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How do abiotic and biotic factors interact within an ecosystem?
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ecosystem
Tundra and lakes during summer in the Yamal Peninsula of Siberia, Russia. Tundra ecosystems are found primarily in the Low Arctic region of North America and Eurasia. Most regions—with the exception of rock outcrops, dry ridge tops, and river gravel bars—are fully vegetated, primarily by dwarf shrubs, lichens, and mosses.
Abiotic and biotic factors are the two main components of an ecosystem, and they are intricately linked. Abiotic factors are the nonliving elements, such as sunlight, climate, soil, water, and nutrients. Biotic factors include all living organisms: producers, consumers, and decomposers.12
These factors interact through the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients. For instance, producers (like plants) use sunlight (an abiotic factor) to create food through photosynthesis. This energy is then transferred to consumers when they eat producers, and eventually to decomposers when organisms die. Nutrients, also abiotic, are taken up by producers and passed through the food web, ultimately being recycled back into the environment.2