Ecosystems are made up of living – or biotic – organisms, like plants and animals;which rely on nonliving – or abiotic – things, like the sun and the weather,to survive and thrive.

The biotic parts of the ecosystem, which include bacteria, flora and fauna, have a complex relationship with the abiotic components - changing one will lead to a change in the other.

Abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical elements in the environment, which affect individual organisms as well as ecosystems. Examples are UV, IR and visible light, radiation ...