upwelling an upwelling of cold, deep water into upper, warmer water layers.
vent an opening on the seafloor releasing heat or volcanic debris.
zooplankton drifting sea worms, jellyfish, and crustaceans.
mesic of soils, moist but well drained.
mulch collective term for any material such as straw, leaves, or sawdust spread on soil to cut down water loss and weed growth.
mull an upper mineral layer mixed with organic matter.
peat partially decomposed plant material having little inorganic matter and accumulated in wet areas such as bogs.
pedology the study of soil.
permeability the quality of allowing the penetration of water or other material through the soil.
pores any spaces between solid particles in soil.
stratification individual layers or beds of soils.
soil
acidic soil soil with a high hydrogen-ion content, sometimes referred to as sour.
agrology soil science.
alkaline soil soil with a high hydroxyl-ion content, sometimes referred to as sweet.
alluvium soil deposited by water such as a flowing river.
duff on a forest floor, leaf litter and other organic debris in various stages of decay.
edaphic pertaining to the soil.
eluvium soil and mineral particles blown and deposited by the wind.
frost heaving bumps and mounds produced at ground level due to the expansion of ice in soil.
gumbo fine, silty soil, found frequently in southern and western United States, and known for the sticky mud it produces when wet.
hummock a low area with deep, rich soil.
humus decomposing plant and animal tissue in and on the surface of the soil.
loam a mixture of soil consisting of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter in proportions conducive to healthy plant growth.
trees, forests, and jungles
aerial roots tiny roots that allow jungle vines to cling to host trees.
alameda a tree-bordered walk.
arborculture cultivation of trees and shrubs.
arborculturist one who practices arborculture.
arboreal pertaining to trees, or living on or among trees.
arboretum a tree garden, usually featuring several varieties.
A-story botanist's term for the crowns or top story of the tallest trees in a jungle.
bast the soft-tissued inner bark, often used in making thread and rope.
beard the bristlelike hairs sometimes found growing out of petals or leaves.
beauty strip a narrow stand of trees left intact to hide a clearcut from view from a road or body of water.
blowdown any trees knocked down by wind. bole the trunk, especially of a large tree.
bonsai a Japanese art form of dwarfing or miniaturizing trees or shrubs by pruning.
bosky thickly treed or shrubbed.
bower a shaded recess created by boughs or twining plants.
bromeliad any member of a family of plants that are usually found growing from cracks or crevices in the trunks or branches of jungle trees.
brush an area of low vegetation, such as shrubs and bushes.
B-story the jungle trees and plants growing below the A-story, from 30 to 110 feet up.
burl a warty protuberance found on some tree trunks.
bush rope slang for jungle vines.
buttresses the large, radiating, aboveground root systems supporting many jungle or swamp trees.
cambium the thin layer beneath a tree's bark that produces new wood cells.
canopy the uppermost story of a forest or jungle.
cauliflorous of plants that blossom from the side of a tree trunk or branch, commonly found in jungles.
chaparral a thicket of shrubby trees.
chlorosis a yellowing of leaves, a symptom of nutritional deficiency.
clearcut a practice of some lumber companies in which all or almost all of the trees in a given area are cut down, leaving a barren landscape.
cloud forest a wet, mountain forest or jungle frequently shrouded in mist.
conifer any evergreen tree or shrub.
conk the wood-eating tree fungus found projecting from the trunks of some trees.
copse a thicket of small trees or shrubs.
covert an area of thick growth offering a hiding place or shelter for animals.
crown the leaf canopy or top portion of a tree.
C-story the tree and plant growth extending from 20 to 30 feet above ground in a forest or jungle.
deadfall a jumble of fallen trees and branches.
deciduous of or relating to any type of a tree that sheds its leaves seasonally.
dendrochronology the study of a tree's growth rings to estimate dates of past events, such as forest fires and droughts.
dendrologist one who studies trees. dendrology the study of trees.
D-story in a jungle or forest, the plants growing from 10 to 20 feet high.
duct a pit or gland, usually filled with sap or resin.
Dutch elm disease a fungus that attacks elms, blocks the flow of sap, and kills the trees.
epiphytes plants that root and grow from the cracks and crevices of a tree's trunk or branches, such as bro- meliads and orchids.
E-story in a jungle or forest, the undergrowth of small herbaceous plants and trees.
gall a tumor or nub appearing on the trunk or on a branch, produced and lived in by an insect.
glade a grassy, open space in a forest.
gland a secreting pore or duct exuding resin or sap.
gnarl a twisted or knotty protuberance, as on an old branch.
grove a small stand of trees with little or no underbrush.
growth rings darkened rings within a trunk, used to define the tree's age and stages of growth.
heartwood the center of a tree trunk, containing dead wood and acting as a receptacle for waste.
knot a tough, ringed section of wood marking the past location of a branch or limb.
lateral root a root that extends horizontally from the base or taproot of a tree.
liana a great, woody jungle vine, sometimes growing as thick as a man's waist, found in most jungles.
litter rotting leaves, stems, and debris of a forest or jungle floor.
midrib the central vein or nerve of a leaf.
mor a thick, acidic humus blanket consisting of decayed fir and spruce needles found on a forest floor.
motte a grove or stand of trees on a prairie.
nerve the principal vein of a leaf.
orchard a cultivated stand of fruit or nut trees.
phloem the spongy layer of inner bark.
pitch pocket a concentration or pocket of resin in the wood of a conifer.