Glossary

anaerobic adj.

Living without oxygen; having no oxygen.

aquatic adj.

Living or growing in, on, or near the water.

barrier island n.

A long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland, built up by the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges.

blackwater river n.

A river that is dark in color (due to tannins and other plant decay products) and tend to not carry much sediment; they are characteristic of having shallow banks and slower flowing water than brown water rivers.

brown water river n.

A river that is brownish or red in color (due to the silt and clay particles it carries) and tend to carry larger volumes of sediment; they are characteristic of having steeper banks and faster flowing water than blackwater rivers.

caulking n.

A process used to seal the seams in wooden boats, in order to make them watertight, or to close up crevices in buildings against water, air, dust or insects.

contentious adj.

Showing an inclination to dispute or disagree; ready to fight; disruptive, argumentative; hostile.

continental shelf n.

The shallow bottom just offshore of most continents between water's edge and a sharp drop-off where the bottom plunges steeply [more]

depression n.

An area that is sunk below its surroundings; a hollow or hole.

dune n.

A hill or ridge of wind-blown sand.

estuarine adj.

Formed or deposited in an estuary.

fetterbush n.

An evergreen shrub of southeastern United States having small white bell-shaped flowers.

glaciation n.

A period during which the polar ice-caps extend towards the equator, covering large areas of the Earth; the alteration of a land surface by a massive movement of ice.

herbivore n.

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

hull n.

The frame or body of a ship, exclusive of masts, engines, or superstructure.

immersion n.

Something covered completely with water.

impenetrable adj.

Impossible to penetrate, enter, or break into.

imperceptible adj.

Impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses; hard to sense or realize.

inundated v.

Covered with water.

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.

mastodon n.

An extinct straight-backed elephant slightly smaller than the Mammoth, which ate leaves and branches gathered with its trunk from their forest habitat.

meander v.

To follow a winding and turning course; to move about at random following no specific course or path.

monoculture n.

The cultivation of a single crop on a farm or in a region or country; a plant community that does not have much genetic variety.

peat n.

An accumulation of partially decayed vegetable matter formed in wetlands or peatlands (also called bogs or tropical swamp forests). Dried peat can be used as fuel.

photosynthesis n.

The process by which plants convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, using sunlight as the source of energy and the aid of chlorophyll.

pocosin n.

An upland swamp (land that has saturated or nearly saturated soils most of the year) usually on higher ground or a hill located in the coastal plain of the southeastern United States.

preserve n.

An area maintained for the protection of wildlife or natural resources.

remnant n.

Something left over; a remainder.

salinity n.

A measurement of how much salt in is in a solution; also called saltiness or brininess.

salt spray n.

Moisture-laden wind that contains salt crystals; a salty moisture that is carried by the wind.

sand flat n.

A flat, level area consisting of a very low number of dunes less than two meters high.

sapling n.

A young tree.

savanna n.

A flat grassland that may or may not contain scattered clumps of trees.

smilax n.

A slender, prickly vine.

suppress v.

To stop something or someone; to prevent, prohibit, or subdue.

temperate adj.

Characterized by moderate temperatures, weather, or climate; neither hot nor cold.

terrestrial adj.

Living or growing on land.

ti ti n.

An evergreen shrub or small tree of the southeast United States, having glossy leathery leaves, white to pinkish flowers clustered in racemes, and winged fruit.

tidal freshwater marsh n.

A grassy wetland that occurs along rivers and lakes that are close enough to the ocean to be influenced by the tides, and is dominated by grasses, reeds, rushes, and sedges.

turpentine n.

A thin volatile essential oil obtained by steam distillation or other means from the wood or exudates (material that has oozed out) of certain pine trees and used as a paint thinner, solvent, and medicinally as a liniment.

understory n.

The layer formed by the leaves and branches of the smaller trees under the forest canopy; all the plants growing under the main canopy of the pine trees.

wetland n.

Land located between terrestrial (land-based) and aquatic environments that have saturated or nearly saturated soils most of the year; also called bogs, ponds, estuaries, and marshes. [more]

xeric adj.

Characterized by a extremely dry habitat; having no moisture.