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How does a biological community differ from an ecosystem?
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Biology
A researcher using a microscope to examine a specimen in the laboratory.
In biology, the primary distinction between a biological community and an ecosystem lies in the inclusion of nonliving factors.
- Biological Community: This refers strictly to an interacting group of various species residing in a common location. It focuses exclusively on the biotic (living) component, such as plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi, and the interactions between them, such as competition, predation, and mutualism.12
- Ecosystem: This is a broader functional unit that consists of the biological community together with its physical, abiotic (nonliving) environment. An ecosystem encompasses the living organisms as well as factors like climate, soil, air, water, and the flow of energy and nutrients.123
In essence, while a community is a collection of species populations, an ecosystem represents the complex of those living organisms interacting with their nonliving surroundings to form a dynamic, stable system.32