a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment
"The coral reef serves as a complex ecosystem where diverse marine life interacts closely with the surrounding water and sunlight."
A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit.
"The forest ecosystem includes both the trees and animals within it and the soil, air, and water surrounding them to function as a single living unit."
In plain English: An ecosystem is all the living things and their environment working together as one unit.
"The wetland ecosystem supports many different species of birds and fish."
Usage: Use ecosystem to describe the interconnected network of living organisms and their physical surroundings functioning together, rather than referring only to the animals or plants in isolation. This term applies equally to natural environments like forests and artificial ones such as digital platforms where users interact with services.
The word ecosystem was coined in 1935 by English botanist Arthur Tansley, who combined the prefix eco- with system to describe an ecological community together with its physical environment. It entered scientific literature through his paper "The Use and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts" published in the journal Ecology.