The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word BIOTA
B
I
O
T
A
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "all the life in a place" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case all the life in a place = biota.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BIOTA mean?
BIOTA noun- The living organisms of a region.
- Platycladus orientalis (syn. Biota orientalis, Oriental arborvitae).