Aquatic – Lives in water.
Arboreal
– Lives
in trees.
Biome – A broad category or
type of ecosystem found in widely scattered regions around the world, such as
wetlands, desert or rainforest. Differs from an ecosystem in that animals and
plants in one wetlands or rainforest don’t usually interact with those in a
different wetlands or rainforest, and therefore the biome itself isn’t actually
an integrated system.
Biosphere – The thin layer of
land, water and breathable air in which all life survives on Earth.
Ecology – The interactions
among plants and animals and their environment, and the scientific study of
those interactions.
Ecosystem – The total network of
minerals, water, air, weather, plants and animals that constitute the living
"web" of an area, often connected to an adjective describing a
particular type of ecosystem, such as forest ecosystem, wetlands ecosystem,
coral reef, etc. An ecosystem differs from a biome in being a particular place,
where all the plants and animals actually interact with each other, directly or
indirectly.
Forest – An area with a lot of
trees and other plants and with relatively few buildings or roads. Also called
woods, especially if small. One of the major environmental problems of our age
is that too many forests are becoming small, if not destroyed altogether, as
people seek out lumber and land. As a result, many species of plants and
animals that depend on having large areas of forest around them are becoming
rare or even extinct.
Habitat – The places where
animals live because they can find water and the kind of food and shelter they
need there.
New
World –
North, Central and South America and nearby islands, also called the Western
Hemisphere (half of the world), in contrast to the “old world.” Areas that
don't fall into either "world" are the Arctic and Antarctic. Since
“old world” and “new world” are used in biology mainly to distinguish among
different kinds of monkeys, snakes and other temperate and tropical animals
(especially in Africa and Latin America), the omission of the polar areas isn't
too important.
Old
World –
Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and islands near these lands, also called the
Eastern Hemisphere (half of the world). Areas that don't fall into either
"world" are the Arctic and Antarctic. Since “old world” and “new
world” are used in biology mainly to distinguish among different kinds of
monkeys, snakes and other temperate and tropical animals (especially in Africa
and Latin America), the omission of the polar areas isn't too important.
Polar – A description for the
areas and climates near the North and South Poles (Arctic and Antarctic
respectively). These areas have cold weather almost all-year round and never
really get hot even in the summer. They have specific kinds of plants and
animals adapted for cold weather.
Rainforest
– A
thick forest or jungle with a lot of rain and a very large number and weight of
plants. The biggest, warmest rainforests are in Central and South America,
Africa and Southern Asia, but there are some small, cool rainforests in the
U.S. Rainforests have more kinds of plants and animals than almost any other
places on Earth. We have found many medicines and food plants in rain-forests,
but it is getting harder to discover such things because people are chopping
and burning the jungles to make farms and cities. Saving the rainforest is one
of our most important jobs.
Savannah – Grassy plains with
scattered groves of trees, a typical landscape in East Africa where wildebeest,
lions and zebras live but also found in many other parts of the world.
Temperate – Moderate in climate.
Most parts of the U.S. and Europe and other regions of similar latitude
(distance from the equator) are considered temperate. Temperate areas have
different kinds of plants and animals from other regions.
Terrestrial – Lives on the ground.
Tropical – Warm in climate. The
areas closer to the equator are tropical and have specific kinds of tropical
plants and animals.
Wetlands – Swamps, marshes,
bogs, temporary ponds, etc. Wetlands are places where the land is wet, whether
with salt water or fresh, in both hot climes and cold ones. Wetlands are rich
in all kinds of aquatic, terrestrial and bird life. And they are vital to
people, because they help purify our water, protect our land from storms, and
produce much of our seafood. But we have destroyed many of our wetlands, and we
destroy more and more of them every year. Protecting wetlands is one of our
most urgent and important environmental duties.