Which of the following best describes abiotic factors?

Abiotic factors refer to the non-living components of an ecosystem that influence the environment and the living organisms within it. These factors include elements such as temperature, sunlight, water, soil composition, and atmospheric gases. They play a crucial role in shaping the habitat and affecting the survival, growth, and reproduction of organisms. For example, the amount of sunlight and water available in a given area can determine which plants thrive there, subsequently affecting the entire food web.

In contrast, living components of the ecosystem pertain to biotic factors, such as animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. Interactions among different species, such as predation, competition, and symbiosis, involve biotic factors, while biological processes like respiration and photosynthesis are also related to living organisms' interactions with their environment. Thus, these dynamics differ fundamentally from the abiotic aspects which are essential for understanding ecological systems.