Ecological units, comprise concepts such as population, community, and ecosystem as the basic units,[1] which are at the basis of ecological theory and research, as well as a focus point of many conservation strategies.[2] The concept of ecological units continues to suffer from inconsistencies and confusion over its terminology. Analyses of the existing concepts used in describing ecological units have determined that they differ in respects to four major criteria:
A population is considered to be the smallest ecological unit, consisting of a group of individuals that belong to the same species. A community would be the next classification, referring to all of the population present in an area at a specific time, followed by an ecosystem, referring to the community and its interactions with its physical environment.[2] An ecosystem is the most commonly used ecological unit and can be universally defined by two common traits:[3]
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