What Are Four Abiotic Factors in a Prairie Ecosystem?
Four abiotic factors in the prairie ecosystem include the climate, the topography, the soil and natural disturbances. Abiotic factors are the nonliving things or conditions that affect an ecosystem as well as the organisms that live in the ecosystem.
The prairie climate includes temperature, precipitation and wind patterns that directly affect the plants that grow on the prairie. The soil also affects the growth of the prairie vegetation, as well as the type of vegetation that is able to grow, which in turn directly affects the lives of the herbivorous animals that feed upon it. Prairie topography affects the vegetation that is capable of growing on the soil as well as the animals that prefer to make specific topographical features into their habitats. Natural disturbances, such as floods and wildfires, kill some organisms but create more optimal conditions for others.
