Abiotic Components

Eugene Odum defined an ecosystem as These biotic and abiotic components linked by nutrient cycles and energy flows. An ecosystem is a functional unit that consists of all living organisms (animals, plants,  microbes) in a particular region and all non-living physical and chemical factors of their environment. Living and non-living things are linked by nutrient cycles and energy flows. An ecosystem is a self-sustaining structural and functional unit of the biosphere in which living organisms interact with each other and with abiotic (abiotic/physical) elements such as air, water, and soil.

Ecosystem = Biotic + Abiotic Components

Abiotic Components

Abiotic or physical components are the non-living components of the environment. Soil, water, and air on the earth’s surface make up the physical environment. Climatic factors such as sunlight, precipitation, temperature, humidity, and wind also belong to the abiotic environment. Abiotic factors play an important role in influencing the species, behavior, and distribution of organisms in ecosystems.

Types of Abiotic Components

The type of abiotic component is based on two factors. They are climatic and edaphic factors:

Climatic Factors

Water

About 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water in the form of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and ponds. Water is an important part of the composition of living organisms. About 70% of our body is made up of water.

1. Water is the most abundant natural resource on the earth’s surface. It is also the most important need of all living things.
2. The presence of water is necessary for several life processes, such as the germination of seeds, the digestion and absorption of food, the removal of waste products, the absorption of nutrients, and the circulation of substances in the body requires water as a medium. 
3. The amount of water in the habitat affects the types of flora and fauna found in that habitat.
4. For example, there is less vegetation in desert areas where water is scarce.
5. On the other hand, in areas with high rainfall, a wide variety of plants grow thickly, forming tropical rainforests. This provides a very rich environment for animals, with a wide variety of animals thriving.
6. Water can dissolve gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Water also contains dissolved salts and minerals. Both plants and animals can survive in water.

Air

Air is a mixture of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 0.03% carbon dioxide, and 0.3% argon. Air also contains water vapor and dust particles, which protect us from the harmful effects of UV rays.

1. Without air, life as we know it would not be conceivable on Earth. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants from the atmosphere and used to produce food. As a by-product of this action, oxygen is emitted.
2. All living things utilize oxygen for respiration. Combustion also makes use of oxygen (burning).
3. Plants once more utilize the carbon dioxide created by respiration, the burning of fossil fuels, and the decomposition of organic materials for photosynthesis.
4. A balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air is maintained through the processes of respiration, combustion, and photosynthesis.
5. Microorganisms in the soil transform atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates. These nitrates are taken up by the plants and used for protein synthesis.

Light

The sun is the planet Earth’s main and most important source of light energy. The Sun provides heat and light to us.

1. The only living things that can absorb and use solar energy to produce food are green plants. Through the natural food chain, this energy that plants store in the food they produce is transferred to every other living thing.
2. Other ways that light affects plants and animals are likewise numerous. Light affects a wide range of processes, including stomata opening and closing, seed germination, flowering, animal movement, sleeping, and feeding.
3. Some animals’ behavior is also influenced by light. The majority of creatures, known as diurnal animals, can endure intense light and are active during the day.
4. Some are referred to as nocturnal animals, such as earthworms and cockroaches because they are active at night and shun the light.

Temperature

The temperature on the surface of the Earth varies greatly. Each type of creature can only withstand a certain range of temperatures.

1. Most plants and animals thrive between 20 and 45 degrees Celsius. Living cells are destroyed at extreme temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Celsius, and they are frozen at extremely low temperatures below Orc. Some bacteria can endure temperatures as low as -240°C and as high as 120°C.
2. Different species have various defenses against temperature variations in their surroundings. For instance, most plants have long roots that extend far into the soil in deserts when it is hot and there is a lack of water to help them absorb moisture. To store water, many cacti have fleshy stems. Cacti’s leaves are turned into spines in order to stop transpiration.
3. Some animals hibernate throughout the winter if they can’t handle the bitter cold. Hibernation is the name given to this seasonal sleep. For instance, lizards, snakes, and frogs.

