Terms to Know

Below is a glossary of terms used on this website and in associated media and references. These terms may not be used generally or may have definitions specific to the field. You may use your browser’s search function to find a specific term or browse normally. If there is a term missing you think should be included, please let me know by utilizing the contact information listed on our contact page, thank you.

  • An area (usu. of land) where the plants, animals, land type and weather are generally similar

  • An area where plants, animals, and other organisms work and interact with each other

  • A species seriously at risk of extinction

  • A native species found only in a particular area, and nowhere else

  • From a distant foreign land

  • A species which is nonnative and spreads quickly, harmfully, or undesirably

  • A local set of conditions which vary from surrounding areas and from the larger macro (or more recognized) climate. Examples include differences on leeward and windward sides of a mountain, the understory of a forest, or urban zones.

  • A species which originates or is present due to natural distribution (arrive naturally)

  • A species which does not originate from an area and is unlikely to have arrived via natural means.

  • A group of distinct organisms capable of creating offspring (children)

  • A species which is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future