What are biotic factors in an ecosystem?

Biotic factors in an ecosystem refer specifically to the living components that interact with each other and with their environment. This includes all forms of life such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. These living organisms can influence the structure of the ecosystem, their interactions contributing to processes such as predation, competition, and symbiosis. For instance, plants provide food and habitat for herbivores, which in turn may serve as food for predators. This interconnectedness among living organisms is essential for the dynamics of the ecosystem.

On the other hand, non-living factors, physical spaces, or chemical compositions are considered abiotic factors. These abiotic components can affect the living organisms within the ecosystem, but they themselves do not have biological properties. Understanding the distinction between biotic and abiotic factors is crucial for studying ecosystems, as both play significant roles in shaping the environment and the interactions that occur within it.