Any of a number of remnants of past environments (including pollen grains, tree rings, lake sediments, ice cores, and coral skeletons) that can be used to how climate and environment have changed through time. …
The study of ancient environments and of environmental change. …
A period of geological time within the Tertiary subera, dating from about 65 to 24 million years ago; the early age of mammals and a period of major extinctions of species. …
A map that shows the surface landforms and coastline of an area at some time in the geological past. …
The study of the geography (particularly the environment and distribution of physical features) of particular periods in the geological past. …
The study of the structure and dynamics of the water cycle at particular periods in the geological past. …
The study of past freshwater, saline, and brackish environments, based on analysis of sediment cores which preserve evidence of water chemistry and biology in the past. …
The second part of the Stone Age, following the eolithic, which began in Europe between about 750?000 and 500?000 bc and lasted until the end of the last ice age about 8500 bc . …
The study of variations in the intensity and direction of the Earth's magnetic field in the geological past, as recorded in rocks. Also known as magnetostratigraphy . See also magnetic reversal. …
An area in the USA which has been designated as containing significant (usually fossil) remains of flora and (non‐human) fauna dating from prehistoric times. …
The study of ancient fossil remains of plants and animals that are found in sedimentary rocks, and of their geological contexts. …
An ancient buried soil that preserves evidence of past environmental conditions and processes. …
The tropical parts of the Old World (Africa and South East Asia). See also neotropics. …
The prevailing wind direction in a particular area at some time in the geological past, inferred from the structure of ancient sand dunes or the distribution of volcanic ash. …
The period of geological time between the Precambrian and the Mesozoic, about 570 to 245 million years ago, during which all classes of invertebrates except insects emerged, and seed‐bearing plants, amphibians, and reptiles appeared. …
A prefix meaning old or ancient, particularly prehistoric. Spelled paleo in North America. …
The earliest, well‐documented archaeological cultures in North America, dating back some 6000 to 12?000 years before the present. …
Plants that are preferred by grazing and browsing animals, usually because they are sweeter or softer than other plants. …
Water that is free from most colour, cloudiness, unpleasant tastes, and odour. …
1 North American spelling of palaeo‐. 2 In North American archaeology, a cultural period between 40?000 and 12?000 years ago. …
A member of the Aracaceae (previously Palmae) family. This contains more than 200 genera and more than 2700 species, many of which are economically important for food, fibre, canes, waxes, wood, thatch, and other uses. A common tree in agroforestry. …
An indicator of long‐term deficits or surpluses of soil moisture, based on temperature, precipitation, and soil type, which is used to gauge the severity of drought conditions in a particular area. …
A North American prairiegrassland and meadow‐steppe vegetation dominated by grasses, which covers a large area of northwestern Idaho, southeastern Washington, and eastern Oregon. …
The spread of boggy conditions across an area as a result of the gradual rising of the water table, as the accumulation of peat impedes the drainage of water. …
Any non‐tidal wetland that is dominated by trees, shrubs, persistent emergent plants, emergent mosses or lichens, and small, shallow open water ponds. Examples include swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens. …
The extensive grassy prairie plains of temperate South America. …
A compact soil horizon that has a high clay content. …
A epidemic that occurs over a very wide area, and affects a large proportion of the population. …
The original landmass that existed probably between 200 and 250 million years ago, and was surrounded by the Panthalassa Sea. It broke apart by continental drift into two portions, Laurasia and Gondwanaland, with the Tethys Sea between them. …
A broad view, usually of an attractive natural landscape or scenery. …
The ancient sea that covered most of the Earth's surface when all of the land that existed was in one large landmass (Pangaea), probably between 200 and 250 million years ago. …
Throughout the tropics as a whole, between 23?30?S and 23?30?N latitude. Contrast neotropics, palaeotropics. …
A thin sheet of material made of cellulose pulp which is derived mainly from wood, but also from rags and certain grasses. The pulp is processed into flexible leaves or rolls, which have many uses including for writing, printing, drawing, wrapping, and covering walls. …
Mills (factories) that produce paper from wood pulp. …
1 The joining of two organisms which share one blood circulation. 2 The condition of living together. …
A worldview, shared set of assumptions, or widely accepted idea of how the world works, which forms the basis for hypotheses and explanations. …
1 A liquid fuel refined from petroleum or shale. 2 A flammable waxy solid that is made in the same way as the liquid fuel, and is used for sealing and waterproofing and in candles. …
A drainage pattern in which small rivers flow generally parallel to one another over a sloping surface of uniform rock resistance. …
A form of speciation in which the new species evolves from contiguouspopulations. …
