Final answer:
In a forest ecosystem, water is a key abiotic component, essential for life and involved in various ecological processes. Living entities like birds, trees, and algae are considered biotic components.
Step-by-step explanation:
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (biotic components) and their interactions with the abiotic (non-living) environment. In a forest ecosystem, one of the key abiotic components is water. Water is crucial for the survival of plants, animals, and micro-organisms; it is involved in nutrient cycles and helps regulate the ecosystem's climate. Options such as birds, trees, and algae are considered biotic components as they are all living organisms.