Final answer:
The term for abiotic factors that restrict plant growth by limiting nutrient and moisture availability is Abiotic stress (A). It includes conditions like drought, extreme temperatures, or nutrient scarcity, which disrupt plant physiological processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for the abiotic factor that negatively affects plant growth and output by restricting the availability of essential nutrients and moisture is A) Abiotic stress. Abiotic stress refers to the negative impact of non-living factors on the living organisms in a specific environment. This encompasses a variety of conditions, including extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, and nutrient deficiencies, all of which can severely limit plant growth and productivity. When plants are exposed to these stressors, their physiological and biochemical processes may be disrupted, leading to reduced growth rates, lower yield, and sometimes plant death.
Plants are integral components of ecosystems and their ability to grow and produce biomass is influenced by a range of abiotic factors such as temperature, moisture, sunlight, and nutrients. These affect primary productivity and net primary productivity, both of which are crucial in determining the amount of organic matter available as food within an ecosystem. Additionally, these factors significantly shape the characteristics and the overall health of various biomes by affecting the types of plants and animals that can survive and thrive there.