Aquatic Flashcards

Front 1

abiotic factor

Back 1

any part of the environment that was never living Ex.rocks, sand, air, temperature, salinity

Front 2

acid

Back 2

Substances with a pH of less than 7.

Front 3

acid rain

Back 3

Rain, snow, or other forms of water
- made more acidic by the waste gases that come from
the burning of coal and oil products.
- gases mix with
water and other materials in the air.
- Acid rain affects wildlife, plants, soil,building materials

Front 4

active solar power

Back 4

A solar energy collection system in which water, air, or
another heat-absorbing fluid is actively pumped
through a solar collector. After absorbing the heat
from the sun, the fluid is stored in insulated tanks until
the heat energy is needed

Front 5

adapted, adaptation

Back 5

The process of making adjustments to the
environment.
Example: plants grow only where soil types, moisture, and sunlight are balanced to the proper degree.
- Desert plants have adapted so they live under intense sunlight, on poor quality soils, and with little water.

Front 6

adipose fin

Back 6

The fatty fin on some species of fish, such as catfish
and bullheads.

Front 7

aerate, aeration

Back 7

To supply with air or oxygen; to loosen the soil to add
air space to it; to supply running water with additional
oxygen, as when a stream runs over falls or rapids or
when wind creates waves on a lake.

Front 8

aerobic

Back 8

Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen

Front 9

aesthetic

Back 9

Sensitivity to or appreciation of beauty through
recognition of its unique and varied components or
through its orderly appearance

Front 10

aestivation

Back 10

Dormancy, typically seasonal.

Front 11

aggregate

Back 11

To gather into a group or mass

Front 12

algae

Back 12

Any of numerous chlorophyll-containing plants of the
phylum Thallophyte, ranging from unicellular to mufticellular
forms in fresh or salt water.

Front 13

alkalinity

Back 13

The alkali concentration or quantity

Front 14

allantois

Back 14

Part of an egg that receives waste from the embryo.

Front 15

amnion

Back 15

A thin, fluid-like sack that encloses the embryo in an
egg

Front 16

amphibian

Back 16

An animal that, when young, lives in an aquatic habit and breathes by gills
Adult: an lives primarily in a terrestrial habitat
breathing by lungs and through moist glandular skin.
Example: frogs and salamanders

Front 17

amphibole/pyroxenes

Back 17

Easily weathered group of minerals that provides
calcium and magnesium; not as abundant as
feldspars

Front 18

anadromous

Back 18

Any species of fish that lives in saltwater and spawns
in freshwater. Some examples are salmon, shad, and
striped bass.

Front 19

anaerobic

Back 19

An organism, like bacteria, that lives without the
presence of oxygen

Front 20

anal fin

Back 20

The fin found on the lower portion of a fish’s body near
the tail.

Front 21

angiosperms

Back 21

Any class of flowering plants characterized by seeds
that are fully enclosed by fruits.

Front 22

animal community

Back 22

Animals of various species living within a certain
habitat, each occupying a specific position in that
particular environment; directly parallel to plant
communities.

Front 23

anthropomorphism

Back 23

The attribution of human characteristics to nonhumans,
especially animals.
Animals may exhibit emotions and behavior patterns
resembling those of humans.
- used to refer to a fictionalized portrayal of
animals such as those found in children books,
cartoons, and so on.

Front 24

arid

Back 24

Dry; receives little precipitation

Front 25

aquatic

Back 25

Growing, living in, or frequenting waters

Front 26

aquifer

Back 26

A geological formation that is permeable; a waterbearing
layer of rock or soil.
- has an
impervious layer of rock or soil at the top and at the
bottom of a pervious layer that contains water.

Front 27

bacteria

Back 27

Single celled microorganisms
-lack chlorophyll.
- break down organic matter in the air,
the water, and the soil.
- some capable of
causing diseases in humans, other animals, and
plants.

Front 28

barbel

Back 28

A whisker-like projection for the jaws of some fish
such as a carp or catfish. Barbels help a fish to taste
and feel.

Front 29

benthic

Back 29

Having to do with the ecosystem at the bottom of a
lake.

Front 30

biennial

Back 30

A plant that lives for two growing seasons, producing
foliage during the first season and flowers, fruit, and
seeds during the second.

Front 31

bioaccumulation

Back 31

The build-up of chemicals in a plant or animal. For
example, DDT in bluebirds.

Front 32

biodegradable

Back 32

The property of a substance that permits it to be
broken down by microorganisms into simple, stable
compounds such as carbon dioxide and water.

Front 33

biodiversity (biological diversity)

Back 33

A term used to represent the variety of life forms in a
given area.

Front 34

biogeochemical cycle

Back 34

Movement of matter within or between ecosystems
caused by the interaction of living organisms, geologic
forces, or chemical reactions.

Front 35

biologist

Back 35

A person who studies living organisms and their
relationship to one another.

Front 36

biomass

Back 36

The total weights of all living matter in a particular
habitat, at a given moment in time.

Front 37

biome

Back 37

A large geographic area with somewhat uniform
climatic conditions; a complex of communities
characterized by a distinctive type of vegetation and
maintained under the climatic conditions of the region.

Front 38

biotic factor

Back 38

The living components of an ecosystem (fauna and
flora); a reference to the living components of the
biosphere or of an ecosystem as distinguished from
the non-living components.

Front 39

biosphere

Back 39

The part of the earth’s crust (water and atmosphere)
where living organisms can exist.

