Glossary or Extra information part 1

Adaptation—Any feature of the organism or its parts, which is of definite significance in
allowing that organism to exist under the conditions of its habitat, is called adaptation.
Animal Ecology—It is the interpretation of animal behaviour under natural conditions.
Applied Ecology—The wild life management, range management, forest conservation,
biological control, animal husbandry, pollution control are the various aspects dealt
with in the applied ecology.
Avian Ecology—Ecology of birds. .
Biogeochemical Cycles—More or less circular pathways, through which the mineral
elements, including all the essential elements of the protoplasm, circulate in the
biosphere from environment to organisms and back to the environment.
Biological Clock—It is the rhythmic occurrence of processes taking place within the
organisms.
Community Ecology—Study of distribution of animals in various habitats.
Community Ecology—Study of living components of a community, major concerns of
community ecology are (a) nature of interdependence between individuals of different
species (b) causes of diversity in a community (c) reasons of a community located in
a particular habitat and (d) change and interaction among different communities.
Cytoecology—Cytological details in a species in relation to population in different
environmental conditions.
Ecad—An ecad is a population of individuals, which although belong to the same genetic
stock, but differ markedly in external characters such as size, shape and colour etc.
Ecological Niche and Ecological Equivalent—Ecological niche of an organism is the
physical space occupied by it, its functional role in the community i.e. tropic position,
its position in environment and the conditions of existence. Organisms that occupy the
same or similar ecological niches in different geographical regions are known as
Ecological Equivalents.
Ecosystem Ecology—Relation and interaction of both plant and animal communities with
their total environment.
Ecotype—Population of individuals of a species, which are genetically different.
Environment—The sum of all factors affecting the organisms is termed as the environmental
complex.
Environmental Biology or Ecology—Living organisms are inseparably related with their
physical and biological surroundings. This interrelationship of organisms with their
physical and biotic environments is studied under a separate discipline of science,
which is known as environmental biology or ecology.
Factor—A factor is an external force, substance or condition that affects organisms In any
way.
Fauna—Fauna is a collective term used for all the animals in a given region or geological
period.
Flora—Collective term for all the plants big and small found in a given region or geological
period.
Geographic Ecology or Eco-geography—Study of geographical distribution of organisms.
Habitat—The place where an organism lives, eats and reproduces is known as its habitat.
The habit of an organism actually represents a particular set of environmental conditions
suitable. for its successful growth.
Insect Ecology—It is the ecology of insects.
Limnology—It is the study of freshwater bodies like ponds, lakes and their organisms.
Mammalian Ecology—Ecology of mammals.
Oceanography—Study of marine habitat and organisms.
Palaeo-ecology—Organisms and their environment in geological past.
Pedology—Study of fossils, in particular their acidity alkalinity, humus content, mineral
contents, soil types etc., and their influence on the plant and animal life.
Population and Community—A population represents a group of individual organisms of
the same species in a given area. A community is a group of populations of different
species in a given area.
Population Ecology—It includes the study of population, its growth, competition, means
of dispersal etc.
Production Ecology and Ecological Energetic—These branches of ecology deal with the
mechanisms and quantity of energy conversion and energy flow through different
tropic levels in food chain and rate of increase in organic weight of the organisms in
space and time. The productivity is measured both in gross and net values. The total
organic production is called the gross production, and the actual gain, i.e. the gross
production minus the loss in respiration is termed as the net production, It includes
the proper management of different ecosystems so that the maximum yield can be
obtained. e.g. agriculture and horticulture.
Radiation Ecology—The gross effect of radiation and radioactive substances over the
environment and living organisms.
Space Ecology—It is the modern subdivision of ecology. It is concerned with the development
of those ecosystems, which support life of man during space flights or during extended
exploration of extraterrestrial environment.
Species—A uniform interbreeding population spread over time and space.
Terrestrial Ecology—It is the study. of biomes and the organisms distributed therein. It
can further be differentiated into (i) forest ecology, (ii) cropland ecology and (iii)
grassland ecology.
Vegetation—Collection and continuous growth of plants in space is called vegetation. Thus
vegetation is the totality of plant growth including large or small populations of each
species intermixed in a region.
