When we try to understand ecosystems, we can see that there are two important parts: biotic factors and abiotic factors. Both are needed for life, but they do different things.

Biotic Factors:

• These are all the living things in an ecosystem. Think about plants, animals, fungi, and tiny organisms like bacteria.
• They interact with each other in many ways. For example, predators chase prey, plants give off oxygen, and decomposers break down dead things.
• Biotic factors can change how populations grow and how the ecosystem is structured. If a type of fish starts to disappear, it can affect the whole food web around it.

Abiotic Factors:

• These are the non-living parts of the ecosystem. They include sunlight, water, temperature, soil, and minerals.
• Abiotic factors shape our environment and can greatly affect which living things can thrive. For example, in a desert, the high heat and lack of water mean only certain plants and animals can live there.
• They are also crucial for things like photosynthesis (the way plants make food using sunlight) and nutrient cycling, which help support the living things.

In short, biotic factors are all about living things and their interactions, while abiotic factors focus on the physical environment that helps those living things grow. It’s the balance between biotic and abiotic factors that keeps ecosystems healthy and working well.