The Physiology Pages
When you have performed the virtual transect(s) you will have seen, without giving too much away, that there are ZONES of organisms. We now need to start to try to account for the existence of these zones. Living things are affected by a whole range of factors which have an influence on their numbers and their distribution. This has been called the FACTOR COMPLEX. Factors within this complex can be broadly divided into those due to the presence (or maybe sometimes absence) of other living things (the BIOTIC FACTORS) or those due to the physical environment (the ABIOTIC FACTORS).
What do you think are the main such factors controlling Distribution and Abundance in Intertidal Organisms? You can choose below and then click for a discussion of your choice. (The list below is based on the Diagram of the Factor Complex in King, T.J., Ecology, Nelson, 1980 and here).
ABIOTIC
Solar Radiation (Light, Day Length etc.)
Relative Humidity of the Atmosphere
BIOTIC