From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishecosysteme‧co‧sys‧tem /ˈiːkəʊˌsɪstɪm $ ˈiːkoʊ-/ ●○○ noun [countable] SGEall the animals and plants in a particular area, and the way in which they are related to each other and to their environment → ecology
Examples from the Corpus
ecosystem• Where there is an ecosystem, there are local experts.• We need to be aware, however, that the school environment is a delicate ecosystem, highly sensitive to political whim.• The bay has a very complex and delicate ecosystem.• The issue was whether or not the bacteria in his body would contaminate the local ecosystem.• Other members of marine ecosystems have also died as a result of red-tide blooms.• The failure of the dialogue to clarify the effects of population growth on ecosystems and mineral supplies has other causes.• Many species of burrowing insects are essential for maintaining a healthy soil ecosystem.• The rainforest is a self-supporting ecosystem.• By the end of September I seemed to have been the only person in the ecosystem who had not seen a wolf.• These new plants could regenerate quickly, so they took over the ecosystem.• If the dynamics of the whole ecosystem fail in this respect, changes will inevitably occur, until finally self-consistency is achieved. 