Definition of ecosystem
: the complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit
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Recent Examples of ecosystem from the Web
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When species disappear, the changes can ripple through an ecosystem.
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But now humans have created a river that flows year-round, and an ecosystem of plants and animals has grown to rely on it.
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Rising ocean temperatures can affect ocean ecosystems in a variety of negative ways.
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Skills—the integration of third-party services—are the software ecosystem of sorts for digital assistants.
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But the new lines tend to cut across geographic features and follow state lines, not boundaries of rivers and ecosystems.
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The studio is part of an economic ecosystem Ackel envisions to provide an income-earning opportunity to local boxers working toward the Olympics or a professional career.
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The idea is to create a single digital ecosystem that customers can use to hail a taxi, rent a car for short stints, or find and pay for parking.
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The addition of that nutrient-rich poop to an ecosystem leads to an imbalance that, when it’s washed into water sources, can lead to algae blooms and promote the growth of invasive plant species on land.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ecosystem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of ecosystem
1935
Other Ecology Terms
ECOSYSTEM Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of ecosystem for English Language Learners
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: everything that exists in a particular environment
ECOSYSTEM Defined for Kids
Definition of ecosystem for Students
: the whole group of living and nonliving things that make up an environment and affect each other
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of ecosystem
: the complex of a community and its environment functioning as an ecological unit in nature
Learn More about ecosystem
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Spanish Central: Translation of ecosystem Nglish: Translation of ecosystem for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ecosystem for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ecosystem
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