Front 40

biota

Back 40

The animal and plant life of a region or period.

Front 41

biotic community

Back 41

The living organisms in a given community. It includes
all plant and animal life within the community. The
non-living parts are considered the abiotic parts of the
community.

Front 42

biotic potential

Back 42

The capacity of a population of animals or plant to
increase in numbers under optimum environmental
conditions.

Front 43

bog

Back 43

A wetland formed in a former glacial depression by the
accumulation of organic matter, known as peat, and
which supports mosses tolerant of acidic conditions

Front 44

botanist

Back 44

A specialist in the study of plants.

Front 45

bottomlands

Back 45

A forest area near a stream, river, or other moving
body of water. Bottomlands are subject to periodic
flooding and usually have wetland hardwood species.

Front 46

brackish

Back 46

The water in the area where fresh and salt water
meet; often has varying salinity but is saltier than fresh
water

Front 47

breeding

Back 47

A series of complex behavioral interactive patterns
from courtship to mating; rearing of young, which are
necessary for the continuation of a species.

Front 48

bromeliad

Back 48

A member of a family of tropical American and
epiphytic herbaceous plants that includes the
pineapple and various other ornamentals.

Front 49

brood

Back 49

The offspring of a bird or mammal.

Front 50

buffer strip

Back 50

A narrow zone or strip of land, trees, or vegetation bordering an area. such as streamside buffers, which are used to protect water quality.

Front 51

burrowing

Back 51

Digging a hole or tunnel

Front 52

camouflage

Back 52

Colors, tones, patterns, shapes or behaviors that
enable an organism to blend in with its surroundings.
Some organisms, for example, have a skin or coat
color that lets them hide from predators.

Front 53

carbohydrates

Back 53

Sugars, starches, and cellulose that are produced by
green plants and are important nutritional sources of
energy for many animals.

Front 54

carbon cycle

Back 54

The circulation and recycling of carbon atoms,
especially through the processes of photosynthesis,
respiration, and decomposition

Front 55

carnivore

Back 55

A meat eater.

Front 56

carrion

Back 56

The bodies of dead animals, usually found in nature in
the process of decay; not “fresh meat”.

Front 57

carrying capacity

Back 57

carrying capacity is the dynamic equilibrium established between any life form and its environment. Expressed as a number
indicating the population of any given animal a given
area can support; varies from year to year, dependent upon conditions within the habitat

Front 58

catadromous

Back 58

Any species of fish that lives in freshwater and
spawns in saltwater, such as the eel.

Front 59

catfish

Back 59

A group of fish without scales named for the long
barbels around their mouths that look like the whiskers
of a cat.

Front 60

caudal

Back 60

Related to, or being a tail; the tail fin.

Front 61

cellulose

Back 61

A complex carbohydrate that constitutes the chief part
of the cell walls of higher plants and yields fiber.

Front 62

chart

Back 62

A “map” of water areas; showing water depths for the
shorelines, reefs, rocks, shoals, wrecks, and other
areas of dangers

Front 63

chlorophyll

Back 63

The green coloring matter in plants necessary for
photosynthesis.

Front 64

chorion

Back 64

The outer membrane enclosing the embryo.

Front 65

chromatography

Back 65

A method of analyzing materials of various
compounds by testing their absorption rates.

Front 66

climate

Back 66

The kind of weather a place has over a period of
years, based on conditions of heat and cold, moisture
and dryness, clearness and cloudiness, wind and
calm.

Front 67

climatic

Back 67

The average condition of the weather as defined by
temperature, precipitation, and wind velocities; the
environmental conditions relating to weather.

Front 68

coastal plain

Back 68

Large, nearly level areas of land near ocean shores

Front 69

codominate

Back 69

To be one of two or more of the most characteristic
species in a biotic community

Front 70

coloration

Back 70

Genetically-controlled patterns or markings that can
protect an individual organism.

Front 71

coloration

Back 71

Genetically-controlled patterns or markings that can
protect an individual organism.

Front 72

combustion

Back 72

An oxidative chemical process that results in the
creation of heat and light.

Front 73

commensalism

Back 73

A relationship between two organisms of different
species in which one organisms benefits, while the
other is generally neither helped nor harmed.

Front 74

community

Back 74

An association of organisms (plants and animal) each occupying a certain position or ecological niche,
inhabiting a common environment and interacting with
each other
- plants and animals in a particular
habitat are bound together by food chains and
other interrelationships.

Front 75

competition

Back 75

When two or more organisms compete to use the
same resource; may be inter- or intra-specific.

Front 76

condensation

Back 76

The physical change of state in which a gas or vapor
is transformed into a liquid, as in the formation of
water droplets when water vapor cools.

Front 77

conservation

Back 77

The use of natural resources in a way that ensures
their continuing availability to future generations; the
intelligent use of natural resources for long-term
benefits.

Front 78

CRP

Back 78

Conservation Reserve Program - A federal program designed to remove highly erodible,
marginal farmland from production through a one-time
cost-sharing payment to establish trees, grass, or
other cover. The landowner receives a 10-year annual
rental payment to maintain the cover

Front 79

consumer

Back 79

An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other
organisms and their remains.

Front 80

congregate

Back 80

When animals group together in an area

Front 81

consumptive use

Back 81

In general terms related to wildlife, any use resulting in
the use of wildlife after harvest. Examples may be the
death of an individual animal as in hunting, fishing,
and trapping.

