Biotic & abiotic factors
Edexcel GCSE Biology revision on Biotic & abiotic factors. Aligned to the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Biology 1BI0 specification. This bank has 5 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 5)
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Question 1
Which of these is classified as an abiotic factor that limits plant growth in a woodland ecosystem?
- A) Presence of herbivore grazers
- B) Intensity of light available
- C) Competition for nesting sites
- D) Pathogenic fungal infection
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Answer: Intensity of light available
Abiotic factors are non-living components like light, temperature, and moisture. Biotic factors involve living organisms, such as predators, pathogens, or competitors, which interact with the plant.
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Question 2
How does a decrease in the mineral content of soil typically impact the survival of a plant population?
- A) Increases the mutation frequency
- B) Reduces the rate of growth
- C) Enhances the pollination rate
- D) Slows down seed germination
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Answer: Reduces the rate of growth
Plants require minerals like nitrates to produce proteins for growth. If soil mineral content is low, the plant cannot synthesise sufficient proteins, leading to stunted or reduced growth rates.
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Question 3
Which biotic factor is most likely to cause a cyclic fluctuation in the population size of a predator species?
- A) Availability of prey
- B) Change in soil pH levels
- C) Daily fluctuations in heat
- D) Increase in wind velocity
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Answer: Availability of prey
Predator-prey relationships are interdependent; when prey numbers rise, predators have more food and their population grows. As predators consume more prey, prey numbers fall, eventually causing the predator population to crash due to food scarcity.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
2 more questions on Biotic & abiotic factors — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Biology spec.