A defoliantherbicide that is commonly used to kill particular types of crops (such as marijuana) and is toxic to humans. …
A plant or animal that lives in or on a host (an animal or plant of a different species) for at least part of its life, from which it obtains nutrients. The relationship does not usually kill or benefit the host organism. See also endoparasite, ectoparasite. …
A win?lose form of symbiosis between two different species in which one (the parasite) benefits and the other (the host) is harmed. See also brood parasitism. …
A specialist in the monitoring of local biodiversity, who is recruited locally and trained in the field. …
An isotope (parent) that is transformed into a different (daughter product) isotope by radioactive decay. …
The mineral material from which a soil develops, which is usually unconsolidated weatheredbedrock or sediment (alluvium, colluvium, or wind‐blown deposits). …
In welfare economics, the optimum allocation of products and services to people in a particular setting (such as a country) that produces maximum benefit to the population as a whole, and when it is impossible to make one or more individuals better off without making one or more other people worse off. …
An explosive volcano that grew suddenly and rapidly in central Mexico in 1943 . Over a 2‐week period early that year, the area around Par?cutin had been shaken by earthquakes. On 20 February the ground cracked and a vent opened up in a cornfield. First steam, then volcanic dust and then hot fragments started to pour out. Soon molten rock was pouring out, and it started to build up a cone arou…
A stand of vegetation that is dominated by large, scattered trees with open spaces between them, and is usually maintained by natural ground fires. …
Flow records that are used in flood frequency analysis, which include all peak flows with a discharge greater than a chosen threshold (such as bankfull discharge). Contrast annual maximum series. …
The pressure that is exerted by one gas in a mixture of gases. …
In forest management, a method of tree harvesting in which only part of the stand is removed, and the rest is left standing. …
Engagement with and taking part in an activity. The process through which stakeholders influence and share control over priority setting, policy‐making, resource allocations, and access to public goods and services. …
The portion of a population that participates in a particular activity, such as a recycling programme. …
A type of action research in which active collaboration between stakeholders, practitioners, and researchers defines the content, process, and results of the research, and in which the activities are often designed to identify or monitor solutions to particular problems. …
A process through which key stakeholders actively engage in monitoring or evaluating a particular project, programme, or policy. …
A group of participatory approaches and methods that emphasize local knowledge and enable local people to make their own appraisal, analysis, and plans, which helps development practitioners, government officials, and local people to work together to plan appropriate programmes. Also known as rapid rural appraisal . …
An approach to rural development that is based on involving farmers in developing agricultural technologies that are appropriate to their particular situation, based on their own practical experience. …
The size of individual particles or grains of material, such as soil or sediment, expressed either in millimetres diameter or using the phi (ϕ) scale. Size classes for sediments range from very fine clays (less than 0.002 millimetres in diameter) and silts (between 0.002 and 0.05 millimetres), to coarse sands (range from 0.05 to 2.0 millimetres), and gravels (larger than 2 millimetres). …
Determination of the size distribution of particles in a sample of soil or sediment, which is usually determined by sieving or sedimentation (settling in liquid). …
Composed of particles of solid or liquid matter, such as soot, dust, aerosols, fumes, and mists. …
A procedure used in air cleaning, in which particles are removed by passing the air through fine filters. …
The concentration of particles in a sample of air or water, usually expressed as mass per unit volume (such as milligrams per litre, L-1). …
Pollution in the form of small liquid or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere or in water. …
Fine solid or liquid particles in the air or in an emission. A conventional or criteria pollutant. …
The amount of one substance in parts that is in a total sample of one billion (109) parts. …
The amount of one substance in parts that is in a total sample of one million (106) parts. …
A group of people who are engaged in a particular activity, such as a state (or regional economic organization such as the EU) that agrees to be bound by a particular treaty. …
The SI unit of pressure, which is equal to one hundredth of a millibar, or one newton per square metre. …
A migratory pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius ) that as late as the mid‐19th century was one of the most abundant birds in North America. By 1900 it had become extinct in the wild as a result of wholesale hunting for restaurants and other markets. The last known specimen died in captivity in 1914 . …
A measuring device that functions on its own, without any energy input or ongoing attention from the user. …
Using natural materials and structures without any moving parts to collect and store heat. …
