Definitions for ecosystem
ˈɛk oʊˌsɪs təm, ˈi koʊ-ecosys·tem

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 6 votes

1. ecosystemnoun

   a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.7 / 3 votes

1. ecosystemnoun

   A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit.

2. ecosystemnoun

   The interconnectedness of organisms (plants, animals, microbes) with each other and their environment.

3. ecosystemnoun

   A set of interconnected products and services.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ecosystem

   An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact.: 458  These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the system through photosynthesis and is incorporated into plant tissue. By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present. By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and microbes. Ecosystems are controlled by external and internal factors. External factors such as climate, parent material which forms the soil and topography, control the overall structure of an ecosystem but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem. Internal factors are controlled, for example, by decomposition, root competition, shading, disturbance, succession, and the types of species present. While the resource inputs are generally controlled by external processes, the availability of these resources within the ecosystem is controlled by internal factors. Therefore, internal factors not only control ecosystem processes but are also controlled by them. Ecosystems are dynamic entities—they are subject to periodic disturbances and are always in the process of recovering from some past disturbance. The tendency of an ecosystem to remain close to its equilibrium state, despite that disturbance, is termed its resistance. The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks is termed its ecological resilience. Ecosystems can be studied through a variety of approaches—theoretical studies, studies monitoring specific ecosystems over long periods of time, those that look at differences between ecosystems to elucidate how they work and direct manipulative experimentation. Biomes are general classes or categories of ecosystems. However, there is no clear distinction between biomes and ecosystems. Ecosystem classifications are specific kinds of ecological classifications that consider all four elements of the definition of ecosystems: a biotic component, an abiotic complex, the interactions between and within them, and the physical space they occupy. Ecosystems provide a variety of goods and services upon which people depend. Ecosystem goods include the "tangible, material products" of ecosystem processes such as water, food, fuel, construction material, and medicinal plants. Ecosystem services, on the other hand, are generally "improvements in the condition or location of things of value". These include things like the maintenance of hydrological cycles, cleaning air and water, the maintenance of oxygen in the atmosphere, crop pollination and even things like beauty, inspiration and opportunities for research. Many ecosystems become degraded through human impacts, such as soil loss, air and water pollution, habitat fragmentation, water diversion, fire suppression, and introduced species and invasive species. These threats can lead to abrupt transformation of the ecosystem or to gradual disruption of biotic processes and degradation of abiotic conditions of the ecosystem. Once the original ecosystem has lost its defining features, it is considered "collapsed". Ecosystem restoration can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ecosystem

   An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system. These components include air, water, soil, sunlight, and all living things including plants, animals, and microorganisms. This interconnected network works together through nutrient cycles and energy flows, maintaining balance and supporting life.

WikidataRate this definition:3.5 / 6 votes

1. Ecosystem

   An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, they can come in any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces. Energy, water, nitrogen and soil minerals are other essential abiotic components of an ecosystem. The energy that flows through ecosystems is obtained primarily from the sun. It generally enters the system through photosynthesis, a process that also captures carbon from the atmosphere. By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present. By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and other microbes.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:2.5 / 4 votes

1. Ecosystem

   A functional system which includes the organisms of a natural community together with their environment. (McGraw Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ecosystem

   A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.

   Each river has its ecosystem which is vital to the rivers present and future.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on December 27, 2019  

Matched Categories

1. • System

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce ecosystem?

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How to say ecosystem in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of ecosystem in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of ecosystem in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of ecosystem in a Sentence

1. Leslie Reeder-Myers:

   These systems have a ton of potential and huge quantities of oysters can be sustainably harvested over long time periods if the ecosystem is healthy.

2. Benjamin Abbott:

   The lake’s ecosystem is not only on the edge of collapse. It is collapsing, it’s honestly jaw-dropping and totally disarming to see how much of the lake is gone. The lake is mostly lakebed right now.

3. Mark Freymueller:

   It is not enough to produce a truck. You have to take care of the entire ecosystem, find like-minded partners and show this all makes sense for the customer, it is possible to do this with a holistic approach and the right mindset.

4. Vitalik Buterin:

   Happy merge all, this is a big moment for the Ethereum ecosystem. Everyone who helped make the merge happen should feel very proud today.

5. Universal Music Group:

   UMG’s success has been, in part, due to embracing new technology and putting it to work for our artists — as we have been doing with our own innovation around AI for some time already, however, the training of generative AI using our artists’ music … begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=ecosystem
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ecosystem
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=ecosystem
6. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=ecosystem