Front 82

courtship

Back 82

A pre-mating behavior where the male tries to woo or
court the female in order to mate.

Front 83

cove

Back 83

A small bay or inlet in a body of water.

Front 84

cover

Back 84

Vegetation and other land features that provide areas
for wildlife to hide, sleep, feed, and reproduce.

Front 85

creel limit

Back 85

A term to indicate the number of fish, by species, that
can be legally caught in one day.

Front 86

crespucular

Back 86

Active at dawn and dusk.

Front 87

cross section

Back 87

A sample meant to representative of a whole

Front 88

current

Back 88

Any movement of water, whether caused by tides,
ocean water movements, or flowing water in rivers and
stream.

Front 89

cycle

Back 89

A periodically repeated sequence of events

Front 90

DDT

Back 90

A colorless contact insecticide. Banned in the United
States for most uses since 1972

Front 91

dabbling ducks

Back 91

Ducks which frequent shallow marshes, ponds and
rivers and “tip up” to feed. They feed with their body
above water and take off vertically when startled

Front 92

daphnia

Back 92

Any of many kinds of water fleas

Front 93

decadent

Back 93

Declining in health and/or productivity.

Front 94

decibel

Back 94

A unit of intensity of sound. A measurement of 50
decibels is considered moderate sound; 80 is loud;
sound beyond 100 becomes intolerable

Front 95

decomposer

Back 95

A plant, animal, or fungi which feeds on dead material
and causes its mechanical or chemical breakdown

Front 96

defoliation

Back 96

The removal of leaves or needles from trees or plants,
usually caused by insects, diseases, or chemicals and
often causing mild to severe damage—even death—to
the tree.

Front 97

detritus

Back 97

Disintegrated material or debris; loose fragments
washed away from rocks

Front 98

denitrification

Back 98

To remove nitrogen or nitrogen-containing gases

Front 99

dense

Back 99

Thick, or crowded closely together

Front 100

density

Back 100

Number of organisms per unit of space.

Front 101

depredation

Back 101

The act of preying upon, usually in relation to wildlife
damage to people’s crops or animals

Front 102

desert

Back 102

An arid habitat with limited amounts of vegetation

Front 103

detrimental

Back 103

Having harmful effects.

Front 104

dew

Back 104

Water droplets condensed from the air onto cool
surfaces such as grass or leaves. Usually occurs at
night.

Front 105

dioecious

Back 105

Male and female flowers produced on separate plants

Front 106

dissolved oxygen

Back 106

The oxygen mixed into water and used by fish.
Dissolved oxygen is originally put into water by things
such as wind, current, plants, and micro-organisms.

Front 107

display

Back 107

An observable behavioral pattern that carries a
specific message. The message may be inter- or
intra-specific

Front 108

diurnal

Back 108

Active by daylight; the opposite of nocturnal.

Front 109

diving ducks

Back 109

Ducks that prefer to feed in deep water like lakes and
bays.

Front 110

dominant species

Back 110

The plant or animal species which exerts major
controlling influence on the community. Removal of
dominant species results in important changes in the
community. Dominants have the greatest
total bio-mass represented by total number or weight

Front 111

dorsal fin

Back 111

A fin located on the back or upper-most part of a fish.

Front 112

DNR

Back 112

Department of Natural Resources; abbreviation for the
name of the natural resources agency in many states.
In North Carolina the name of the agency is DENR—
Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Front 113

drought

Back 113

The lack of normal precipitation for an extended period
of time. A long period with little or no rain.

Front 114

ecology

Back 114

The scientific study of the relations of living things to
one another and their environment. A scientist who
studies these relationships is called an ecologist

Front 115

ecological diversity

Back 115

The variety of forest, desert, grasslands, oceans,
stream, and other biological communities interacting
with one another and with their nonliving environment.

Front 116

ecological island

Back 116

Small spaces of wildlife and plant habitat remaining
when land is cleared for farming or urban
development.

Front 117

ecological niche

Back 117

The role played by an organism in a biological
community: its food preferences, its requirements for shelter; its special behaviors, and the timing of its
activities (nocturnal or diurnal).

Front 118

ecosphere

Back 118

A term for the total of all the regions on the earth
capable of supporting life.

Front 119

ecosystem

Back 119

All living things and their environment in an area of
any size where all are linked together by energy and
nutrient flow. Also, the interacting system of a
biological community and its nonliving environment;
the place where these interactions occur.

Front 120

ecosystem management

Back 120

Use of ecosystem concepts to predict the effects of
management actions on the ecosystem and to guide
management planning and actions

Front 121

ecological succession

Back 121

The changes, over time, in the structure and function
of an ecosystem. When no previous vegetation exists
on a site, the process is called primary succession.
When a site supported vegetation previously but was
disturbed, the process is called secondary succession

Front 122

edge habitat

Back 122

The transition zone between two different habitat
types.

Front 123

effluent

Back 123

The outflows from sewage or industrial plants

Front 124

endangered

Back 124

A species that is in danger of extinction throughout all
or a significant portion of its range. (A threatened
species is one that is likely to become endangered.)

Front 125

energy flow

Back 125

The one-way passage or transfer of energy through an
ecosystem according to the laws of thermodynamics

Front 126

endemic

Back 126

Pertaining to a population that is restricted to a
particular geographic area.

