors: Soil
• Soil is at the bottom of an ecosystem.
• Plants are provided with the nutrients they need to grow
here.
• Soil also helps anchor plants and store water.

10. Abiotic Factors: Water
• Without water, life in the ecosystem would disappear.
• In aquatic ecosystems, water is considered home to
organisms.
• Water can either be freshwater or saltwater.

11. Abiotic Factors:
Temperature & Sunlight
• Some organisms like warm weather and some prefer the
cold.
• For example, organisms housed in the tundra would not be
expected to be seen in a desert.
• Organisms adapt to the temperature of their habitat.

12. Abiotic Factors
• What abiotic factors can you
find located in the image to
the right?
• Hint: The rotting log would not
be an abiotic factor because it
was once a living tree.
Fig 1: Pond Ecosystem with Abiotic and Biotic Factors
(source: http://acamrmicheal.weebly.com/ecology---
abiotic--biotic-vocabulary.html)

13. Types of Ecosystems
• Abiotic and biotic factors present help determine which
ecosystem is present.
• There are two broad categories of ecosystems:
1. Terrestrial: Land-based
2. Aquatic: Water-based

14. Types of Ecosystems: Terrestrial
• Terrestrial ecosystems are land-
based.
• Here are examples of terrestrial
ecosystems:
• Forests
• Wetlands
• Grasslands
Fig 9: Grassland

15. Types of Ecosystems: Aquatic
• Aquatic ecosystems are water-
based.
• Here are examples of aquatic
ecosystems:
• Oceans
• Estuaries
• Lakes and ponds
Fig 8: Estuary

16. Summary of Concepts
• An ecosystem contains all the organisms (biotic factors) and
their nonliving surrounding environments (abiotic factors).
• Biotic factors are living.
• Abiotic factors are nonliving.