closed ecological system


closed ecological system

[¦klōzd ek·ə′läj·ə·kəl ‚sis·təm] (aerospace engineering) A system used in spacecraft that provides for the maintenance of life in an isolated living chamber through complete reutilization of the material available, in particular, by means of a cycle wherein exhaled carbon dioxide, urine, and other waste matter are converted chemically or by photosynthesis into oxygen, water, and food. (ecology) A community into which a new species cannot enter due to crowding and competition.