Front 127

entomology

Back 127

The study of insects

Front 128

environment

Back 128

The sum of all external conditions and influences,
living and nonliving, that affect the development and
survival of an organism (or group of organisms);
includes other plants, animals, climates, and
locations.

Front 129

epidermis

Back 129

The outermost layer or layers of cells in a plant or
animal.

Front 130

epilimnion

Back 130

The warm layer of water above the thermocline

Front 131

epiphyte

Back 131

A plant that grows on the surface of another plant but
is not a parasite since it gets its nourishment from the
air

Front 132

erosion

Back 132

The wearing away of the land surface by wind or
water. Erosion occurs, naturally from weather or
runoff, but it is often intensified by some human
practices.

Front 133

estuary

Back 133

A partly enclosed body of water where sea water and
fresh water meet and mix

Front 134

ethnobotany

Back 134

The study of the relationship between societies and
the plants of their environment.

Front 135

ethics

Back 135

A personal or social moral code.

Front 136

eutrophication

Back 136

Enrichment of water due to fertilization, sewage,
effluent or other waters that carry a high plant-nutrient
component which speeds up the ecological aging of a
body of water.

Front 137

evaporation

Back 137

A physical change of state in which a liquid is
transformed into a vapor or gas.

Front 138

evapotranspiration

Back 138

The evaporation of water from the soil and the
transpiration of water from the plants that live in that
soil. Approximately one-quarter of a forest’s annual
rainfall returns to the air through evapotranspiration.

Front 139

excavate

Back 139

To make a cavity or hole. To hollow out.

Front 140

exotic species

Back 140

A species that is not native to the ecosystem; also
known as an invader species

Front 141

exclusion

Back 141

Keeping something out of an area.

Front 142

extinction

Back 142

The condition of having been removed from existence.
An animal or plant facing extinction is one in danger of
vanishing from our world.

Front 143

eutrophic

Back 143

A type of body of water that has high levels of
nutrients.

Front 144

fauna

Back 144

Animals, especially the animals of a particular region
or period considered as a group.

Front 145

fiber

Back 145

A thread-like body or filament many times longer than
its diameter. Paper pulps are composed of fibers—
usually of vegetable origin, but sometimes animals,
minerals, or synthetic—for special types of papers.

Front 146

filter

Back 146

Any substance (paper, charcoal, sand, cloth, or fiber)
through which air, smoke or liquid passes to remove
impurities or recover solids.

Front 147

fingerling

Back 147

A young fish, about as long as the length of your
finger.

Front 148

fisheries management

Back 148

The science of management of fish populations
through research, habitat manipulation, stocking,
water quality control, and regulations

Front 149

flora

Back 149

A list of the species of plants that make up the
vegetation for an area. (See also vegetation.)

Front 150

fluctuate

Back 150

To vary; or rise and fall irregularly

Front 151

flyway

Back 151

Fly routes established by migratory birds

Front 152

food chain

Back 152

The transfer of food energy from organisms in one
nutritional level to those in another.

Front 153

food web

Back 153

A complex and interlocking series of food chains that shows the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

Front 154

forage

Back 154

Refers to the vegetation eaten by animals

Front 155

forbes

Back 155

Low growing herbaceous plants, both annuals and
perennials.

Front 156

fungi

Back 156

Simple plantlike organisms that lack chlorophyll.
-get their nutrition from living on or in other organisms
(parasitically), from living with other organisms
(symbiotically), or by breaking down dead organic
materials (saprophytically). Examples:
mushrooms, molds, and yeast.

Front 157

gaff

Back 157

A “j” shaped, barbless hook on a long handle used to
hook large fish while landing them.

Front 158

gamete

Back 158

A reproductive cell having the haploid number of
chromosomes capable of fusing with a gamate cell of
the opposite sex to produce a fertilized egg.

Front 159

gas

Back 159

The physical state of a compound that
characteristically has no fixed shape or size. Gases
will fill and take the shape of any container in which
they are placed

Front 160

generalist

Back 160

Species that have broad adaptability; more likely to
survive changes in habitat

Front 161

genetic diversity

Back 161

Variability in genetic or hereditary makeup among
individuals within a single species.

Front 162

geothermal energy

Back 162

Heat transferred from the earth’s interior to
underground concentrations of water trapped in
fractured or porous rock to form steam or hot water.

Front 163

gill

Back 163

A breathing organ located behind the gill cover on a
fish’s head.

Front 164

global climate change

Back 164

The long term changes in temperature, moisture, and
air mass movements occurring globally as a result of
changes in the earth’s atmosphere.

Front 165

grass

Back 165

Relatively short plants (less than 4 to 5 feet) typically
having long narrow leaves and hollow jointed stems.
Flowers for grasses are inconspicuous and often in
clusters.

Front 166

greenhouse effect

Back 166

The trapping of heat by gasses, such as
chlorofluorocarbons and carbon dioxide, in the Earth’s
atmosphere.

Front 167

greenhouse gases

Back 167

Gases in Earth’s lower atmosphere (troposphere) that
trap heat. Examples are carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, methane, water, vapor,
and nitrous oxide.

Front 168

GNP

Back 168

gross national product - Total market value in current dollars of all goods and
services produced by a country’s economy for final
use during a year.

Front 169

groundwater

Back 169

Water that infiltrates the soil and is stored in slowly
flowing and slowly renewed underground reservoirs
called aquifers

Front 170

habitat

Back 170

The native environment of an animal or plant, or the
kind of place that is natural for an animal or plant; an
area that provides adequate food, water, shelter and
living space.

