Factors Affecting Distribution

Factors Affecting Distribution

Factors Affecting Organism Distribution

• Distribution refers to how organisms are spread out in a particular area.

Biotic Factors

• These are the living factors that can influence where organisms live. They could include the availability of food, predators, and competition from others of the same or different species.

Abiotic Factors

• These are the non-living factors that influence where organisms live. They can include temperature, light intensity, moisture levels, pH levels, and soil type.

Temperature

• Distribution can be affected by temperature because organisms are adapted to survive in certain temperature ranges. For instance, polar bears are adapted to cold environments but would struggle to live in a desert.

Moisture Levels

• The presence and amount of water can greatly affect the distribution of organisms. Cacti are suited to desert environments with low moisture, while frogs are found in damp environments with high levels of moisture.

Soil Type

• The type of soil in an area can affect the distribution of plants. Some plants favour sandy soils, others prefer clay soils, and still others prefer loamy soils.

Light Intensity

• Some organisms require lots of light to survive, such as plants that photosynthesize. The availability of light in an environment can thus influence where such organisms are found.

pH Levels

• The pH level of the soil or water can affect the distribution of organisms. This is because certain organisms thrive in certain pH levels. For example, frog species are sensitive to changes in pH levels and tend to reproduce less in acidic waters.

Competition for Resources

• Competition can be for light, water, food, or space and could be with members of their own species (intraspecific competition) or with members of other species (interspecific competition). Depending on the competition faced, some species may be outcompeted and will therefore have to find different areas to live.