anthracnose
[n] |
|
Anthracnose
is a term that describes symptoms (usually dark, sunken spots on the leaves)
present in several plant diseases. The diseases are caused by infection
by one of several fungi that affect a variety of plants, including beans,
grapes, sycamore, and other trees. Anthracnose occurs in both deciduous
and evergreen trees and shrubs. In deciduous plants, it is worst in areas
where long spring rains occur after new growth. |
archaeology
[n]
archaeological
[adj] |
|
the study
of peoples of the past, their lives, cultures, communities, and technologies
(usually by excavation and examination of objects such as tools, houses,
and food remains) |
autecology
[adj.] |
|
Autecology is the study of an individual organism and its relation to its environment and other individuals. It is the ecology of an individual-how the individual responses physically to the environment, its behavior, and relations to other individuals. |
barrens [n] |
|
The term 'barrens' describes a variety of open-canopied forests with understories of grasses and prairie plants. They are a unique combination of forest (oak) opening and prairie surrounded by dry or mesic upland forests with greater canopy cover. Both barrens and savannas have widely spaced trees and understories of grasses, but whereas savannas occur on a range of soils from nutrient poor to nutrient rich, barrens are restricted to poor, thin, excessively drained soils. |
biological
[adj.] |
|
pertaining
to the study of living organisms |
blowout
[n] |
|
A blowout
is an wind-eroded section of a sand dune. The erosion usually is caused
by a disturbance or removal of the vegetation, such as grazing or destructive
recreational activities. |
boreal
forest [n] |
|
The boreal forest is a cold-temperate forest dominated mostly by conifers (spruce, fir, etc.). It may also contain some broad-leaved deciduous trees such as birch. The boreal forest is circumpolar-it stretches around the globe. It is located between the northern tundra and the southern temperate mixed forests or steppe. In Europe and Asia, the boreal forest is also referred to as the Taiga. Winters are long and cold in the boreal forest, lasting from 6 to 9 months. |
botany
[n] |
|
the study
of plants |
buttressed
[adj.] |
|
Supported
or strengthened
In botany,
the term is used to describe the flared bases of the trunks of trees such
as bald cypress or tupelo gum. |
cambium
[n] |
|
The cambium
is an area of non-specialized cells that can develop into any type of tissue.
It produces new tissue as parallel layers of cells that increase the diameter
of the tree.
Vascular
cambium [n] - The vascular cambium is a thin layer of undifferentiated
cells. The outermost cells (phloem) conduct nutrients from the leaves throughout
the rest of the tree.
Cork
cambium [n] - the cambium cells that divide to form bark |
canopy
[n] |
|
the upper
forest layer of leaves consisting sometimes of tops (crowns) of individual
trees whose branches cross each other |
catkin
[n] |
|
Catkins
are compact, drooping clusters of tiny flowers. They are usually either
male or female. When there are only flowers of one sex, the males are usually
a bit larger. Catkins are most obvious in willows and their relatives and
are recognized as drooping and caterpillar-shaped. |
codominant
[n] |
|
sharing
dominance; of equal importance
For example,
an oak-hickory forest might be dominated by both oak and hickory. |
community
[n] |
|
Plant
'communities' are collections of different plant species that occur with
one another under similar conditions (ecological, geological, hydrological,
and geographical). Typically, communities are specific collections of organisms
that interact with one another and the environment and are recognized in
other locations in the world. |
conifer
[n] |
|
a cone-bearing
tree |
crown
[n] |
|
The crown
consists of the spreading upper branches and associated leaves of a tree. |
cultural
[adj.] |
|
The term
cultural describes human activities that are learned behaviors, such as
language, customs, and education. |
deciduous
[adj.] |
|
a tree
that sheds its leaves seasonally |
diatoms
[n] |
|
Diatoms
are tiny one-celled algae that live in marine or fresh water. They possess
a bivalve shell (two overlapping shells) made largely of silica (the major
component of sand). |
disturbance [n] |
|
Disturbance is a general term for a disruption of the natural environment. Disturbances in ecosystems can be the result of from human activity or natural phenomena. |
diversity
[n] |
|
Diversity
refers to the number of species types in a community. A richly diverse
community would have many different types of organisms. |
dominant
vegetation [n] |
|
Dominant
