Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the items based on it. You are required to select your answers based solely on the contents of the passage and the opinion of the author. The grouping or assemblage of plants, animals and microbes we observe when we study a natural forest, a grassland, a pond, a coral reef or some other undisturbed area, is referred to as the area's biota or biotic community. The plant portion of the biotic community includes all vegetation, from large trees down through to microscopic algae. Likewise, the animal portion includes everything from large mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians through to earthworms, tiny insects and mites. Microbes encompass a large array of microscopic bacteria, fungi and protozoans. Thus, the biotic community comprises a plant community, an animal community and a microbial community. The particular kind of biotic community found in a given area is, in large part, determined by abiotic factors such as the amount of water or moisture present, the temperature, the salinity, or the type of soil in the area. These abiotic factors both support and limit the particular community. For example, a relative lack of available moisture prevents the growth of most species of plants, but supports certain species, such as cacti; these kinds of areas are deserts. Land with plenty of available moisture and a suitable temperature supports forests. The presence of water is the major factor that sustains aquatic communities. The first step in investigating a biotic community may be simply to catalogue all the species present. Species are the different kinds of plants, animals and microbes in the community. A given species includes all those individuals which have a strong similarity in appearance to one another and which are distinct in appearance from other such groups. Each species in a biotic community is represented by a certain population - that is, by a certain number of individuals that make up the interbreeding, reproducing group.
Which of the following is not an abiotic factor?
Understanding Biotic and Abiotic Factors
The question asks us to identify which option is not an abiotic factor based on the provided passage about biotic communities.
Defining Biotic and Abiotic Factors
The passage defines the biotic community as the grouping of plants, animals, and microbes in a natural area. It clarifies that this community comprises a plant community, an animal community, and a microbial community.
Abiotic factors are described as the non-living environmental conditions that determine the particular kind of biotic community found in an area. The passage explicitly lists examples of abiotic factors:
- Amount of water or moisture present
- Temperature
- Salinity
- Type of soil
These abiotic factors support certain life forms while limiting others, thereby shaping the biotic community.
Analyzing the Options
Let's examine each option based on the definitions provided in the passage:| Option | Classification (based on passage) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Abiotic Factor | The passage explicitly lists temperature as an abiotic factor that determines the type of biotic community. |
| Humidity | Abiotic Factor (Implied) | Humidity is a measure of moisture in the air. The passage lists "amount of water or moisture present" as an abiotic factor. Humidity relates directly to the amount of moisture. |
| Algae | Biotic Component | The passage states that the "plant portion of the biotic community includes all vegetation, from large trees down through to microscopic algae". Algae are explicitly identified as part of the plant community, which is a component of the biotic community. |
| Moisture | Abiotic Factor | The passage explicitly lists "amount of water or moisture present" as an abiotic factor that influences the biotic community. |
Identifying the Non-Abiotic Factor
Based on the analysis, Temperature, Humidity (as it relates to moisture/water), and Moisture are described or implied as abiotic factors in the passage. Algae, however, is explicitly mentioned as part of the plant community, which is a biotic component.
Therefore, Algae is the option that is not an abiotic factor; it is a biotic component.
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Which one of the following does not belong to the biotic community?
The nature of the biotic community largely depends on :
1. Biotic components
2. Abiotic components
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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