Hobbies And Interests
Relationships
Any ecosystem like a forest exhibits a complex web of relationships between different organisms and species, all of whom depend directly and indirectly on abiotic factors for their survival. Trees, shrubs and grass couldn't live without light, for example, and without these plants, the rabbits and deer couldn't live, either. Not only do the trees and plants depend on the light, then, but the herbivores indirectly depend on it also.
Light
Light is an abiotic factor crucial for the forest. Trees and shrubs in the forest need to synthesize organic compounds like the nucleotides that make up their DNA, and these processes require energy. Moreover, the trees and shrubs also need to maintain appropriate conditions inside their cells (salt concentration, pH, etc.) and this takes up energy, too. Light is an abiotic factor that serves as a source of energy -- indeed, ALL the energy in the forest ecosystem comes from this source.
Water
Water is another abiotic factor used by all the biotic factors of the forest. The chemical processes that keep a tree or shrub alive take place in solution, and trees need an adequate supply of water for health and growth. The animals of the forest also depend on water to preserve optimum conditions inside their bodies, and the bacteria vital to the health of the soil couldn't live in a dry and moisture-free environment.
Soil
Soil is a little more complicated, because it includes both biotic and abiotic factors. The mineral particles and organic matter in the soil are abiotic, while the bacteria and fungi that break down the organic matter are biotic. You can think of soil as a layer containing biotic and abiotic components, both of which are crucial for the trees and shrubs that depend on it. Much of the nutrient recycling of the forest takes place in the soil and the layer of litter atop it.