Question

Write a short note on biotic components of the environment.

Answer 1

Biotic components

1. All the living organisms in an ecosystem, namely, plants, animals and microorganisms form its biotic components.
2. Depending on how they obtain their food, living organisms can be divided into three groups, namely, producers, consumers and decomposers.

Producers:

1. The green autophytic plants are regarded as producers.
2. Green plants have the ability to use the solar energy.
3. They make their own food in the presence of sunlight using water, minerals and carbon dioxide.

Consumers:

1. Consumers take the producers and other animals as their food.
2. On the basis of their food taking consumers are three types - primary, secondary tertiary.
3. The plant eaters or herbivores are called primary consumers. For example, snails, rabbit, deer, goat etc.
4. The carnivores feeding on the primary consumers are called secondary consumers. For example, snakes, frogs, small birds, small fish etc.
5. The animals living on the secondary consumers are called tertiary consumers. For example, eagle, tiger, lion etc.

Decomposers:

1. There are some microscopic organisms that feed on the dead bodies of organisms and decaying organic matter, called decomposers.
2. Decomposers are all saprophytic in nature.

For example:- Bacteria and fungi.