ECOSYSTEM

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does ecosystem mean? 

• ECOSYSTEM (noun)
  The noun ECOSYSTEM has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: ECOSYSTEM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ECOSYSTEM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("ecosystem" is a kind of...):

scheme; system (a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole)

 Context examples 

Ecosystem responses to such a substantial addition of nutrients are rarely observed or sampled in real time.

(Scientists report skyrocketing phyotplankton population in aftermath of Kīlauea eruption, Wikinews)

These findings regarding the Asian elephants point to the important role they play in the ecosystem.

(Thai Elephants Help Spread Jungle Fruit's Seeds, Sadie Witkowski/VOA)

The best-preserved fossil deposits are rare and scientifically valuable because they contain soft and hard tissues, which preserve a greater variety of life from ancient ecosystems.

(Fossils may need air to form, National Science Foundation)

Species that can more easily tolerate low oxygen levels, such as jellyfish, some squid and marine microbes, can flourish at the expense of fish, upsetting the balance of ecosystems.

(Oceans running out of oxygen at unprecedented rate, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The scientists hope to gain a better understanding about the creature’s ecosystem and more about the Middle Jurassic period that lasted from about 160 to 180 million years ago.

(Sea Monster Swam Oceans 170 Million Years Ago, Voanews)

An extensive study of global habitat fragmentation—the division of habitats into smaller and more isolated patches—points to major trouble for the world's ecosystems.

(Shrinking habitats have adverse effects on world ecosystems, NSF)

This study sends a hopeful message that ecosystems can be surprisingly resilient if given enough time after a major disturbance, said Doug Levey, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.

(Coastal birds can weather the storm, but not the sea, National Science Foundation)

A white, odorless and tasteless, very stable, water-insoluble, synthetic, crystalline chlorinated hydrocarbon that is soluble in most organic solvents, fat and oils and tends to accumulate in ecosystems.

(Chlorophenothane, NCI Thesaurus)

Extensive loss of sea ice in the Arctic will likely accelerate, further threatening oceanic ecosystems and productivity, and amplifying weather extremes at lower latitudes.

(Warming at the poles will have global consequences, National Science Foundation)

These discoveries from the East African Rift System, the scientists say, provide a glimpse into the ancient ecosystems of Africa, and provide the impetus for future work elsewhere on the continent.

(New dinosaur with heart-shaped tail offers clues to evolution of Africa's ecosystems, National Science Foundation)