All organisms in an ecosystem are interrelated by the abiotic and biotic resources they use in the course of their lives:

a. Describe the relationships that exist among a mockingbird, caterpillar, milkweed, and soil in a particular ecosystem.

b. Discuss TWO examples of the impact of human population growth on abiotic components of the environment. For each example, explain how a change in the abiotic component will impact the biotic component of the biosphere.

a) The milkweed is the primary producer in the ecosystem. It manufactures food from the abiotic factors in the soil such as nitrates and water and those in the atmosphere such as carbon-dioxide and sunlight. The milk weed is then fed on by the caterpillar and a primary consumer. The caterpillar is then fed on the mocking bird (secondary consumer)

b) Increased human population growth and their activities have resulted in the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has increased the global temperature. This increase of global temperature increase ocean temperatures causing coral bleaching.

Another example is depletion of water sources by human activities hence causing drought. Drought reduces the amount of vegetation growth due to scarcity of water in the soil (due to lowering of the water table) for plant growth.