B
Biodiversity: the variety/diversity of life in a given area; may describe diversity at the ecosystem, species, or genetic level
Biodiversity hotspot: a region where high levels of biodiversity (specifically, the region must have at least 1,500 endemic vascular plants) are currently threatened (only 30% or less of its original natural vegetation remains) (read more)
C
Chaparral: a plant community or biome associated with the Mediterranean climate (hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters); in California, chaparral is dominated by shrubs with small, hard, thick leaves
Critical habitat: an area that is believed to be essential to the conservation of a federally endangered or threatened species; the designated area does not necessarily include the species entire range (read more)
D
Deciduous: describes a tree or shrub that sheds its leaves annually
E
Ecosystem: a community of interacting, biological (living) organisms and their physical (non-living) environment in a given space
Endangered: describes a species at risk of extinction; noun: endangerment
Endemic: describes a species that is unique to a biogeographic region, i.e. it only exists on a particular island, mountain range, or part of a continent; noun: endemism
I
Imperviousness: describes the degree to which water (and other fluids) are able/unable to pass through a surface; concrete, for example, is highly impervious
Indigenous: a species that naturally occurs in a given region without human intervention; synonym: native
Invasive: describes a non-native species whose uncontrolled population growth and spread causes economic or environmental problems
Invertebrate: an animal that does not have a backbone (e.g. insects, spiders, mollusks)
N
Non-native: describes a species living or growing in an area that is not part of its native range; synonyms: alien, exotic, introduced
R
Riparian: describes an area or habitat that is adjacent to a river or stream
Runoff: (also called surface runoff) water that does not seep into the ground, but flows off of the surface
S
Species richness: the number of different species in a given area; does not describe how many individuals of each species are present
Symbiosis: a mutually beneficial relationship between two different species; adjective: symbiotic
T
Taxonomy: in biology, the science of naming and classifying groups of organisms based on their shared characteristics
Threatened: describes a species at risk of endangerment
Topography: the study of land surface shapes and features; can also refer to all of the features of a landscape
U
Urban sprawl: the spread of urban development (including residential and commercial development) onto undeveloped land near an urban area
W
Watershed: (also called a drainage basin or catchment) an area of land that channels rainfall and snowmelt to an outflow point, such as a bay or reservoir