Absorption- The taking in of water and dissolved minerals and nutrients across cell membranes.

Aerobic- Pertaining to the presence of free oxygen. Aerobic organisms require oxygen for their life processes. Anaerobic- Pertaining to the absence of free oxygen. Anaerobic organisms do not require oxygen for their life processes, in fact oxygen is toxic to many of them. Most anaerobic organisms are bacteria or archaeans. Autotroph- Any organism that is able to manufacture its own food. Most plants are autotrophs, as are many protists and bacteria. Benthic- Organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean are called benthic organisms. They are not free-floating like pelagic organisms are. Biological/biotic factorsscavengers and predators. Living factors such as decomposers,

Biomes- The world's major communities, classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment. Boreal- Describes the northern biotic area that is dominated by tundra, taiga, and coniferous forests. Canopy- Layer of vegetation elevated above the ground, usually of tree branches and epiphytes. In tropical forests, the canopy may be more than 100 feet above the ground. Carnivore- Literally, an organism that eats meat. Most carnivores are animals, but a few fungi, plants, and protists are as well. Carrying capacity, n- The amount of animal or plant life (or industry) that can be supported indefinitely on available resources; the number of individuals that the resources of a habitat can support. Climax forest- A community that represents the culminating stage of a natural forest succession for its locality, i.e. for its environment. Competition- An interaction between two organisms or populations where the growth rates of both are inhibited. Competitive exclusion- The elimination from an area of habitat of one species by another through interspecific competition. consumer- Any organism which must consume other organisms (living or dead) to satisfy its energy needs.

Cyst- A small, capsule-like sac that encloses an organism in its resting or larval stage, e.g., a resting spore of an alga. Decomposer- An organism that breaks down the tissue and/or structures of dead organisms. Decomposition- The breakdown of dead organic material by detrivores or saprophytes. Detritus- Accumulated organic debris from dead organisms, often an important source of nutrients in a food web. Detrivore- Any organism which obtains most of its nutrients from the detritus in an ecosystem. Disease- Organisms suffer from disease when their normal function is impaired by some genetic disorder, or more often from the activity of a parasite or other organism living within them. Many diseases are caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Dominant- That component of a community , typically a species, which exerts the greatest influence on its character because of its life-form and/or great abundance Ecological succession- Process in which communities of plant and animal species in a particular area are replaced over time by a series of different and often more complex communities. Ecosystem- An ecological community of various plants, animals, and other organisms, interacting with each other and with the nonliving resources in their environment, all functioning as a unit. Endemic- Of an organism confined, in its indigneous occurrence, to a particular region. Environment- All external conditions and factors, living and nonliving (chemicals and energy), that affect an organism or other specified system during its lifetime; the earth's life-support systems for us and for all other forms of life - in effect another term for describing solar capital and earth capital. Ephemeral- Short-lived or transitory. Epiphyte- A plant growing on, but not nourished by, another plant NOTE: A plant that begins life as an epiphyte but later sends roots into the soil, is termed a hemiphyte.

Evolution- The process of gradual change--generally development but also degeneration--in the attributes of organisms through successive generations. Fire climax- A community maintained by regular fires and therefore differing from any other climax community - PYROPHYTE. Fire dependent- Requiring one or more fires of varying frequency, timing, intensity, and size in order to achieve optimal conditions for population survival and/or growth. Flood plain- Area adjoining a body of water that may become inundated during periods of maximum water levels. That land outside a stream channel described by the perimeter of the maximum probability flood. A strip of relatively smooth land bordering a stream, built of sediment carried by the stream and dropped in the slack water beyond the influence of the swiftest current. Also: Floodplain, Flood-plain. Food chain/food web- All the interactions of predator and prey, included along with the exchange of nutrients into and out of the soil. These interactions connect the various members of an ecosystem, and describe how energy passes from one organism to another. Frugivore- Animal which primarily eats fruit. Many bats and birds are frugivores. Gene pool- The sum total of all the genes that exist among all the individuals of a species. Generalist- Organism which can survive under a wide variety of conditions, and does not specialize to live under any particular set of circumstances. Global warming- The term given to the possibility that Earth's atmosphere is gradually warming because of the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide and other gases. Global warming is thought by many to be the most serious global environmental issue facing our society. Grassland- Region in which the climate is dry for long periods of the summer, and freezes in the winter. Grasslands are characterized by grasses and other erect herbs, usually without trees or shrubs. Greenhouse gases- Gases in the earth's lower atmosphere (troposphere) that cause the greenhouse effect. Examples are carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, methane, water vapor, and nitrous oxide. Groundwater- Water found underground as a result of rainfall, ice and snow melt, submerged rivers, lakes, and springs. This water often carries

