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ECOSYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT
all the factors in a habitat which affect an organism; these may be either living
(= biotic) or non living (= abiotic).
POPULATION
COMMUNITY
all the organisms (= the biotic factors) in a particular habitat at one time.
HABITAT
NICHE
SPECIES
FOOD CHAIN
FOOD WEB
TROPHIC LEVEL
a feeding level in a food web - defined by the method of obtaining food; all the
organisms in a particular trophic level are the same number of energy transfers
away from the producers.
PRODUCER
PRIMARY
CONSUMER
the second organism in a food chain (in the second trophic level); consumes/
obtains energy from the producer; (thus a herbivore).
SECONDARY
CONSUMER
PYRAMID OF
NUMBERS
PYRAMID OF
BIOMASS
PYRAMID OF
ENERGY
CARRYING
CAPACITY
ENVIRONMENTAL the environmental factors which reduce population growth rate: e.g. disease
RESISTANCE
predation, competition.
AbioticNonlivingcomponentsofanecosystem;basicelementsandcompoundsofthe
environment.
AbsorptionTheprocessbywhichasolutionpassesfromonesystemtoanother.
AgeclassAdescriptivetermtoindicatetherelativeageofplants.
AlienspeciesAspeciesintroducedandoccurringinlocationsbeyonditsknownhistorical
range.Thisincludesintroductionsfromothercontinents,bioregions,andalsothosenotnativeto
thelocalgeographicregion.ExecutiveOrder(E.O.),InvasiveSpecies,February3,1999,more
narrowlydefinesanalienspeciesandtiesthedefinitiontoanoccurrenceoutsideanative.
AutecologyAsubdivisionofecologythatdealswiththerelationshipofindividualsofa
speciestotheirenvironment.
Bioengineeringseesoilbioengineering
BiodiversityThetotalvariabilitywithinandamongspeciesoflivingorganismsandthe
ecologicalcomplexesthattheyinhabit.Biodiversityhasthreelevelsecosystem,species,and
geneticdiversityreflectedinthenumberofdifferentspecies,thedifferentcombinationof
species,andthedifferentcombinationsofgeneswithineachspecies.
BiologicalcontrolTheuseoforganismsorvirusestocontrolparasites,weeds,orotherpests.
BiomassThetotalamountoflivingplantsandanimalsabove/orbelowgroundinanareaata
giventime.
BiotypeAgroupofindividualswithinapopulationoccurringinnature,allwithessentiallythe
samegeneticconstitution.Aspeciesusuallyconsistsofmanybiotypes.Seealsoecotype.
DiversityThedistributionandabundanceofdifferentplantsandanimalcommunitieswithinan
area.Alsoameasureofthenumberofspeciesandtheirrelativeabundancewithinagiven
associationoforganisms.Areasofhighdiversityarecharacterizedbyagreatvarietyofspecies;
usuallyrelativelyfewindividualsrepresentanyonespecies.Areaswithlowdiversityare
characterizedbyafewspecies;oftenrelativelylargenumbersofindividualsrepresenteach
species.
DominantvegetationPlantspeciesorspeciesgroupsthat,bymeansoftheirnumber,
coverage,orsize,haveconsiderableinfluenceorcontrolupontheconditionsofexistenceof
associatedspecies.
Dormancy(1)Aninternalconditionofthechemistryorstageofdevelopmentofaviableseed
thatpreventsitsgermination,althoughtemperatureandmoistureareadequateforgrowth.(2)A
livingplantthatisnotactivelygrowingaerialshoots.
DrymatterTheamountofbiomass(i.e.feedorclippings)remainingafterallfreemoistureis
evaporatedout.Thebiomassmaybeartificiallydriedinanovenat100105
0
C.
EcoclineSeriesofbiotypeswithinaspeciesthatshowsageneticgradientcorrelatedwitha
gradualenvironmentalgradient.
EcologicalnicheRoleofanorganisminanecologicalsystem.Includesthephysicalspaceina
habitatoccupiedbyanorganism;itsfunctionalroleinthecommunity(e.g.,itstrophicposition);
anditspositioninenvironmentalgradientsoftemperature,moisture,pH,soil,andother
conditionsofexistence.
EcologicaloptimumThemostfavorableconditionsintheenvironmentforthegrowthand
reproductionofanorganism.
