ecosystem
EE-koh-sis-tum
/ˈiːkəʊˌsɪstəm/
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Emphasizes the 'system' aspect—how living things and non-living things (like water and soil) work together.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'oikos' (house) and 'systema' (system). It was coined by British botanist Arthur Tansley in 1935 to describe the fundamental unit of ecology.
Word relationships
- biome: A biome is a large regional ecosystem (like a desert or tundra).
Commonly confused with
- habitat: A habitat is a home; an ecosystem is the whole neighborhood and how everyone interacts.
Word family
- ecological (adjective): Relating to the relation of living organisms to one another.
Collocations
- fragile ecosystem
- marine ecosystem
- ecosystem services
Example sentences
- "The introduction of an invasive species can disrupt the entire ecosystem." Ecological theory
- "Coral reefs form one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, supporting thousands of marine species." Scientific citation
Memory hook
Eco (house/environment) + System (working parts). Eco-System = Environment-System.
When not to use
Don't use when just talking about a group of animals; use it when the environment is part of the discussion.
Fun facts
- The term 'ecosystem' was actually created to replace the more 'organic' sounding term 'complex', to make ecology sound more like a hard science.
Related words
Explore more words
ecology, interconnectedness, supply chain, symbiosis, biodiverse, abiotic
Also appears in
- Technology → Ecology & Climate Science
- Nature → Ecology & Ecosystems
- Nature → Environmental Conservation
- Nature → Biodiversity & Species Conservation
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Marine Ecology
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Eco-Tourism & Travel
- Food Science & Culinary Craft → Organic Farming Practices
- Devices & Everyday Tech → Smart Home & IoT Devices
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