minerals. These minerals can accumulate in the remains of buried organisms and eventually cause fossilization. Habitat- The place and conditions in which an organism lives. Habitat- The place where a plant and/or animal population lives and its surroundings, both living and nonliving; includes the provision of life requirements such as food and shelter. It is the environment where a plant or animal will naturally be found. Habitat type- A land or aquatic unit, consisting of an aggregation of habitats having equivalent structure, function, and responses to disturbance. Halophile- Organism which lives in areas of high salt concentration. These organisms must have special adaptations to permit them to survive under these conditions. Herbivore- Literally, an organism that eats plants or other autotrophic organisms. The term is used primarily to describe animals. Host- Organism which serves as the habitat for a parasite, or possibly for a symbiont. A host may provide nutrition to the parasite or symbiont, or simply a place in which to live. Hybrid- The offspring of two parents from separate (though closely related) species. Indicator plant- Any plant that, by its presence, its frequency or its vigor, indicates any particular property of the site--particularly but by no means exclusively, of the soil Indigenous- Native to a specified area or region, not introduced. Ingestion- The intake of water or food particles by "swallowing" them, taking them into the body cavity or into a vacuole. Contrast with absorption. Inorganic- Not containing carbon. Not from living things. Ex., minerals, water, oxygen, etc. Intertidal- The coastal zone measuring from the lowest to the highest tide mark. The intertidal zone is subject to alternating periods of flooding and drying. Kelp forest- Marine ecosystem dominated by large kelps. These forests are restricted to cold and temperate waters, and are most common along the western coasts of continents.

Lichen- A symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a moss. The moss does most of the work, producing sugars for the lichen's collective metabolic pathways. Lichen are generally low-growing, vary in color from bright orange or yellow to gray or black, and are often found growing on rocks and tree bark. Limnology- The study of river system ecology and life. Litter- Leaf litter, or forest litter, is the detritus of fallen leaves and bark which accumulate in forests. Macroscopic- Objects or organisms that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Marine- Refers to the ocean. Mesic- Of sites or habitats characterized by intermediate moisture conditions, i.e. neither decidedly wet or decidedly dry. Mesophile-Of organisms inhabiting sites that are neither decidedly wet nor decidedly dry. Mesophyte- A plant, whose normal habitat is neither very wet nor very dry, i.e. is mesophytic. Microscopic- Objects or organisms that is too small to be seen with the naked eye. Monsoonal- Describes a climate pattern with a wind system that changes direction with the seasons; this pattern is dominant over the Arabian Sea and Southeast Asia. Morphology- The form and structure of anything, usually applied to the shapes, parts, and arrangement of features in living and fossil organisms. Mutualism- An interaction between the individuals of two or more species in which the growth, growth rate, an/or population size of both are increased in a reciprocally beneficial association Mycorrhizae- The phenomenon of the probably symbiotic, or at least non-parastitic, association between the root or rhizome of a green plant and a fungus. Natural range: The geographical and altitudinal limits within which an organism occurs naturally - DISPERSAL. Natural selection- One of several gradual mechanisms through which evolution occurs. Process by which a particular beneficial gene (or set of genes) is reproduced more than other genes in succeeding generations

due to selective pressures in the environment that favour the beneficial gene. The result of natural selection is a population that contains a greater proportion of organisms better adapted to certain environmental conditions. Niche- The ultimate unit of the habitat, i.e. the specific spot occupied by an individual organism, within which individuals of a species can survive, grow, and reproduce. Nitrogen fixation- The process of chemically converting nitrogen gas (N2 ) from the air into compounds, such as nitrates (NO3 ), nitrites (NO2 ), or ammonia (NH3 ), that can be used by plants in building amino acids and other nitrogen-containing organic molecules, Usually by bacteria. Nocturnal- Active only at night. Nutrient- Any element or simple compound necessary for the health and survival of an organism. This includes air and water, as well as food. Nutrient- Any food or element an organism must take in to live, grow, or reproduce. Plant: For example, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus are essential elements; carbon dioxide, water, nitrate (NO3), and phosphate (PO4) are respective nutrients. Animal: protein, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Nutrient cycling- All the processes by which nutrients are transferred from one organism to another. For instance, the carbon cycle includes uptake of carbon dioxide by plants, ingestion by animals, and respiration and decay of the animal. Omnivore- Literally, an organism that will eat anything. Refers to animals that do not restrict their diet to just plants or other animals. Organic- pertaining to compounds containing carbon. Also refers to living things or the materials made by living things. Parasite- An organism that lives on or within a host (another organism); it obtains nutrients from the host without benefiting or killing (although it may damage) the host; parasitic- adj.; parasitism- n. a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other does not. Pathogenic- Organism which causes a disease within another organism. Pelagic- Pelagic organisms swim through the ocean, and may rise to the surface, or sink to the bottom. They are not confined to live on the bottom as benthic organisms do.

