Glossary

bald (ecology) n.

An area lacking a natural or usual covering.

canopy n.

The uppermost layer in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees.

deposit v.

To lay down; to place; to put; to let fall or throw down (as sediment).

disjunct (biology) adj.

Of a population of a species, widely separated geographically or ecologically from other populations of the same species.

drainage n.

The removal of excess water from land; emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it.

elevation n.

Height on the earth's surface above sea level.

erosion n.

Natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the earth's surface.

feldspar n.

A group of rock-forming minerals, considered to be the most abundant of all minerals. [more]

flank n.

The side of something; for example, the flank of a mountain means the side of a mountain.

gabbro n.

A dark, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock mainly composed of the minerals plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine.

germinate v.

To grow or sprout from a seed.

gneiss n.

A banded or foliated metamorphic rock, usually of the same composition as granite.

hardwood n.

Broad-leaved, flower-bearing trees or their timber. Hardwood trees are deciduous trees, except in the warmest regions. [more]

headwaters n.

The source and upper part of a stream; where a river begins.

herbicide n.

A chemical substance or living organism (called bioherbicides) used to kill or control vegetation such as brush, weeds, and competing or undesirable trees.

herbivore n.

An animal that eats only plant matter, such as a deer or rabbit.

highland n.

A region of high altitude, such as in the mountains.

igneous adj.

Rocks produced in volcanic processes, having solidified from lava or magma.

illumination n.

A source of light; the condition of being filled with light.

lichen n.

A fungus that grows symbiotically (having a close relationship that benefits both objects) with algae, resulting in a composite organism that forms a crust-like growth on rocks or tree trunks.

mammoth n.

An extinct relative of the elephant that were large in size (up to 15 feet in height), hairy, and roamed North America and Eurasia during the Ice Age. Mammoths were the largest of the order of animals called Proboscidea, which also includes mastodons and elephants.

massif n.

A massive block of bedrock (usually a large landscape feature) or a compact portion of a mountain range that contains one or more summits, commonly formed of rocks more rigid than those of its surroundings.

metamorphic adj.

Rocks that have recrystallized in a solid state as a result of changes in temperature, pressure, and chemical environment.

metamorphose (geology) v.

To change into a different form, substance, or state; to change (as a rock) in structure and recrystallized in a solid state as a result of changes in temperature, pressure, and chemical environment.

mineralogy n.

The scientific study of minerals that deals with the study of their atomic structure, general physical and chemical properties, formation, occurrence, and composition.

orogeny n.

The process of mountain formation or mountain building, especially by folding and faulting of the earth's crust.

parallel adj.

Being an equal distance apart everywhere and not intersecting.

perpetuate v.

To cause to endure, or to be continued indefinitely; to preserve from extinction or oblivion.

plutonic adj.

Of an igneous rock that has solidified from magma beneath the earth's surface; examples are granite, diorite, or gabbro.

prominent adj.

Big, large; important or noticeable.

province (ecology) n.

An area of land, less extensive than a region, having a characteristic plant and animal population.

remnant n.

Something left over; a remainder.

sedimentary adj.

Of or relating to rocks formed by the deposition of sediment. [more]

silicate n.

Any of a large group of minerals, forming over 90 percent of the earth's crust, that consist of silicon, oxygen, and one or more other common minerals/elements.

slope n.

An elevated geological formation; something that is at an angle; the measure of the tilt of a line; a gradient.

subtlety n.

The quality of being difficult to detect or analyze.

uniform adj.

Always the same; having always the same form, manner, or degree; not varying or variable.