Abiotic factors Flashcards – AQA GCSE Biology - Foundation (8461)

What are abiotic factors?

Non-living conditions that affect organisms.

What aspects of a population can changes in abiotic factors alter?

Its survival, growth, reproduction, abundance and distribution.

How can an abiotic change affecting one population alter a community?

It can affect other interacting populations, changing the community’s composition.

How does light intensity affect plant growth?

It affects the rate of photosynthesis and therefore plant growth.

How does temperature affect organisms?

It affects biological processes, and species differ in the temperatures they tolerate.

How does moisture affect organisms?

It affects water availability.

How do soil pH and mineral content affect plants?

They influence conditions for plant growth and the availability of mineral nutrients.

How do wind intensity and wind direction affect exposure?

Wind intensity can affect exposure and water loss; wind direction influences which locations are exposed.

How does carbon dioxide availability affect plants?

It can affect the rate of photosynthesis.

How does dissolved oxygen availability affect aquatic animals?

It affects their respiration.

Is an increase in an abiotic factor always beneficial to organisms?

No. Its effect depends on the organisms and conditions involved.

What can charts, graphs and tables reveal about populations as an abiotic factor changes?

They can provide values, comparisons and trends in abundance or distribution.

What do axis labels, headings and units establish when interpreting data?

What is being compared.

How can data patterns support an explanation of an abiotic change’s effect on a community?

The patterns can be interpreted alongside the relevant context to explain how the community may be affected.