Plural of biotope; the smallest geographical areas of uniform environmental conditions that support a specific group of organisms.
From German Biotop, from bio- (life) + Greek topos (place). Coined in the 1920s by German ecologist Friedrich Dahl to describe specific ecological units.
A biotope is smaller than a biome—a single tree trunk is a biotope, a rotting log is a biotope, and each one has its own unique community of creatures living in it!
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