Biotic—environmental factors that are nonliving components of ecosystems.
Abundance—The total number of organisms in a biological community.
Acid precipitation—The deposition of wet acidic solutions or dry acidic particles from the
air and includes acid fog, snow, etc.
Aerosols—Small particles or droplets suspended in a gas.
Agricultural revolution—The discovery of techniques for domesticating animals and
cultivating crop plants some 10,000 years ago.
Alpine—The high, treeless bio-geographic zone of mountains that consists of slopes above
the timberline.
Aquifers—Porous, water-bearing layers of sand, gravel and rock below the earth’s surface;
reservoirs for groundwater.
Autotrophy—An organism that synthesizes food molecules from inorganic molecules by
using an external energy source, such as light energy.
Bioaccumulation—The selective absorption and concentration of molecules by cells.
Biocide—A broad-spectrum poison that kills a wide range of organisms.
Biodegradable plastics—Plastics that can be decomposed by microorganisms.
Bio-geographical area—An entire self-contained natural ecosystem and its associated
land, water, air and wildlife resources.
Biological community—The populations of plants, animals and microorganisms living
and interacting in a certain area at a given time.
Biological pests—Organisms that reduce the availability, quality or value of resources
useful to humans.
Bio-magnification—Increase in concentration of certain stable chemicals (e.g., heavy metals
or fat-soluble pesticides) in successively higher tropic levels of a food chain or web.
Biomass fuel—Organic material produced by plants, animals or microorganisms that can
be burned directly as a heat source or converted into gaseous or liquid fuel.
Biosphere reserves—Our world heritage sites identified by the lUCN as worthy for national
park or wildlife refuge status because of high biological diversity or unique ecological
features.
Biotic potential—The maximum reproductive rate of organisms, given unlimited resources
and ideal environmental conditions.
Birth control—Any method used to reduce births, including celibacy,. delayed marriage,
contraception; methods that prevent implantation of fertilized zygotes and induced
abortions.
Blue revolution—New techniques of fish farming that may contribute as much to human
nutrition as miracle cereal grains but also may create social and environmental
problems.
Carcinogens—Substances that cause cancer.
Carnivores—Organisms that mainly prey upon animals.
Carrying capacity—The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be
supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis.
Chloroplasts—Chlorophyll-containing organelles in eukaryotic organisms; sites of
photosynthesis.
Composting—The biological degradation of organic material under aerobic (oxygen-rich)
conditions to produce compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment and conditioner.
Conifers—Needle-bearing trees that produce seeds in cones.
Consumer—An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms
or their remains.
Deciduous—Trees and shrubs that shed their leaves at the end of the growing season.
Decomposers—Fungi and bacteria that break complex organic material I into smaller
molecules.
Desalinization—Removal of salt from water by distillation, freezing or, ultra filtration.
Desertification—Denuding and degrading a once-fertile land, initiating a desert-producing
cycle that feeds on itself and causes long-term changes in soil, climate and biota of an
area.
Diversity—The number of species present in a community (species richness), as well as the
relative abundance of each species.
Ecosystem—A specific biological community and its physical environment interacting in an
exchange of matter and energy.
Endangered species—A species considered to be in imminent danger of extinction.
Endemism—A state in which species are restricted to a single region.
Energy—The capacity to do work (i.e., to change the physical state of motion of an object).
Energy pyramid—A representation of the loss of useful energy at each step in a food
chain.
Environment—The circumstances or conditions that surround all organisms or group of
organisms as well as the complex of social or cultural conditions that affect an individual
or community.
Environmental ethics—A search for moral values and ethical principle in human relations
with the natural world.
Environmentalism—Active participation in attempts to solve environmental pollution and
resource problems.
Environmental resistance—All the limiting factors that tend to reduce population growth
rates and set the maximum allowable population size or carrying capacity of an
ecosystem.
Environmental resources—Anything an organism needs that can be taken from the
environment.
Environmental science—The systematic, scientific study of our environment as well as
our role in it.
Estuary—A bay or drowned valley where a river empties into the sea Fresh water mingling
with salt water brings in sediment and nutrient and creates a gradient of salinity that
makes estuaries among the most diverse and biologically productive ecosystems on
earth.
