Non-living things determine what living things can be sustained in a certain environment. If a single element is removed in either the biotic or abiotic component of the ecosystem, it will greatly disrupt its sustainability.
1. Sunlight: Plants rely on sunlight to produce food.
No sunlight means no plants, no plants means no herbivores, no herbivores means no carnivores. (Plus the whole planet will freeze without sunlight.)
2. Water: Every living thing needs water.
Water is one of the aspects of our planet that makes it what we call "life-sustaining." This is one of the reasons why we cannot live in on other planets in our solar system. No water - no life.