EcologicalraceGroupoflocalpopulationswithinaspeciesinwhichindividualshavesimilar
environmentaltolerances.Widerangingspeciesmayconsistofmanyecologicalraces.
EcologicalsiteAkindoflandwithaspecificpotentialnaturalcommunityandspecific
physicalsitecharacteristics,differingfromotherkindsoflandinabilitytoproducevegetation
andtorespondtomanagement.Syn.Ecologicaltype,ecologicalresponseunit.
Ecologicalstatus(1)Thepresentstateofvegetationandsoilprotectionofanecologicalsitein
relationtothepotentialnaturalcommunityforthesite.Vegetationstatusistheexpressionofthe
relativedegreeofwhichthekinds,proportions,andamountsofplantsinacommunityresemble
thatofthepotentialnaturalcommunity.Ifclassesorratingsareused,theyshouldbedescribed
inecologicalratherthanutilizationterms.Forexample,someagenciesareutilizingfourclasses
ofecologicalstatusratings(earlyseral,midseral,lateseral,potentialnaturalcommunity)of
vegetationcorrespondingto025%,2650%,5175%,and76100%ofthepotentialnatural
communitystandard.Soilstatusisameasureofpresentvegetationandlittercoverrelativetothe
amountofcoverneededonthesitetopreventacceleratederosion.Thistermisnotusedbyall
agencies.(2)Thepresentstateofvegetationandsoilprotectionofanecologicalsiteinrelation
tothehistoricclimaxplantcommunityforthesite.Vegetationstatusistheexpressionofthe
relativedegreeofwhichthekinds,proportions,andamountsofplantsinacommunityresemble
thatofthehistoricclimaxplantcommunity.Ifclassesorratingsareused,theyshouldbe
describedinecologicalratherthanutilizationterms.
EcologicalsystemSeeecosystem.
EcologicaltypeAlandclassificationcategorythatismorespecificthanaphaseofahabitat
type.Ecologicaltypesarecommonlyusedtodifferentiatehabitatphasesintocategoriesofland,
whichdifferintheirabilitytoproducevegetationortheirresponsetomanagement.Syn.
ecologicalresponseunit,ecologicalsite.
EcophenePlantsdifferinginappearance,especiallyinthesizeofvegetativeparts,numbersof
stems,erectness,andreproductivevigorbutbelongingtoessentiallyhomogeneousgeneticstock.
Theirdistinctnessisdueentirelytoenvironmentalinfluences,forwhendifferentecophenesare
transplantedintothesamehabitatthesedifferencesdisappear.
EcosystemEnergydrivencomplexofoneormoreorganismsandtheirenvironment.
Organismstogetherwiththeirabioticenvironment,forminganinteractingsystem,inhabitingan
identifiablespace.Thewholesystem,inthesenseofphysics,includingnotonlytheorganism
complex,butalsothewholecomplexofphysicalfactorsformingwhatwecalltheenvironment.
Thecomplexoflivingandnonlivingcomponentsinaspecifiedlocationthatcompriseastable
systeminwhichtheexchangeofmaterialfollowsacircularpathsuchasabiome.Acommunity
oforganismsandtheenvironmentinwhichtheylive.Asystemofecologicalrelationshipsina
localenvironment,includingrelationshipsbetweenorganisms,andbetweentheorganismsand
theenvironmentitself.Syn.:ecologicalsystem.
EcotoneTransitionalzonebetweentwovegetationaltypesorvegetationalregions.Atransition
areaofvegetationbetweentwocommunities,havingcharacteristicsofbothkindsofneighboring
vegetationaswellascharacteristicsofitsown.Varieswidthdependingonsiteandclimatic
factors.Atransitionlineorstripofvegetationbetweentwocommunities,havingcharacteristics
ofbothkindsofneighboringvegetationaswellascharacteristicsofown.
Ecotype(1)Apopulationofplantsthathasbecomegeneticallydifferentiatedinresponsetothe
conditionsofaparticularhabitat.Theplantsmayvaryingrowthhabit,maturity,andother
characteristicssuchaspubescenceandflowercolor.Sometimesreferredtoasageographical
race.(2)Atransitionareaofvegetationbetweentwocommunities,havingcharacteristicsof
bothkindsofneighboringvegetationaswellascharacteristicsofitsown.Widthvaries
dependingonsiteandclimaticfactors.Transitionzonebetweentwovegetationtypesor
vegetationtyperegions.(3)Atransitionlineorstripofvegetationbetweentwocommunities,
havingcharacteristicsofbothkindsofneighboringvegetationaswellascharacteristicsofown.