Front 171

herb

Back 171

Any flowering plant or fern that has a soft, rather than
woody, stem.

Front 172

herb layer

Back 172

The layer of soft-stemmed plants growing close to the
forest floor

Front 173

herbaceous

Back 173

All grasses and forbes having soft rather than woody
stems, including plants called weeds and flowers.

Front 174

herbicide

Back 174

Chemicals used to control the growth of plants.

Front 175

herbivore

Back 175

A plant-eating animal.

Front 176

hibernate

Back 176

To pass the winter in a dormant state. A type of aestivation.

Front 177

high grading

Back 177

A harvesting technique that removes only the biggest
and most valuable trees from a forest stand.

Front 178

homerange

Back 178

The area in which an animal travels in the scope of
normal activities; not to be confused with territory

Front 179

hormones

Back 179

A substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by
the bloodstream to another to affect physiological
activity like growt

Front 180

hydric

Back 180

A descriptive term referring to plants and soils existing
in flooded, saturated, or ponded areas. (For example,
hydric soils.)

Front 181

hydrological cycle

Back 181

The process where water circulates through the
ecosystem; includes precipitation, respiration,
evaporation; the water cycle.

Front 182

hydrophyte

Back 182

A plant adapted to grow in water.

Front 183

hydropower

Back 183

Electric energy produced by falling or flowing water

Front 184

hyphae

Back 184

A threadlike filament forming the mycelium of a
fungus.

Front 185

hypothermia

Back 185

The rapid and abnormal chilling of the body.
Hypothermia can occur even in mild and warm
weather. Victims must be warmed by special means
to prevent long-term damage or death.

Front 186

iceberg

Back 186

A large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier or
polar ice cap.

Front 187

ichthyology

Back 187

The branch of zoology that deals with fish, their
classification, structure, habits, and life history.

Front 188

IGFA

Back 188

Abbreviation for the International Game Fish
Association, a group that keeps records on fish
catches and supports sport fishing.

Front 189

impoundment

Back 189

A man-made body of water.

Front 190

impervious

Back 190

Cannot be penetrated

Front 191

indigenous

Back 191

Pertaining to plants or animals that are native to a
particular region or country.

Front 192

infiltration

Back 192

The act of permeating a porous area with a liquid or
gas.

Front 193

inorganic

Back 193

Composed of matter that is not animal or vegetable;
not having the organized structure of living things.

Front 194

insecticide

Back 194

Chemicals used to kill insects.

Front 195

innate

Back 195

Possessed at birth.

Front 196

interior basin

Back 196

Land areas that are generally bowl-shaped and
surrounded by hills and mountains. Usually drained by
one river system and isolated from ocean influence by
mountains and hills.

Front 197

invade

Back 197

To enter, to encroach upon, to spread over into. In
wildlife usage, this describes when an
organism is removed from a community and another
organism spreads over into this community

Front 198

invertebrate

Back 198

Animals lacking a backbone. Some examples are
insects, spiders, mollusks, and crustaceans.

Front 199

irrigate

Back 199

To supply cropland, parks, yards, and so on, with
water through the use of diversions, ditches, and
pipes.

Front 200

key plant species

Back 200

Those plant species that are used to indicate the
general condition of a habitat. For example, when
plants show overuse, the animals may have exceeded
the carrying capacity of the habitat

Front 201

keystone species

Back 201

A wildlife species whose removal will effect many
different plants and animal species. For example, a
beaver would be a keystone species in a beaver pond.

Front 202

knee

Back 202

A round or spurlike growth rising from the roots of
some swamp trees such as bald cypress and tupelo

Front 203

landfill

Back 203

A specially engineered site for disposing of solid
waste on land, designed to confine the refuse to the
smallest practical area and reduce it to the smallest
practical volume.

Front 204

lateral line system

Back 204

A system of sense organs in fish, a series of pores or
canals running along a line on each side of the body
and on the head; detects pressure changes (including
vibrations) in the water.

Front 205

leaching

Back 205

The removal of soluble substance from soil by
percolating water.

Front 206

life cycle

Back 206

The phases, changes, or stages through which an
organism passes during its lifetime

Front 207

limiting factors

Back 207

any factor which limits the size of an organism's population. Density dependent (disease, food, water); den. independent (storms, hunting)

Front 208

litter

Back 208

The number of young born per birthing; the leaves or
needles that fall from trees and lie on the ground to
decompose and form soil.

Front 209

littoral

Back 209

Of or on a shore.

Front 210

loess

Back 210

Windblown deposit of fine-grained silt or clay

Front 211

macrofauna

Back 211

Large animals; extremely visible.

Front 212

management

Back 212

In general terms related to wildlife, the intentional
manipulation or non-manipulation of habitat and/or the
organisms within the habitat

Front 213

manipulate

Back 213

Manage or influence to achieve desired results

Front 214

map

Back 214

A drawing of land or physical features. Maps are
useful to find streams and access points to rivers and
lakes.

Front 215

marine deposits

Back 215

Sediment deposited in oceans.

Front 216

marl

Back 216

A type of bottom under a body of water; a mixture of
clay and carbonate of lime.

Front 217

marsh

Back 217

A wetland without trees which often has standing
water.

Front 218

meandering

Back 218

Curving; often used to describe rivers and streams in
lowlands.

