Biology Terms
A defined place, or type of place, where an organism lives. Meets plants and wildlife essential needs by providing suitable food, water, shelter, and space.
Habitat
The study of the physical features of earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity there on.
Geography
A series of changes in shape and function that certain wildlife go through: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Caterpillars become butterflies; tadpoles become frogs.
Metamorphosis
Wild animals active during the night.
Nocturnal
Refers to wildlife and plants that naturally occur in an area. Species are fully adapted to their environment.
Native
A very small life form that can be seen by humans only with the aid of a microscope.
Microorganism
Freshwater held underground in the soil, or in pores and crevices of rock. Humans pump it out by wells to supply water. Natural springs bring up and hold freshwater on the surface.
Ground Water
The process of catching and killing fish and wildlife for human food.
Harvest
A plant-eating wild animal.
Herbivore
Not composed of organic, or living, matter.
Inorganic
Specific location of a specific community, or ecosystem, of inter-related life forms. Also called Floralistic Province. California has the most of any state.
Biotic Zone
The study of earth’s physical structure and substance, its history and processes.
Geology
The transfer of food energy among plants and animals in an interconnected web-like manner.
Food Web
A wild animal with a varied diet of both plants and animals.
Omnivore
A species originally from somewhere else, but now resides in California. Many are invasive.
Non-Native
Animals and other life forms that are not tamed or domesticated by humans and are fully adapted for life in the wild.
Wildlife
Of, or referring to, living or growing on dry land.
Terrestrial
The process by which plants or animals create offspring, or new organisms of themselves.
Reproduction
A continental highway in the sky for birds.
Pacific Flyaway
Composed of matter from plants and/ or animals.
Organic
The exact ecological role of an organism within a community of organisms. Each species is adapted this, so that there is no direct competition with other species within the same habitat.
Niche
The process of returning an area to its historic natural condition, using native plants and habitats to attract and hold native wildlife.
Restoration
Earth’s continuous circulation of water from oceans to air to land and back to oceans. The cycle involves condensation, evaporation, run-off, precipitation, and transpiration.
Water Cycle
The seasonal journey of groups of wildlife from one region to another--for food, water, shelter, space, or for breeding.
Migration
An area appreciated for its beauty and recreational value, like a river, lake, or mountain. Also used to describe materials, such as water, gold, energy, wildlife, and topsoil--that humans use from our natural systems.
Natural Resource