Which of the following is considered a biotic factor in an ecosystem?

In an ecosystem, biotic factors are the living components that influence the structure and dynamics of the environment. This includes all living organisms such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. Plants, being living organisms, play a crucial role in ecosystems by providing oxygen through photosynthesis, serving as habitat and food sources for various organisms, and participating in nutrient cycling.

Water, temperature, and sandy soil, on the other hand, are abiotic factors. They represent the non-living physical and chemical components that also affect ecosystems but do not possess life themselves. Water is essential for the survival of living organisms and influences habitat conditions, temperature can affect metabolic rates and species distribution, and sandy soil impacts the types of vegetation that can thrive in an area but does not constitute a living entity. Hence, plants are correctly identified as a biotic factor in an ecosystem.