Arizona State University (ASU) BIO182 General Biology II Exam 2 Practice

The term that refers to living things that shape an ecosystem is "biotic factors." This encompasses all the organisms that interact within a particular environment, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. Biotic factors play a critical role in the ecosystem by influencing population dynamics, competition, predation, and symbiotic relationships, all of which shape the structure and function of the ecosystem.

Abiotic factors, on the other hand, pertain to the physical and chemical components of the environment, such as water, light, temperature, and soil composition, which also affect living organisms but are not living themselves. Environmental factors is a broader term that can sometimes include both biotic and abiotic influences but does not specifically focus on living components. Biome components refer mainly to the larger ecological areas defined by climate and vegetation rather than the individual organisms that inhabit them. Hence, biotic factors specifically highlight the living elements that contribute to ecosystem dynamics.