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Biodiversity
Biodiversity is short for biological diversity, which means all the plants, animals, and other living things (organisms) that are found in an area. In science, biodiversity is also a measure of the number, or abundance, of different species living within a particular region. Besides species diversity, biodiversity can be thought of on the level of the genes carried by species – genetic diversity – or of interacting groups of species – ecosystem diversity.
Climate
Climate is the weather conditions of a region throughout the year and includes temperature, precipitation (rain and snow), humidity, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds.
Conservation
Conservation is the protection, improvement, and wise use of natural resources to provide the greatest social and economic value for the present and future. Conservation must consider resource needs and requirements of the local human population, together with the need for preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural area made up of a community of plants, animals, and other living things in a particular physical environment. It is the result of all the biological, climatic, geological, and chemical "ingredients" in a particular area. This total combination of factors gives rise to certain kinds of living communities whose organisms interact with all parts of the system.
Extinct
An extinct species is one that no longer exists anywhere in the world. There are no surviving individuals. Examples are the Tyrannosaurus rex, the Dodo, and the Passenger Pigeon. The term "extirpated" or "locally extinct" is used for species that are no longer found in a particular region.
Invasive
An invasive plant is one that grows in unnaturally greater numbers and displaces or replaces native species. The plant may be a non-native species introduced from elsewhere, such as Purple Loosestrife, or a native plant, like Hawthorn, that invades an area because of disturbance or other factors.
Native
A "native species" is one that historically occurred or currently occurs in a particular ecosystem and is not there as a result of an introduction. The term "native plant" is generally used for plants that occur naturally in an area with no assistance from any humans. Native species are functioning members of an ecosystem, have evolved interrelationships with the organisms of that area, and are part of the ecological balance and health of that environment.
Non-renewable
A non-renewable resource is a resource that is not replaced or is replaced only very slowly by natural processes taking place over hundreds of millions of years. Primary examples of non-renewable resources are fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal), metal ores (aluminum, copper, iron), and other mineral resources. Any non-renewable resources that we use are not replaced in a reasonable amount of time (our lifetime or that of our children) and are thus considered "used up" and not available to us again.
Organism
An organism is any form of life such as plants, animals, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria.
Preserve
A preserve is an area of land set aside for the protection of an ecosystem or particular species so that it may be maintained for the future.
Renewable
A renewable resource can last indefinitely without reducing the available supply because it is replaced by natural processes in a shorter amount of time than non-renewable resources. Examples include trees for lumber, grasses for grazing, animals, fresh surface water in lakes and streams, most groundwater, fresh air, and fertile soil. However, if one of these resources is used faster than it is replenished, it can be depleted and then considered a non-renewable resource.
Topography
Topography includes landscape features such as the range in elevation (level or hilly), bodies of water (lakes and rivers), and plant cover (grassland and forest). Topography is also the mapping or description of the surface features or appearance of an area.
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