Forest Ecosystem and Forestry Review Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental terms in forest ecology, soil science, silviculture, tree physiology, dendrology, and forest management.

Mulching

The method of reducing water evaporation from the soil by spreading a layer of material such as straw, dead leaves, or paper over the soil surface.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history of a species.

Lamina

The expanded portion of a leaf that functions primarily for photosynthesis.

Haustorium

The appendage or root portion of a parasitic plant that penetrates host tissue to draw nutrients.

Estuary

An area where freshwater from rivers meets the saltwater of seas and oceans.

Enrichment planting

The act of supplementing inadequately stocked residual forest to enhance its overall productivity.

Caryopsis

A type of simple dry fruit commonly referred to as a grain.

Halophyte

A plant adapted to living and surviving in highly saline habitats.

Ecological succession

The orderly process of community development involving changes in species structure over time, resulting in the replacement of one community by another.

Monoecious

The condition wherein both male and female reproductive organs are present on the same plant, but located in different flowers.

Biomass

The total dry weight of all organic matter present in a given ecosystem.

Canker

A localized necrotic lesion found primarily on the bark and cambium of a plant.

Field capacity

The percentage of water remaining in the soil after gravitational drainage has stopped, held at a soil water potential of approximately $1/3\,\text{atm}$.

Silvics

The branch of ecology that studies the life history, general characteristics, and environmental interactions of forest trees.

Pneumatophore

A specialized root structure evident in mangrove species (such as Avicennia and Sonneratia) that facilitates gas exchange.

Colluvium

Soil parent material or rock debris that has been transported down a slope by gravity.

Xerophyte

A plant specifically adapted to withstand and survive under extremely dry environmental conditions.

Plasmolysis

The shrinkage of protoplasm away from the cell wall due to the loss of turgor pressure in plant cells.

Umbel

An inflorescence featuring pedicels of equal length springing from a common apex on the peduncle, creating an umbrella-shaped arrangement.

Ecological isolation

The prevention of interbreeding between populations due to their adaptation to and growth on different sites or habitats.

Cladophyll

A specialized, flattened, leaf-like stem typical of plants in the cactus family.

Aggregate fruit

A type of fruit formed from separate simple ovaries originating from a single flower.

Phyllotaxis

The pattern of arrangement of leaves on a plant stem or axis.

Permanent wilting point

The soil moisture content at which plants wilt and cannot recover turgidity even when placed in a saturated humid chamber.

Stratification

The vertical arrangement or layering of plant canopies and species within a forest stand.

Agroforestry

A land-use system combining agriculture and forestry to grow trees alongside annual food crops on the same land unit.

Cyme

An inflorescence in which the central terminal flower opens first, with lateral flowers developing subsequently.

Thinning

An intermediate silvicultural cutting that removes trees from an immature stand to accelerate diameter growth on the remaining crop trees.

Stomata

Microscopic pores in leaf surfaces and stems that regulate gas exchange and transpiration.

Bioclimatology

The study of the effects of climate on the health, growth, and distribution of living organisms.

Ecesis

The stage in ecological succession where plant propagules or seeds establish themselves, germinate, and begin growth in a new site.

Dendrology

The branch of forestry dealing with the identification, nomenclature, classification, and morphology of trees and woody plants.

Ecdysis

The periodic shedding or molting of the outer cuticle layer in insects.

Humus

Decomposed soil organic matter that has reached a stable state where original plant or animal structures are no longer distinguishable.

Gabion

A rectangular wire cage filled with rocks or stones used for slope stabilization and erosion control.

Reforestation

The re-establishment of forest cover on areas that were previously forested.

Afforestation

The establishment of a new forest on land that has not historically contained forest cover.

Peatland

A wetland ecosystem that accumulates organic plant material over time, storing significantly more carbon per hectare than most terrestrial forests.

Allopatric speciation

The divergence of populations into distinct species resulting from geographic isolation by physical barriers like rivers or mountains.

Phenotype

The observable physical or morphological characteristics of an organism, produced by the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Leaching

The removal or washing away of soluble nutrients and minerals from upper soil layers by heavy rainfall or water movement.

Heeling-in

The temporary trenching or covering of bare-root seedling roots in moist soil under shade to keep them viable before final field planting.

Fascine

A cylindrical bundle of brushwood or branches bound together and placed on slopes for bio-engineered slope stabilization and erosion control.

Hardening-off

The process of gradually exposing nursery seedlings to natural field stress, such as reduced watering and direct sunlight, to prepare them for field survival.

Lotic

Relating to or living in moving aquatic environments, such as rivers and streams.

Endemic species

A plant or animal species that is naturally native and strictly confined to a specific geographical area.

Pollen dilution zone

A surrounding buffer area established around a seed production area to minimize unwanted pollen contamination from external sources.

Chablis

A natural gap formed in a forest canopy as a result of the fall of a mature tree.