North American Forest Ecology: Key Terms and Concepts

Species

Group of similar organisms that freely breed with each other and produce viable offspring

Population

Any species group considered together because of a certain spatial or temporal relationship

Bryophytes

Non-vascular (no xylem and phloem) land plants

Tracheophytes

Vascular land plants that have a vascular system to conduct water and nutrients

Gymnosperms

Seed producing, cone bearing plants, ovules not enclosed, seeds not enclosed in a fruit - includes pines, firs, and spruce

Angiosperms

Flowering, seed producing plants, seeds enclosed in fruit, includes maples, oaks, cherries

Monocots

Embryos with single cotyledons, parallel leaf veins, scattered vascular bundles such as grasses, orchids, bamboos

Dicots

Plants having embryos with double cotyledons, reticulated leaf veins, ringed vascular bundles such as beans, oaks, hickories, cherries, etc

Herbaceous

Non-woody plants with stems and leaves that typically die back to the ground each growing season

Woody plants

Have lignified structural tissues (wood) and buds that survive aboveground over the dormant season

Annual plant

Completes life cycle within a year or one growing season and dies

Perennial

Plant that survives for many growing seasons, can be herbaceous or woody

Vine

A climbing plant that use other plants for vertical growth support

Liana

A perennial woody vine

Shrub

A woody perennial <15 ft (~5m) tall multistemmed or without a distinct main stem

Tree

A large woody perennial plant with a well-defined stem or stems and definite crown

Forest

A 3-dimensional biological community dominated by trees

Ecology

The study of interrelationships of organisms in and to their complete biotic and abiotic environment.

Forest Ecology

The science studying the interrelationships among biological communities and the biotic and abiotic environment within the forest.

Silvics

The study of life history and characteristics of forest trees in relationship to their environment

Silviculture

The art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to sustainably meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society.

Autecology

The study of individuals in relationship to the environment.

Population ecology

The study of populations and how they interact with the environment.

Synecology

The study of communities in relationship to the environment.

Ecosystem ecology

An extension of synecology that focuses on biomass production and nutrient cycling.

Ecosystem

Energy driven complex of interactions of a community of organisms and its associated environment considered over a space and time context.

Phenotype

What we see -- observable properties of an organism

Genotype

Genetic constitution of an organism

Phenotypic plasticity

A genotype (individual) may exhibit one phenotype when grown under one set of environmental conditions and another phenotype grown in a different environment

Ontogenetic variation

Phenotype change related to plant development -- developmental variation

Mutation

Gene changes at individual loci (locations) on a chromosome, Chromosomal aberrations. (usually detrimental or lethal)

Chimera

An organism with tissues of more than one genotype

Recombination

Regrouping of genetic material between chromosomes prior to egg and sperm cell formation

Gene flow

Exchanging genes from different populations of a single species.

Hybridization

Genetic exchange among different species.

Introgression

Interbreeding of 2 species (hybridization). Repeatedly - can eliminate a nonhybrid species

Provenance

A population (of trees) from a geographic area

Cline

Phenotypic variation, continuous or discontinuous, genetically or environmentally based

Race

A population of a species that differs significantly in one or more morphological or physiological characters

Ecotype

Also used to describe genetically different populations of the same species.

Niche

When where and how a species is genetically adapted to persist in its site with other species.