Living things interact with non-living things in an environment in many ways. For example, living things need non-living things like water, air, and nutrients to survive, while non-living things like the sun and soil play a critical role in supporting life. The interactions between living and non-living things in an environment help to maintain the balance of matter in the environment by ensuring that matter is continuously cycled through the ecosystem. For instance, living things consume non-living things like plants or other animals, which then become part of their bodies. When these living things die, their bodies decompose, and the nutrients they contain are released back into the environment. These nutrients can then be taken up by other living things, completing the cycle. This continuous cycling of matter between living and non-living things helps to maintain a balance in the environment and keeps the amount of matter in the environment relatively constant over time.