Can ecosystems be considered their own agents? They have all the qualifications of being life, and they collectively have want to continue their own existence. And along with that, couldn't civilizations and collectives be considered their own agents? I think the only argument against it would be that not all of the smaller agents inside of the respective systems would be on the same page, or all striving for the same things, but if they were (and I think they can), shouldn't there be a definition to describe that sort of entity or collective? Is there a name for the study of this, and if so, where can I go to learn more about it?