Abiotic Factors in the Environment

the sum total of all the conditions of the inorganic environment that affect living organisms. These factors are divided into chemical (the chemical composition of the atmosphere, marine and fresh waters, and soil or bottomset beds) and physical, or climatic, factors (temperature, barometric pressure, wind, currents, radiation conditions, and others). The structure of the land surface (relief) and geological and climatic differences on the earth’s surface create an enormous diversity of abiotic factors that unevenly affect the lives of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms. The number (biomass) and distribution of organisms within a given area depend on the limiting abiotic factors—that is, the factors necessary for existence but present only at a minimal level, such as water in the desert.