adaptation- the process by which animals or plants can change to live in a particular ecosystem; or, the trait in an animal or plant that makes it especially well-suited to live a particular ecosystem.

alpine- refers to the high mountain area above timberline.

amphibian- an animal that lives in moist, wet areas. In its larval stage it lives underwater and breathes using gills. Through metamorphosis, it becomes and adult and breathes through lungs and moist skin (e.g., salamander, frog).

anadromous- usually refers to fish that spend most of their adult lives in oceans but migrate up fresh water streams to spawn (e.g., salmon).

arboreal- tree dweller.

aquatic- refers to plants and animals that live, grow. or are regularly found in water.

aquatic insects- insects that spend part of their lifecycles in fresh water (e.g., mosquitoes, mayflies).

biodtiverstity (biological diversity)- the variety, distribution and abundance of life forms and ecological, processes in an ecosystem.

biome- an ecological formation with distinctive plant and animal communities that are produced and maintained by certain climatic conditions.

biosphere- the life-supporting land, water and atmosphere of the earth's surface; the entire earth's ecosystem.

biotic- a living factor in an ecosystem.

biotic community- living things in a community (as compared to the non-living things)

browse- shrubs eaten by deer, elk, sheep or cattle, to eat the twigs of leaves of shrubs.

canopy- the layer formed by leaves and branches of the forest's tallest trees.

carnivores- animals that kill and eat other animals.

carrying capacity- the maximum number of individuals in a species that a particular ecosystem can support at an given time.

cavity- a hole in a dead tree that many animals rest, hide, and have and raise young in.

cavity nester- a wildlife species (typically birds) that requires holes in trees for nesting and reproduction.

community- a group of plants or animals that live in the same habitat.

competition- when two or more organisms vie for the same resource. Competition can occur between two different species (interspecific) or between two individuals of the same species (intraspecific). coniferous- a cone bearing plant such as firs, pines, spruces etc.

consensus- a general agreement or collective opinion.

consumer- an organism that eats other organisms or their remains; or, a person or other entity that uses items or services.

decay- to rot or decompose

deciduous- trees and shrubs that lose their leaves each autumn.

decompose- mechanical or chemical breakdown of dead organic materials into simple inorganic materials.

decomposer- organisms that decay dead plants and animals.

dependent- relying on another thing for support.

dense, density- the number of individuals in a specified unit of space; usually expressed as the density of a population.

desalting plant- a facility that removes salt from salt water to produce fresh water.

desert- an ecosystem with little available precipitation and little vegetation.

disturbance- an event such as fire, flood, wind, earthquake, disease that causes profound change to an ecosystem.

duff- the layer of partially decomposed, organic matter underneath the litter layer of a forest floor.

ecologist- a scientist who studies living things and their relationships with their environment.

ecoregion- geographic area in which the combination of climate, topography, and geology, determine what types of plants and animals that live there. All the earth's ecoregions form one large ecosystem. See biome.

ecosystem- a system formed by the interaction of groups of organisms with each other and their environment; the physical environment and the ecological processes that connect them. Ecosystems may be large or small.

ecosystem management- the strategy of using ecological, economic, social and business principles to manage an ecosystem to produce, restore, or sustain its integrity over the long term (as opposed to the strategy of focusing on only one principle, resource use, or species).

endangered- a species which is no longer living.

environment- the total of all the external conditions and influences that affect the existence of an organism.

environmental impact- the effect of an action upon the environment; may be negative or positive.

environmentalist- a person who protects the environment from pollution, wasteful uses of natural resources, and undue human intrusion.

erosion- a process by which wind and water removes earthy or rock material from the land surface. escape terrain- part of an animal's habitat where it can quickly go to elude predators.

ethic- a moral code based on the principle of good conduct.

extinct- a species which is no longer living.

food chain- the transfer of food energy from plants through a progression of animals. For example, a green plant is eaten by an insect, which is eaten by a frog, which is eaten by a snake.

food web- the complex and interlocking series of food chains.

forbs- low growing herbaceous plants (e.g., weeds, herbs, not grasses).

forest floor- the ground of the forest.

fungi- mushrooms, mold, yeast. They take part in decomposition.

global- refers to the whole earth.

grass- an herbaceous plant with long thin slender leaves and very small flowers.

grassland- a plant community composed primarily of grasses.

habitat- an area that has the minimum required arrangement of food, water, shelter and space for a particular species.

hibernation- a period of extremely low metabolic activity during the winter.

humus- decayed organic matter in soil.

hunting perch- a place where a predator observes his prey.

indicator species- a particular plant or animal species used as a general measure of the health of an ecosystem.

inn- a place to live or a place to stay for a while.

insectivore- an animal that eats insects.

invertebrate- an animal without a backbone.

larva, larval stage- the immature stage of many invertebrates followed by metamorphosis and the adult stage.

lichen- a fungus and an alga growing together, as one, in a symbiotic relationship.

life cycle- the course of an organism's development through a series of stages or phases.

limiting factor- the environmental influences that limit the size of a population (e.g., predation, disease, food, water).

litter- the layer of dead but not decomposed, fallen plant material that covers the forest floor, the layer above duff.

log- a down, dead tree.

mammal- warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by having fur or hair; females nurse their young (e.g., mouse, bear, cow, human).

microscopic- too small to be seen with the unaided eye; requires a microscope to observe.

migration- usually refers to the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another, however, migrations may cover very short distances for some species.

nest- a place chosen or built by animals to have and raise their young.

niche- an organism's function or role in an ecosystem.

nutrients- in forestry, it refers to minerals in the soil that help provide food for plants to grow. The are taken into the tree through roots.

nymph- the immature stage of many insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis; this immature insect typically looks like a smaller, flightless, adult.

observe- to watch carefully.

omnivore- an animal that eats both plants and animals.

open nester- birds making their nests on the tops of wildlife trees or use large bare limbs for perches.