Designing buildings in order to maximize the use of solar radiation to warm and light the interior of a building, through such measures as careful siting and orientation, use of energy efficient windows, and provision of appropriate levels of insulation and heat storage. …
A form of solar heating that uses solar radiation to heat buildings directly, by trapping it within the structure of the building and then releasing it slowly. It relies on natural air flow rather than pumps to distribute the heat within the building. Glass greenhouses and conservatories are good examples. Contrast active solar heating. …
Using or capturing solar energy (usually to heat water) without any external power. …
Relating to shepherds or herdsmen, devoted to raising sheep or cattle, or more generally a romantic or idealized image of rural life. See also bucolic. …
Farming based on rearing livestock, such as beef cattle, dairying, and sheep. Contrast arable. …
A form of nomadism in which people move animals from place to place with no permanent human settlement. See also transhumance. …
A nomad who herds animals, and has no permanent place of residence. …
A field covered with grass or herbs and suitable for grazing by livestock. See also annual pasture, native pasture, permanent pasture, rotation pasture. …
Land management that is designed to ensure the sustainable growth of pasture plants, in order to provide high quality feed and encourage the growth of desirable grasses and legumes while crowding out weeds, brush, and inferior grasses. …
An area of vegetation that has a uniform structure and composition, and differs from the surrounding vegetation. …
A clearcutlogging operation that creates small openings in a forest in patches of between about 10 to 100 acres, which are separated by living forest. …
Changes in the distribution of patches of habitat within a landscape that are caused by disturbance and regrowth. …
An intellectual property right relating to inventions (innovative processes or products). …
A lake that is formed on a pro‐glacialfloodplain after the glacier ice has melted. Such lakes are often found as a series, or chain. …
An organism (such as a bacterium, fungus, or virus) that can cause disease in another organism. …
The physical route that a chemical or pollutant takes from its source to the exposed organism. …
A range of ground surface features that are found in periglacial environments, and are the result of freeze?thaw action (physical weathering) at the top of the permafrost. The most common features are sorted stone polygons (on low‐sloping ground) and stone stripes (on higher slopes). Also known as sorted ground . …
Any rock that is exposed at the Earth's surface in the form of a more or less horizontal surface. …
The maximum volume of flow at a particular point in a stream during a runoff event. …
Partially decomposed vegetable matter that forms in boggy ground and can be cut and dried for use as a fuel and in gardening. It forms in the initial stages of the coal series. …
Any wetland ecosystem that accumulates partially decayed plant matter. Also known as bog or fen . …
An advanced design of nuclear reactor which uses an inert or semi‐inert gas (such as helium, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide) rather than water as a coolant, at very high temperature, to drive a turbine directly. …
A small unit (aggregate) of soil that is composed of individual particles of sand, silt, clay, and other soil material that stick together into a specific structure (such as a crumb or granule), and is formed by natural processes. See also soil structure. …
A soil in which aluminium and iron accumulate. It is produced by laterization and podsolization, and occurs mainly in humid climates. …
The line of descent (list of ancestors) of an individual or a purebred animal or plant. …
A system of breeding plants or animals in which individuals are selected from a cross on the basis of their desirability, judged individually and from their pedigree record. …
A gently sloping surface, usually covered with gravel, that has been created by erosion in front of a mountain range in an arid region. …
A soil in which calcium accumulates. It is produced by calcification and occurs mainly in subhumid, semi‐arid, and arid climates. …
The study of the formation, characteristics, and distribution of soils. …
The smallest three‐dimensional unit of soil, which defines a block (usually between 1 and 10 square metres in area) with relatively uniform properties. …
The thin outer layer of the Earth's surface, which is made up of soil. …
Of or relating to the open sea or ocean, free from any direct influence of the shore or sea‐bed. …
A marine organism that can move vertically upwards and downwards within a water body such as a sea or fjord, between the surface and the bed. Pelagic organisms are generally free‐swimming (nekton) or floating (plankton). …
Deep‐sea sediments that are made up of fine‐grained material (such as clay, radiolarian ooze, and foraminiferal ooze) that slowly settles from surface waters. …
A large flat or gently undulating area close to sea level, formed by a long period of erosion, which represents the end product of the ideal cycle of erosion. …
An instrument that is used to determine the resistance to penetration of a soil, which reflects soil strength. …
A substance formed by two or more amino acids; proteins are made of multiple peptides. …
The amount of a particular commodity that is used by each individual, on average. …
Groundwater that is separated from the underlying main body of groundwater (aquifer) by unsaturated rock (aquiclude). Also known as perched groundwater, perched water table . …
