Pacific Islands – Vol. 1 No. 21

• algae

  (al jē): Simple, plantlike organism.

• archaeologist

  (är kē ä lə jist): A scientist who studies the material remains (such as tools, pottery, jewelry, stone walls, and monuments) of past human life and activities.

• biodiversity

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

• canopy

  (ka nə pē): A protective covering: such as, the uppermost spreading branchy layer of a forest.

• Common Era

  (kä-mən er ə): The system for recording dates used almost everywhere around the world today. CE is an alternative to the AD system used by Christians, but the numbers are the same.

• 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.

• consultation

  (kän(t) sǝl tā shǝn): A meeting held to talk things over.

• degrade

  (di grād): To make the quality of something worse.

• density

  (den(t) sə tē): (1) The quantity per unit of volume, unit of area, or unit of length; (2) the average number of individuals or units per unit of space.

• endemic

  (en de mik): Originating or growing or found especially and often only in a certain locality or region.

• extinction

  (ik stiŋk shən): The state of no longer existing.

• food chain

  (füd chān): A sequence of organisms in which each depends on the next, and usually lower, member as a source of food.

• geospatial

  (jē ō spā shǝl): Consisting of or relating to data that are directly linked to specific geographical locations.

• germinate

  (jər mə nāt): To cause to sprout or develop.

• iconic

  (ī kän ik): Of or pertaining to an icon. An icon is a picture representation, a symbol.

• indigenous

  (in di jə nəs): Produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment.

• intense

  (in tens): Very strong or great.

• invasive

  (in vā siv): Tending to spread especially in a quick or aggressive manner, such as a nonnative species growing and dispersing easily, usually to the detriment of native species and ecosystems.

• irreplaceable

  (ir i plā sə bəl): Not replaceable.

• irreplaceable

  (ir i plā sə bəl): Not replaceable.

• mangrove

• microorganism

  (mī krō ȯr gə ni zəm): An organism or life form of microscopic size.

• 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.

• monitor

  (mä nə tər): To watch, keep track of, or check usually for a special purpose.

• native

  (nā tiv): Living or growing naturally in a particular region.

• nonnative

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

• organic

  (ȯr ga nik): Of, relating to, or obtained from living things.

• perimeter

  (pə ri mə tər): A line or strip bounding or protecting an area.

• proximity

  (prak si mǝ tē): The quality or state of being physically close.

• quadrat

  (kwä drət): A usually rectangular plot used for ecological or population studies.

• ratio

  (rā shē ō): The relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or more things.

• restoration

  (res tə rā shən): The act of bringing back to an earlier condition.

• sample

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

• sapwood

  (sap wu̇d): The young wood through which sap travels that is found just beneath the bark of a tree and is usually lighter in color than the heartwood.

• seedling

  (sēd liŋ): A young plant grown from a seed.

• sustain

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

• symbiotic

  (sim bē ä tik): Characterized by or being a close, cooperative, or interdependent relationship between two dissimilar organisms.

• 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.

• vascular

  (va skyə lər): Of, relating to, or affecting a channel for the movement of a body fluid (such as blood of an animal or sap of a plant) or a system of such channels.

• vascular

  (va skyə lər): Of, relating to, or affecting a channel for the movement of a body fluid (such as blood of an animal or sap of a plant) or a system of such channels.

• vulnerable

  (vəl n(ə-)rə bəl): Open to attack or damage.

Editorial Review Board Comments

• “The pictures, graphs, and tables helped me further understand concepts, so I really liked the use of them.”

• “I learned how it’s possible to remove an invasive species from an environment and the benefits that this has.”

• “I learned that crabs live in Mangroves. It was very interesting and I never knew they could live in such a place.”

• “I learned the importance of mangroves in various ecosystems and our Earth.”

• “Forest restoration is important and helpful, and has lots of ways to do it.”

• “Why “Four-est”? Put definitions at bottom in- stead of having them flip like 10 pages.”

• “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

• “I learned that Tamalgi trees are invasive, and were taking over NPAS, but scientists were able to clear them from the area, allowing native Samoan trees to take back their land.”

Related Resources from The Natural Inquirer

Additional Resources