Question

I. Temperature
II. Humidity
III. Vegetation
The abiotic factors of the ecosystem include:
(a) I only
(b) I and III only
(c) III and II only
(d) I and II only
(e) I, II and III

Answer 1

One of the factors control the formation of clouds, dew and fog etc. while the other’s range varies in different parts of the earth and has created zones such as tropical, subtropical etc.

Complete answer:
An ecosystem can be defined as a functional unit of nature, where interaction between living organisms takes place among themselves and also with the surrounding physical environment. Every ecosystem has nonliving or abiotic and living or biotic components.
Following are the abiotic components:

Biotic components include autotrophs, heterotrophs and decomposers. Autotrophs are the producers who can manufacture their food from simple inorganic substances by fixing energy. E.g. Green plants, algae, chemosynthetic bacteria etc. Heterotrophs are the organisms that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients for themselves and thus depend on producers or other consumers for their survival.
Heterotrophs can be divided into consumers and decomposers. Consumers are further classified into herbivores, carnivores and omnivores based on their food source. Herbivores feed directly on producers. E.g. Cow. Carnivores feed on other animals. E.g Lion. Omnivores eat both plants and animals. E.g. Human beings. Detritivores eat detritus i.e. decomposing organic material. E.g. Earthworms.
Decomposers feed on dead organic matter by secreting enzymes to digest the organic matter and then absorb the resulting molecules. E.g. Fungi and bacteria.
Both decomposers and detritivores derive nutrition from dead organic matter. The difference is that detritivores actually eat the organic matter but decomposers secrete enzymes for its breakdown and then absorb it.
So, the correct answer is ‘I and II only i.e. Temperature and Humidity.’

Note:
- Temperature ranges in different parts of the earth. This has led to the presence of different climate zones such as tropical, subtropical, temperate, etc.
- Precipitation may occur as rainfall, snow, dew which is again an important source of water refurbishing for groundwater, oceans in the water cycle.
- Various types of the ecosystem is observed based on the interaction between its biotic and abiotic components.