Define ecosystem and biome

: An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller organisms that live,feed, reproduce and interact in the same area or environment. Some ecosystems are very large. For example, many bird species nest in one place and feed in a completely different area. On the other hand, some ecosystems may be physically small, such as you would find in a meadow at he edge of a forest, or in a coral reef in the ocean.How does everything fit together in a forest ecosystem versus a meadow ecosystem? While some species may be found naturally in both areas, the species that live in the forest ecosystem are usually very different from those that inhabit the meadow, even though the two environments are right next to each other. In other words, if we protect existing natural habitats, we will help to maintain biodiversity (biodiversity is the variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations). Unfortunately, natural habitats and their ecosystems are more and more endangered because of the damaging environmental effects of growing human populations everywhere. Biome refers to the community of plants and animals that occur naturally in an area, often sharing common characteristics specific to that area. Biome, also known as a major life zone, is an area that includes communities of plants and animals that have a common adaptation to that particular environment. It is the largest geographic biotic unit that includes various communities which are named after the dominant features of that region – like grasslands, deserts or forests. Aspects like the temperature, soil, and water help us to identify the kind of life that exists in a biome. Biomes can be classified into three types, namely terrestrial, freshwater biomes and marine biomes. Terrestrial biomes include grasslands, deserts, tropical forests. Freshwater biomes include polar freshwaters, large lakes, tropical and sub-tropical coastal rivers, temperate coastal rivers and much more. Marine biomes include continental shelves, tropical coral, and kelp forests. Sometimes, the boundaries between biomes merge; such a transitional area is called an ecotone. General examples include riparian areas and salt marshes

What is an Ecosystem? An ecosystem is a system or a functional unit in the environment where biotic and abiotic components interact with each other. Abiotic components are water, soil, atmosphere, temperature etc. Living entities exhibit an inner hierarchy in an ecosystem which are the producers, the decomposers and the consumers. They interact with one another giving rise to the food chain inside the ecosystem. Linking within these food webs forms the basis for complex webs and attributes for the ecosystem to exist. All the essential material required for survival comes from the abiotic components of the ecosystem such as radiation, energy, water etc which are obtained as a result of various biological cycles. Energy moves in a unidirectional path. What is a Biome? Biomes on earth, on the other hand, is a zone that is identified by a large scale climate and vegetation traits. They are climatically controlled association of entities. They are usually identified and named after the life form, for instance, grassland, coral reef, tropical rain forests etc. Species in different parts of a biome may appear similar in behaviour and appearance due to the similarity in the patterns of natural selection. Examples of biomes – Tundra, temperate evergreens, taiga etc.