Eutrophication—An increase in biological productivity and ecosystem succession caused
by human activities.
Exhaustible resources—Generally considered the earth’s geologic endowment: minerals,
non-mineral resources, fossil fuels and other materials present in fixed amounts in the
environment.
Exponential growth—Growth at a constant rate of increases per unit of time; can be
expressed as a constant fraction or exponent.
Extinction—The irrevocable elimination of species; can be a normal process of the natural
world as species out-compete or kill off others or as environmental conditions change.
Family planning—Controlling reproduction; planning the timing of birth and having as
many babies as are wanted and can be supported.
Fauna—All of the animals present in a given region.
Floodplains—Low lands along riverbanks, lakes and coastlines subjected to periodic
inundation.
Flora—All of the plants present in a given region.
Food chain—A linked feeding series; in an ecosystem, the sequence of organisms through
which energy and materials are transferred, in the form of food, from one tropic level
to another.
Food web—A complex, interlocking series of individual food chains in an ecosystem.
Gene banks—Storage for seed varieties for future breeding experiments.
Geometric growth—Growth that follows a geometric pattern of increase, such as 2, 4,
8,16, etc.
Grasslands—Biological communities of grasses, seasonal herbaceous flowering plants and
open savannas.
Green revolution—Dramatically increased agricultural production brought about by
“miracle” strains of grain.
Habitat—The place or set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives.
Hazardous—Describes chemicals that are dangerous, including flammables, explosives,
irritants, sanitizers, acids and caustics; may be relatively harmless in diluted
concentrations.
Health—A state of physical and emotional well being the absence of disease or ailment..
Herbicide—A chemical that kills plants.
Herbivore—An organism that eats only plants.
Heterotopy—An organism that is incapable of synthesizing its own food and, therefore,
must feed upon organic compounds produced by other organisms.
Human resources—Human wisdom, experience, skill, labour and enterprise.
Industrial revolution—Advances in science and technology that have given us power to
understand and change our world.
Insecticide—A chemical that kills insects.
Jet streams—Powerful winds or currents of air that circulate in shifting flows; similar to
oceanic currents in extent and effect on climate.
Keystone species—A species that determines the essential characteristics of a community.
Land rehabilitation—A utilitarian program to repair damage and make land useful to
humans.
Landfills—Land disposal sites for solid waste; operators compact refuse and cover it with
a layer of dirt to minimize rodent and insect infestation, wind-blown debris and leaching
by rain.
Marine—Living in or pertaining to the sea.
Matter—Something that occupies space and has mass.
Metabolism—All the energy and matter exchanges that occur within a living cell or organism;
collectively, the life processes.
Mineral—A naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solid with definite chemical
composition and characteristic physical properties.
Mitigation—Repairing or rehabilitating a damaged ecosystem or compensating for damage
by providing a substitute or replacement area.
Mutation—A change, either spontaneous or by external factors, in the genetic material of
a cell; mutations in the gametes (sex cells) can be inherited by future generations of
organisms.
Natality—The production of new Individuals by birth, hatching, germination, or cloning.
Natural resources—Goods and services supplied by the environment.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—A term referring collectively to pressure and
research groups, advisory agencies, political parties, professional societies and other
groups concerned about environmental quality, resource use, and many other issues.
Non-renewable resources—Materials or services from the environment that are not
replaced or replenished by natural processes at a rate comparable to our use of the
resource; a resource depleted or exhausted by use.
Omnivore—An organism that eats both plants and animals.
Organic compounds—Complex molecules organized around skeletons, of carbon atoms
arranged in rings or chains; includes bio molecules, molecules synthesized by living
organisms.
Ozone—A highly reactive molecule containing three oxygen atoms; a dangerous pollutant
in ambient air. In the stratosphere, however, ozone forms an ultraviolet absorbing
shield that protects us from mutagenic radiation.
Pasture—Enclosed domestic meadows or managed grazing lands.
Pathogen—An organism that produces disease in a host organism, disease being an alteration
of one or more. metabolic functions in response to the presence of the organism.