To drain or seep slowly through a porous substance. …
The downward movement of water (soil moisture) within a soil, through the soil horizons, under the force of gravity. This water may eventually pass into the underlying bedrock and become part of the aquifer. Contrast infiltration. …
A hollow at the base of a hillslope where water (soil moisture) seeps out onto the ground surface and becomes overland flow. Also known as a seepage line . …
River flow that continues through the year, and only dries up during prolonged drought. Contrast ephemeral flow, intermittent flow. …
A plant that lives for three or more growing seasons. Also known simply as a perennial . Contrast annual. …
A stream or river that flows throughout the year, from source to mouth, and that dries up only during prolonged drought and starts to flow again when regular precipitation is restored. …
One of a group of human‐made chemicals that are composed of carbon and fluorine only (CF4 and C2 F6). They were introduced as alternatives to ozone‐depleting substances, are emitted as byproducts of industrial processes, and are used in manufacturing. They do not harm the ozone layer in the stratosphere, but are powerful greenhouse gases. …
Land use zoning regulations that define broad criteria for determining the acceptability of certain industries, land uses, and buildings, rather than specification standards or detailed requirements. …
An estimate of the amount of a particular mineral deposit that is available underground, based mainly on the ability of existing technology to extract the mineral under existing and probable future economic conditions. …
The cold climate region adjacent to a glacier or ice sheet, in which the ground is largely permanently frozen (permafrost) but may thaw during the summer. …
The point in the orbit of any planet when it is closest to the Sun. For the Earth this occurs on 3 or 4 January each year. The opposite is aphelion. …
A unit of time; in geological terms a unit that is shorter than an era but longer than an epoch. …
A chart listing all of the known elements of the universe, arranged in columns with similar chemical properties, in order of increasing atomic number. …
The edge or outer part of an object, away from the centre. …
algae that grow attached to rocks, stems, twigs, and bottom sediments in a freshwater lake or river. …
Permanent agriculture: a sustainable form of agriculture that is designed to enhance local ecosystems and increase local biodiversity, for example by providing fuel, materials for shelter and home, and habitat for livestock, as well as food. …
Permanently frozen soil or ground, which is a common in periglacial environments such as the arctic tundra. See also patterned ground. …
A pasture, usually created rather than natural, which consists mainly of introducedperennial plants that are permitted to remain for a number of years. Contrast annual pasture. …
Placing waste storage containers in a secure place (such as a special building, salt mine, or cavern in bedrock), where they can be inspected periodically and retrieved if necessary. …
A watering place that supplies water to wildlife and people at all times during the year or during a grazing season. …
An area of land that is managed in order to create and maintain a wildlifehabitat of grass, low shrub, and/or herbaceous ground cover. …
A measure of the rate at which water can percolate through a soil or rock, usually expressed in cubic metres per second (m3 s-1). Also known as hydraulic conductivity . …
Material (such as a soil or rock) that permits fluids (such as water) to pass through it in both directions. Contrast impermeable. See also pervious. …
The last geological period in the Palaeozoic era, between about 290 and 245 million years ago, during which an estimated 96% of all species died out in a mass extinction (including many corals, brachiopods, and trilobites), and reptiles diversified and grew in dominance. …
The maximum dose of a chemical that an individual may receive in a given period of time, without it causing significant harm. …
The permissible concentration of a harmful physical agent (such as an air contaminant) to which most workers can be safely exposed for 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, over a working lifetime (40 years), without adverse effects. …
A licence or legal document that gives the holder official permission to do something. …
An air pollutant that is created by the action of sunlight on hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in the air, and is an ingredient of smog. …
Any resource that is inexhaustible on a human time‐scale. …
Continuity, such as the continued presence of a species at a particular location or of a non‐degradable chemical (such as a pesticide) in the environment. …
The time it takes for a pesticide to become inert. …
A chemical substance that is persistent in the environment, bioaccumulates through the food web, and can damage human health and the environment. …
Any pesticide (such as DDT) that does not break down chemically or only breaks down very slowly, so it remains in the environment after a growing season. Contrast non‐persistent pesticide. …
A measure of the exposure of a population to radiation, calculated as the average dose per individual (in rem) multiplied by the number of people exposed. …
A material (such as a soil or rock) that is able to let a liquid (such as water) penetrate it or infiltrate in. Contrast impervious. See also permeable. …
