In a forest study plot, students record a fallen log that mushrooms are growing on. Is the fallen log a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

A class visits a desert and measures the temperature of the sand at midday. Is the sand temperature a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

In a pond, students notice reeds growing along the shallow edge. Are the reeds a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

On a rocky shore, a tide pool becomes saltier after a hot afternoon. Is the saltiness of the water a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

A garden has a layer of dead leaves under the shrubs. Are the dead leaves a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

In a stream, students measure how fast the water is moving after rain. Is the water movement a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

A prairie dog digs a tunnel in short grass. Is the prairie dog a biotic factor or an abiotic factor in the prairie ecosystem?

In a cave habitat, students record very low light near the back wall. Is the low light a biotic factor or an abiotic factor?

A pond's water level drops sharply during a long dry summer. What pond organism would be affected first by the loss of this abiotic factor?

A gardener keeps a maple seedling well watered, but a thick board is propped just above it. What abiotic factor has changed in a way that can slow the seedling's growth?

A farmer grows two bean plants side by side in the same sunny spot. She waters one often and the other very little. The dry plant wilts first. What abiotic factor did the wilted plant lack?

Road salt washes into the soil beside a road. The grass there turns brown, but grass farther from the road, in the same sun and rain, stays green. What abiotic change most likely harmed the roadside grass?

A beaver builds a dam that spreads water across a low area. What abiotic factor is changed most directly for nearby willow roots?

A young raccoon watches its mother open a trash can, then later opens one itself. What kind of trait is this behavior?

Sea turtle hatchlings crawl toward the ocean soon after leaving the nest, even though no adult turtle is there to show them. What kind of trait is this behavior?

A schoolyard garden has flowers, bees, soil, water, and sunlight. What added human action would most help keep this ecosystem healthy?

Fish in a stream need oxygen that is dissolved in the water. Which water condition usually holds the most dissolved oxygen for them?

A city park has soil, grass, insects, and songbirds. People leave piles of plastic wrappers after a picnic. What effect can this human activity have?

A wetland has cattails, frogs, insects, mud, and shallow water. What pairing shows one living part and one nonliving part needed in that habitat?

A forest trail has birds, ferns, soil, air, and rotting branches. Volunteers add a marked path so people stop trampling plants. How can this activity help?