Pest—Any organism that reduces the availability, quality or value of a useful resource.
Pesticide—Any chemical that kills; controls, drives away or modifies the behaviour of a
pest.
Photochemical oxidants—Products of secondary atmospheric reactions.
Photosynthesis—The biochemical process by which green plants and some bacteria capture
light energy and use it to produce chemical bonds. Carbon dioxide and water are
consumed while oxygen and simple sugars are produced.
Pioneer species—In primary succession on a terrestrial site, the plants, lichens and microbes
that first colonize the site.
Plankton—Primarily microscopic organisms that occupy the upper water layers in both
freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Pollution—To make foul, unclean, dirty; any physical, chemical or biological change that
adversely affects the health, survival, or activities If living organisms or that alters
the environment in undesirable ways.
Population—A group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area.
Population explosion—Growth of a population at exponential rates to a size that exceeds
environmental carrying capacity; usually followed by population crash.
Primary succession—An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic
community previously existed.
Producer—An organism that synthesizes food molecules from inorganic compounds by
using an external energy source; most producers are photosynthetic.
Radioactive—An unstable isotope that decays spontaneously and releases subatomic
particles or units .of energy.
Rehabilitate land—A utilitarian program to make an area useful to humans.
Renewable resource- Resources normally replaced or replenished by natural processes;
resources not depleted by moderate use; examples include solar energy, biological
resources such as forests and fisheries, biological organisms and some biogeochemical
cycles.
Resilience—The ability of a community or ecosystem to recover from disturbances.
Salinity—Amount of dissolved salts (especially sodium chloride) in a given volume of water.
Stalinization—A process in which mineral salts accumulate in the soil, killing plants;
occurs when soils in dry climates are irrigated profusely.
Secondary succession—Succession on a site where an existing community has been
disrupted.
Sheet erosion—Peeling off thin layers of soil from the land surface; accomplished primarily
by wind and water.
Slums—Legal but inadequate multifamily rooming houses; some are custom built for rent
to poor people, others are converted from some other use.
Smog—The term used to describe the combination of smoke and fog in the stagnant air of
London; now often applied to photochemical pollution products or urban air pollution
of any kind.
Species diversity—The number and relative abundance of species present in a community.
Sustainable development—An improvement in human well-being that allows us to meet
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
Tectonic plates—Huge blocks of the earth’s crust that slide around slowly, pulling apart
to open new ocean basins or crashing ponderously into each other to create new, larger
landmasses.
Terracing—Shaping the land to create level shelves of earth to hold water and soil; requires
extensive hand labour or expensive machinery but it enables farmers to farm very
steep hillsides.
Threatened species—While still abundant in parts of its territorial range, this species has
declined significantly in total numbers and may be on the verge of extinction in certain
regions or localities. .
Mountains—the highest-altitude edge of forest that marks the beginning of the treeless
alpine tundra.
Topsoil—The first true layer of soil; layer in which organic material is mixed with mineral
particles; thickness ranges from a meter or more under virgin prairie to zero in some
deserts.
Transitional zone—A zone in which populations from two or more adjacent communities
meet and overlap.
Tropic level—An organism’s feeding status in an ecosystem.
Urban area—An area in which a majority of the people are not directly dependent on
natural resource-based occupations.
Urbanization—An increasing concentration of the population in cities and a transformation
of land use to an urban pattern of organization.
Vulnerable species—Naturally rare organisms or species whose numbers have been so
reduced by human activities that they are susceptible to actions that could push them
into threatened or endangered status.
Water logging—Water saturation of soil that fills all air spaces and causes plant roots to
die from lack of oxygen; a result of over-irrigation. Weather- Description of the physical
conditions of the atmosphere (moisture, temperature, pressure, and wind).
Wetlands—Ecosystems of several types in which rooted vegetation is surrounded by standing
water during part of the year.
Wildlife—Plants, animals and microbes that live independently of humans; plants, animals
and microbes that are not domesticated.
Woodland—A forest where tree crowns cover less than 20 percent of the ground; also called
open canopy.
Zero population growth (ZPG)—The numbers of births at which people are just replacing
them; also called the replacement level of fertility

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