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Glossary |
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Acclimatisation Society - a group that introduces plants and animals from other countries and cares for them so that the species will become established (naturalised) and increase in numbers without help from people. Originally, the organisms introduced were mostly game animals for hunting, e.g., deer, pheasants.
Adaptations- features of plants and animals that help them survive in their environment.
Agriculture - farming crops, such as barley and wheat, or animals, such as sheep, cattle, or goats.
Alien species - have been accidentally or deliberately introduced by people. Not found naturally in New Zealand (also called introduced or exotic species).
Aquatic weeds- weeds that live in waterways (e.g., lakes, rivers, streams).
Biological Control - (or biocontrol for short) uses one living organism (a natural enemy - usually an insect or fungi) to control another living organism (a weed).
Biodiversity - the number and variety of all life-forms: all the different plants, animals and micro-organisms (e.g., bacteria), the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form.
Chemical herbicides - chemicals that are toxic to plants.
Community - a group of animals and/or plants that live together and interact with each other.
Competes/competition - two or more plants or animals that need the same resource (e.g., food, water, light, nests, mates, etc.) compete for it. One of the organisms may be better at getting the resource (usually a limited supply) than the other ('outcompetes' the other). The organism that is outcompeted may die or may not be able to reproduce. Weeds often outcompete native species because they are better at getting resources. (Why do some weeds grow better than natives?)
Decomposition - the breaking down of dead organisms into nutrients and minerals - these can be used as resources by other plants and animals.
Ecosystem - a group of plants and animals and micro-organisms that interact and their physical and chemical environment.
Ecosystem functions - plants and animals may perform important functions, such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, pollination, and seed dispersal. Ecosystems are also important for giving us healthy air and healthy water.
Endemic species - native species found naturally in NZ and nowhere else in the world, e.g., kakapo.
Environmental conditions - the conditions (e.g., light, temperature, soil type, etc.) that allow animals to live in their part of the environment.
Exotic species - have been accidentally or deliberately introduced by people. Not found naturally in New Zealand. (Also called alien or introduced species).
Forestry - growing trees for timber or woodchips, etc. (e.g., pine plantations)
Gall - hard, sometimes unusual-shaped swelling on a plant formed in response to attack from certain insects, mites or fungi.
Generalist - an animal or plant that can live in a wide range of environmental conditions or use a wide range of resources.
Germinate - the process where a seed starts growing into a plant.
Herbivore - animals that eat plants.
Horticulture - growing flowers, fruit or vegetables.
Host-specificity test - a test of how many plant species an insect or fungus attacks/eats. If an insect (or fungus) species only attacks one plant species (the host), then we say this insect (or fungus) is very host-specific. (Otherwise it is a generalist). If this plant species is a weed, then the host-specific insect (or fungus) might make a very good biocontrol agent.
Indigenous species - found naturally in NZ (not introduced by people).
Introduced species - have been accidentally or deliberately introduced by people. Not found naturally in New Zealand. (also called alien or exotic species).
Invasive - naturalised plants that have spread from the place of introduction.
Mine - damage caused by an insect feeding between the top and bottom surfaces of a leaf; often looks like a squiggly line or blotch.
Monoculture - a large area covered by a single plant species (or a single plant variety).
Native species - found naturally in NZ (not introduced by people).
Natural enemies - Predators, parasites, diseases of an organism (plant or animal). Natural enemies are found with the organism in its native habitat and keep the population (numbers of organisms) under control.
Naturalised plant species - species that have escaped from cultivation (gardens, forest plantations, etc.) and can reproduce (without help from people).
Non-endemic species - native species found naturally in NZ and in other places in the world. e.g., fantails and manuka are native to NZ and Australia.
Organism - an individual plant or animal.
Ornamental - plants grown for decorative purposes, usually garden plants.
Outcompete - one plant or animal wins the fight for resources over another plant or animal. This may mean the "loser" dies or its growth or reproductive potential is reduced.
Regeneration - plants within vegetation communities reproduce (either by seed or vegetatively) so that new individuals grow to replace the older plants when they die. However, if weeds (by stopping light getting to seedlings) or animal pests (e.g., deer eat seedlings) prevents seedling growth, there will be no new plants to replace plants that die = no regeneration ("another generation").
Resources - things such as food, water, shelter, that organisms use to help them live.
Seed dispersal - seeds are carried away from the parent plant (e.g., by animals, wind, water). The plant can expand its range (spread) when a seed is carried to a new environment suitable for growth.
Soil stabilisation - the roots of plants can hold soil together. By doing this, plants can stop erosion (soil loss - especially on hills) and stop riverbanks falling into streams. When plants are removed, banks might collapse because of flooding, topsoil might be lost from hills, and slips and landslides might occur.
Treeline - native trees cannot grow above a certain altitude because they cannot tolerate very cold temperatures. The upper limit of native trees on a mountain, where they stop growing and where low-growing vegetation (e.g., grasses, herbs, shrubs) takes over is called the "treeline".
Vegetation communities - vegetation of a similar habitat type (i.e. plants that live together). e.g., alpine vegetation community, grassland vegetation community.
Vegetative dispersal- some plant species expand their range (the area they occupy) not by producing seeds, but by producing vegetative (green plant parts) adaptations. For example, brittle stems that break off easily and are transported (by wind, water, humans, etc.) to a new spot where they can form a new plant. Long roots may grow underground and pop up and produce a new shoot and form a new plant.
Weed - a plant growing where it is not wanted.