(4)Alocallyadaptedpopulationwithinaspecieswhichhascertaingeneticallydetermined
characteristics;interbreedingbetweenecotypesinnotrestricted.(5)Avarietyorstrainwithina
givenspeciesthatmaintainsitsdistinctidentitybyadaptationtoaspecificenvironment.(6)A
locallyadaptedpopulationofaspecieswhichhasadistinctivelimitoftoleranceto
environmentalfactors.(7)Avarianttypewithinanecospecies.
EcovarTheoffspringofnativespeciesthathavebeendevelopedfromoriginalplantmaterial
collectedformaspecificecologicalregion.Selectionisdonewithminoremphasisonimproving
agronomiccharacteristics,andmajoremphasisonmaintaininggeneticdiversity.Seealso
ecotype.
EndemicNativetoorrestrictedtoaparticulararea,region,orcountry.
EnvironmentThesumofallexternalconditionsthataffectanorganismorcommunityto
influenceitsdevelopmentorexistence.
EnvironmentalrangeRangeofenvironmentalconditionsinwhich,atagiventime,the
membersofaspecieslive.
EvapotranspirationTheactuallossofwaterbyevaporationfromsoil,waterbodies,and
transpirationfromvegetationoveragivenareawithtime.
FloodtoleranceAplantsabilitytowithstandwaterinundationforperiodsrangingfromdays
tomonths.
Flora(1)Theplantspeciesofanarea.(2)Asimplelistofplantspeciesorataxonomic
manual.
FoliageThegreenorliveleavesofplants.
FoodreservesTheexcesscarbohydratesinplantsproducedduringphotosynthesisandstored
inareadilyavailableforminthevariousplantparts.Dependingonforagespecies,theymaybe
storedintheroots,stembases,stolons,orrhizomes.Oftenerroneouslycalledrootreserves.
GenepoolThetotalstockofgenesinabreedingpopulation,witheachgenerepresentinga
numberofalleles.Seealsogeneticpool.
GeneticdiversityThetotalamountofgeneticvariationpresentinapopulationorspecies.
Havingaheterogeneousconstitution,reactingdifferentlytodiverseexternalcondition.(Applied
toabreedingpopulation,variety,orspecies.).Thegeneticconstitutionofanindividualorgroup.
GeneticengineeringTheuseofinvitrotechniquestoproduceDNAmoleculescontaining
novelcombinationsofgenesorothersequencesinlivingcellsthatmakethemcapableof
producingnewsubstancesorperformingnewfunctions.Usage:Apopulartermforsuch
technologiesasawhole.
GeneticerosionThelossofgeneticdiversitybetweenandwithinpopulationsofthesame
speciesovertime;orareductionofthegeneticbaseofaspeciesduetohumanintervention,
environmentalchanges,etc.
GeneticflowTheexchangeofgenesbetweendifferentpopulations.Alsotermedmigration,it
isconsideredtobeasourceofgeneticvariation.Asingleintroductionofgenesintoanew
populationisknownasgeneexchange.Ifgenemigrationisconstantandrecurrentitisknownas
geneflow.Thecloserpopulationsarerelatedspatiallyandgenetically,themorelikelythe
chancesofgeneflow.
GeneticpoolThetotalityofgenesandgenecomplexesofagivenpopulationatagiventime.
Thesumofallgeneticinformationcarriedbyallindividualsofaninterbreedingpopulation.All
oftheallelesofallthegenesinapopulation.
GeneticshiftAchangeinthegermplasmbalanceofacrosspollinatedvariety,usuallycaused
byenvironmentalselectionpressures.
GenotypeThegeneticconstitutionofanindividualorgroupofplants.Individualplantsmay
varyinappearance(phenotypically),buttheymusthavethegeneticcharacteristicsofthe
genotype.Thegeneticconstitution,latentorexpressed,ofanorganism,ascontrastedwiththe
phenotype.Thesumtotalofallgenespresentinanindividual.
GeographicrangeGeographiclimitsoftheecologicalrange;geographicextentofactual
occurrencesofaspecies.
GrasslandLandonwhichthevegetationisdominatedbygrasses,grasslikeplants,and/or
forbs.
GreenchopMechanicallyharvestedforagefedtoanimalswhilestillfresh.