A person who is inclined to take an unfavourable view of the environmental crisis and what can be done about it. For example they may believe that the human population already exceeds the Earth's carrying capacity, and this is reflected in global environmental problems such as the growing rate of extinction of species, global warming, and increased poverty. Also known as an ecodoom pessimist . Co…
Any organism (such as birds, rodents, flies, and larvae) that directly or indirectly interferes with human activities and causes annoyance, economic damage, or health problems. Like weeds, pests are usually organisms that are simply in the wrong place as far as human comfort is concerned. …
Any activities that are undertaken in order to restrict, reduce, or eliminate particular pests in a given area. …
A chemical (such as an insecticide, fungicide, rodenticide, herbicide, or germicide) that is used to kill or control pests, such as insects, weeds, or micro‐organisms. …
The persistence of a pesticide, that is usually expressed in terms of half‐life (the length of time required for one‐half of the original quantity to break down) and often divided into three categories: non‐persistent (with a typical soil half‐life of less than 30 days), moderately persistent (30 to 100 days), or persistent (half‐life of more than 100 days). …
A situation in which a population of pests can become resistant to particular pesticides so they are no longer affected by them. This can happen through behavioural change (which helps them to avoid the pesticide), biochemical change (which allows them to detoxify the pesticide), or some other genetic characteristic that reduces their susceptibility to the pesticide. …
The amount of pesticide residue that is allowed by law to remain in or on a crop that has been harvested, which is set well below the point where the chemicals might be harmful to consumers. …
The tendency of pests to become resistant to the effects of particular pesticides, as a natural part of the evolutionary process. New and more toxic pesticides then have to be used, to which pests may eventually become resistant, and the spiral continues. See also pesticide resistance. …
A domesticatedanimal or bird that is kept for companionship or amusement. …
The fossilized remains of a former forest, in the form of large logs and stumps, usually in situ. See also silicification. …
Chemicals that are derived from crude oil or natural gas and are used in the manufacture of many industrial chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fibres, paints, and medicines. …
A prehistoric carving or drawing on a natural rock surface. …
A naturally occurring liquid that is found in certain sedimentary rocks and is composed of hydrocarbons formed by the anaerobic decay of organic matter. Petroleum can be refined to produce gasoline, paraffin, and diesel oil. Also known as crude oil . See also mineral oil, natural gas, oil shale. …
A chemical that is formed when petroleum breaks down in contact with groundwater. …
The study of the occurrence and exploitation of oil and gas fields. …
Any product that is derived from petroleum or natural gas. …
An installation (refinery) that makes petroleum products from crude oil, unfinished oils, natural gas liquids, other hydrocarbons, and alcohol. …
A measure (short for potential hydrogen) of the concentration of hydrogen ions and thus the level of acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is based on a (logarithmic) scale from 1.0 to 14.0, in which 7.0 represents a neutral state (such as distilled water), 1.0 is the most acidic, and 14.0 is the most alkaline or basic. …
The most recent period of geological time, since the end of the Proterozoic, which covers roughly the last 570 million years, during which life on Earth has become more varied, complex, and abundant. …
Medicinal drugs which are prescribed by a doctor in order to cure, prevent, or treat diseases and relieve pains. …
One of the three forms in which any matter can exist, as a solid (for water, in the form of tiny ice crystals), a liquid (as droplets of water), or a gas (water vapour). As the matter is converted from one phase to another it undergoes phase changes. …
A change in the form (phase) in which matter is present. For water, the six phase changes are melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, melting and evaporation, and sublimation. …
An approach to the classification of organisms that is based on observable similarities and differences between taxa, with no assumptions about evolution. Also known as phenetics . Largely replaced in recent years by cladistics. …
The definition of species as groups of individuals that look similar to each other and distinct from other groups. See biological species concept, cladistic species concept, ecological species concept, recognition species concept. …
A large crystal in an igneous rock, that is surrounded by a finer‐grained matrix. …
A white, crystalline compound (C6 H5 OH) that is derived from benzene and used in the manufacture of some resins, weed killers, plastics, and disinfectants, and in the petroleum refining process. It is toxic to humans, and may be carcinogenic. …
The study of periodic biological phenomena, such as flowering, breeding, and migration, especially in relation to climate. …
The outward appearance, physical attributes, or behaviour of an organism that develop through the interaction of the environment and genetic makeup (genotype) during growth and development. Individuals with the same genotype can have different phenotypes in different environments. See also acquired trait, phenotypic adaptation, trait. …
