ecosphere

/ˈikoʊˌsfɪr/
noun
  1. The entire global ecosystem, including all living organisms and the environments they inhabit, considered as a single system.
    • Scientists study the ecosphere to understand how life interacts with Earth's systems.
    • The ecosphere depends on the balance between plants, animals, and the atmosphere.
    • Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the health of the ecosphere.
  2. A self-contained, sealed environment that supports life, such as a glass terrarium or a space station module.
    • The ecosphere in the lab has survived for two years without any outside input.
    • The astronauts built a small ecosphere inside the space station to grow their own food.
    • In science class, we created a closed ecosphere with shrimp, algae, and water.
Synonyms