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What is an ecosystem and how do they work?
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An ecosystem is a model of the interconnections between living organisms and their environment which includes all living things, their physical environment and the interactions between them. These interactions can be among and between individual organisms, populations of different species, and even entire communities of organisms. Everything in an ecosystem — from the physical features of the environment to the populations of organisms — is connected in one way or another. As each organism obtains resources and energy from its environment, the ecosystem changes and evolves over time. Predators, prey, competition, and symbiosis are just a few of the ways that species interact with each other. Energy travels through an ecosystem and is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers, creating a cycle that maintains the entire system. In this way, our ecosystems are constantly adapting and changing to their environment.