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ecosystem

EE-koh-sis-tum /ˈiːkoʊˌsɪstəm/

nounB2SATACTTOEFL

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A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Emphasizes the interconnectedness of living things and their non-living surroundings.

The story behind the word. Coined in 1935 by British botanist Arthur Tansley, the word combines 'eco-' (from the Greek for house) with 'system'. It was intended to describe the 'whole system' including not only the organism-complex, but also the whole complex of physical factors.

Word relationships

biome: A larger regional unit characterized by specific climate and vegetation.
habitat: The specific place where an organism lives, rather than the whole system of interactions.

Commonly confused with

environment: Environment is the surroundings; ecosystem is the interaction between those surroundings and life.

Word family

ecological (adjective): Relating to the relation of living organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
ecologist (noun): A scientist who studies ecosystems.

Collocations

fragile ecosystem
marine ecosystem
ecosystem services
balanced ecosystem

Example sentences

"An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment." Environmental science textbook.
"The destruction of the mangrove forests threatens the entire coastal ecosystem." Policy speech on conservation.

Memory hook

Think of it as the 'Eco' (environment) 'System' (working together). Eco-System: Nature's working system.

When not to use

Do not use to mean just 'environment'; an ecosystem implies a functional unit of interaction.

Fun facts

The term was created to discourage the idea that organisms and their environment are separate entities.