Which factor is NOT a biotic component of an ecosystem?

In an ecosystem, biotic components refer to all the living organisms that interact with each other and their environment. These include plants, animals, and microorganisms such as bacteria. Each of these components plays a crucial role in the food web and ecosystem functioning, affecting processes like energy flow and nutrient cycling.

Water, while essential for the survival of all living organisms, is an abiotic factor. Abiotic components encompass non-living elements of the environment that influence living organisms, such as sunlight, air, temperature, and minerals. Understanding the distinction between biotic and abiotic factors is fundamental to ecology as it helps in analyzing how living organisms interact with their physical surroundings. Thus, water is correctly identified as the factor that is not a biotic component.