ecosystem
EE-koh-siss-tum
/ˈiːkoʊsɪstəm/
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Encompasses both living organisms (biotic) and non-living components (abiotic) functioning as a unified system.
The story behind the word. British botanist Arthur Tansley introduced 'ecosystem' in 1935. He wanted a word that captured both the organisms and the physical environment acting together as a single physical unit.
Word relationships
- environment: Environment is a broader term for surrounding conditions, whereas ecosystem emphasizes functional living-nonliving interactions.
Commonly confused with
- biome: A biome is a massive regional climate zone (like tundra), while an ecosystem can be as small as a single tide pool.
Word family
- ecosystemic (adjective): Relating to or affecting an ecosystem.
Collocations
- fragile ecosystem
- ecosystem services
- coastal ecosystem
- disrupt the ecosystem
Example sentences
- "The coral reef ecosystem supports thousands of marine species in an intricate food web." Environmental science
Memory hook
ECO (home) + SYSTEM (connected machine) = nature's self-sustaining community. Organisms plus environment operating as one machine.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'habitat', which refers only to the dwelling place of a single species.
Fun facts
- Tansley created the term partly to reject popular mystical theories that living communities were giant single super-organisms.
Explore more words
Also appears in
- Technology → Ecology & Climate Science
- Nature → Environmental Conservation
- Nature → Biodiversity & Species Conservation
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Deforestation & Habitat Loss
- 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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