Name:______________________

Period:___________________

Abiotic vs. Biotic Factors

What is the definition of an abiotic factor?
_____________________________________________________________________
What is the definition of a biotic factor?
____________________________________________________________________________

Enter the items from the following list into a Venn diagram.
In the center place items that as a whole are considered both biotic and abiotic
 Whale
 Clouds
 Mushroom
 Snail
 Water
 Rainforest
 Desert
 Ocean
 Paper 
 Oxygen
 Glass
 Mold
 Temperature
 Grass
 Clock
 Rocks
 Sand

Deeper level thinking…

All biotic and abiotic factors are interrelated. In nature you will find that if one factor is changed or removed, it
impacts the availability of other resources within the system. Knowing this, give an example of what might
happen given the following situations.
Also, in the areas with the (___), place either an A for abiotic or B for biotic.
1. All of the cacti (___) are removed from a desert ecosystem, what would happen to the population of cactus
dwelling birds (___) and in turn the animals which they eat?
2. A ten mile area of trees (___) is removed from the tropical rainforest. How will this affect the amount of
carbon dioxide (___) in the area?
 List the abiotic and the biotic factors in the following image.

Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors

INSTRUCTIONS:
 On this page, draw an ecosystem. In your drawing include the following:
 6 different biotic factors
 3 different abiotic factors
 Your picture should make sense. Ex.) There wouldn’t be a polar bear in a sand desert!
 Identify all 9 factors and label whether it is a biotic or abiotic factor.
 Be creative!