Biotic and Abiotic Interactions

What is a biotic factor?

• Something that needs energy (eats), water, and it grows and reproduces

• Something that DOES NOT need energy (eats) and it grows and reproduces

• All the living and non-living things in an ecosystem

• An organism's home

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What is an abiotic factor?

• Something that needs energy (eats), water and it grows and reproduces

• Something that DOES NOT need energy (eats), water and it grows and reproduces

• All the living and non-living things in an ecosystem

• An organism's home

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What is an ecosystem?

• Something that needs energy (eats), grows and reproduces

• Something that DOES NOT need energy (eats), grows and reproduces

• All the living and non-living things in an area

• An organism's home

Maisy decides to spend the weekend observing the squirrels in the neighborhood. As she watches them, she takes photos and makes notes about their activities. The drawing shows one of the activities she observes. Maisy observes the squirrels in many types of interactions. Which of the following is an interaction between the squirrel and an abiotic factor of the environment?

• Catching beetles on the lawn
• Drinking water from a stream
• Burying acorns by an oak tree
• Running from a neighbor's cat

Which of the following is an example of an interaction between a biotic and abiotic factors?

• a snake using a mouse for food
• a worm hiding under the leaves of trees to hide from predators

• a bird using an insect for food
• a worm using the soil as shelter

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which statement describes one way in which a biotic factor in a desert ecosystem interacts with an abiotic factor in the ecosystem?

• Plants get nutrients from the soil

• Bees and butterflies pollinate desert cacti

• Sunlight produces light which causes rocks to have shadows

• Desert birds eat seeds found in the sand

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Green anole lizards are bright-green reptiles native to the southeastern United States. They can be kept in terrariums to study their behavior and how they interact with their environment. Which observation describes the anole lizard interacting with biotic elements in its environment?

• The anole rested on one of the rocks and lifted its head toward the light.

• The anole climbed the plant and then ate a cricket off one of the leaves.

• The anole drank some water and then ran across the sand.

• The anole jumped from the rock and scattered sand with its tail.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

All of the following are examples of biotic factors interacting with each other EXCEPT —

• birds preying on insects living in the grass
• squirrels spreading the seeds of trees by burying them
• frogs sleeping in the mud at the bottom of the pond
• fish eating plants and other smaller fish

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Which living organisms get energy without relying on another organism?

• Mushrooms break down the remains of dead worms

• Horses eat grasses, growing in a field

• Mice eat seeds, fruit, and insects

• Tomato plants perform photosynthesis

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Plants interact with biotic and abiotic components in their environment. Which of the following is an interaction between the plant and abiotic element?

• Small insects eating the stems of the plants

• Humans breathing oxygen released by plants

• Bees gathering pollen from flowers of plants

• Sandy soil holding the roots of the plants