What term describes all living organisms in a river and the environment they inhabit?

What term describes all living organisms in a river and the environment they inhabit?

• A. Community
• B. Population
• C. Ecosystem
• D. Species

Answer: (C)

An ecosystem describes the whole system of living organisms in a river plus the physical environment they inhabit. In a river, that means not only the plants, algae, invertebrates, and fish, but also the water chemistry, temperature, flow, sediment, and nutrients that support and influence those organisms. The ecosystem concept emphasizes how these living and nonliving parts interact and how energy and nutrients flow through the system. A community would only refer to the living organisms present, without the environment. A population is a group of individuals of one species in a location. A species is a particular type of organism.

An ecosystem describes the whole system of living organisms in a river plus the physical environment they inhabit. In a river, that means not only the plants, algae, invertebrates, and fish, but also the water chemistry, temperature, flow, sediment, and nutrients that support and influence those organisms. The ecosystem concept emphasizes how these living and nonliving parts interact and how energy and nutrients flow through the system.

A community would only refer to the living organisms present, without the environment. A population is a group of individuals of one species in a location. A species is a particular type of organism.