stable community of plants and animals that results from a complex community replacing simpler ones
climax community
percentage of a plant's biomass that is incorporated into the harvestable part
harvest index
impact that human activity has on ecosystems and global resources
human footprint
a climbing or twining plant, usually woods
liane
atmospheric environmental conditions in the immediate vicinity of the plant, including interchanges of energy, gases, and water between atmosphere and soil
microclimate
small flowering plants that grow in deciduous forests that start and complete their annual lifecycle in a very short time in the spring before tree leaf out
spring ephemerals
serial replacement of simple communities by more complex communities
succession
plants that grow under the canopy of other taller plants