Fiveable
Fiveable

Ecosystem

Definition

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with each other and their physical environment.

Analogy

Think of an ecosystem as a bustling city. Just like how people in a city interact with each other and their surroundings, different organisms in an ecosystem interact with one another and the environment they live in.

Related terms

Biodiversity: The variety of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms within an ecosystem.

Trophic Levels: The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem's food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy from one organism to another.

Habitat: The specific place where an organism lives within an ecosystem.

"Ecosystem" appears in:

Subjects (1)

collegeable - rocket pep

Are you a college student?

  • Study guides for the entire semester

  • 200k practice questions

  • Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab



© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.