Glossary

biotic

Consisiting of, associated with or derived from living organisms. Biotic factors in an environment include the organisms themselves plus predation, competition and other interrelationships.

Related terms

biome
A major regional or global biotic community normally characterised by the dominant vegetation and local climatic conditions, e.g., deserts, tropical rainforests, tundra. The two major aquatic biomes are freshwater and marine but these are often broken down into less-generalised categories.
competition
Simultaneous demand by two or more organisms for a limited resource such as food, light or living space.
decomposition
Natural, ecological process in which organic material is broken down into simpler substances which may then be used by other organisms. Typically biotic and carried out by microbes, worms, and other organisms but can also be abiotic and occur via chemical or physical processes such as oxidation or hydrolysis.
derived
Used in phylogenetics in reference to a character or character state not present in the ancestral form of a species; apomorphic.

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