English

Noun

ecosystem ‎(plural ecosystems)

1. A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit.
   • 2012 January 1, Donald Worster, “A Drier and Hotter Future”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, page 70:

     Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force.

2. The interconnectedness of organisms (plants, animals, microbes) with each other and their environment.
3. (business, marketing) A set of interconnected products and services.

Hypernyms

• system

Translations