Glossary

ecosystem

A biological community comprising interacting organisms plus their physical environment.

Related terms

biodiversity
The number, variety, and genetic variation of organisms found within a specified geographic region, both within and between species and ecosystems. Often used as a measure of overall ecosystem health.
biogeography
Study of the geographic distribution of plants, animals and ecosystems in both space and geological time.
bioregion
A biological region defined by characteristics of the natural environment rather than by man-made divisions and tending to contain distinctive flora, fauna and ecosystems. Also known as 'ecoregion'.
ecological niche
The specific position or function that an organism fills in an ecosystem.
haor
Wetland ecosystem of which most are located in northeast Bangladesh. The typical form is that of a bowl or saucer-shaped depression and the core haor area is surrounded by hills of the Indian states of Meghalaya to the north, Tripura and Mizoram to the south, and Assam and Manipur to the east. The area is known locally as the 'Haor' or 'Sylhet' basin and floods extensively each year during the annual monsoons.
native species
Species occurring in a given region or ecosystem only as a result of natural processes, with no human intervention.
phosphates
Any salt or ester of phosphoric acid. The presence or addition of excessive phosphates in aquatic ecosystems can have significant ecological effects such as eutrophication, and they are one of the primary contributors to algal growth in aquaria if allowed to accumulate. Conversely, they may be actively added to heavily-planted set-ups in the form of liquid or other supplements in order to encourage plant growth.
savanna
Type of grassland ecosystem characterised by any trees present being spaced in such a way that they do not form a closed canopy, thus sufficient light reaches the ground to support unbroken herbaceous cover consisting primarily of grasses. Also spelled 'savannah'.

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Used in 23 species profiles