- rain that is unusually acidic due to pollutants in the air, often resulting from the burning of fossil fuels
altitude
- height above sea level
B
biodiversity
- the rich variety of different kinds of life
biome
- a region of the world with similar climate, soil, animals and plants, such as desert, grassland, forest, or tundra
boreal
- evergreen forests of subarctic regions - also taiga
C
canopy
- the top layer of tree growth often forms a sort of cover over the forest
conifers
- trees that grow cones
D
debris
- leaf litter, twigs, undergrowth on the forest floor
deciduous
- trees that drop their leaves in the fall
deforestation
- the intentional clearing of forested land
dominant
- main
drought
- a lack of rain over an extended period of time, a continuous period of unusually dry weather
E
ecosystem
- all the living and non-living things that interact in an area: animals, plants, microorganisms, water, soil, rocks, etc.
emergent layer
- the highest level of the rainforest, where high treetops rise above everything else
environment
- the surroundings where a plant or animal lives
erosion
- the process of wearing away or reshaping the land through the forces of wind and water
evergreens
- plants that stay green all year - they do not change color and lose their leaves in the fall
expansive
- vast, far reaching
F
fauna
- animals
forest floor
- the bottom layer of the forest, soil and dead plants and animals
fossil fuel
- an energy source such as coal, oil and natural gas that is formed from the buried remains of organisms that lived long ago
fungi
- living organisms that are not plants or animals, that cannot make their own food, and that must live on host plants, animals, or decaying matter (molds, mushrooms, mildew, yeast
G
generated
- created
H
humid
- having a high level of water vapor in the air
I
inhabitants
- living things of an area
invasive species
- species that are not native to a certain area and that can compete with native species for food and habitat, upsetting the balance of the ecosystem
L
lush
- thick and abundant growth
M
maturity
- fully grown
monitor
- watch over, keep an eye on
P
photosynthesis
- the process by which green plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food and give off oxygen
precipitation
- water that falls to the ground as rain, snow, etc.
R
recreation
- things done for fun and enjoyment
recycled
- to cycle through something again and again - used again and again
reforesting
- restoring trees in deforested places
regions
- areas
S
snowpack
- the winter collection of snow - often collected over time
sustain
- help them survive
sustainable forestry
- help them survive
T
taiga
- evergreen forests of subarctic regions - also boreal
temperate
- mild, not extreme
timber harvesting
- the planned cutting of forest trees to use for commercial purposes
tropical
- related to the tropics - hot and humid area
U
understory
- the second layer of a forest just below the canopy
