Which term describes a community of living organisms alongside their physical environment?

The term that describes a community of living organisms alongside their physical environment is "ecosystem." An ecosystem encompasses both the biotic factors, which include all the living organisms such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, and the abiotic factors, which include the physical environment such as air, water, soil, and climate. This interaction between living organisms and their environment is crucial for understanding ecological dynamics, energy flow, and nutrient cycling.

In contrast, a biome refers to a larger regional context defined primarily by climatic conditions and the types of ecosystems found there. A habitat denotes the specific area where an organism lives, providing the resources needed for survival, while a population focuses on a group of individuals of the same species within a particular area. Each of these terms represents a different ecological concept, but an ecosystem specifically integrates both the living organisms and their physical environment in a unified system.