Front 219

microclimate

Back 219

A “small climate;” the environmental conditions within
a restricted area.

Front 220

microfauna

Back 220

Very small animals, barely visible to the eye.

Front 221

microhabitat

Back 221

A small habitat within a larger one in which
environmental conditions differ from those in the
surrounding area. A hole in a tree trunk or a decaying
log is a mircohabitat within the forest.

Front 222

microoganism

Back 222

An organism microscopic in size, observable only
through a microscope.

Front 223

migration

Back 223

The movement of animals—including fish—from one
area to another

Front 224

mitigate

Back 224

To make up for; to substitute some benefit for losses
incurred.

Front 225

montane zone

Back 225

The band of vegetation that occurs at intermediate
elevations in mountainous regions between foothills
and subalpine zones

Front 226

mortality rate

Back 226

The death rate—usually expressed in deaths per
thousand.

Front 227

mottled

Back 227

A variegated pattern of color

Front 228

mucus

Back 228

In fish, a slimy substance that coats the skin and
helps protect fish from infection and disease. Also
helps them move through the water.

Front 229

multiple use

Back 229

- a system of management in which the same lands and waters are managed for a variety of purposes. The uses are intended to be compatible.

Front 230

multiple use management

Back 230

The practice of managing forest resources for a
variety of benefits including water quality and yield,
forage, wildlife habitat, wood, recreation, wilderness,
and minerals.

Front 231

mutualism

Back 231

A close association between two different species
whereby each species derives some benefits. For
example, the yucca plant and the yucca moth each
benefit from their relationship

Front 232

mycelium

Back 232

The mass of interwoven filaments that forms the
vegetative portion of a fungus.

Front 233

mycorizzhia

Back 233

The symbiotic association between the mycelium of a
fungus and the roots of certain plants.

Front 234

nares

Back 234

The nostrils in the snoot of a fish, used for smelling

Front 235

naturalist

Back 235

A specialist who studies and/or teaches about nature

Front 236

natural resources

Back 236

Those raw materials supplied by the Earth and its
processes. Natural resources include nutrients,
minerals, water, plant animals, and so on.

Front 237

natural selection

Back 237

A process in nature resulting in the survival and
perpetuation of only those forms of plants and animal
life that have certain favorable characteristics that
enable them to adapt best to a specific environment

Front 238

naval stores

Back 238

Turpentine and resin derived from the distillation of
oleoresins from slash and longleaf pine.

Front 239

nonconsumptive use

Back 239

Any use which
does not directly kill wildlife. Example: most forms
of bird watching, photography, hiking and other
pursuits involving activity as well as various forms
such as movie, television, and gallery viewing of
wildlife.

Front 240

nonrenewable resources

Back 240

Nonliving resources such as rocks and minerals;
resources which do not regenerate themselves;
substances, such as petroleum, coal, copper, and
gold which, once used, cannot be replaced

Front 241

non-point source pollution

Back 241

Pollution that enters water through run-off from
farmland, forestland, and urban areas. It can not be
determined exactly where this pollution comes from.

Front 242

nutrients

Back 242

Chemicals required for plants and animals to grow and
exist; a chemical compound required for the life of an
organism.

Front 243

nymph

Back 243

A larval phase of an aquatic insect

Front 244

olfactory

Back 244

Nerves involved in the sense of smell.

Front 245

oligotrophic

Back 245

Lake type used to describe bodies of water
characterized by low amounts of nutrients in
proportion to their total volume of water.

Front 246

omnivores

Back 246

Organisms that eat both animals and plants.

Front 247

organic

Back 247

Referring to or derived from living organisms; in
chemistry, any compound containing carbon.

Front 248

organic matter

Back 248

Chemical compounds of carbon combined with other
chemical elements and generally manufactured in the
life processes of plant and animals.
-source of food for bacteria and are
usually combustible.

Front 249

organism

Back 249

Any form of life (composed of mutually dependent
parts) that maintains various vital processes.

Front 250

pathology

Back 250

The study of the nature of disease and its causes.

Front 251

parasite, parasitic, parasitism

Back 251

An organism that lives on or in an organism of another
species and derives nutrients from it.
For example, mistletoe is a
parasite growing on trees.
The parasite draws nourishment from it
and may gradually weaken its host and kill it.

Front 252

passive solar energy

Back 252

A solar energy collection system in which natural
materials or large stationary absorptive surfaces
absorb and temporally store the heat of the sun. Heat
collected during the day is usually released from the
absorptive surfaces at night.

Front 253

pectoral fin

Back 253

Side fins on fish

Front 254

pelagic

Back 254

Relating to or living in deep, open water as opposed to
along the banks

Front 255

pelvic fins

Back 255

Fins on each side of a fish’s belly. These fins aid in
positioning and balance.

Front 256

percolation

Back 256

The downward movement of water in soil; leaching

Front 257

pH

Back 257

The hydrogen-ion activity used in expressing both
acidity and alkalinity on a scale whose values range
from 0-14, with 7 = neutrality.
less than 7 = increasing acidity;
greater than 7 =increasing alkalinity.
- pH describes the condition represented by such a
number.

Front 258

pheromones

Back 258

A chemical secreted by an animal or insect that
influences the behavior or development of others of
the same species.

Front 259

phosphate

Back 259

A chemical compound that aids root growth and is
essential in energy transfer. It is commonly
incorporated into beds as triple super phosphate
(TSP) at time of planting.

