Glossary

A

• Adaptation- Behavioral or physical characteristic that helps a plant or animal to survive and reproduce in an environment
• Alternate- Refers to the leaf arrangement; leaves arranged alternately from each other along the stem
• Amphibian- Cold blooded animals that spend part of their life on land and part of their life in water
• Angiosperm- Flowering vascular plant
• Anther- Male part of the flower located at the end of the stamen where pollen develops
• Areole- A modified leaf bud that defines members of the Cacti Family. Spines, flowers, or roots can originate from this growth region.
• Asexual Reproduction- Offspring from a single parent resulting in an exact genetic copy of the parent (clone)

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B

• Behavioral Adaptation- An adaptation that is behavioral in nature e.g. nocturnal
• Bimodal Rain Pattern- Two rainy seasons per year
• Biodiversity- Variety of life
  
• Bosque- Dense stands of trees- often refers to Mesquite stands
• Bulbil- Plantlet produced asexually from parent plant; in the case of agave the bulbil is produced on the flower stalk
• Burrow- Tunnel or hole; often underground
• Butte- Steep hill with a flat top; generally smaller than a mesa

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C

• Cacti- Plant that usually has a succulent stem and spines on areoles and no leaves
• Caliche- Layers of very hard soil particles bound by calcium carbonate, found in arid regions; usually light colored
• Calyx- Outer part of flower structure consisting of sepals; can be used as a cutting tool
• Camouflage- Coloration or patterns that disguise an organism by enabling it to resemble its surroundings
• Carnivore- Animal that eats primarily meat
• Chaparral- A dense shrub plant community that is adapted to frequent fires
• Chlorophyll- Green pigment that captures light energy during photosynthesis
• Chromosome-Gene carrying structure found in cells
• Climate- Meteorological conditions that characterize a region
• Cochineal- An insect that feeds on prickly pear pads and whose body produces a red color, which can be used as a dye
• Columnar Cacti- Tall and columnar form of cacti
  
• Compound Leaf- A leaf in which the leaf blade is divided into smaller leaflets
• Condensation- Change of state from a gas or vapor to a liquid
• Consumer- Organism that feeds on other organisms
• Convergent Evolution- Term used to describe a process where distant plant families evolve adaptations that a very similar
• Cotyledon- Food storage structure found in a seed
• Cultivated- Developed or improved by human care

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D

• Decompose- Organism that breaks down organic material into recyclable pieces
• Desert- An ecosystem where water is a limiting factor most of the time.  Deserts receive less than ten inches of water a year, have extreme temperature fluctuations over a 24 hour period, and have a high evaporation rate
• Dichotomous Key- Tool used to identify organisms in the natural world by providing the user with a series of two choices that lead to the identity of the organism.
• Diurnal- Organism that is active during the day
• DNA- Deoxyribonucleic acid is genetic information organisms inherit from their parents
• Dominant- The gene responsible for the trait that will be visible in the organism
• Dormancy- Survival strategy of living organisms wherein growth and development is temporarily suspended
• Drought Deciduous- Refers to some plants’ ability to drop their leaves during times of drought

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E

• Ectothermic- Organism that regulates its body temperature through its surroundings (e.g. cold-blooded)
• Elliptical- Refers to the shape of the leaf; largest at the center and tapered at both ends
• Embryo- Immature plant
• Environment- A system of living and nonliving things interacting together
• Environmental Conditions- Conditions such as temperature, rainfall, evaporation, and seasons that define an environment.
• Epidermis- The outer tissue layer of a plant
• Estivatation- Period of inactivity in response to heat and dryness
• Ethnobotany- The study of the relationship between plants and people
• Evaporation- Process through which a liquid changes into a gas

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F

• Family- Classification level in the organization of the Plant Kingdom
• Fertilization- When a sperm unites with the egg
• Filament- Male part of the flower; stalk portion of the stamen
• Food web- Interconnections between producers, predators, and prey in an ecosystem
• Fruit- Mature ovary that contains seeds

