2.1.6—Distribution factors
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Objective
- 2.1.6
- Level
- SL
Separate Abiotic and Biotic Controls
Abiotic factors are non-living conditions such as temperature, light, pH and water; biotic factors arise from living organisms such as competitors, predators, disease or food.
Classify the factor itself, then explain its effect. A biological response to pH does not make pH biotic.
A plant may be absent because acidic soil limits physiology, or because another plant outcompetes it in suitable soil.
No. Predation is an interaction between living organisms, so it is biotic.
Classify the factor, not the consequence.