Who coined the term ‘Ecosystem’?
Arthur George Tansley, a British ecologist, introduced the term “ecosystem” in 1935. He argued that ecologists should study organisms together with the physical factors of their environment as integrated systems, rather than treating the biological community in isolation. An ecosystem therefore includes the biotic community and abiotic surroundings, linked by energy flow, nutrient cycling, and feedback. Tansley’s formulation helped move ecology toward analysis of systems that can range from a pond or soil patch to a forest or the biosphere, depending on the boundaries selected. Charles Elton made major contributions to food chains, niches, and animal ecology; Eugene Odum later popularized ecosystem ecology and developed ideas about energy flow and succession. Karl Möbius coined “biocenosis” for an interacting community, not “ecosystem.” The historical distinction matters because several scientists shaped related concepts. Tansley is specifically credited with naming and framing the ecosystem as a coupled biological-physical unit, which is why his name applies to this item.
Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 17