Question

What are biotic components of an ecosystem?

Answer 1

Biotic components refer to all life in an ecosystem. Based on nutrition, biotic components can be categorised into autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs (or decomposers).

• Producers include all autotrophs such as plants. They are called autotrophs as they can produce food through the process of photosynthesis. Consequently, all other organisms higher up on the food chain rely on producers for food.
• Consumers or heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food. Consumers are further classified into primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.
  • Primary consumers are always herbivores that they rely on producers for food.
  • Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers for energy. They can either be a carnivore or an omnivore.
  • Tertiary consumers are organisms that depend on secondary consumers for food. Tertiary consumers can also be an omnivore.
  • Quaternary consumers are present in some food chains. These organisms prey on tertiary consumers for energy. Furthermore, they are usually at the top of a food chain as they have no natural predators.
• Decomposers include saprophytes such as fungi and bacteria. They directly thrive on the dead and decaying organic matter. Decomposers are essential for the ecosystem as they help in recycling nutrients to be reused by plants.