Which one of the following is the best description of the term ecosystem?

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Q: 34 (IAS/2015)

Which one of the following is the best description of the term “ecosystem”?

question_subject: 

Science

question_exam: 

IAS

stats: 

0,272,116,88,14,272,14

keywords: 

{'ecosystem': [10, 0, 0, 4], 'environment': [2, 0, 0, 3], 'organisms': [4, 1, 3, 2], 'fauna': [1, 0, 0, 2], 'flora': [3, 0, 1, 7], 'earth': [0, 1, 1, 1], 'community': [5, 0, 2, 9], 'geographical area': [1, 0, 0, 1]}

An ecosystem is accurately described as `a community of organisms together with the environment in which they live` which is option 3.

Option 1 is only partially correct as it involves `a community of organisms interacting with one another` however, it lacks the component of interaction with the environment which is a key element in an ecosystem.

Option 2 which is `that part of the Earth which is inhabited by living organisms` is too broad for an ecosystem. This describes biosphere rather than an ecosystem.

Option 4, `the flora and fauna of a geographical area` primarily describes the biodiversity of a particular region, but does not account for the interactions and interdependency that exist between the organisms and their environment which are central to the definition of an ecosystem.