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G

• Gamete- Reproductive cell (e.g. egg or sperm cell)
• Gene- A unit of DNA sequence that carries genetic information
• Gene Expression- Process that determines which genes are visible or expressed
• Generalist- Organism that can thrive in a variety of environmental conditions and take advantage of a variety of resources
• Genetics- The science of heredity
• Germinate- The beginning of growth for a seed; root (radical) emergence
• Global Air Movement- Pattern of air movement around the globe that influences the location of deserts
• Glochid- Easily detachable tiny, hair-like bristles particular to opuntioid cacti e.g. prickly pear

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H

• Habitat- A place where an organism lives, everything needed to survive can be found within the habitat
• Herbivore- An animal that eats plants
• Heredity- Genetic makeup of an individual, which is passed on through generations
• Hibernate- Spending a season in a state of inactivity
• Humidity- Amount of water vapor in the air
• Hygrometer- Device used to measure relative humidity
• Hypothesis- Possible explanation to answer a question

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I

• Inquiry Process- Method of investigation involving observing, questioning, hypothesizing, predicting, experimenting & collecting data, analyzing results, making conclusions, and sharing results (also scientific method or scientific process)
• Interior Effect- Pattern of air movement that pushes moisture over a continent, as it moves further inland without a source to replenish creating arid regions which influences where deserts are located
• Investigate- To make a detailed inquiry

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J

• Jointed Cacti- Cacti of the Opuntia genus (prickly pear) grow in segmented joints.  These cacti also bear glochids from their areoles.

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K

• Keystone Species- A living organism that plays a disproportionately important role in its environment

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L

• Leaflets- Each of the veined, leaf-like structures that make up part of a compound leaf.
• Legume- Fruit that is a single chambered capsule enclosing what appears to be a single row of seeds (that is actually 2 rows); more commonly identified as a bean pod
  
• Linear- Refers to the shape of the leaf; one continuous elongated shape
• Life Cycle-Stages of an organism’s life
• Limiting Factor- An environmental factor that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population of organisms in an ecosystem
• Lobed- Refers to the shape of the leaf; divided into rounded sections that aren’t completely separated

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M

• Mammal- Warm-blooded vertebrates with hair; young are usually born live and nourished by milk from their mother
  
• Marginal Teeth- Teeth-like edges on the side of the leaf
• Metachromatism- Change in color usually as a result of temperature
• Metamorphosis- Physical transformation undergone by some animals from one life stage to the next
• Microphylly- Having small leaves; adaptation to desert environment that reduces water loss and overheating
• Molt- Process arthropods undergo where they shed their exoskeleton and secrete a new one
• Monsoon Rain- Seasonal shift in winds which causes a dramatic increase of rain in the summer months

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N

• Nectar- Sweet liquid secreted by flowers to reward pollinators
• Niche- Organism’s ecological role in its environment
• Nocturnal- Organism that is active at night
• Nurse Plant- Adult plant that protects young plants from environmental extremes

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O

• Observation- Receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses
• Omnivore- Animal that eats both plants and animals
• Opposite- Refers to the leaf arrangement; leaves are arranged in pairs opposite of each other on the stem
• Osmosis- Movement of water from area of high concentration to low concentration through a cellular membrane
• Ovary- Female part of the flower containing the ovules and female gametes
• Ovules- Structures within a plant’s ovary that develop into seeds