Periphyton- Dense strands of algal growth that cover the water surface between the emergent aquatic plants. Spirogyra is commonly responsible for this growth. Photic zone- Region of the ocean through which light penetrates; and the place where photosynthetic marine organisms live. Phytoplankton- Tiny, free-floating, photosynthetic organisms in aquatic systems. They include diatoms, desmids, and Dinoflagellates. Plankton- Very small, free-floating organisms of the ocean or other aquatic systems, including phytoplankton, which produce their own nutrients through photosynthesis, or zooplankton, which get their nutrients from organisms. Pollinator- Animal which carries pollen from one seed plant to another, unwittingly aiding the plant in its reproduction. Common pollinators include insects, especially bees, butterflies, and moths, birds, and bats. Predator- Organism which hunts and eats other organisms. This includes both carnivores, which eat animals, and herbivores, which eat plants. Prey- Organism hunted and eaten by a predator. Primary producer- An organism, such as a plant or microbe that makes its own food and forms the bottom-most tier in a trophic system. Producer- Any organism which brings energy into an ecosystem from inorganic sources. Most plants and many protists are producers. Pyramid of biomass- Diagram representing the biomass (total dry weight of living organisms) that can be supported at each trophic level in a food web. Rain shadow- The dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range, where rainfall is noticeably less than on the windward side. Range- The area in which a plant naturally lives and reproduces; the known geographical distribution of a plant or animal during a defined period of time. Riparian- pertaining to, situated, or dwelling on the margin of a river or other body of water. Trees forming a strip along a watercourse may be termed gallery forest. Vegetation growing along the seashore or a very large lake is termed littoral. Salinity- A measure of the salt concentration of water. Higher salinity means more dissolved salts.

Saprophyte- Organism which feeds on dead and decaying organisms, allowing the nutrients to be recycled into the ecosystem. Fungi and bacteria are two groups with many important saprophytes. Scavenger- An organism that feeds upon dead and dying organisms. Seaweed- Any large photosynthetic protist, including rhodophytes and kelps. Seaweeds are not true plants, but like plants they can make their own food. More info? Seral stage: A temporal and intermediate stage in the process of succession. Shrub- A woody, perennial plant differing from a perennial herb in its persistent and woody stem, and less definitely from a tree in its lower stature and the general absence of a well-defined main stem. Species- In general, a species is a group of organisms that resemble one another in appearance, general behavior, ecological niche, chemical makeup and processes, and genetic structure. Organisms that reproduce sexually are classified as members of the same species only if they can actually or potentially interbreed with one another and produce fertile offspring. Substrate- "Supporting surface" on which an organism grows. The substrate may simply provide structural support, or may provide water and nutrients. A substrate may be inorganic, such as rock or soil, or it may be organic, such as wood. Succession: The gradual supplanting of one community of plants by another, the sequence of communities being termed a sere and each stage seral. Symbiosis- A relationship between two organisms that live in intimate contact with each other; includes mutualism (both organisms benefit, they rely on each other for survival), parasitism (one organism benefits at its host's expense) and commensalism (one partner benefits and the other is neither benefitted nor harmed). Temperate- Region in which the climate undergoes seasonal change in temperature and moisture. Temperate regions of the earth lie primarily between 30 and 60 degrees latitude in both hemispheres. Terrestrial- Living on land, as opposed to marine or aquatic. Tolerance- The ability of an organism or biological process to subsist under a given set of environmental conditions.

Tropical- Region in which the climate undergoes little seasonal change in either temperature or rainfall. Tropical regions of the earth lie primarily between 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Tundra- A vast, mostly flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen. The dominant vegetation is low-growing lichens, mosses, and stunted shrubs. Upwelling- The raising of benthic nutrients to the surface waters. This occurs in regions where the flow of water brings currents of differing temperatures together, and increases productivity of the ecosystem. Weed- A valueless, troublesome, or noxious plant, often exotic, growing wild, especially one growing profusely. Zooplankton -- Tiny, free-floating organisms in aquatic systems. Unlike phytoplankton, zooplankton cannot produce their own food, and so are consumers.