There are numerous elements that contribute to or are influenced by our environment, which is the location where we humans, as well as other creatures, reside. These elements have combined to make the earth a safe haven for all of us. The two main elements, namely the abiotic factor and the biotic factor, work together to maintain and balance this ecosystem.Abiotic components are the non-living components of our environments that can have a significant impact on the survival of live species in the natural environment. Furthermore, water, oxygen, sunlight, soil, and temperature are all aspects to take into consideration. Water, on the other hand, is one of the most significant abiotic variables, as we know from the expression “water is life.” Water is required by all living organisms in order to complete their life cycle.
Abiotic Components
These are the non-living elements that contribute to the functioning of an ecosystem. They include physical and chemical factors. Abiotic factors have an impact on other abiotic factors as well. As a result of their actions, they have significant effects on the diversity and abundance of species in an ecosystem, regardless of whether it is on land or in water. Life would be impossible for living organisms without the assistance of abiotic forces, which include food, growth, and reproduction.
Examples of Abiotic Components
The following is a list of some of the most important abiotic elements to consider.
(a) Water
Water covers approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface in the form of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and ponds. Land is covered by water in the form of mountains, rivers, and ponds. Water is a critical component of the makeup of all living creatures on the planet. Water makes up approximately 70 percent of our whole body weight.
- Water is the most abundant natural resource on the surface of the Earth. It is also the most basic necessity for all living species.
- The presence of water is required for a variety of life processes, including the germination of seeds, digestion and assimilation of food, excretion of waste products, absorption of nutrients, circulation of substances within the body, and a host of other activities. Water is required as a medium for all of the chemical reactions that take place within the body of an organism.
- The amount of water available in a habitat has an impact on the types of plants and animals that can be found in that habitat.
If there is a scarcity of water, for example, desert regions have less vegetation than other locations.
(b) Air
Air is a mixture of gases, with oxygen accounting for 21 percent, nitrogen accounting for 78 percent, carbon dioxide accounting for 0.03 percent, and argon accounting for 0.3%. Additionally, air contains water vapour and dust particles, and it serves to protect us from the detrimental effects of UV rays on our skin and eyes.
- Life on Earth would be impossible in the absence of oxygen, as demonstrated by the following: Carbon dioxide is taken up by plants from the atmosphere and used to produce food. As a by-product of this process, oxygen is released into the atmosphere.
- For respiration, oxygen is required by all living creatures (see ii). During combustion, oxygen is also utilized (burning).
- The carbon dioxide that is released as a result of respiration, fossil fuel combustion, and decomposition of organic matter is recycled by plants for photosynthesis.
- The processes of respiration, combustion, and photosynthesis all contribute to the preservation of a healthy balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
(C )Light
On the Earth, the sun is the primary and ultimate source of light energy, and it is also the most abundant. The Sun provides us with both light and heat.
- Green plants are the only organisms that have the ability to capture and use solar energy for the production of food, unlike other organisms. Nature’s food chain transmits the energy stored in the food prepared by plants to all other living organisms as it moves up the food chain.
- Light has a variety of other effects on plants and animals in addition to these. Many processes are influenced by light, including the opening and closing of the stomata, the germination of seeds, flowering, animal movement, sleeping and feeding.
- Light has an effect on the behaviour of certain animals as well. Most animals can endure intense light and are active throughout the day, which is why they are referred to as diurnal creatures.
(d) Temperature
The temperature of the Earth’s surface varies significantly. Depending on the organism, each has a specified temperature range that it can endure.
- Temperatures ranging from 20o°C to 45°C are ideal for the majority of plants and animals. Extremely high temperatures, such as 50°C–70°C, kill living cells, whereas extremely low temperatures, such as those below Orc, freeze the cells. It is possible for some bacteria to endure temperatures as low as –240°C and as high as 120°C.
- Different organisms have different mechanisms for adapting to changes in the temperature of their surrounding environment. Examples include deserts, where temperatures are extremely hot and there is a scarcity of water, where the majority of plants have long roots that reach deep into the earth to absorb water. Many cacti have fleshy stems that serve as reservoirs for water. The leaves of cacti have been reduced to spines in order to prevent them from transpiring.
- Animals who are unable to withstand the winter cold go to sleep for the duration of the winter season. Hibernation is the term used to describe this long period of winter sleep. For example, frogs, snakes, and lizards are all reptiles.
Conclusion
Abiotic components are the non-living components of our environments that can have a significant impact on the survival of live species in the natural environment.Water, on the other hand, is one of the most significant abiotic variables.Water covers approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface in the form of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and ponds. Land is covered by water in the form of mountains, rivers, and ponds. Water is a critical component of the makeup of all living creatures on the planet.Air is a mixture of gases, with oxygen accounting for 21 percent, nitrogen accounting for 78 percent, carbon dioxide accounting for 0.03 percent, and argon accounting for 0.3%.On the Earth, the sun is the primary and ultimate source of light energy, and it is also the most abundant. The Sun provides us with both light and heat.The temperature of the Earth’s surface varies significantly. Depending on the organism, each has a specified temperature range that it can endure.