What term describes the non-living parts of an environment that influence living organisms?

• A. Biotic factors
• B. Abiotic factors
• C. Primary succession
• D. Thinning

Answer: (B)

Abiotic factors are the non-living parts of an environment that influence living organisms. These are the conditions and inputs like temperature, water availability, sunlight, soil properties (pH, minerals, texture), wind, and humidity. They set the environmental constraints and resource availability that determine where plants and animals can survive, how fast they grow, and how they interact with each other. For example, a crop’s growth is heavily affected by soil moisture and nutrient levels (abiotic), while the presence of pests or pollinators involves living organisms (biotic). Biotic factors refer to those living components, primary succession describes a gradual process of ecosystem development on bare ground, and thinning is a forestry management practice, not a category of environmental factors.