Which statement best describes abiotic limiting factors?

• A. Living interactions that limit growth
• B. Nonliving factors such as Sunlight, Temperature, and Water
• C. The rate of mutation in a population
• D. The availability of predators

Answer: (B)

Abiotic limiting factors are nonliving environmental conditions that limit how large a population can grow. Sunlight, temperature, and water are nonliving factors that shape survival and growth by affecting energy availability, metabolism, and hydration. When these conditions are unfavorable or scarce, populations can't reach their full potential, which is exactly what abiotic limiting factors describe. The other options refer to living interactions or genetic processes, which are not abiotic factors: predators are biotic (living) influences, and mutation rate is a genetic concept, not a nonliving environmental constraint.