Community vs. Ecosystem: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between community and ecosystem is that community focuses on the interactions among different species within a particular area whereas ecosystem encompasses all the living and nonliving components in a habitat.

Before we move to more differences, let’s first understand Community and Ecosystem:

  • Community: A community is a group of populations of different species living and interacting in the same geographical area.
  • Ecosystem: An ecosystem refers to a complex network of living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) and their physical environment, including the soil, water, and climate.

Now, let’s get to Community vs Ecosystem:

Major differences between Community and Ecosystem

Community Ecosystem
A community involves only the biotic (living) components. An ecosystem encompasses both the biotic and abiotic (non-living) factors.
A community represents a higher level of organization within an ecosystem, as it is composed of populations of different species. An ecosystem encompasses multiple communities.
In a community, interactions between species, such as competition, predation, and symbiosis, are emphasized. An ecosystem considers the broader interactions between organisms and their environment.
A community can vary in size and can be relatively small, such as a pond community. An ecosystem can encompass a larger geographical area, such as a forest ecosystem.
A community focuses on the species composition, diversity, and interactions within a particular habitat. An ecosystem focuses on the flow of energy, nutrient cycling, and overall functioning of the system.

So, these are the main differences between the entities.

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