organismic Applied to groups of organisms, or communities, that are thought to have properties (e.g. homoeostasis or reproduction) similar to those of a single living organism, making them ‘superorganisms’. The term is most used to describe plant communities by those who consider that discrete climax vegetation entities, e.g. beech–oak woodlands, may be identified. According to this concept, these units will necessarily show a high degree of internal interdependence of species, and on the maturity and death of a community another identical plant association will replace it. This organismic concept forms the theoretical basis for a classificatory approach (e.g. those of F. E.Clements and A. G.Tansley) to the description of vegetation communities and their analysis. Compare individualistic hypothesis.

organismic Applied to groups of organisms, or communities, that are thought to have properties (e.g. homoeostasis or reproduction) similar to those of a single living organism, making them ‘supra-organisms’. The term is most used to describe plant communities by those who consider that discrete climax vegetation entities, e.g. beech-oak woodlands, may be identified. These units will necessarily show a high degree of internal interdependence of species, and on the maturity and death of a community another identical plant association will replace it. This organismic concept forms the theoretical basis for a classificatory approach to the description of vegetation communities and their analysis. Compare INDIVIDUALISTIC HYPOTHESIS.