Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- abiotic
- abiotic
A non-living aspect of the environment such as light, water, temperature, or climate. The opposite of abiotic is biotic.
- antenna
- antenna
(plural: antannae) A mobile appendage on the head of an animal (e.g., an insect) that is sensitive to touch, and in some cases, taste.
- Asterism
- Asterism
A pattern of stars, but not officially a constellation
- atmosphere
- atmosphere
A mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide, among other gases, that surround the Earth. The atmosphere has four layers that are determined by temperatures troposphere (closest), stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere (farthest).
- bacteria
- bacteria
(singular: bacterium): single-celled, microscopically small organisms in the Monera kingdom. A bacterial cell differs from the cells of higher organisms in that it is simpler (i.e., lacks most of the internal structures) and has no distinct (i.e., membrane-bound) nucleus. There are thousands of species of bacteria, but they occur in only three different shapes: spherical, rodlike, or curved. Some bacteria cause diseases, while others are necessary to good health (e.g., some intestinal bacteria). They can be found in all ecosystems.
- biowall
- biowall
A mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide, among other gases, that surround the Earth. The atmosphere has four layers that are determined by temperatures troposphere (closest), stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere (farthest).
- canopy
- canopy
the layer formed by the leaves and branches of a forest’s tallest trees.
- carbon cycle
- carbon cycle
This term describes the flow of carbon through the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere and lithosphere.
- carbon dioxide
- carbon dioxide
A colourless, odourless gas that is naturally present in the atmosphere and produced by the breathing of animals and burning of fossil fuels.
- carbon neutral
- carbon neutral
An equivalent amount of carbon dioxide is captured (sequestered) through photosynthesis during the production of the biomass resource as is released during its combustion.
- chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Organic compounds made up of atoms of carbon, chlorine and fluorine. Gaseous CFCs can deplete the ozone layer when they rise into the stratosphere, get broken down by ultraviolet radiation and then release chlorine atoms that react with ozone molecules.
- climate
- climate
Weather conditions that regularly occur in a region.
- climate change
- climate change
Natural and human-induced changes in climate that last from decades to centuries.
- dabbling ducks
- dabbling ducks
ducks that frequent shallow marshes, ponds, and rivers and “tip up” to feed: they feed with their bodies above water and their heads below water. They take off vertically when startled.
- echinoderm
- echinoderm
any marine invertebrate of the phylum Echinodermata, usually having shiny skin.
- family
- family
in taxonomy, a major grouping of organisms; below an order and above a genus.
- food mile
- food mile
The distance food or produce travels from the point of its production to the consumer. It is a method used to determine the environmental impact of food production and transportation.
- fossil fuels
- fossil fuels
Carbon-based compounds such as coal, oil, refined petroleum products like gasoline and natural gas. These produce carbon dioxide when burned.
- game animal
- game animal
legal designation for wild animals, usually mammals or birds, that may be hunted for sport or food and that are subject to legal regulations.
- genus
- genus
a major category in the classification of plants, animals, and other organisms, more specific than the family and more general than the species; a group of species that are more closely related to one another than to other species. See “taxonomy.”
- global warming
- global warming
A rise in the temperature of the atmosphere caused by an increase in the greenhouse effect.
- greenhouse effect
- greenhouse effect
A rise in the temperature of the atmosphere caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
- greenhouse gases
- greenhouse gases
Vapours, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons that blanket the Earth.
- habitat
- habitat
for an animal, the “life range” or arrangement of food, water, shelter or cover, space, and climate suitable to that animal’s needs. Cover includes escape cover, winter cover, cover to rear young, and even cover in which to play.
- heat island effect
- heat island effect
When heat from a large urban area concentrates in a “dome” shape because of the way pollution and physical structures, such as tall buildings and pavement, have modified the land’s surface.
- hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
Compounds that were introduced as alternatives to ozone-depleting substances in industrial, commercial and personal needs, containing hydrogen, fluorine and carbon atoms.
- keystone species
- keystone species
a species whose removal causes marked changes to a community or ecosystem.
- land-based pollution
- land-based pollution
pollution, including agricultural runoff, untreated sewage, and industrial waste, that results from human activities on land.
- methane (CH4)
- methane (CH4)
Methane is created when the decomposition of waste takes place without enough oxygen, for example in landfills, animal waste and incomplete fossil-fuel combustion.
- microinvertebrate
- microinvertebrate
an invertebrate that is visible to the naked eye, such as an insect, snail, or worm.
- montane
- montane
growing in, or inhabiting, mountain areas
- natal
- natal
related to birth or being born.
- nitrous oxide (N2O)
- nitrous oxide (N2O)
A colourless, non-flammable gas with a sweetish odour, used as an anesthetic and commonly known as laughing gas. Major sources of nitrous oxide include soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, as well as fossil fuel combustion.
- ocean
- ocean
a large expanse of sea. The oceans surrounding Canada are the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic.
- ocean conveyor belt
- ocean conveyor belt
A complex heat and salt exchange system in the planet's interconnected surface and deepwater oceans.
- salt marsh
- salt marsh
marsh forms affected by the daily or seasonal influence of brackish to saline waters, generally in coastal or dry prairie conditions.
- solar heat
- solar heat
Energy generated by the sun.
- taiga
- taiga
sparsely treed belt of subarctic forest in the Northern Hemisphere that blends into the tundra in the north and the boreal forest in the south. In Canada the taiga extends from the coast of Labrador to the Mackenzie Delta.
- telework
- telework
Working remotely from home or a home office.
- thermohaline circulation system
- thermohaline circulation system
The flow of ocean water caused by changes in the water's density.
- vascular plants
- vascular plants
seed plants, such as flowering trees, shrubs, herbs, and the conifers, as well as other plants, like the ferns and horsetails that reproduce by spores. All of these have specialized conducting cells organized as vascular tissues in their roots, stems, and leaves. They conduct water and inorganic nutrients as well as food made by green cells throughout the plant. These tissues allow vascular plants to grow to considerable size.
- zero population growth
- zero population growth
the maintenance of population numbers at a fixed level.
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