Front 260

photosynthesis

Back 260

Complex process that takes place in cells of green
plants. Radiant energy from the sun is used to
combine carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen
and carbohydrates (such as glucose) and other
nutrient molecules.

Front 261

phytoplankton

Back 261

Microscopic floating and suspended aquatic plants.
Phytoplankton are the first step of the food chain in
many aquatic systems.

Front 262

pigment

Back 262

A chemical substance that reflects and transmits only
certain light rays and thus imparts color to an object.

Front 263

pith

Back 263

Soft, spongy center of the stem of most flowering
plants.

Front 264

plant communities

Back 264

An associations of plants, each occupying a certain
position or ecological niche, inhabiting a common
environment and interaction

Front 265

plankton

Back 265

Organisms suspended in an aquatic habitat that
control their own movements. Plankton are usually
microscopic and include bacteria, algae, protozoan,
rotifers, larvae, and small crustaceans.

Front 266

playa

Back 266

The level area at the bottom of a basin that is often
covered with water from rain runoff and snow melt.

Front 267

point source pollution

Back 267

Pollution that comes from a specific place such as a
drain or pipes.

Front 268

pollution

Back 268

Harmful substances deposited in the air, water, or
land leading to a state of dirtiness, impurity, or
unhealthiness.

Front 269

pore, pore spaces

Back 269

The area of the soil through which water and air move.
The space between soil particles.

Front 270

producers

Back 270

Organisms that synthesize organic compounds from
inorganic substances by way of photosynthesis
(green plants) or chemosynthesis (anaerobic
bacteria).

Front 271

productivity

Back 271

The amount of crops or animals that can be harvested
from land. It can also mean the general amount of
goods made in a given time or in a given area

Front 272

profundal

Back 272

Zone of water at the bottom of deep, open water.

Front 273

redd

Back 273

A nest dug on the bottom of a body of water by
spawning trout.

Front 274

species reintroduction

Back 274

A wildlife management technique where a species is
reintroduced into their historic range; the repopulation
of animals in areas where they have become extinct.

Front 275

regenerate

Back 275

To replace lost or damaged parts with new tissue.

Front 276

resident wildlife

Back 276

Animals which are residents to a specific area on a
year-round basis as opposed to migratory.

Front 277

respiration

Back 277

An energy-yielding oxidation process that goes on in
living plants and animals; an exchange of gasses

Front 278

rill

Back 278

A type of erosion.

Front 279

riparian

Back 279

On or near the bank of water areas. The land area and
plants that are influenced by the adjacent water.

Front 280

root collar

Back 280

The transition zone between stem and root at the
ground line of a tree or seedling

Front 281

runoff water

Back 281

Fresh water from precipitation and melting ice that
flows on the ground into nearby streams, lakes,
wetlands, and reservoirs

Front 282

salinity

Back 282

Level of salt in a given substance (like water).

Front 283

scale

Back 283

One of the small covering plates on the body of many
fish.

Front 284

scavenger

Back 284

An animal that eats the dead remains and wastes of
other animals and plants.

Front 285

school

Back 285

A number of fish of the same species that are grouped
together

Front 286

secluded

Back 286

Removed or screened from view of other areas and
disturbances

Front 287

sedges

Back 287

Grass-like plants with solid stems and leaves that
grow in threes

Front 288

sediment

Back 288

The matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid (such
as water).

Front 289

sedimentation

Back 289

The deposition or accumulation of sediment

Front 290

sere

Back 290

The series of communities that follow one another in a
natural succession, as in the change from a bare field
to a mature forest. A serial stage refers to one such
community.

Front 291

silt

Back 291

Very fine particles of soil often transported by water
and deposited as sediment.

Front 292

slough

Back 292

A swampy place or marshy inlet.

Front 293

spawn

Back 293

The act of releasing eggs into the water by female fish
for fertilization by male fish.

Front 294

spawning run

Back 294

The movement of fish to an area for the purpose of
spawning.

Front 295

species diversity

Back 295

The number of different species and their relative
abundance in a given area.

Front 296

sport fishing

Back 296

Fishing for recreation, not for profit or commercial
reasons

Front 297

stagnant

Back 297

Sluggish, not producing to potential

Front 298

stewardship

Back 298

The concept of responsible care taking is based on
the premise that we do not own resources but are
managers of resources and are responsible to future
generations for their condition.

Front 299

stoma

Back 299

A small opening found in the epidermal layer of plants
that allows: access for carbon dioxide; the release of
water; and the release of oxygen. Stomata are
surrounded by guard cells that control the opening
size.

Front 300

SMZ

Back 300

Streamside Management Zone - An area adjacent to a stream in which vegetation is
maintained or managed to protect water quality. The
width depends on slope, but 50 feet is the normal
minimum.

Front 301

sustained yield

Back 301

The rate at which a resource may be used without
reducing its long-term availability or limiting its ability
to renew itself.

Front 302

swamp

Back 302

A wetland dominated by trees

Front 303

symbiosis

Back 303

The living together in close association of two or more
dissimilar organisms; includes parasitism, mutualism,
and neutralism

Front 304

threatened species

Back 304

A species that, in nature, is abundant, but because of
a decline in its numbers, may become endangered

Front 305

transitional

Back 305

The process of changing from one form to another

Front 306

transpiration

Back 306

Vapor water lost or given off by land plants

Front 307

turbid

Back 307

Having sediment or foreign particles stirred up or
suspended; muddy.

