Ecosystem Services – Vol. 12 No. 1

• agency

  (ā jən(t) sē): A part of a government that manages projects in a certain area.

• annual

  (an yə(-wə)l): (1) Covering the period of a year; (2) occurring or happening every year or once a year.

• aquatic

  (ǝ kwä tik): Growing or living in or often found in water.

• biodiversity

  (bī ō dǝ vǝr sǝ tē ): Biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals.

• bosque

  (bäsk): A wooded area near water or wetland areas.

• breeding habitat

  (brē diŋ ha bə tat): Environment where an animal nests and reproduces as opposed to where it lives during the rest of the year.

• classification

  (kla sə fə kā shən): Systematic arrangement in groups or categories according to established criteria.

• collaboration

  (kǝ la bǝ rā shǝn): The act of working together.

• conservation

  (kän(t) sər vā shən): A careful preservation and protection of something, especially planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect.

• cyclical

  (si kli kǝl): Characterized by a series of events or actions that repeat themselves regularly and in the same order.

• data

  (dā tǝ or da tǝ): Factual information (such as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation.

• deciduous

  (di si jǝ wǝs): Having parts, like leaves, that fall off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle.

• decomposition

  (dē käm pə zi shən): The act or process of breaking up, such as by decaying or rotting.

• drought

  (drau̇t): A long period of dry weather.

• economic

  (ek ǝ nä mik): Of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

• economy

  (i kä nǝ mē): A system relating to the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in a country, area, or period.

• ecosystem

  (ē kō sis tǝm): A system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions.

• ecosystem

  (ē kō sis tǝm): A system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions.

• ecosystem service

  (ē kō si stǝm sǝr vǝs): Any of the various benefits provided by plants, animals, and the communities they form.

• ecosystem service

  (ē kō si stǝm sǝr vǝs): Any of the various benefits provided by plants, animals, and the communities they form.

• erosion

  (i rō zhǝn): The process of deteriorating or disappearing by wearing away.

• flood plain

  (fləd plān): Low flat land along a stream or river that may flood.

• freshwater

  (fresh wȯ tǝr): (adjective) living in or taken from fresh water; (noun) water that is not salty.

• geography

  (jē ä grə fē): A science that deals with the location of living and nonliving things on Earth and the way they affect one another.

• globalization

  (glō bə lə zā shən): The act or process or state of making worldwide in scope or application; especially, the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets.

• grassland

  (gras land): Land covered with herbs (like grasses and clover) rather than shrubs and trees.

• habitat

  (ha bә tat): The place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows.

• headwaters

  (hed wȯ tərz): The beginning and upper part of a stream.

• indicator

  (in dǝ kā tǝr): Something that acts as a sign, symptom, or index of.

• inhabitant

  (in ha bə tənt): One that occupies a particular place regularly, routinely, or for a period of time.

• invasive species

  (in vā siv spē sēz): An organism that is not native to the place where it is found and tends to grow and spread easily usually to the detriment (harm) of native species and ecosystems.

• land cover

  (land kə vər): Data that documents how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, impervious surfaces, agriculture, and other land and water types, like wetlands or open water.  Definition from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

• management

  (ma nij mǝnt): The conducting or supervising of something.

• marsh

  (märsh): An area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses and sedges.

• metamorphosis

  (me tǝ mȯr fǝ sǝs): The process of basic and usually rather sudden change in the form and habits of some animals during transformation from an immature stage (as a tadpole or a caterpillar) to an adult stage (as a frog or a butterfly).

• migratory

  (mī grǝ tȯr ē): Of, relating to, or characterized by moving, usually periodically, from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding.

• model

  (mä dǝl): (noun): (1) Type or kind; (2) a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs.

  (verb): To make a simplified copy or representation of something to help aid understanding.

• natural resource

  (na ch(ǝ) rǝl rē sȯrs): A feature or phenomenon in nature that enhances the quality of human life.

• nonnative

  (nän nā tiv): Not naturally occurring in an area.

• nutrient

  (nü trē ǝnt): A substance or ingredient that promotes growth, provides energy, and maintains life.

• policy

  (pä lə sē): A course of action chosen in order to guide people in making decisions.

• pollinate

  (pä lǝ nāt): To place pollen on the stigma of a flower, which fertilizes the flower and causes seeds to develop.

• population

  (pä pyǝ lā shǝn): The total of individuals occupying an area.

• prairie

  (prer ē): A large area of level or rolling grassland.

• regulation

  (re gyǝ lā shǝn): The act or state of bringing order, method, or uniformity to something.

• resilience

  (ri zil yən(t)s): An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

• restore

  (ri stȯr): To bring back to or put back into a former or original state.

• sample

  (sam pəl): A small subset group, representative of the entire group.

• scale

  (skāl): (1) Something graduated especially when used as a measure or rule: such as a series of marks or points at known intervals used to measure distances or a range of responses to a statement that vary from strongly agree to strongly disagree; (2) A distinctive relative size, extent, or degree.

• semi-arid

  (se mē er əd): Characterized by light rainfall, especially having from about 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters) of annual precipitation.

• species

  (spē sēz or spē shēz): A category of living things that ranks below a genus, is made up of related individuals able to produce fertile offspring, and is identified by a two-part scientific name.

• sustain

  (sǝ stān): (1) To give support or relief to; (2) to keep up.

• urban

  (ǝr bǝn): Of, relating to, typical of, or being a city.

• variable

  (ver ē ə bəl): (1) A factor, trait, or condition that can be changed or controlled; (2) a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values.

• vegetation

  (ve jǝ tā shǝn): Plant life or total plant cover of an area.

• waterfowl

  (wȯ tər fau̇(-ə)l): A bird that is found in or near water.

• wetlands

  (wet landz): Land or areas (such as marshes or swamps) that are covered, often intermittently, with shallow water or have soil saturated with moisture.

• wildlife

  (wī(e)l(d) līf): Living things and especially mammals, birds, and fishes that are neither human nor domesticated.

• woody

  (wu̇ dē): Having woody parts, meaning rich in xylem and associated structures.

Editorial Review Board Comments

• “I think you should put more pictures in to make the article more interesting.”

• “This is pretty cool because it’s about someone going out and having fun with earth and water stuff.”

• “The pictures help explain things, so it is not just words.”

• “I like this glossary. It makes the words more clear.”

Additional Resources