Edaphic Factors

The soil’s structure and composition, which have an impact on the variety of creatures that live there, are referred to as edaphic factors.

Soil

Due to the fact that soil is essential to plants for many of their needs, it is a very significant environmental element.

1. All of the essential mineral nutrients for plant and animal growth and development are present in the soil. The earth provides water to plants as well.
2. A wide range of living creatures, including earthworms, insects, fungi, and bacteria, can be found in good soil.
3. Additionally, it contains humus, which is composed of animal and plant remains that have died and decomposed. Humus makes soil productive.

pH

Living things are also impacted by changes in pH.

1. Because of the rise in carbon dioxide, there is an increase in acidity in several regions of the planet. It has produced an acidic environment.
2. The two main factors are urbanization and the industrial revolution. The snail’s shell has also been discovered to have disintegrated as a result of the increase in acidity.
3. In a similar vein, coral cannot endure in an acidic atmosphere.

Minerals

In geology and mineralogy, minerals are simply defined as solid substances found in nature that can be created by combining one or more elements (chemical compounds). Soil contains minerals like phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen that help plants grow and develop.

Topographic

Height, slope direction, and slope steepness are all included. These elements alter the environmental conditions, which affect how organisms grow and evolve.

Salinity

1. The total amount of solids in one kilogram of seawater, expressed in parts per thousand, is known as salinity.
2. The average salinity of saltwater is 3.5 percent (measured in parts per thousand).
3. Salinity changes as a result of wind caused by variations in air pressure.
4. Throughout the year, strong winds move a significant amount of warm, salty water from the western coast of the land in the lower middle latitudes to the eastern shore in the higher latitudes, changing the distribution of salinity.
5. The characteristics of the atmosphere, or the ratio of precipitation to evaporation, control salinity fluctuations.

Factors affecting the Salinity

1. There are parts of the ocean where the warm, dry breezes cause little rain but a lot of evaporation.
2. Due to the salt that is left behind when water vapor rises into the atmosphere, this evaporation removes water, but the saltiness of the saltwater increases.
3. This causes the ocean to become denser.
4. The north and south Atlantic, which are regions with strong winds and little rainfall, are home to high salinity.

Altitude

Altitude, like elevation, refers to the height above sea level. It is common to refer to a location as “high-altitude” if it rises at least 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) into the atmosphere. The highest point on Earth is Mount Everest, which is situated in the Himalayan mountain range on the border between Nepal and Tibet in China. 8,850 meters, or 29,035 feet, is the height of Mount Everest. The highest city on Earth is El Alto, which is located in Bolivia. The average elevation of the 1.2 million population is 4,150 meters (13,615 feet) above sea level. Air pressure and altitude are related. In fact, mountaineers and aviators can determine their altitude by observing the surrounding air pressure. An altimeter is a device that measures what is known as indicated altitude.

As you ascend, the air pressure drops. In other words, low air pressure indicates a high apparent height. Two things account for this. The primary cause is gravity. Air is drawn as near to the surface as it can be by the gravity of the Earth. Density is the second justification. The number of gas molecules in the air decreases with height, making the air less dense than air closer to sea level. Air at a higher height exerts more pressure than air that is thinner. The temperature is typically substantially lower at high altitudes than it is at sea level. The low air pressure is to blame for this. The fewer gas molecules, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, have fewer opportunities to collide when air expands as it rises. 

Local air pressure is affected by variables like climate and humidity. Around the poles, air pressure also drops. Due to the pressure making the altitude feel 914 meters (3,000 feet) higher, Mount Everest could never be climbed without the use of oxygen if it were situated in Alaska or Antarctica, respectively.

Different Types of Ecosystem-based on Abiotic Components

An ecosystem can be either natural or man-made. There are various ecosystem kinds that depend on abiotic elements.