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P

• Palmate- Refers to the shape of the leaf; having three or more divisions like the outspread of your fingers
• Petal- Often colorful part of a flower that attracts pollinators
• Photosynthesis- Series of chemical reactions in which light energy is converted to usable carbohydrates by a plant 6CO2+light+12H2O=C6H12O6+6O2 +6H2O
• Physical Adaptation- Physical features of an organism that helps it to survive and thrive in its environment e.g. succulence
• Pinnate- Refers to the arrangement of the leaf; leaf with a feather-like arrangement of leaflets
• Pistil- Female reproductive unit, consisting of stigma, style, and ovary
• Pitch- Substance produced by mesquite trees that can be used as a black paint
• Pollen- Male sperm cells produced by plants and found on the anthers
• Pollinator- Organism that transfers pollen grains from a stamen to a pistil
• Pollination- Transfer of pollen grains from a stamen to a pistil
• Precipitation- Any form of water, including snow or hail, which falls to the earth’s surface
• Predator- Organism that kills and eats other organisms
• Prediction- Expected outcome if the hypothesis is true; if/ then statement
• Prey- Organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
• Primary Consumer- Organism that gets its energy from plants; herbivore
• Producer- Organism that produces its own food, often a plant; first step of a food chain
• Punnett Square- A diagram used to predict the probability of a genetic trait being visible (phenotype) in a cross
• Pup- Asexual offspring of parent plant, which is produced and sent up from the roots e.g. agave pups

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Q

• Question- A request for information; inquiry

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R

• Rain Shadow- Area of reduced precipitation on the lee side of a mountain
  
• Recessive- Trait that will be masked by a dominant form of that trait
  
• Reptile- Cold blooded vertebrate that has scales or plates on its skin and usually lays eggs
• Resin- Sticky substances produced by plants that can have ethnobotanical uses
• Ribs- Pleated structures on the stems of some columnar cacti
  
• Riparian- Habitat interface between land and freshwater (usually a river or stream)
• Roots- Part of a plant usually under ground that anchors the plant and collects water
  

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S

• Saguaro Boot- Damaged tissue of saguaro cactus which is scabbed over and may serve as a home for desert organisms; usually a result of woodpecker damage
• Scalloped leaf- Edges of leaf rounded like a pie crust
• Scientific Method- Method of investigation involving observing, questioning, hypothesizing, predicting, experimenting & collecting data, analyzing results, making conclusions, and sharing results (also inquiry process or scientific process)
• Scientific Process- Method of investigation involving observing, questioning, hypothesizing, predicting, experimenting & collecting data, analyzing results, making conclusions, and sharing results (also inquiry process or scientific method)
• Secondary Consumer- Organism that feeds on other consumers; carnivore
• Seed- Reproductive structure of a seed plant
  
• Seed Coat- The outer, protective layer that covers the seed
• Seed Dispersal- Movement of seeds away from the parent plant
• Seed Dormancy- Delayed germination of seeds
  
• Serrate Leaf- Leaf which has sawtoothed margins
• Sexual Reproduction- The union of gametes from two different individuals resulting in genetic diversity
• Simple Leaf- Undivided leaf
• Specialist- Organism that has a limited diet
• Spine- Modified leaf which is hard and has a sharp point
• Stamen- Male reproductive part of the flower consisting of an anther and a filament
• Stem- Above ground part of the plant through which water and nutrients flow
• Stigma- Female part of a flower; end of the style that captures pollen
• Stoma- Adjustable pore on the epidermis of a leaf that controls gas exchange
  
• Stomata- Plural of stoma
• Style- Female part of a flower; elongated part of the pistil between the ovary and the stigma
  
• Succulence- Ability of plants to store water in stems, leaves, or roots
• Succulents- Plants that have the ability to store water in stems, leaves, or roots
• Symbiosis- A close association between two species

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T

• Taproot- Main vertical root of some plant’s root systems e.g. carrot
  
• Terminal Spine- Spine at the top of the leaf
• Thermals- Column of rising warm air caused by uneven heating of the Earth’s surface
• Thermoregulation- Biological mechanism that keeps organism’s internal temperature within normal limits
• Thorn- Hard, modified stem or branch which ends in a sharp point
• Trait- Characteristic or feature of an organism
• Transpiration- Evaporation of water through the stomata of leaves

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U

• Urban Heat Island- Metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than the surrounding rural area

V

• Vegetative Reproduction- Asexual reproduction

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W

• Wash- Landscape feature which may carry surface water during rainy months
• Water Vapor- Water in gas phase
• Weather- State of the atmosphere at a specific time and place

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XYZ

• No Entries

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