vegetation consists of the plants that have the most influence and (sometimes)
are the most abundant and occupy the most space in a community. |
drought
[n] |
|
a very
long period of dryness in an otherwise favorable climate |
ecology
[n]
ecological
[adj.] |
|
Ecology
is the study of the relationships among organisms and the relationships
and interactions of organisms with their environment. Ecology comes from
the Greek for "dwelling place" or house. |
ecosystem
[n] |
|
an interacting
community of living organisms and their non-living environment
An ecosystem
has distinctive features related to the organisms present and their relationship
to that environment. |
ephemerals
[n] |
|
Ephemerals
are herbaceous plants that complete their life cycles very quickly when
conditions are best for growth and reproduction. Examples of ephemerals
are spring woodland flowers such as trout lily (Erythronium) that
grow and flower in the spring before the trees leaf out and shade them. |
evergreen
[adj.] |
|
a plant
that retains green leaves all year |
fire
break [n] |
|
a barrier
of cleared land, water (streams, lakes, ponds), or surface features (cliffs,
dry ridges, etc.) that prevents the spread of fire |
fire
suppression [n] |
|
the active
prevention of naturally occurring fires
European
settlers sought to stop fires in savanna and prairie ecosystems in an effort
to protect their crops and homes. |
foliage
[n] |
|
leaves |
forage
croplands [n] |
|
croplands
devoted to the growth of crops for food for livestock |
forbs
[n] |
|
herbaceous
(non-woody) plants that are non-grassy
Forbs
occur in the ground layer in forests. |
glacial
drift [n] |
|
sediment
that has been deposited by a glacier |
glacial
kettle [n] |
|
Kettles
form in glacial drift when glacial ice (ice block) melts and leaves a usually
steep-sided depression, which may or may not fill with water to form a
small lake. |
glacial
outwash [n] |
|
glacial
drift deposited away from the glacial by meltwater streams coming from
the glacier |
glacial till [n] |
|
sand, pebbles, and boulders deposited by a glacier |
herbarium
[n] |
|
An herbarium
is a climate-controlled place where plants are preserved (pressed on acid-free
herbarium paper), stored, and cataloged (according to family, genus, species,
etc.). Also included is information on their date and place of collection,
and collector. Herbaria are extremely important for plant classification
work. |
herbivores
[n] |
|
animals
that eat only plants |
hierarchical
system [n] |
|
a system
in which items/organisms are ranked to form a characteristic 'family tree'
Organisms
are arranged into groups based on a system going from more inclusive to
less inclusive characteristics. An example of a list arranged this way
is: tree, oak, red oak. |
hydrological
[adj.] |
|
pertaining
to the flow of water through land and air environments, which include surface
waters (lakes and streams), oceans, and ice caps |
impermeable [adj.] |
|
The layer is so compact and hard that it is almost impossible for rain water to go through it. |
interstadial
[n] |
|
the stage
of a glacier in which there is a temporary retreat of the ice |
instrumentation
[n] |
|
types
of tools used for observation, measurement, or control |
isotopes
[n] |
|
different
varieties of the same element (carbon, for example) whose nuclei have the
same number of protons and electrons, but different numbers of neutrons |
leaf
phenology [n] |
|
A term
used to describe the influence of seasonal changes and climate on the appearance
of leaves
an example:
deciduous leaves vs. evergreen leaves |
loam
[n] |
|
Loam
is a type of soil that consists of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter.
Water trickles down through this soil. It is a rich soil, typically good
for plant growth. |
matrix
[n] |
|
the material
in which something is embedded |
mesophytic
[adj.] |
|
A mesophytic
plant is one that is adapted to environments that are neither dry nor wet.
(meso- means in the middle) |
metabolic
pathways [n] |
|
a series
of chemical changes in cells that create energy for activities such as
processing nutrients and growth |
moraines
[n] |
|
sediments
deposited when a glacier is melting as fast as it is advancing |
neotropical
[adj.] |
|
Neotropical
describes an area including South and Central America, Southern Mexico,
the West Indies, and the Galapagos Islands. These regions have a distinctive
set of plants and animals. |
organic
[n] |
|
containing
carbon from living organisms |
ostracodes
[n] |
|
Ostracodes,
also called 'seed shrimp,' are a group of marine or freshwater crustaceans.
Their bodies are enclosed in bivalve, rounded or elliptical shells. The
outer layer is composed mostly of calcium carbonate.
