Biotope

The term biotope is borrowed from the German language, and is derived from the combination of Greek for life-place and is almost synonymous habitat. It is an area of uniform environmental conditions that provide a living place for specific biotic plants and animals (biota). It may also be referred to as a biocoenosis or biological community.

The first reference to biotope as an ecological system was made by F. Dahl a professor from the Berlin zoological museum in early 1900. Prior to this in 1866 E.Haeckel (1834–1919), also a zoologist, described the importance of habitat for an organism's existence and how the biota of an ecosystem is shaped by the interaction of living things with environmental factors such as water, soil, and geographical features.

The biosphere describes the area above and below land that supports life via the global ecosystem which is composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (non-living) elements from which energy and nutrients are derived.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Abiotic
• Biodiversity.
• Biosphere.
• Ecological baseline.
• Ecosystem.
• Habitat Suitability Index.
• Helping to make Europe a wilder place.
• Natural capital.