Lesson 4.7.1.3

4.7.1.3 Biotic factors Quiz: AQA Combined Science, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.7.1.3, Biotic factors: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Combined Science (8464), Unit 7: Ecology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which of the following is classed as a biotic factor in an ecosystem?

    • soil pH
    • temperature
    • light intensity
    • new predators

  2. Why is a disease-causing pathogen classified as a biotic factor?

    • it is chemical
    • it is living
    • it is mineral
    • it is abiotic

  3. New predators arriving is an example of what?

    • an adaptation
    • a biotic factor
    • a mutation
    • an abiotic factor

  4. Which biotic factor involves living organisms that cause disease?

    • new pathogens
    • wind intensity
    • carbon dioxide levels
    • soil moisture

  5. Which is NOT a biotic factor?

    • new predators
    • soil pH
    • availability of food
    • new pathogens

  6. Which biotic factor directly reduces the numbers of a local prey population?

    • soil pH changes
    • temperature rise
    • wind intensity
    • new predators arriving

  7. What primary effect can biotic factors have on a biological community?

    • change soil pH
    • change population sizes
    • shift tectonic plates
    • alter rock types

  8. What does the biological term 'biotic' refer to in an ecosystem?

    • geological features
    • living components
    • non-living factors
    • weather patterns

  9. A new plant species grows and shades out native plants. What type of factor is this?

    • abiotic
    • an adaptation
    • biotic
    • a mutation

  10. When one species drives another out of a habitat through rivalry for resources, what is this called?

    • decomposition
    • outcompetition
    • parasitism
    • mutualism

  11. A disease spreads through a deer population, causing deaths. Which factor is this?

    • a change in moisture
    • a new pathogen
    • a change in temperature
    • an abiotic factor

  12. A drought lowers the water in a pond and fish decline. What type of factor is the drought?

    • abiotic
    • an adaptation
    • biotic
    • a classification group

  13. An increase in environmental temperature within a woodland habitat is an example of what?

    • biotic factor
    • predation event
    • abiotic factor
    • pathogen impact

  14. What type of ecological relationship does a predator-prey population graph demonstrate?

    • biotic interaction
    • abiotic cycle
    • geological shift
    • chemical weathering

  15. If a species population drops sharply following a disease outbreak, what is the cause?

    • wind speed
    • soil pH
    • pathogen
    • light level

  16. How can a change in one biotic population trigger shifts across a whole community?

    • weather changes
    • soil erosion
    • tectonic plates
    • food web links

  17. Which option correctly separates biotic factors from abiotic factors?

    • microscopic versus macro
    • plants versus animals
    • aquatic versus terrestrial
    • living versus non-living

  18. What typically happens to remaining species when an outcompeted species disappears from an area?

    • nothing changes
    • weather halts
    • populations shift
    • ecosystems vanish

  19. Why can new pathogens reduce populations faster than natural selection?

    • rapid individual spread
    • slow genetic mutation
    • constant birth rates
    • increased food supply

  20. Which biotic factor can reduce a population below breeding levels?

    • stable temperature
    • competition for resources
    • abundant rainfall
    • ample nesting space

All AQA Combined Science quizzes