There
are over 2000 species of living ostracodes. They are good paleo-indicators
because the different species have distinctive environmental requirements. |
paleontological
[adj] |
|
related
to the study of fossil plants and animals |
parkland
[n] |
|
A parkland
is an open woodland with widely scattered trees and a grass or sedge understory. |
perched
[adj.] |
|
In water
science, this term refers to water that is isolated above the groundwater
by a layer of rock or organic material. |
percolate
[v] |
|
to seep
downward through a porous material such as soil or gravel |
perennial
[n] |
|
A perennial
plant is one that lives year after year and typically produces flowers
annually after two years. |
physiology [n] |
|
Physiology is the study of the processes and functions of living organisms and how these change during growth and under changing environmental conditions. |
photosynthesis
[n] |
|
Photosynthesis
is the process by which green plants convert light energy to chemical energy.
Carbon dioxide, water, and energy absorbed by chlorophyll from the sunlight
are used to produce carbohydrates. This energy is then used for plant growth
and metabolism. |
physiognomy
[n] |
|
Physiognomy refers to overall structure or physical appearance-what the community and its dominant species look like, their height and spacing (height and canopy cover), and shape. It is descriptive of the life forms of the dominant species, for example, their size, leaf traits, and phenology (deciduous, evergreen). |
physiography
[n] |
|
a description
of features and phenomena, such as the relief, lakes or other landforms
in a given geographic region |
pollen
[n] |
|
a microscopic
plant that contains male genetic material, which when combined with female
genetic material, creates a seed |
Prairie
Peninsula [n] |
|
The Prairie
Peninsula is a wedge of grassland projecting eastward from the Great Plains
into the Midwest. It stretches from western Iowa to Indiana, with outlying
extensions as far east as Ohio. Deciduous forest occurs both north and
south of the Prairie Peninsula. Tall Grass Prairie, which takes its name
from tall grasses such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and
Indian grass (Sorhgastrum nutans) dominated the Prairie Peninsula. |
precipitation
[n] |
|
Precipitation
refers to moisture deposited on the ground. This includes rain, snow, and
sleet. |
proxy
data [n] |
|
data
which serve as a substitute for data that cannot be obtained directly
Certain
deductions can be made from proxy data that relates to the evidence, situation,
or problem being studied. |
radiocarbon
dates [n] |
|
dates
based upon the rate of decay of carbon 14 when an organism (plant or animal)
dies |
regenerate [v] |
|
to grow again, or to successfully produce offspring (new trees) that grow to maturity and reproduce |
relict species [n] |
|
A relict species is one that has survived periods of unfavorable conditions (e.g. glaciations, floods, drought) when other, related species became extinct. Relict species usually persist in very localized areas (called refugia areas where they can still grow) whereas they were more widely distributed in the past. |
root sprout [n] |
|
new groth is initiated from the base of the tree, resulting in mutlibple trunks |
savanna [n] |
|
A savanna is a forest type with widely spaced trees and an understory of grasses and other forbs that require high levels of light. |
siltation
[n] |
|
the deposit
of very fine sediments |
soil
horizon [n] |
|
a layer
of soil that is distinctive from the one above or below it
Soil horizons
are more or less parallel to the soil surface and are usually distinguishable
based on physical and biological processes, parent material, weather, age,
etc. |
steppe
[n] |
|
large,
dry, level, grassland having few or no trees |
stomata
[n] |
|
Small
openings in the upper tissues of the leaf through which gases (carbon dioxide,
oxygen, water vapor) are exchanged |
sub-canopy
[n] |
|
the plant
layer just below the uppermost canopy layer (treetops exposed directly
to sunlight)
The sub-canopy
consists of older trees, young trees, and shrubs, the growth of which has
been limited by shade. |
taxonomy
[n] |
|
classification
of organisms |
thermokarst
lake [n] |
|
a lake
formed or expanded by the melting of the surrounding frozen ground
Thermokarst
lakes can form in areas of permafrost when it melts; the ice in the ground
melts from the warmth of the lake water. |
topography
[n] |
|
the physical
features of a region, such as hills, mountains, valleys and the configuration
or contour of these features |
transpiration
[n] |
|
the flow
of water up from the soil through the roots and up through the stem to
the leaves, where it evaporates through the stomata (small holes in the
leaf surface)
Although
transpiration is a source of water loss in plants, it also serves to transport
minerals and nutrients within the plant, and cools the leaves. |
tropical
forest [n] |
|
The term
is used here to describe tropical rain forests, which occur in the lowlands
around the equator. They are characterized by many vines and epiphytes
(plants that live on other plants), and trees that flower, fruit, and have
leaves all year. |
tundra
[n] |
|
a grassy
plain in the arctic and antarctic dominated by sedges, rushes, and wood
rushes, perennial herbs, small woody shrubs, mosses, and lichens |
understory
[n] |
|
trees
and shrubs of the layer immediately beneath the canopy in a forest
|