Complete List of Terms and Definitions for Landscape

Terms Definitions
conduction heat transfer by direct contact
Biological capital essential products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, raw materials, etc.
Sediments Sediments are solid materials that settle to the bottom of a liquid.
xerophytesmesophyteshydrophytesphreatophytes xero- plants capable of surviving droughtmeso-intermediate moisture conditionshydro- dependent on being partially immersed in waterphreato- roots penetrate the ground water table
Vandana Shiva sustainable development activist who advocates a return to traditional, organic farming; challenged the ethical/ecological impacts of genetic engineering; promotes indigenous culture, sustainable farming and biodiversity
Transition zones changes in physical landscape conditions; different patches meet and create opportunities for complex interactions to occur between different species
mutualism interaction between two species in which both species benefits
communities all the organisms living and interacting within an area, or the living components of an ecosystem
liquefaction phenomenon in which soil's strength and stiffness is reduced by earthquake shaking or rapid loading. occurs in saturated soils
microclimate part of the atmosphere directly connected to a small area, effected by landform and land features
meteorology science of the atmospheric phenomena, studying of weather/climate
soil builders organisms that form organic soil
cryosphere frozen part of the Earth's surface.
floodplain relatively "level" corridor subject to periodic flooding; delineated by the expected frequency: 100 yr flood
floods natural or human assisted temporary condition of a partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas
Abiotic factors Abiotic factors are the nonliving things in the biosphere.
sub-species subgroups within a species that are physically distinct and geographically separated but can still interbreed
primary succession succession on barren, open terrain; beginning stages, lays groundwork for later succession-based activities
Ecosystem group of living organisms plus their non-living environment
symbiotic relationships relationships between two or more species whereby each provides some service or resource to the other; live in some type of beneficial relationship
intersection an intersection of two date sets yields a third set with elements from both sets
reservoir pond, lake, basin, either natural or artificial for the storage, regulation, and control of water
Biotic factors Biotic factors are things that are living or that were once living in the biosphere.
Community A community is all of the living things in an ecosytem.
late successional species late developing species that germinate and grow well in shady conditions, unlike pioneer species
permanent shoreline ringing SLO with open space to minimize growth; SLO's efforts to remedy an environmental problem associated with a land parcel.. remediation and mitigation
contour line imaginary line connects all points of equal elevational value on a topographic map
Venturi effect the issue of wind being funneled between two large buildings or tree clusters, creating a more intense wind pattern as the wind passes between the two masses
pioneer species species that first colonize an area following disturbance, fast growing, shade intolerant, stabilize sites
french drain an in-ground device for water removal made by digging a large hole in the ground, and filling it with rocks, then placing a fabric and soil on the top
niche role that a species plays in an ecological community, or the habitat requirements of a species
Species richness a simple measure of biodiversity, or the count of the number of different plants and animals found in an area
John Powell adventurer and explorer of the Grand Canyon, also the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey
Water hardness Water hardness is the term used to describe the amount of the minerals magnesium and calcium in water.
Habitat A habitat is the place in which an organism lives; the place where all of its needs are met.
Water cycle The water cycle is the movement of water throughout the biosphere.
urban growth boundaries Portland, Oregon; each city has an urban growth boundary. controls expansion onto farm and forest lands.
multiple attribute analysis overlay approach used to analyze more than one type of date at once (ex. soils +slope+ elevation+ aspect)
spatial query GIS term; used in landscape analysis to describe a search for information about the spatial distribution of landscape components
change based on succession process by which landscapes change over a long time period; changing patterns of species found in an area over time, especially following a disturbance
aspect direction of the angle of the sun as it impacts a particular mountain slope; north facing slope- coldest
Wetland A wetland is an area of land where the water level is near or above the ground surface for most of the year.
watershed an area of land that drains to a given water body such as a lake or stream- the area is defined by the high points of elevations on all sides of a draining water body
sustainability.. according to text and Measuring Landscapes ecosystem integrity/ human objectives of long term prosperity .. and capacity of the Earth to maintain and support life and to persist as a system
structural landscape unit: Patch discrete land use, vegetation type or other element that is distinct from the surrounding matrix, distinct fragments embedded in a matrix
Three types of data used fro site analysis? Physical: soils, topography, geology etc.biological: vegetationcultural: land use, utilities, historic