A simple ecosystem definition: an ecosystem is all the living things in an area, such as plants, animals, fungi and microbes, together with the non-living parts of that area, such as water, soil, air and sunlight, all interacting as one connected system. A pond, a forest and a coral reef are each an ecosystem.
The word also travels outside biology. Companies talk about a product ecosystem and cities about a startup ecosystem. Below, the meaning of ecosystem in science comes first, then shows how the metaphor works in business and tech.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Living organisms plus their physical environment, linked by flows of energy and nutrientsPart of speech
NounPronunciation
EE-koh-sis-tum (some say EK-oh-sis-tum)Plural
ecosystemsAdjective
ecosystemic (rare); people usually say ecologicalOrigin
eco- (from ecology) + system; first in print in 1935Field
Ecology, geography, environmental science; also business
The ecosystem definition, broken into parts
When teachers ask you to define ecosystem, they usually want both halves of the picture. Scientists split an ecosystem into two groups of ingredients:
- Biotic parts are alive or were alive: trees, grasses, insects, birds, fish, bacteria, fallen leaves.
- Abiotic parts are non-living: sunlight, rainfall, temperature, rocks, minerals, salt in the water.
What turns these into a system is the way they connect. Producers such as plants and algae capture energy from sunlight through photosynthesis. Consumers eat the producers or each other. Decomposers like fungi and bacteria break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil, where plants take them up again. Energy flows through in one direction, while nutrients cycle round and round.
Examples, small and large
Ecosystems come in every size. A rotting log is one; so is an entire rainforest. Common examples taught in school:
- Freshwater: ponds, lakes, rivers, wetlands.
- Marine: coral reefs, kelp forests, the open ocean, deep-sea vents.
- Coastal: mangrove forests such as the Sundarbans of India and Bangladesh, salt marshes, estuaries.
- Land: forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, mountain meadows.
- Human-made: farms, city parks, aquariums.
A school pond has frogs, dragonfly larvae, duckweed, mud, rainwater and afternoon sun. When fertiliser runs in from a nearby lawn, algae explode, oxygen drops and fish die.
That chain reaction shows why it is called an ecosystem: change one part and the others respond.
Sentences using the word
- Removing the wolves changed the whole river ecosystem in ways nobody predicted.
- Our class built a tiny ecosystem in a sealed glass jar with moss, soil and a few snails.
- Plastic waste harms marine ecosystems from the surface to the seabed.
- The city wants to grow its tech ecosystem by linking universities, investors and young companies.
Ecosystem, habitat, biome and environment
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| habitat | the home of one species, where it finds food and shelter |
| community | all the living populations in one place, without the non-living parts |
| ecosystem | the community plus its physical surroundings, working together |
| biome | a large region with a similar climate and many similar ecosystems, such as desert or tundra |
| environment | the general surroundings of a living thing; a broader, looser word |
A quick way to remember: a habitat is an address, an ecosystem is the whole neighbourhood and how it runs, and a biome is the region on the map. Variety within an ecosystem is measured as biodiversity.
A word first printed in 1935
The term first appeared in print in 1935, in a paper by a British plant ecologist who wanted one word for organisms and their physical setting considered together. Accounts say a colleague suggested it to him. It combines eco-, taken from ecology (whose root is Greek oikos, house), with system, from Greek systema, an organised whole. Ecosystem services, the benefits people get from nature such as clean water and pollination, became a common phrase much later.
The business and tech meaning
Outside science, an ecosystem is a network of companies, products or people that depend on one another, the way species do. A phone maker's ecosystem includes its devices, app store, accessories and outside developers. A startup ecosystem includes founders, investors, mentors, universities and government programmes in one city.
The comparison works because success in both cases comes from links, not from any single member. If you see the word in a business plan, it usually signals that the writer is thinking about partners and connections. See also infrastructure and the science and ideas pages, where related terms from biology and physics are collected.
Frequently asked questions
What is the definition of ecosystem for kids?
An ecosystem is a place where plants, animals and tiny living things share space with soil, water, air and sunlight. They all depend on each other, so if one part changes, the others feel it.
What are the two main parts of an ecosystem?
Biotic parts, which are living or once living, and abiotic parts, which are non-living, such as water, rocks and temperature. Both groups are needed for the system to work.
Is a human body an ecosystem?
Many biologists describe the gut and skin as ecosystems, because trillions of microbes live there and interact with each other and with the body. It is a common and useful comparison.
How is an ecosystem different from a habitat?
A habitat is the place one kind of living thing lives. An ecosystem covers every living thing in an area plus the non-living conditions, and how they all interact.
How do you pronounce ecosystem?
Most people say EE-koh-sis-tum, stressing the first syllable. EK-oh-sis-tum is also heard and accepted.
What does ecosystem mean in business?
It means a group of companies, products and users that are linked and support each other. The word borrows the idea from nature that the parts thrive or struggle together.