Biotic Potential

What is Biotic Potential?

Biotic potential is the highest reproductive capacity of a living being under given environmental conditions. It is obtained when the birth rate is the highest and the mortality rate is the lowest of a species. There are some primary factors that influence the biotic potential. These factors include rate of reproduction and litter size. The litter size is the number of organisms produced at one birth.

The capacity to maximize reproductive capacity under ideal environmental conditions is known as biotic potential. To determine the biotic potential there should be no shortage in food supply and the species must not suffer from diseases or disorders that are fatal in nature. Moreover, there should be no threat of predation too.

The biotic potential depends on two major factors −

• The frequency of reproduction

• The number of offspring produced.

Larger animals like human beings usually reproduce once a year and the number of offspring is only one. On the other hand, insects and other smaller species reproduce in large numbers, often reproducing thousands of new creatures. Therefore, the biotic potential of larger animals is lower than the smaller creatures. And hence, there is a large variation of biotic potential among species. This is so because the reproductive capacity of living beings differs widely. For example, mammals usually reproduce in small numbers while insects and other creatures reproduce in large numbers as mentioned previously.

Ecologist R. N. Chapman describes biotic potential as the inherent ability of organisms to reproduce and survive. Chapman redefined biotic potential in 1993 as the “kind of numerical sum of the number of young once born at each reproduction, the number of reproduction over some time, the sex ratio of the species, and the general capacity to survive under given physical conditions.”

The word biotic is used to define affecting factors or situations in the environment of living beings that are directed by other living organisms or living beings under the same ecological conditions.

Quantitative Expression of Biotic Potential

The quantitative expression of biotic potential is the ability of a species to face selection in a given environmental condition. The equation of the specific population is found using the equation:

Number of Individuals − Biotic / Potential resistance of Environment (Biotic/ Abiotic).

A vital index gives the ratio of surviving members of an organism in an environment. The vital index is given by:

Vital Index = Number of Birth/Number of Death × 100.

The abiotic component of an environment consists of all living organisms, including plants, animals, and small microorganisms such as bacteria. The biotic components interact with abiotic components in the ecological system. These interactions can be found in various ecosystems, such as pond, marine, and desert ecosystems. The large ecosystem of the earth which is self-supporting in nature is known as the biosphere. All ecosystems consist of three types of living organisms − producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Producers include green plants and other photosynthetic bacteria that produce various organic substances such as protein and carbohydrates using soil, water, and light. Consumers consume the products of the producers and hence they depend on producers to obtain foods for their nutrition. Decomposers break down organic materials such as the remains of dead animals and create many important minerals for running biochemical cycles.

The physical, chemical, and biological components of an environment create four different zones namely the Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere. There is constant interaction among these four zones of an ecosystem at any given point in time. Such interactions involve the transportation of different elements, energy forms, and compounds.

Biotic Factors

Biotic factors are living organisms that are part of an ecosystem. These factors include both consumers that consume other organisms and organisms that are consumed. Biotic factors include pathogens, human influence, and factors of disease outbreaks.

The components that are alive in an ecosystem are known as biotic factors as the term biotic means living organisms of an ecosystem. An environment is composed of all living organisms and physiochemical components. The physical and chemical constituents of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, and temperature are known as abiotic components while all living beings such as birds, bacteria, and human beings are known as biotic factors.

Biotic components can be divided into three main categories which are producers that produce food and nutrients, consumers that consume the food and nutrients produced by producers, and decomposers that break down the dead animals into minerals and other chemicals important for the ecosystem.

Examples of Biotic Factors

• Marine Ecosystem − The marine ecosystem consists of biotic factors such as algae, sharks, corals, and whales. Dolphins etc.

• Freshwater Ecosystem − The freshwater ecosystem consists of biotic factors such as algae, fish, amphibians, aquatic plants, etc.

• Terrestrial Ecosystem − The terrestrial ecosystem consists of biotic factors such as plants, fungi, mushrooms, herbs, trees, soil bacteria, shrubs, etc.

Types of Biotic Factors

Depending on the unique roles played by the biotic factors, these are divided into three main categories which are the following:

Producers (Autotrophs)

The biotic factors that produce food and other nutrients for the consumption of other consumers are known as producers. The producers usually use energy sources and inorganic materials to produce foods. These biotic factors play an important role in the ecosystem because no ecosystem can sustain itself without autotrophs that produce foods and nutrients for the consumers which help the latter survive in an ecosystem. The producers form complex organic compounds using inorganic materials such as carbon dioxide, and water.

Examples of producers include green algae and plants on land and in water. Autotrophs are divided into two categories, namely, photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs.

Consumers (Heterotrophs)

The biotic factors that depend on producers for food and nutrition are known as consumers. Consumers cannot prepare their own food and hence they need the support of producers in getting their food for life. Consumers are divided into three types. The primary consumers directly eat products produced by producers such as green plants. The secondary consumers eat the primary consumers while the tertiary consumers eat both secondary consumers and producers, the primary consumers are known as herbivores, and secondary consumers are known as carnivores. The tertiary consumers are known as omnivores.

Decomposers

The biotic factors that are responsible for the decomposition of dead plants, animals, and animal feces are known as decomposers. The decomposers break down the dead cells into minerals and other useful compounds. The decomposers are usually found at the bottom of the energy pyramid. Examples of decomposers include bacteria, arthropods, and slugs.

Conclusion

The biotic potential is an important indicator of the survival power of organisms. Since it provides the potential for the survival of an organism in a given environment, it is a critical indicator of the survival potential of species. Therefore, it is an important indicator of the condition of an ecosystem for a species.

Frequently Asked Questions

Qns 1. What are the three main categories of biotic factors of an ecosystem?

Ans. The three main categories of biotic factors are producers that produce food and nutrients, consumers that consume the food and nutrients produced by producers, and decomposers that break down the dead animals into minerals and other chemicals important for the ecosystem.

Qns 2. What are some biotic factors of the marine ecosystem?

Ans. Some biotic factors of the marine ecosystem are algae, sharks, corals, dolphins, and whales.

Qns 3. What does the vital index provide? How is it derived?

Ans. A vital index provides the ratio of surviving members of an organism in an environment.

The vital index is given by:

Vital Index = Number of Birth/Number of Death × 100.