Ecology

stable, permanent edge determined by long term natural features & conditions

an edge that results from a disturbance

transition zone between two structurally different communities

species restricted exclusively to the edge or border

response of organisms, animals in particular, to environmental conditions created by edge

organisms that require large areas of habitat

connect patches of similar habitat, enhancing the ability of organisms to move among patches of their habitat

corridors that provide dispersal routes for some species but restrict the movement of others

fire, windstorm, flood etc that disrupts community structure and function

measured by the proportion of total biomass, or populaton of a species, that the disturbance kills or eliminates

refers to the spatial extent of the impact of the disturbance relative to the size of the affected landscape

average number of disturbances that occur within a particular time interval

an opening that becomes a site of localized regeneration and growth within the community

recycling nutrients within the plant

the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal actions

process by which green plants use sunlight to convert to chemical energy (glucose)

CO2, water, and light to make glucose, O2 and water

the harvesting of energy from organic compounds(glucose) stored as ATP for use in energy requiring activities

rate of carbon fixation during photosynthesis - rate of carbon dixiode lost during respiraton

tissue found in the interior of leaves

tiny pore in the plant leaf that regulates opening and closing

movement of a substance from areas of higher to lower concentration

characteristic of some plants in the tropical region to drop their leavesat the onset of the dry season

"knees" specialized growths of the root system

terrestrial plant adapted morphologically to grow in salt-rich soils