Biotic factors - data
Living elements of an ecosystem, such as plants and animals. factors are living. The All the organisms that live in a habitat (plants and animals). of living organisms in an The living organisms in a particular area, together with the non-living components of the environment. can be affected by biotic factors.
The effect of biotic factors on organisms
Red squirrels are native to Great Britain. They weigh around 300 grams, which is about half the mass of the larger grey squirrel. The grey squirrel A type of organism that is the basic unit of classification. Individuals of different species are not able to interbreed successfully. was introduced to England around a hundred years ago from America by wealthy landowners who wanted a fashionable addition to their forests.
The larger grey squirrel has provided The interaction between organisms after the same limited resources. for the native red squirrel, which has resulted in a lack of food for the red squirrel species. Organisations like the Red Squirrel Support Trust have sampled the numbers of both squirrel types over time. The results are shown below.
Question
What conclusions can you draw from this data? [4 marks]
In 1945 grey squirrels were only found in central Southern England and in small numbers on the East coast of Northern England [1 mark]
By 2000 they had spread throughout England and Wales [1 mark]
The red squirrel is now only found in parts of Scotland and Ireland [1 mark]
The pattern does not appear to have changed much between 2000 and 2016 [1 mark]
Question
What limitations might there be in drawing these conclusions and how could these be improved? [2 marks]
This information is only from one source [1 mark]
It could be compared with others to ensure its reliability [1 mark]