GroundCoverThepercentageofmaterial,otherthanbareground,coveringthelandsurface.
Itmayincludeliveanddeadstandingvegetation,litter,cobble,gravel,stones,bedrock,and
crytogams.Groundcoverplusbaregroundwouldtotal100percent.
GrowthrateThevolume,value,orothertypesofincreaseinplants,e.g.,treesandshrubs
expressedintermsofnumberofringsperinch.
HabitattypeThecollectiveareawhichoneplantassociationoccupiesorwillcometooccupy
assuccessionadvances.Thehabitattypeisdefinedanddescribedonthebasisofthevegetation
anditsassociatedenvironment.
HardwoodAtermusedtodescribebroadleaf,usuallydeciduous,treessuchasoaks,maples,
ashes,elms,etc.Itdoesnotnecessarilyrefertothehardnessofthewood.
HardseedSeeSeed,hard.
HeartwoodTheinnercoreofawoodystem,whollycomposedofnonlivingcellsandusually
differentiatedfromtheouterenvelopinglayer(sapwood)byitsdarkercolor.
HerbAnyfloweringplantexceptthosedevelopingpersistentwoodystemsaboveground.
HerbageTotalabovegroundbiomassofplantsincludingshrubsregardlessofgrazing
preferenceoravailability.
HerbicideAchemicalwhichkillsherbaceous(nonwoody)plants.
HumuslayerThetopportionofthesoilthatowesitscharacteristicfeaturestoitscontentof
organicmatter.
Hybridoffspringofacrossbetweengeneticallydissimilarindividuals.Firstgeneration
progenyresultingfromthecontrolledcrossfertilizationbetweenindividualsthatdifferinoneor
moregenes.
Indicatorspecies(1)Speciesthatindicatethepresenceofcertainenvironmentalconditions,
rangecondition,previoustreatment,orsoiltype.(2)Oneormoreplantspeciesselectedto
indicateacertainlevelofgrazinguse.
InitialEvaluation(IE)Theevaluationofthecharacteristicsandcomparativeperformanceof
anassemblyofplantsundercontrolledconditionssothatpromisingplantscanbeselectedfor
furtherevaluation.
MarshAflat,wet,treelessareausuallycoveredbystandingwateratleastpartoftheyearand
supporting,grasses,grasslike,waterlovingforbs.
NativespeciesAnativeplantspeciesisonethatoccursnaturallyinaparticularregion,state,
ecosystem,andhabitatwithoutdirectorindirecthumanactions.Climate,soil,andbioticfactors
determineitspresenceandevolutioninanarea.Synonymsofnativeincludeindigenous,
endemic,aboriginal.
pHThemeasureoftheacidityoralkalinityofsoil.Descriptivetermscommonlyassociated
withcertainrangesinpHare:extremelyacid<4.5;verystronglyacid4.55.0;stronglyacid5.1
5.5;moderatelyacid5.66.0;slightlyacid6.16.5;neutral6.67.3;slightlyalkaline7.47.8;
moderatelyalkaline7.98.4;stronglyalkaline8.59.0;andverystronglyalkaline>9.1.
PhotosynthesisThemetabolicpathwaybywhichplantsproducefood.SeealsoC3plants,
C4plants,andCAMplants.
PhytomassTotalamountofplants,includingdeadattachedparts,aboveandbelowgroundin
anareaatagiventime.SeeBiomass.
PioneerspeciesThefirstspeciesorcommunitytocolonizeorrecolonizeabarrenordisturbed
areainprimaryorsecondarysuccession.
PlantationAnartificiallyreforestedareaestablishedbyplantingordirectseeding.
PlantcommunitytypeEachoftheexistingplantcommunitiesthatcanoccupyanecological
site.Severalplantcommunitytypeswilltypicallybefoundonanecologicalsite,includingthe
historicclimaxplantcommunityforthatsite.
Population(1)Theaggregateoforganismswhichinhabitaparticularareaorregion;(2)a
(specified)portionofsuchanaggregate,usuallyagroupoforganismsofthesamekind
occupyinganareasmallenoughtoallowinterbreeding.
PristineAstateofecologicalstabilityorconditionexistingintheabsenceofdirect
disturbancesbymodernman.Seealsorelict.
RaceAtermsometimesusedtodenoteecotypes.
