Question

Which one of the following is not an abiotic resource?
A. Rocks
B. Metals
C. Fish
D. Minerals

Answer 1

Hint: Resources that do not have life or are non-living are termed as abiotic resources. Anything that is non-living and exists in the ecosystem can be understood as abiotic. These cannot move, grow, or healthy by themselves. Such resources are usually obtained from the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.

Complete step by step answer:
Rocks are categorized as nonliving objects and act as a contributor to the ecosystem. Rocks are rich in minerals but do not lie in the category of producer, consumer, or decomposer in any case. Therefore, the non-living factors in the rocks make them abiotic.
Metals possess all the factors of a non-living object. They react with certain elements but are not producers, consumers, or decomposers biologically. The chemical properties of metals can create an argument of it being biotic but they do not create or consume of their own and therefore are categorized as abiotic.
Fishes are living organisms and can produce their new ones, consume food for a living, and show respiratory and physical movement as well. All these factors combine to state that Fishes are biotic.
Minerals are extracted from rocks and mineral ores. It is non-living and cannot create, produce, or consume something of its own. They are replenished due to the cyclic factors in the ecosystem. Therefore, Minerals are abiotic.
Whereas resources like sunlight, water, rocks, and minerals do not produce, consume or decompose and therefore are known as Abiotic resources. Both the biotic and the abiotic components are equally essential to maintain balance in the ecosystem.
So, the correct answer is Option D.

Note: Based on the factors they possess, resources can be classified into two categories, Biotic and Abiotic. We need to remember that any organism or resource that is living and can produce, consume, or decompose is known as biotic resources. For example plants, animals, bacteria, etc.