Final answer:
An example of an abiotic factor that may change an area is temperature, which influences soil quality and the types of plants and animals able to survive there. Wind also plays a role by affecting evaporation and the distribution of seeds. These abiotic factors in combination with biotic factors define the ecosystem and the diversity of life it supports.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of an abiotic factor that may change an area is temperature. Temperature can significantly affect the physical landscape, the quality of soil, and subsequently, the types of plants and animals that can survive in a biome. For instance, higher temperatures can lead to drier soils and reduced vegetation, which will consequently influence the types of animals that inhabit that area, favoring those adapted to arid conditions. Similarly, changes in abiotic factors like rainfall can lead to an increase in plant growth, which attracts different types of herbivores, and in turn, different predators. Furthermore, wind is another critical abiotic factor as it can directly impact evaporation, transpiration, and the distribution of seeds and pollen, thereby shaping the ecosystem.
In aquatic biomes, abiotic factors such as salinity, sunlight penetration, and water temperature are crucial for determining the species composition of both plants and animals. For example, only certain types of plants and fish can thrive in high-salinity environments, while others are adapted to freshwater conditions with varying temperatures and light levels.
The interaction of abiotic and biotic factors determines the structure of an ecosystem and dictates the diversity of life found therein. These aspects of natural environments are studied in the fields of ecology and biogeography, which analyze the distribution of life on Earth and the abiotic factors that contribute to it.