Ecosystem
A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.
Also: ecological community · biome
Definition
An ecosystem is a complex network consisting of all the living organisms (biotic components) in a given area, interacting with each other and with their nonliving physical environment (abiotic components) such as soil, water, and climate. Energy flows through ecosystems via food webs, and nutrients are recycled through biogeochemical cycles. Ecosystems range in scale from a small pond to the entire biosphere.
Example
“In a coral reef ecosystem, algae produce energy through photosynthesis, small fish graze on the algae, larger fish eat the small fish, and sharks regulate the larger fish population, all while the coral provides structure and habitat.”
Synonyms
- ecological community
- ecological system
- biotic-abiotic system
Images
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Related Terms
- Food Web
- Biodiversity
- Biome
- Trophic Level