Glossary

abiotic – non-living components in the environment (such as minerals, temperature, climate, sunlight, and water). See also: LTER Research in Movement of Inorganic Matter.

arthropod – invertebrate animal phylum including insects, spiders, ticks, crustaceans, etc.

baseline data – data collected to establish and understand the existing conditions before any kind of experimental manipulation begins

biodiversity – the number of different species

biomass – the amount of living material in an area

biome – a major terrestrial ecological community (e.g. temperate forests, deserts, and prairie grasslands are examples of different biomes)

biosphere –the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth including both living and non-living things

biotic – living component in the environment (e.g. animals, plants, and bacteria)

community – a group of populations in a particular place

community structure – the types and number of species in a community

control experiment – a section of an experiment in which the variables in question are kept constant

correlated – two items that are related or connected are compared to one another.

data – facts or information collected for analysis and computation. Data is usually compared among many gathering locations on larger research projects. Data that is collected following specific protocols can be useful for any number of projects.

desertification – the spread of desert-like conditions due to human impact

ecology – the relationships of organisms to one another and to their environment

ecosystem – a community of organisms and its environment

ecotone – a transition zone between two or more ecological communities (e.g. a beach is an ecotone between the marine community and the terrestrial community)

exotic species – foreign or non-native plant and animal species introduced into an ecosystem which can compete with and even replace native species See also: LTER Research in Disturbance.

extirpated – locally extinct

forest succession – (more generally known as ecological succession) is a predictable series of changes in vegetation (e.g. “weedy” growth giving way to shrubs and small trees, which are lter replaced by taller, long-lived tree species, which then may burn and be replaced by...) See also: LTER Research in Disturbance.

germination – the sprouting of a plant seed

hypothesis – an educated guess

nematode – an invertebrate animal phylum containing roundworms – some free-living, many parasitic

nutrients – Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are generally the most important soil nutrients as they are used in the greatest quantity by plants. Reduced amounts of any of these can limit plant growth. Other nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfur are needed in smaller quantities (called "trace") and are not usually limiting factors in plant growth.

Nutrients are added to the soil as fertilizer and can stimulate plant growth. In high quantities these same nutrients become pollutants and can cause significant ecological disturbance.

Nitrogen is an extremely important nutrient and is often the most limiting nutrient in an environment. To learn more about the role of nitrogen in the ecosystem, see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

See also: LTER Research in Organic Matter and Inorganic Matter.

organism – any living thing (an animal, plant, fungi, bacteria, virus, etc.)

pH – the level of acidity in the water or soil

phytoplankton – small, photosynthetic aquatic organisms

plankton – small, often microscopic, non-photosynthetic aquatic organisms

primary production – the amount of plant material growing in a certain area over a period of time
See also: LTER Research in Primary Production.

protocol – the plan for a scientific experiment or research program

salinity – the concentration of salts in water

sediment – sand, silt, organic matter and other debris deposited by the atmosphere, water, or ice including glaciers

sedimentation – the process of sediment accumulation

subsidence – when areas of the Earth’s surface sink