Front 308

undulating

Back 308

A regular rising and falling or side-to-side motion

Front 309

vegetation

Back 309

The mass of plants that cover a given areas. (Flora
sometimes used—incorrectly—as a synonym for
vegetation is actually a list of the species of plants that
compose the vegetation.

Front 310

vigor

Back 310

In plants and animals, refers to the capacity for strong
growth and high survival.

Front 311

VOC

Back 311

(Volatile Organic Compound)
A “naturally” derived compound that can cause serious environmental and health threats when found in high concentrations or used in poorly ventilated areas.

Front 312

wastewater

Back 312

Water that runs off cropland during irrigation

Front 313

watershed

Back 313

The land area where all rain drains into a body of
water—delivering both runoff water and sediment to a
major river or stream and its tributaries.

Front 314

wetland

Back 314

An area that is regularly wet or flooded where the
water table stands at or above the land surface for a
least part of the year. Wetland plant communities are
made up of species which require hydric soils.

Front 315

wilderness area

Back 315

An area established by the federal government to be
managed and preserved in an essentially untouched
condition but may be open to some recreational activities.

Front 316

wildlife

Back 316

A loose term that includes non domesticated animals,
especially mammals, birds, and fish.

Front 317

wildlife management

Back 317

The application of scientific knowledge and technical
skills to protect, preserve, conserve, limit, enhance, or
extend the value of wildlife and its habitat.

Front 318

xylem

Back 318

The complex woody tissue of higher plants that
includes systems for transporting water, storing
nutrients, and supporting the plant’s structure. (See
transpiration.)

Front 319

zone

Back 319

An area composed of groups of tree species having
the same specific moisture and nutrient requirements
for growth.

Front 320

zoologist

Back 320

A specialist who studies the animal kingdom with
respect to the behavior of individual animals, species,
or both.

Front 321

zooplankton

Back 321

Plankton that consists of animals including coral, sea
anemones, and jellyfish.

Front 322

alkalinity

Back 322

measure of how water withstands changes in pH

Front 323

aquifer

Back 323

reservoir that stores groundwater

Front 324

benthic

Back 324

bottom of a body of water

Front 325

epilimnion

Back 325

the layer of water above the thermocline (top layer)

Front 326

hypolimnion

Back 326

the layer under the thermocline, bottom in thermally stratified water

Front 327

epilimnion
thermocline / metalimnion
hypolimnion

Back 327

layers of stratified water from top to bottom

Front 328

isohaline

Back 328

salinity contour

Front 329

lentic

Back 329

pertains to still water (pond or lake)

Front 330

limnetic

Back 330

open water zone of a pond or lake

Front 331

lotic

Back 331

pertains to flowing water

Front 332

metalimnion

Back 332

the middle layer in a lake that has thermal stratification like you see in the summer or winter

Front 333

nekton

Back 333

free swimming organisms like fish, turtles and rays

Front 334

Pycnocline

Back 334

a layer across which there is a rapid change in water density with depth

Front 335

DO

Back 335

dissolved oxygen

Front 336

benthos

Back 336

benthic community (oysters, clams, worms, mussels)

Front 337

complete metamorphosis

Back 337

form changes that involves four stages including
egg, larva, pupa, and adult

Front 338

detritivore

Back 338

organism that eats dead and decaying plant and animal material

Front 339

incomplete metamorphosis

Back 339

form changes that include egg, nymph, and adult
stages

Front 340

insect

Back 340

invertebrate distinguished by an exoskeleton, three body parts, and three
pairs of legs

Front 341

labium

Back 341

an armlike extension used by some insect larvae to grab and hold their
prey

Front 342

larva

Back 342

newly hatched, wingless, often wormlike form of many insects

Front 343

life cycle

Back 343

stages of development in the life of an organism

Front 344

metamorphosis

Back 344

a marked change in appearance

Front 345

pupa

Back 345

nonfeeding stage between the larva and adult in the metamorphosis of an
insect

Front 346

spiracle

Back 346

small respiratory opening in the body of an insect

Front 347

thorax

Back 347

middle region of the insect body, used for leg and wing attachment

Front 348

algal bloom

Back 348

Rapid growth by algae producing large quantities of plant material which can result in low dissolved oxygen conditions as the algae dies and decays. Low dissolved oxygen can result in the death of fish and other aquatic organisms.

Front 349

ammonia

Back 349

NH4 - Ammonia is very toxic to fish and aquatic life. Ammonia concentrations of 0.06 mg/L can cause gill damage in fish and 0.2 mg/L is lethal to trout. Concentrations in excess of 0.1 mg/L suggest domestic or agricultural sources of waste.

Front 350

annelid

Back 350

phylum that includes segmented terrestrial and aquatic worms

Front 351

anoxic

Back 351

Deficient or lacking oxygen.

Front 352

hypoxic

Back 352

having low dissolved oxygen levels in the water

Front 353

anterior

Back 353

At or directed toward the head or forward part of the body

Front 354

aperture

Back 354

An opening or hole in the gastropod shell

Front 355

aphotic zone

Back 355

That part of the ocean in which light is insufficient to carry on photosynthesis.

Front 356

photic zone

Back 356

That part of the ocean in which light is sufficient to carry on photosynthesis.

Front 357

seston

Back 357

Particulate matter such as plankton, organic detritus and inorganic particles such as silt suspended in seawater