RAS question
The term 'ecosystem' was coined by:
Correct answer: (A) Arthur Tansley.
Sir Arthur Tansley coined the term "ecosystem" in 1935 for the interactive system formed by living organisms and their physical environment.
Explanation
Sir Arthur Tansley coined the term "ecosystem" in 1935 for the system formed by interactions between organisms in an area and their physical environment. e-PG Pathshala, Principles of Ecology: Ecosystem Processes-II; Part-I attributes the term to A.G. Tansley in 1935 and describes an ecosystem as the integration of organisms in a given area with the physical factors of the environment. Tansley is therefore the precise answer; other scholars developed ecosystem ecology later. The concept treats organisms not in isolation but as part of a dynamic system involving their surroundings, energy flow, trophic structure, biotic diversity and material cycles.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Eugene Odum is linked with the later development of ecosystem ecology, but he did not coin the term "ecosystem".
- (C) Ernst Haeckel is associated with coining the term "ecology", which is a related but different term from "ecosystem".
- (D) Charles Elton is known for food-chain concepts, whereas Sir Arthur Tansley coined the term "ecosystem" in 1935.
Concept
The origin and meaning of the term "ecosystem" are standard foundation points in Environment and Ecology. In RAS, questions linking a term to the scientist who coined it test both conceptual knowledge and the history of the discipline. The same foundation helps explain organism-environment interactions, energy flow and trophic structure.