Final answer:
Biotic factors are the living components of the environment, such as plants and animals, while abiotic factors are non-living elements like temperature and water. Their interaction determines the sustainability of ecosystems and the distribution of biomes, which is the focus of biogeography in ecology.
Step-by-step explanation:
The environment of an organism is made up of biotic factors and abiotic factors. The biotic factors refer to the living components of an ecosystem which include organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and protists. In contrast, abiotic factors represent the non-living elements of an ecosystem, which encompass sunlight, soil, temperature, water, and atmospheric gases.
Ecology is the scientific study of these interactions. For instance, animals (biotic) require oxygen (abiotic) to breathe, while plants (biotic) need water (abiotic) and carbon dioxide (abiotic) for photosynthesis. The dynamic relationship between biotic and abiotic factors ultimately shapes the environment, influencing the types of organisms that can survive and thrive within specific biomes.
A clear example of this interaction is evident in how abiotic factors like temperature and rainfall influence the soil quality, which then affects the plants that can inhabit an area, shaping an entire ecosystem. These abiotic conditions also affect the migratory patterns of species, influencing the biodiversity within a biome. In aquatic biomes, elements such as salt content, sunlight penetration, and temperature are crucial abiotic factors that determine the aquatic life that can exist there.
In the broader context, biogeography is the branch of biology that studies the geographic distribution of species and how both biotic and abiotic factors play a role in this distribution. These factors are especially varied across different parts of the biosphere, thus contributing to the diverse range of living communities found on Earth.