Ecosystem
All the living things in an area together with their non-living surroundings, such as soil, water and weather.
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Analogy
A neighbourhood: the people, the buildings and the weather all matter.
In practice
A pond, a woodland and a coral reef are all ecosystems.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is an ecosystem?All the living things in an area together with their non-living surroundings.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between habitat and ecosystem?
A habitat is the place where one type of organism lives, such as a rock pool for a crab. An ecosystem is bigger. It includes all the organisms in the area, how they interact with each other, and the non-living parts such as water and temperature.
What is a community?
A community is all the populations of different species living in the same area. A population is all the members of one species in that area. For example, the frogs in a pond are a population. The frogs, fish, plants and insects together are the community.