群集

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 群集(ぐんしゅう) refers to an assemblage and, in a biological context, to a community of organisms.
• Basic usage: It appears when observing groups of organisms on a tidal flat or studying plants in a forest.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The homophone 群衆
  • 群衆 is also read ぐんしゅう, but refers to a crowd of people.
  • Biological groupings such as 生物の群集 and 植物の群集 use 群集 in this context.