Question

Compared with an ecosystem, what are an ecotone, a landscape, a biome, and a biosphere?

Short answer

An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes, a landscape is a heterogeneous area that typically includes multiple ecosystems, a biome is a large area characterized by its plants and animals adapted to the environment, and a biosphere refers to the part of Earth that supports life.

Step-by-step solution

Defining Ecotone

An ecotone is the transition area between two biomes. It is where two communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems).

Defining Landscape

A landscape is an area that is spatially heterogeneous in at least one feature of the environment, such as the arrangement of vegetation types. It typically includes multiple ecosystems and represents a higher level of organization.

Defining Biome

A biome refers to a community of plants and animals that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in. Biomes can be found over a range of continents. It is a large area characterized by its vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife.

Defining Biosphere

The highest level of organization, a biosphere is the part of the Earth, including air, land, surface rocks, and water, within which life occurs, and which biotic processes in turn alter or transform. It encompasses all organisms and the environments in which they live on Earth.