Which term describes nonliving factors of an ecosystem, such as moisture, temperature, wind, sunlight, soil, and minerals?

• A. Abiotic
• B. Biotic
• C. Energy
• D. Niche

Answer: (A)

Nonliving components of an ecosystem are called abiotic factors. These include moisture, temperature, wind, sunlight, soil, and minerals, and they shape where organisms can live, how they grow, and how energy and nutrients move through the environment. Abiotic factors set the physical environment and interact with living organisms to influence survival and distribution. In contrast, living components are biotic factors, such as plants, animals, and microbes. Energy describes how organisms obtain and transfer energy within the system, not the label for nonliving factors. A niche refers to the role an organism plays in its environment, not the nonliving factors themselves. So the term for those nonliving factors is abiotic.