1. The Forest Ecosystem: The following inorganic and organic substances found in the soil, atmosphere, and climate are examples of abiotic components of the forest (temperature, rainfall, light, etc).
2. The Desert Ecosystem: In areas with less than 25 cm of yearly rainfall, desert ecosystems can be found. About 17% of the earth’s surface is taken up by deserts. Desert habitats include semi-arid, coastal, and frigid deserts, among others. High temperatures, a lack of available water, and harsh sunshine all contribute to the inadequate representation of flora and animals.
3. Cropland Ecosystem: An artificial, human-managed ecosystem is cropland. Farmland has suitable abiotic parameters including humidity, temperature, moisture, wind, water, etc.
4. Grassland Ecosystem: Both tropical and temperate parts of the world have grassland ecosystems. Grasses, legumes, and plants from the composite family make up the majority of the vegetation. Rainfall is a key abiotic component.
5. Freshwater Ecosystem: The freshwater ecosystem’s abiotic elements include water temperature, light penetration, and pH.
6. Ocean/Marine Ecosystem: Salinity, heat, pollution, and a host of other abiotic factors influence the ecosystem of the oceans. The bottom of the open sea is known as the ocean floor. Its normal depth is roughly 6000 meters, but it can go down as much as 10,000 meters, and it is practically horizontal.

Responses of Organisms to Various Abiotic Components

Many habitats’ abiotic circumstances can change significantly over time, yet the organisms that live there adapt to stressful situations by maintaining the stability of their internal environment. Homeostasis is the process by which an animal maintains a steady internal environment in its body despite dramatic changes in the external conditions required for biochemical processes and physiological functioning. Organisms can react in a variety of ways to unfavorable environmental circumstances. Some of them are listed below:

• Regulators: A continuous internal environment, or homeostasis, exists in regulators. They keep their body temperature constant. The osmotic concentration of bodily fluids is constant. They use a great deal of energy. The number of regulators is greater, and they are dispersed widely.
• Conformers: Although they save energy by not regulating, conformers can only thrive in environments that supply their specific environmental circumstances.
• Migrate: The organism can temporarily move from an unfavorable habitat to one that is more favorable, then move back when the unfavorable time has passed.
• Suspend: Bacteria, fungi, and lower plants all produce different types of thick-walled spores that aid in their survival in unfavorable environments.
  • In order to avoid the bitter cold during the winter, polar bears hibernate. To protect themselves from summertime issues like heat and desiccation, some fish and snails go through aestivation.
  • Their metabolism decreases to nearly nothing.
  • A thick outer layer may also form.
• Diapause: Depending on the species, diapause can happen at the embryonic, larval, pupal, or adult stages of development. Insects use diapause as a key strategy to avoid unfavorable environmental conditions.

FAQs on Abiotic Components

Question 1: What function do abiotic components serve?

Answer:

All non-living elements in an ecosystem are referred to as abiotic factors. In an ecosystem, biotic and abiotic variables are interconnected, and if one is altered or eliminated, the ecosystem as a whole may be negatively impacted. Because they directly impact how organisms survive, abiotic factors are particularly significant.

Question 2: How an ecosystem is impacted by abiotic factors?

Answer:

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce depends on abiotic factors. Abiotic forces prevent populations from growing further. They help to determine the types and numbers of organisms that can coexist in a certain environment.

Question 3: How are abiotic and biotic factors related to one another?

Answer:

Living things and their interactions are considered to be biotic factors. The non-living elements of the environment, such as sunshine, water, temperature, wind, and nutrients, are known as abiotic variables. Ecologists forecast population shifts and ecological events using biotic and abiotic variables.

Question 4: Why is temperature considered to be abiotic?

Answer:

Water, sunlight, oxygen, soil, and temperature are examples of abiotic variables. The non-living elements of the environment, or abiotic influences, frequently have a significant impact on living things. In an ecosystem, humans, animals, and plants are all impacted by temperature, which is an abiotic component.

Question 5: Why is renewable energy necessary?

Answer:

Producing energy from fossil fuels with no greenhouse gas emissions while lowering some forms of air pollution. increasing energy supply diversity and decreasing reliance on imported fuels. fostering economic growth and employment in manufacturing, installation, and other fields.

Question 6: What is sustainable use of energy?

Answer:

Any form of energy that can meet needs without endangering resources is referred to as sustainable energy. Sustainable energy sources are environmentally friendly and never run out.