Glossary
A
- adaptations
- - the changes of an organism that allows it to survive
- alien
- - not native, from somewhere else
- arctic
- - from the polar regions of the earth
B
- burrowing
- - digs tunnels underground
C
- carbon dioxide
- - colorless, odorless gas in our atmosphere
- chemicals
- - a substance for use in chemistry
- conserving
- - to protect or save
- consumers
- - animals that eat plants - herbivores
D
- dominated
- - controlled
- dormant
- - resting, sleeping or inactive
- drainage
- - to drain liquid or water from something or from an area
- drought
- - a time period without rain - long enough to cause damage to life
E
- elevation
- - height above sea level
- emerge
- - come out from
- ephemeral
- - lasts a short time
- evaporate
- - to change from liquid water to water vapor
- exotic
- - unusual
- extreme
- - excessive, bigger, more
F
- fertile
- - capable of producing crops or vegetation
G
- germinating
- - to begin to grow from a seed
H
- hardy
- - strong or tough
I
- immigrants
- - people who move from another country
- imported
- - not native - new to the area
- inhibitors
- - something used to stop or slow something else
L
- lichens
- - a simple slow growing plant that forms on rocks
N
- nocturnal
- - hunts at night - active at night
O
- oasis (oases - plural)
- - an area of growing plants in a desert region
P
- photosynthesis
- - the process by which plants convert sunlight to food
- porous
- - covered in small holes
- precipitation
- - rain, sleet, snow or hail
R
- reflective
- - similar to a mirror - light bounces off of it
S
- sagebrush steppe desert
- - an area between a forest and a hot and dry desert
- sprout
- - start to grow
- stomata
- - small holes in leaves that allow for exchange of gases
- sustain
- - endure or last
T
- taproots
- - a long type of root that grows straight down - like a carrot
- textured
- - surface with a raised feeling
- transpiration
- - the process where plants give off water vapor
- transported
- - moved
- Tropic of Cancer
- - the most northern circle of latitude where the sun can appear directly overhead
- Tropic of Capricorn
- - the most southern circle of latitude where the sun can appear directly overhead
U
- unintentionally
- - accidently
V
- variations
- - differences
W
- watershed
- - an area of land that separates water flow
