Trees and Forest Definitions

Forest - trees and their environment.

Succession - the changes in a forest over time.

Deciduous Trees - these trees lose their leaves in the fall.

Coniferous Trees - these are evergreen trees and they do not lose their leaves in the fall.
They have needle-like leaves.

Upper Canopy - top of the forest formed by leaves and branches of the tallest trees. 
Birds (for example, Owls), insects (for example, aphids or tent caterpillars) make this area their home.

Understory - level below the canopy.  Smaller trees and larger shrubs are found in this area. 
Provides shelter for a variety of birds and small mammals (for example, squirrels and woodpeckers).

Underbrush - level before the forest floor.  It is populated by ferns, wildflowers, insects
(example, butterflies), small mammals (example, mice), and larger mammals (example, deer).

Forest Floor - the bottom level of the forest - includes groundcover and soil. 
You will find the decomposers here (example, worms, bacteria and soil insects). 
As well, tree roots are visible and there is a lot of dead, decomposing material. 

Transpiration - moisture given off by plants through their leaves.

Photosynthesis - plants convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and nutrients (sugars)
for the plant to use.    

Chlorophyll - part in the plant cell that makes the plant green.  This substance is needed for
photosynthesis.

Stomata - tiny openings on the underside of a plant's leaves. 
It is where gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) are exchanged.

  

Tree Cookie - cross section of a tree.  Helps to show the life story of a tree.

Leaf - the flat green or needle part of a plant that makes food through photosynthesis.

Girdle - a scar on the branch of a tree showing one year of the branches growth.    

Bark - the outside covering of a tree.  The function of bark is to protect and insulate the tree.

Cambrium - the inside of the trunk where the tree grows.  Its function is to produce new wood and bark.

Sapwood (xylem) - the softer living part of the wood around the heartwood. 
Its function is to move sap from the roots to the leaves.

Phloem - the inner part of the tree.  Its function is to carry food from the branches and leaves to the roots.

Heartwood - the older dead part of wood near the middle of the tree.  Its function is to support the tree.

Pith - it is the central core of the tree. 

Ecosystem - interactions that link the living things and the non-living things in an environment.

Habitat - the natural home of an organism (animal, plant, insect).

Abiotic - the non-living parts of the environment.  This includes soil, air, water, sunlight, temperature,
wind, and terrain.

Biotic - the living parts of the environment.  This includes all living things, plants, animals,
microorganisms.

Producer - plants that produce their own food through photosynthesis.

Consumer - organism that must get food from the environment (they do not make their own).

Primary Consumer - eats producer

Secondary Consumer - eats primary consumer.

Tertiary Consumer - eats secondary consumer.

Decomposers - feed on the dead material and put nutrients back into the soil. 

Fungi - organisms that lack roots, stems and leaves.  They cannot photosynthesize to make their
own food.  Examples are mildews, rusts, smuts, mushrooms, conks and molds.   

Conks - fungus found attached to tree trunks.  It grows like steps or shelves and have growth rings
like trees.

Lichens - a fungus and algae working together.  The fungus absorbs water and nutrients and
the algae produces the food.