Which term describes the concept that includes both living organisms and their physical environment in a habitat?

Which term describes the concept that includes both living organisms and their physical environment in a habitat?

• A. Community
• B. Ecosystem
• C. Population
• D. Species

Answer: (B)

Think of a habitat as a system where living things interact with the nonliving surroundings. An ecosystem is that entire system: all the organisms plus the physical environment, plus the interactions among them—how energy flows and nutrients cycle, and how factors like temperature, light, water chemistry, and minerals influence what can live there. This goes beyond just the living organisms (which is what a community covers) or just a group of the same species in an area (a population), or the concept of a species itself. So the term that includes both living organisms and their physical environment in a habitat is ecosystem. For example, a freshwater lake includes fish, algae, bacteria, the water, oxygen, light, and the chemical makeup of the water, all interacting to sustain the system.

Think of a habitat as a system where living things interact with the nonliving surroundings. An ecosystem is that entire system: all the organisms plus the physical environment, plus the interactions among them—how energy flows and nutrients cycle, and how factors like temperature, light, water chemistry, and minerals influence what can live there. This goes beyond just the living organisms (which is what a community covers) or just a group of the same species in an area (a population), or the concept of a species itself. So the term that includes both living organisms and their physical environment in a habitat is ecosystem. For example, a freshwater lake includes fish, algae, bacteria, the water, oxygen, light, and the chemical makeup of the water, all interacting to sustain the system.