Copy of `New Jersey Bird and Wildlife Trails - Animal watching glossary`

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New Jersey Bird and Wildlife Trails - Animal watching glossary Category: Animals and Nature > Animal watching Date & country: 26/04/2012, USA Words: 113

stolons
horizontal shoots from a plant that grow above or just under ground and are able to produce copies of the plant from buds

successional
habitat consisting of plant species that take root and grow back after an area has been cleared. There are different degrees of succession along with different successional habitats

terminal
the last bands on the tail or wing of birds, frequently used for identification

thermals
columns of warm air that rise when the ground is heated by the sun. Raptors take advantage of these upward air movements to gain altitude during migration. The birds circle upward within the column of rising air and then glide down to the base of another thermal

tidal marshes
low, flat marshlands that are traversed by channels and tidal hollows; usually subject to tidal inundation and may contain fresh, brackish or salinized water

topography
the study of the earth's surface features usually recorded in three-dimensional form, such as relief maps

triassic
a geologic period and system spanning 251.0 - 199.0 million years ago

understory
the underlying layer of vegetation that grows beneath a forest

upland
land that lies above the flood plain; land that is elevated and is far enough away from a body of water that its vegetation is dependent on rainfall

upland buffers
a measured zone of natural area comprised of undisturbed native vegetation designed to protect a critical habitat. Buffers that are not associated with streamside or wetland areas are considered to be upland buffers

vernal
relates to or occurs in the Spring, i.e., vernal pool is a temporary body of water usually created in the Spring from runoff. It dries up as the weather gets hotter

vernal pool
a small pool that dries out periodically. Vernal pools generally contain water in the spring and early summer, dry out in late summer and fill again in the fall. Some species, such as wood frogs and other amphibians require vernal pools to survive during various parts of their life cycles

whitewash
white stains from bird excrements that are usually found where birds perch or nest