Definition of Natural Ecosystem

Natural ecosystems make up the planet on which we live as well as the entire universe. They are dynamic and interconnected. A change in one ecosystem causes changes in others.

Definition

• According to Webster’s, a natural ecosystem is “the complex of a community and its environment functioning as an ecological unit in nature.” More simply, it’s both living and non-living things that interact with each other. Artificial ecosystems are man-made and imitate naturally occurring ones. Biosphere II outside Tucson, Arizona, is an extreme example of an artificial ecosystem.

Size

• There is no limit to an ecosystem’s size. It can range from a small puddle to the Pacific Ocean. Planet Earth can be considered a natural ecosystem, as can the entire solar system.

Components

• Ecosystems have two components: biotic and abiotic. Biotic components are the living entities within the system. They include microorganisms, plants and animals. Abiotic components are made up of air, rocks, water and energy.

Species

• Biotic components are broken down more specifically. The first is the species in a natural ecosystem. Species are groups of inbreeding organisms. A member of a species does not breed with organisms outside its group.

Populations

• Populations make up the next scientific section of an ecosystem. Populations comprise all the individuals of a particular species in a set time and place. All the same type of microorganisms living in a puddle is a population.

Communities

• Communities comprise all the populations in a set time and place. In the puddle example, the community would consist of all the various types of microorganisms living there.