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ecosystem Definition

eco·sys·tem (--sis′təm)

noun

a system made up of a community of animals, plants, and bacteria interrelated together with its physical and chemical environment

Etymology: eco- + system

ecosystem Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • degrade: How important are the ferns in the ecology of degraded ecosystems, such as logged forest and oil-palm plantations?
  • conserve: Constructive collaboration between all organizations will maximize the resources available to humanely remove the hedgehogs from the Uists to help conserve this unique ecosystem.
  • threaten: According to UNEP this is a highly threatened ecosystem in the Mediterranean Basin ( UNEP 1989 ).
  • disrupt: These are mainly environmental and disrupt the ecosystem around the dam.

Adjective modifier

  • aquatic: The effect of increased nutrient loads on aquatic ecosystems.
  • terrestrial: Yet, soil is the basic medium and driver for all terrestrial ecosystems.
  • fragile: The effects on the fragile desert ecosystem are still being felt today.
  • marine: Scientists can already detect many effects of people on marine ecosystems.
  • pelagic: Global species richness of pelagic ecosystems is low, because of the broad geographical scales of distributions and processes.
  • semi-natural: Ecological effects of atmospheric reactive nitrogen deposition on semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems.

Modifies a noun

  • functioning: It is also exploring the consequences of such changes for ecosystem functioning.
  • dynamics: There are several reasons why it might be necessary to go beyond a deterministic description of ecosystem dynamics, and include stochastic effects.
  • degradation: Instead, ongoing massive biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation have deepened poverty and insecurity.
  • ecology: Should ecosystem ecology, then, be regarded as an instance of the unification of the physical and biological sciences?

Noun used with modifier

  • freshwater: Research has shown that metals in the food chain are the most likely long term cause of metal accumulation by fish in freshwater ecosystems.
  • mangrove: There are also indirect relationships between climate change and the mangrove ecosystem through changes in sea level.
  • peatland: Prof. Simon Bottrell - User of sulfur isotopes to establish pathways of pollutant sulfur uptake in forest and peatland ecosystems.
  • savanna: Experience in ecosystem modeling, remote sensing and GIS would be advantageous, as would field experience in Africa or in savanna ecosystems.
  • wetland: They are important, often dominant elements of many wetland ecosystems, which today are severely threatened by the human activity.
  • floodplain: VEGETATION The Everglades is a unique, complex and fragile permanent floodplain ecosystem with a great diversity of habitats and flora.

Browse dictionary entries near ecosystem

  1. ecosphere
  2. ecospecies
  3. ECOSOC
  4. economy
  5. economize
  6. economist
  7. economies of scale
  8. economics
  9. economical
  10. economic indicator
  1. ecotone
  2. ecotype
  3. écraseur
  4. ECRI Weekly Leading Index
  5. ecru
  6. ECSA
  7. ECSC
  8. ECSD
  9. ecstasy
  10. ecstatic