Final answer:
The term for the physical conditions under which a species might live without other species interacting is the 'fundamental niche'. It defines the potential lifestyle of an organism based on abiotic factors alone and differs from the 'realized niche', impacted by biotic interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that defines the physical conditions under which a species might live, in the absence of interaction with other species, is the fundamental niche.
A fundamental niche outlines the potential breadth of an organism's lifestyle, including aspects such as available food sources, suitable climate conditions, and proper habitat. It represents the conditions under which a species can survive and reproduce without the influence of inter-species interactions like competition or predation. This is contrasted with the realized niche, which is the actual conditions and habitat a species occupies as a result of these interactions. A habitat is the physical environment where the species lives; although related, it is more of a location rather than the role a species plays within an ecosystem.
To understand how environment affects the distribution and ecological roles of species, ecologists might use Species Distribution Models (SDMs), which estimate the fundamental niche based on environmental conditions and distribution data.