A non‐genetic form of biological adaptation in organisms, which occurs through behavioural changes in individuals. …
Chemical messages that are relayed between individuals of the same or different animal and insect species, in order to attract mates, promote social cohesion, mark trails and territory, and as warnings. …
A trap which uses either a natural or synthetic insect sex attractant pheromone. …
A scale that geologists use to measure the particle size of sediments, based on the logarithm of size rather than size in millimetres. The scale has zero in the fine sand range, with positive values for finer material (down to clay) and negative values for coarser material (up to large boulders). …
A statement or system of beliefs, which influence thought, action, and knowledge. See also environmental philosophy. …
The tissue in a plant that transports dissolved nutrients from the leaves to the other parts of the plant. See also vascular plant. …
A non‐metallic salt of phosphorus and oxygen which occurs naturally. Phosphates are a constituent of nucleic acids and are essential for life. Plants use phosphates during photosynthesis, and they are generally a limiting factor. Phosphates are also released into the environment by fertilizers and detergents, act as a nutrient pollutant in water, and contribute to eutrophication. …
The natural bio-geochemical cycle through which phosphorus is moved through environmental systems, from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks. …
A non‐metallic element and one of the elements (macronutrient) essential for the growth of organisms. Phosphorus compounds are major constituents in the tissues of both plants and animals. Increased phosphorus levels result from the discharge of phosphorus‐containing materials (such as fertilizers) into surface waters, and this can contribute to eutrophication. …
Any facility that uses electric furnaces to produce phosphorus for commercial use, such as high grade phosphoric acid, phosphate‐based detergent, and organic chemicals. …
Of, relating to, or caused by light. Contrast aphotic. …
The zone of a waterbody through which light penetrates, in which photosynthetic organisms live. Also known as the epipelagic zone . Contrast bathypelagic zone. …
An autotroph that uses light energy from the Sun to manufacture food, via photosynthesis. Compare chemoautotroph. …
A conventional or criteria pollutant that is created by the action of sunlight on nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. See also photochemical smog. …
Any chemical that reacts photochemically (in the presence of sunlight) to destroy ozone in the stratosphere. …
A chemical reaction that is triggered by sunlight. …
A brownish atmospheric haze that is often found above large urban or industrial centres during hot dry weather, and is caused by reactions between air pollutants (particularly oxygen, nitrogen oxides, and unburned fuel from vehicle exhausts) in the presence of sunlight. Such smogs were first observed in California in the 1940s, but they are becoming increasingly common in many heavily built‐up a…
The branch of chemistry that deals with the chemical action of light. …
Capable of being broken down by ultraviolet light, for example in sunlight. …
Chemical decomposition involving sunlight, in which molecules are split into their constituent atoms. Also known as photolysis . …
Relating to the conversion of light (radiant energy) to electricity. …
A unit of electromagnetic energy which has no electric charge and is generally regarded as a particle with zero mass. …
The response of organisms to changes in day length, for example through changes in growth rate, feeding pattern, migration, and reproduction. …
Tolerant of strong light. Contrast photophobia, sciophilous. …
Respiration in plants that is triggered by O2 rather than by CO2, which occurs in cool‐season plants during the light period, and which produces energy that is not in a useful form for plant growth. …
The carbohydrate (including starch and sugar) that is synthesized during the process of photosynthesis. …
A complex process occurring within the cells of green plants where sunlight is utilized in combination with carbon dioxide and water, in the presence of chlorophyll, to produce oxygen and simple carbohydrates, which are forms of energy that can be directly used by plants. Contrast chemosynthesis. …
The percentage of available light that is captured by plants and used in photosynthesis to make useful products. …
The rate at which plants convert dissolved carbon dioxide and bicarbonate into useful products by photosynthesis. …
Any autotrophicorganism (including mosses, ferns, conifers, flowering plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria) that obtains energy from light by photosynthesis. …
The growth of plants towards sunlight or other light source. …
Technology for converting sunlight directly into electricity, usually with photovoltaic cells. …
An electronic device, consisting of layers of semiconductor materials, that is capable of converting incident light directly into an electric current. Also known as solar cell . …
The electrical energy produced when sunlight incident on a photovoltaic cell is converted into electrical current. …
An air pollutant (such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, or PAN) that is created by photochemical reaction. …
Reeds that grow in wetland habitats such as marshes, lake margins, or river banks. …
The upper surface of groundwater within an aquifer. …