The environment within an ecological boundary or location is usually referred to as ecosystem. This ecosystem in turn consists of abiotic and biotic features and factors. The ecological ecosystem has virtually all that the organisms will need to survive and thrive all through their life. The expression ecology and their environment have diverse concepts; there is a consensus that in the environment, there is the physical and biotic environment. This can still be called abiotic and biotic as the case may be. The physical or abiotic ecological environment is affected by some factors amongst which are; temperature, water, pressure and sometimes soil. The biotic environment on its own is not affected by physical things but by things and organisms in its habitat.
The following are brief explanations of the major elements that can be found in an ecological environment:
- Temperature: this can be defined simply as the level of hotness or coldness of the body. This factor also affects the members of an environment either in their existence or in their cohabitation with other organisms. One of the major roles it plays in the ecosystem is the distribution of different sorts of species around us. This is due to the fact that certain organisms can only survive and thrive in specific ratio of temperature and any slight increase or decrease in the temperature will lead to either a migration of the organism or even death.
- Water: this does not only serve as a part of the habitat in an ecosystem it is also a vital survival sustaining aspect of the organisms in an ecosystem. This is because most organisms including man need water to survive and function in the ecosystem. Even plants which are the primary source and producers in the food chain need it to survive and also process and manufacture their food. If water is lacking in an ecosystem it is almost impossible to have a valid and vital functioning ecosystem. Every organism will function in the physiology that is peculiar to it. That is why an organism that thrives where there is little water may find it difficult to thrive in a habitat that has much water and vice versa.
- Pressure: pressure either climatic or osmotic has the power to place restrictions on the way of life of some organisms. This factor usually applies to organisms that swim in the depth and deep oceans as well as those who fly in high altitudes. This is because a decrease or increase in the pressure will ultimately mean a decrease or increase in the oxygen and this is likely to have adverse effects on the organism.
- Soil: this is the last element that would be treated not because it is least important or most important. It is the topmost layer of the earth crust and it comprises of both organic and mineral dirt. This covers the earth and that makes it quite important, hence its role in the ecological environment and the ecosystem.
Among the various organisms in the ecosystem there is usually interactions that are referred to as symbiosis.