biotiske

Biotiske, in ecological context, refers to the living components of an environment and the interactions among them. Biotic factors include all organisms present in a given habitat, such as plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other life forms, and the ways they influence one another.

Biotic interactions are diverse and range from beneficial to harmful. They include predation and herbivory, competition for resources, mutualism and symbiosis, parasitism and disease, and commensalism. These interactions can be direct, such as a predator consuming prey, or indirect, such as a plant species altering the soil community and thereby affecting other plants. Biotic factors operate within food webs that span producers, consumers, and decomposers, shaping energy flow and nutrient cycling in ecosystems.

Biotic factors interact with abiotic conditions such as climate, soil, moisture, and light. The outcomes of biotic interactions often depend on these non-living factors, and changes in abiotic conditions can amplify or dampen biotic effects. Understanding biotic factors helps explain patterns of biodiversity, species distributions, population dynamics, and community structure.

Applications of biotic factors include ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, agriculture, and restoration ecology. By studying how living components interact, scientists can predict responses to disturbance, manage pest–beneficial relationships, and design interventions to maintain ecosystem services such as pollination, soil fertility, and disease regulation.

See also: abiotic factors, ecosystem, biodiversity, species interactions.