Why is vegetation an abiotic factor of organisms?

Question

I've found in a variety of books that vegetation is an abiotic factor, the same category as temperature, pH levels, etc. Shouldn't it be a biotic factor as it is an encounter of a living thing?

~I asked my biology teacher but she had no clue:S

Answer 1

Plants are considered as an abiotic factor because they can produce their own food and therefore cannot be a competitor for getting food for animals because they are the fruit.

Answer 2

well technically plants are not classified as living organisms because they have the ability to reproduce their own food naturally

Answer 3

You are right! Vegetation is biotic; it makes its own food and lives like animals and humans.

Answer 4

http://www.pwsb33.ab.ca/biodiversity/pho...

Answer 5

i thought that vegetation was biotic....but in that context I would say it has been defined as abiotic as it can be measured or commented on. The vegetation is a general description...you are not referring to a specific plant or grass etc... so you could say it is sparsely distrbuted or that it is in abundance. I would say this is why it has been called an abiotic factor...however if you were talking about a specific plant or species of vegetation it would be biotic.