Ecosystem: A community of plants, animals and other organisms that are linked by energy and nutrient flows and that interact with each other and with the physical environment. Rain forests, deserts, coral reefs, and grasslands are examples of ecosystems.

 

Related Words

Ecosystem: The community living in an area and its physical environment.

Ecosystem Service: The quantifiable services that an ecosystem provides to humans.

Ecosystem Diversity: The diversity of biological communities and their physical environment. Diversity is determined by the species composition, physical structure and processes within an ecosystem. This is the . . . View Full Definition

Fraser Fir: In many respects, Fraser fir and balsam fir are quite similar, although the geographic ranges of the two species do not overlap. Some scientists even suggest that because of the many similar . . . View Full Definition

Species Diversity: The number of living species on Earth.

Primary Production: The production of living matter by photosynthesizing organisms or by chemosynthesizing organisms. Usually expressed as grams of carbon per square meter per year

Biodiversity (Or Biological Diversity): In general, the variety and variation among plants, animals, and microorganisms, and among their ecosystems. It has 3 levels: ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic (within spec . . . View Full Definition

Persistent Pesticides: Pesticides that do not readily break down in the environment. Becoming long-lived components of the ecosystem, these chemicals may have enduring effects at low concentrations or may bioaccum . . . View Full Definition

North American Waterfowl Management Plan: An international program in cooperation with Mexico and Canada to protect, restore, enhance, and manage wetland ecosystems for migratory birds and other wildlife and fish. It was authorized . . . View Full Definition

Estuary: A semienclosed body of water that has a free connection with the open sea and within which seawater is diluted measurably with freshwater that is derived from land drainage