RehabilitationReturnoflandtoaformandproductivitythatconformswithapriorlanduse
plan,includingastableecologicalstatethatdoesnotcontributesubstantiallytoenvironmental
deteriorationandisconsistentwithsurroundingaestheticvalues.Improvingaprojectsitetoa
moredesiredconditionthanpreviouslyexisted,usuallyasresultofamajordisturbance.
Synonymouswithreclamation.
RejuvenationRestoretohealthyvigorousgrowth,oftenthroughweedcontrol,pruning,
fertilization,irrigation,ortreatmentforinsectsanddiseases.
RestorationTheprocessofrestoringsiteconditionsastheywerebeforelanddisturbance.
Note:restorationinvolvesrestoringasitetoaspecificpointintime.
RevegetationEstablishingorreestablishingdesirableplantsinareaswheredesirableplants
areabsentorofinadequatedensity,bymanagementalone(naturalrevegetation)orbyseedingor
transplanting(artificialrevegetation).Ageneraltermforrenewingthevegetationonaproject
site.Referstothevegetationconstructionphaseofreclamation.
RootsTheportionofaplantwhichisgenerallyundergroundandwhichfunctionsinnutrient
absorption,anchorage,andstorageoffoodandwasteproducts.
SalinesoilAsoilconditioninwhichsolublesaltsarepresentinthesoilinsufficientquantities
toaffecttheabilityofplantstoabsorbwaterfromthesoil.MeasuredindeciSiemenspermeter
(dS/M)ormillimhospercentimeter(mmhos/cm)thefollowingquantifiestherangesofsalinity:
<2notsaline;24veryslightlysaline;48slightlysaline;816moderatelysaline;and>16
stronglysaline.
ScaleBudcoveringortiny,bluntleaf.
SeedAfertilizedripenedovuleofafloweringplant.
SeedbankSeedstoredinthesoil,generallyashardordormantseed,whichareviableandwill
germinategivenproperconditions.
ShrubAplantthathaspersistent,woodystems,arelativelylowgrowthhabit,andgenerally
producesseveralbasalshootsinsteadofasinglebole.Itdiffersfromatreebyitslowstatureand
nonarborescentform.
SoftwoodGenerally,oneofthebotanicalgroupsoftressthatinmostcaseshaveneedleor
scalelikeleaves;theconifers;also,thewoodproducedbysuchtrees.
Soilbioengineeringintegratinglivingwoodyandherbaceousmaterialswithorganicand
inorganicmaterialstoincreasethestrengthandstructureofthesoil.
SoiltextureTherelativeportionofsand,silt,andclayinthesoil.
SpeciescompositionTheproportionsofvariousplantspeciesinrelationtothetotalonagiven
area.Itmaybeexpressedintermsofcover,density,weight,etc.
Succession(1)Theprogressivereplacementofplantcommunitiesonasitewhichleadstothe
potentialnaturalplantcommunity,i.e.,attainingstability.Primarysuccessionentails
simultaneoussuccessionsofsoilfromparentmaterialandvegetation.Secondarysuccession
occursfollowingdisturbancesonsitesthatpreviouslysupportedvegetation,andentailsplant
successiononamorematuresoil.(2)Theprogressivedevelopmentofvegetationtowardits
highestecologicalexpression,theclimaxreplacementofoneplantcommunitybyanother.
Taxona taxonomic group of any rank, such as a species, family, or class.
TotalannualproductionTheannualproductionofasinglespeciesorallplantspeciesofa
plantcommunity.
TransplantAplant,whichhasbeenremovedfromitsoriginalseedbedandreplantedoneor
moretimes(commoninnurseries).
TreeAwoodyperennial,usuallysinglestemmedplantthathasadefinitecrownshapeand
reachesamatureheightofatleast4meters.Thedistinctionbetweenwoodyplantsknownas
treesandthosecalledshrubsisgradual.Someplantsgrowaseithertreesorshrubs.
WatertableThehighestpointinasoilprofilewherewatercontinuallysaturatesthesoilona
seasonalorpermanentbasis.
WatertoleranceRelativeabilityofaplanttoreproduceandgrowundersaturatedorflooded
conditions.
WetlandsAreascharacterizedbysoilsthatareusuallysaturatedorponded;i.e.,hydricsoils,
andthatsupportmostlywaterlovingplants;i.e.,hydrophyticplants.
WildlifehabitatTheenvironmentofananimal,ideallyprovidingallelementsrequiredforlife
andgrowth;food,water,coverandspace.