Concept:Temperature is the primary abiotic factor controlling the distribution of organisms because it directly affects their metabolic processes, survival, and reproduction.
Explanation:Temperature regulates biochemical reactions and enzymatic activity in living organisms.
Most species can only survive and reproduce within a specific temperature range known as their tolerance range.
Organisms such as corals, polar bears, and tropical plants are restricted to particular thermal zones because their bodies cannot function outside those limits.
Other factors like wind speed, soil pH, and day length do affect organisms, but they act locally or seasonally.
Temperature, by contrast, operates on a global scale, determining entire biomes and the general distribution of species across the earth.
For example, deserts have extreme heat, while polar regions are freezing, which explains why different communities of organisms are found there.
Answer:The correct answer is C. Temperature.