Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Caviomorph (rodent). One of a group of distinctly South American rodents that
includes the cavies, capybara, and mara. The porcupine is the only caviomorph in
North America.
Climate. The general weather patterns expected during an average year. The main fac-
tors are temperature and precipitation. See also weather.
Cold season grass. Grasses that grow best at moderate temperatures and often become
dormant during the hottest part of the year, resuming growth begun in early spring
when the lower temperatures of autumn arrive. These are C
3
grasses typical of the
temperate grasslands.
Culm. The stem of a grass or other graminoid.
Cushion plant. A low, many-stemmed plant that grows as a dense mound.
Disturbance. An event that disrupts an ecosystem and damages or destroys some part
of it. Origin may be biological (such as overgrazing) or physical (such as edaphic
conditions, fire, or flood).
Domesticated. Produced by the selective breeding of humans or by natural adaptation
to human-dominated environments.
Edaphic. Pertaining to conditions of the substrate or soil. Those that affect plant
growth include nutrient-depletion, poor drainage, excessive drainage, and presence
of a hardpan.
El Nino. A seasonal weather phenomenon that affects the equatorial Pacific, especially
off the west coast of South America. During these events of December, normal
high-pressure systems that make the coast exceptionally dry are replaced by low
pressure, high humidity, and even rain. Severe, prolonged El Ninos can affect
weather patterns around the world.
Endemic. Native to and restricted to a particular geographic area.
Exotic. Nonnative, introduced, alien.
Fauna. All the animal species in a given area, or some subset of them such as the bird
fauna or grazing fauna.
Forb. An herb with broad leaves and soft, nonwoody stem. Wildflowers are typical of
this growthform.
Fossorial. Burrowing. Adapted to living underground
Fynbos. The local name for mediterranean scrub vegetation in South Africa's Cape
Floristic Province.
Graminoid. The growthform of grasses, sedges, rushes, and reeds. A type of herb.
Grass. Any flowering plant of the family Poaceae (also known as the family Graminae).
Grazer. A plant-eating animal that consumes primarily grasses. Compare to browser.
Hardpan. A dense rock-like layer of substrate that is difficult for water or roots to
penetrate.
Herb. A nonwoody plant that dies down each year. May be an annual or a perennial.
This growthform includes graminoids and forbs.
Herbaceous. Having the characteristics of an herb.
Honeydew. A sweet, sticky substance secreted by aphids and some scale insects.
Hotspot. An area of high biodiversity, usually threatened and requiring protection.
Humus. Well-decayed plant matter that is collidal in size and assumes a dark-brown
color. Since it helps hold moisture and nutrients in a soil, humus content is an indi-
cator of soil fertility.
