What does abiotic refer to?

Abiotic refers to the nonliving components or physical factors in an ecosystem. These components include elements such as sunlight, temperature, water, soil, and minerals. They play a crucial role in shaping the environment and influencing the living organisms that inhabit it. Understanding abiotic factors is essential in ecology, as they determine habitat conditions and resources available to biotic (living) entities within the ecosystem. For instance, the availability of water can affect plant growth, which in turn impacts animal populations.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects that are not defined as abiotic. Living components clearly refer to the biotic factors in an ecosystem, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. Biological interactions relate to how these living organisms interact with one another and their environment, which is a separate concept from the abiotic factors. Organic material pertains to substances that are derived from living organisms. Thus, the essence of abiotic components lies in their role as the foundational physical aspects that support life but do not possess life themselves.