Question

At a broader level, the Natural Environment has which of the following two components?
A) Plants and animals
B) Weeds and trees
C) Biotic and abiotic
D) Frog and men

Answer 1

Hint: The Environment consists of everything which makes up the surroundings and enables us to survive on the planet earth. All organisms depend on the environment in order to carry out their natural life processes and to meet their physical requirements.

Complete answer:
The environment is the area where all the living organisms live. At a broader level, Natural Environment consists of ‘Biotic components' and ‘Abiotic components'. The interactions occurring between these biotic and abiotic components are responsible for maintaining the equilibrium in the environment.

Biotic components refer to the living things that have a direct or indirect influence on other organisms of the environment. These include plants and animals.

Biotic components are classified under three categories:
I) Producers: These include all the autotrophic organisms which synthesise their own food using the process of photosynthesis.
II) Consumers: These include all the heterotrophic organisms that are dependent on producers either directly or indirectly for their food.
III) Decomposers: These include saprophytes which obtain their nutrition from dead and decaying organic matter.

Abiotic components comprise all the chemical and physical elements i.e. non-living components. These components can differ from region to region, from one ecosystem to another. They mainly act as the supporters of life. They determine and restrict the growth and number of population as well as diversity of biotic factors in an ecosystem. Hence, they are also referred to as limiting factors.

Thus, the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: In an environment, the role of biotic and abiotic components appears when they interact with each other. For example, biotic elements such as plants provide food for all other organisms. The soil which is the abiotic element supports plant growth by providing nutrients and other elements that are essential for them. Biotic components are dependent on abiotic components for their survival and aid in the formation of abiotic factors like soil, nutrients, etc.