Abiotic Factors Affecting Organisms - revision notes

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ABIOTIC FACTORS = non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

Factor        How its measured        Units of measure

Light        Light intensity can be measured both physically measured for example with a LICOR light meter or a QSL (quantum scalar    irradiance) meter. Luminous intensity can be measured           subjectively  measured with eg. a foot-candle meter, a type of photographic exposure meter.         Intensity-watts rn-2 or einsteins m-2sec-1 Luminosity Units include candles, lumens, footcandles and lux.

Temperature        Temperature is measured using a thermometer. It's also a measure of how fast the atoms and molecules of a substance are  moving.          The units of measure are degrees on the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales.

Humidity        Hygrometers may be designed for indoor or outdoor use (or both). Analog hygrometers use a moisture-sensitive material that is attached to a coil spring. The spring controls a needle on an easy-to-read circular dial. Analog hygrometers are often part of a durable, weather-resistant device that also includes a thermometer. Digital hygrometers determine the relative humidity by using a sensor to monitor an electric current that is affected by moisture levels.         Relative humidity, expressed as a percent

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Salinity        Salinity is often measured by measuring how well electricity travels through the water. This property of water is called conductivity. Water that has dissolved salt in it will conduct electricity better than water with no dissolved salt.Handheld Refractometer  /Hydrometer /Conductivity Meter         expressed in parts per million(ppm)

O2 concentration        Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method for monitoring a person's O2 saturation. Or Gas sensor used.         pO2

CO2 concentration        Use a sensor connected to a PC via an arduino board.        pCO2

Wind         Wind speed is now commonly measured with an anemometer but can also be classified using the older Beaufort scale which is based on people's observation of specifically definedwind effects.        Knot

Factor– Light

Light is important to both ...

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