| Glossary | Ch01 Ch02 Ch07 Ch04 Ch05 Ch06 Ch07 Ch08 Ch09 Ch10 Ch11 Ch12 Ch13 Ch14 |
| Chapter 7 | |
| ancient forest | See old-growth forest. |
| benthos | Bottom-dwelling organisms. Compare decomposer, nekton, plankton. |
| biodiversity | Variety of different species (species diversity), genetic variability among individuals within each species (genetic diversity), variety of ecosystems (ecological diversity), and functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities (functional diversity). |
| broadleaf deciduous plants | Plants such as oak and maple trees that survive drought and cold by shedding their leaves and becoming dormant. Compare broadleaf evergreen plants, coniferous evergreen plants. |
| broadleaf evergreen plants | Plants that keep most of their broad leaves year round. Examples are the trees found in the canopies of tropical rain forests. Compare broadleaf deciduous plants, coniferous evergreen plants. |
| clear-cutting | Method of timber harvesting in which all trees in a forested area are removed in a single cutting. Compare, seed-tree cutting, selective cutting, shelterwood cutting, strip cutting. |
| coniferous evergreen plants | Cone-bearing plants (such as spruces, pines, and firs) that keep some of their narrow, pointed leaves (needles) all year. Compare broadleaf deciduous plants, broadleaf evergreen plants. |
| coniferous trees | Cone-bearing trees, mostly evergreens, that have needle-shaped or scalelike leaves. They produce wood known commercially as softwood. Compare deciduous plants. |
| controlled burning | Deliberately set, carefully controlled surface fires that reduce flammable litter and decrease the chances of damaging crown fires. See ground fire, surface fire. |
| corridors | Long areas of land that connect habitat that would otherwise become fragmented. |
| crown fire | Extremely hot forest fire that burns ground vegetation and treetops. Compare controlled burning, ground fire, surface fire. |
| debt-for-nature swap | Agreement in which a certain amount of foreign debt is canceled in exchange for local currency investments that will improve natural resource management or protect certain areas in the debtor country from harmful development. |
| deciduous plants | Trees, such as oaks and maples, and other plants that survive during dry seasons or cold seasons by shedding their leaves. Compare coniferous trees, succulent plants. |
| deforestation | Removal of trees from a forested area without adequate replanting. |
| domesticated species | Wild species tamed or genetically altered by crossbreeding for use by humans for food (cattle, sheep, and food crops), pets (dogs and cats), or enjoyment (animals in zoos and plants in gardens). Compare wild species. |
| ecological diversity | Variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, oceans, streams, lakes, and other biological communities interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment. See biodiversity. Compare functional diversity, genetic diversity, species diversity. |
| ecological restoration | Deliberate alteration of a degraded habitat or ecosystem to restore as much of its ecological structure and function as possible. |
| ecosystem | Community of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up its nonliving environment. |
| even-aged management | Method of forest management in which trees, sometimes of a single species in a given stand, are maintained at about the same age and size and are harvested all at once. Compare uneven-aged management. |
| evergreen plants | Plants that keep some of their leaves or needles throughout the year. Examples are ferns and cone-bearing trees (conifers) such as firs, spruces, pines, redwoods, and sequoias. Compare deciduous plants, succulent plants. |
| functional diversity | Biological and chemical processes or functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities. See biodiversity, ecological diversity, genetic diversity, species diversity. |
| genetic diversity | Variability in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single species. See biodiversity. Compare ecological diversity, functional diversity, species diversity. |
| ground fire | Fire that burns decayed leaves or peat deep below the ground surface. Compare crown fire, surface fire. |
| humus | Slightly soluble residue of undigested or partially decomposed organic material in topsoil. This material helps retain water and water-soluble nutrients, which can be taken up by plant roots. |
| hydropower | Electrical energy produced by falling or flowing water. See hydroelectric power plant. |
| minimum dynamic area (MDA) | Minimum area of suitable habitat needed to maintain the minimum viable population. See minimum viable population. |
| minimum viable population (MVP) | Estimate of the smallest number of individuals necessary to ensure the survival of a population in a region for a specified time period, typically ranging from decades to 100 years. |
| monoculture | Cultivation of a single crop, usually on a large area of land. Compare polyculture, polyvarietal cultivation. |
| multiple use | Use of an ecosystem such as a forest for a variety of purposes such as timber harvesting, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and recreation. Compare sustainable yield. |
