Eliökunnan

Eliökunnan (the biological community) refers to the assemblage of all populations of organisms living in a defined area and the interactions among them. It is the biotic component of an ecosystem; abiotic factors influence it but are not part of it. The choice of area and scale determines which species are included.

Within an eliökunnan, members vary in abundance and role. Its composition is described by species richness and evenness, while structure is reflected in trophic levels and food-web links. Keystone species can have outsized effects on community organization.

Interactions include competition, predation, herbivory, parasitism, and mutualism. These relations shape abundances and distribution. Energy and matter flow through the community via feeding links, while decomposers recycle nutrients back to the environment.

Dynamics are shaped by disturbance and succession. After a disturbance, communities change in composition and structure until a new equilibrium is reached. Resilience and stability depend on diversity, functional redundancy, and habitat connectivity.

Researchers study eliökunnat through field surveys, transects, time series, and network analyses of interactions. Common metrics include species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, and measures of evenness.

Eliökunnat occur in forests, grasslands, lakes, and coral reefs, each reflecting its environment. Understanding eliökunnan helps explain ecosystem function, biodiversity maintenance, and responses to climate change.

See also eliökunta and ekosysteemi.