| old-growth forest | Virgin and old, second-growth forests containing trees that are often hundreds, sometimes thousands of years old. Examples include forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, giant sequoia, and coastal redwoods in the western United States. Compare second-growth forest, tree plantation. |
| overgrazing | Destruction of vegetation when too many grazing animals feed too long and exceed the carrying capacity of a rangeland or pasture area. |
| plankton | Small plant organisms (phytoplankton) and animal organisms (zooplankton) that float in aquatic ecosystems. |
| rangeland | Land that supplies forage or vegetation (grasses, grasslike plants, and shrubs) for grazing and browsing animals and is not intensively managed. Compare feedlot, pasture. |
| reforestation | Renewal of trees and other types of vegetation on land where trees have been removed; can be done naturally by seeds from nearby trees or artificially by planting seeds or seedlings. |
| restoration ecology | Research and scientific study devoted to restoring, repairing, and reconstructing damaged ecosystems. |
| restorationist | Scientist or other person devoted to the partial or complete restoration of natural areas that have been degraded by human activities. Compare conservation biologist, conservationist, ecologist, environmental scientist, preservationist. |
| riparian zones | Thin strips and patches of vegetation that surround streams. They are very important habitats and resources for wildlife. |
| second-growth forest | Stands of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession. Compare old-growth forest, tree plantation. |
| seed-tree cutting | Removal of nearly all trees on a site in one cutting, with a few seed-producing trees left uniformly distributed to regenerate the forest. Compare clear-cutting, selective cutting, shelterwood cutting, strip cutting. |
| selective cutting | Cutting of intermediate-aged, mature, or diseased trees in an uneven-aged forest stand, either singly or in small groups. This encourages the growth of younger trees and maintains an uneven-aged stand. Compare clear-cutting, seed-tree cutting, shelterwood cutting, strip cutting. |
| shelterwood cutting | Removal of mature, marketable trees in an area in a series of partial cuttings to allow regeneration of a new stand under the partial shade of older trees, which are later removed. Typically, this is done by making two or three cuts over a decade. Compare clear-cutting, seed-tree cutting, selective cutting, strip cutting. |
| species diversity | Number of different species and their relative abundances in a given area. See biodiversity. Compare ecological diversity, genetic diversity. |
| strip cutting | Variation of clear-cutting in which a strip of trees is clear-cut along the contour of the land, with the corridor narrow enough to allow natural regeneration within a few years. After regeneration, another strip is cut above the first, and so on. Compare clear-cutting, seed-tree cutting, selective cutting, shelterwood cutting. |
| succulent plants | Plants, such as desert cacti, that survive in dry climates by having no leaves, thus reducing the loss of scarce water. They store water and use sunlight to produce the food they need in the thick, fleshy tissue of their green stems and branches. Compare deciduous plants, evergreen plants. |
| surface fire | Forest fire that burns only undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest floor. See controlled burning. Compare crown fire, ground fire. |
| sustainable yield (sustained yield) | Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply throughout the world or in a particular area. See also environmental degradation. |
| transpiration | Process in which water (1) is absorbed by the root systems of plants, (2) moves up through the plants, (3) passes through pores (stomata) in their leaves or other parts, and (4) evaporates into the atmosphere as water vapor. |
| tree plantation | Site planted with one or only a few tree species in an even-aged stand. When the stand matures it is usually harvested by clear-cutting and then replanted. These plantations normally are used to grow rapidly growing tree species for fuelwood, timber, or pulpwood. See even-aged management. Compare old-growth forest, second-growth forest, uneven-aged management. |
| undergrazing | Reduction of the net primary productivity of grassland vegetation and grass cover from absence of grazing for long periods (at least 5 years). Compare overgrazing. |
| uneven-aged management | Method of forest management in which trees of different species in a given stand are maintained at many ages and sizes to permit continuous natural regeneration. Compare even-aged management. |
| wild species | Species found in the natural environment. Compare domesticated species. |
| wilderness | Area where the earth and its community of life have not been seriously disturbed by humans and where humans are only temporary visitors. |
| wildlife | All free, undomesticated species. Sometimes the term is used to describe only free, undomesticated animal species. |
| wildlife resources | Wildlife species that have actual or potential economic value to people. |