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The Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is a remarkable evergreen, treelike plant found only in the southwestern United States. It was named by Mormon settlers in the early 1800s. Upon seeing the limbs of this plant branching upwards to heaven, the…

An approach to management of natural resources that emphasizes how little is known about the dynamics of ecosystems and that, as more is learned, management will evolve and improve. Adaptive management is a systematic strategy that seeks to improve…

A model for the functioning of an agricultural system, with all inputs and outputs. An ecosystem may be as small as a set of microbial interactions that take place on the surface of roots, or as large as the globe. An agroecosystem may be at the…

Plant growth forms characteristic of upper reaches of forests on mountain slopes. In such an environment, trees undergo gradual changes that, though subtle at first, may become dramatic beyond the dense forest as the zone of transition leads into…

Intergrading regions on mountain slopes characterized by specific plant life forms or species composition, and determined by complex environmental gradients.Along an altitudinal transect of a mountain, there are sequential changes in the physiognomy…

Collectively, members of the class Amphibia are facing massive reductions in total numbers, and the overall biodiversity of amphibians across the globe is under threat. Scientists have determined that global climate change and habitat destruction…

A method used by animals to conceal themselves from an enemy by appearing to be a section of the natural background. Animal camouflage is a strategy that animal organisms use to avoid or deflect the attacks of predators by misleading the latter's…

The use of live nonhuman animals for scientific research and experimentation. Animal testing has been a cornerstone of biomedical research, having contributed greatly to the understanding of human biology, to the unraveling of the complex underlying…

An ongoing current event in which a large number of living species are threatened with extinction or are going extinct because of environmentally destructive human activities. The Earth is presently in the midst of a mass extinction event. In the…

The application of ecological principles to the solution of human problems and the maintenance of a quality life. It is assumed that humans are an integral part of ecological systems and that they depend upon healthy, well-operating, and productive…

The cultivation of freshwater and marine species for human purposes. Aquaculture, or aquatic farming, is concerned with the raising of animals and the harvesting of plants in freshwater and marine environments (Fig. 1). In other words, it is the…

A parasitic disease caused by a roundworm typically found in raccoons that is transmissible to humans, other mammals, and birds. Baylisascaris procyonis is a parasitic roundworm of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and belongs to the order Ascaridida in…

The branch of ecology that focuses on the evolutionary causes of variation in behavior among populations and species. The scientific study of behavioral ecology investigates how changes of behavior are influenced by ecological factors (Fig. 1).…

The destruction of organic compounds by microorganisms. Biodegradation is a process (carried out by microorganisms) that decomposes organic material into its constituent elements or new compounds. Microorganisms, particularly bacteria (and fungi to…

The number of different plant and animal species living in a defined ecosystem or study area; a contraction of biological diversity. Biodiversity includes genetic diversity (variability in the genetic makeup among individuals in a single species),…

The biological diversity of different plant and animal species living on the island of Borneo. Borneo is the third largest island in the world. Located in Southeast Asia and straddling the Equator, it is divided among three countries: Indonesia,…

A discipline concerned with the application of ethics to biological problems, especially in the field of medicine. Bioethics is a broad term that encompasses the environmental, ethical, legal, and social implications of agriculture, life sciences,…

A microbial (often bacterial) community that is enveloped by an adhesive substance (the glycocalyx) at the interface of a liquid and a surface. Biofilms (see illustration) are defined as highly structured communities of microorganisms that are…

The study of the cycling of chemicals between organisms and the surface environment of the Earth. The chemicals either can be taken up by organisms and used for growth and synthesis of living matter or can be processed to obtain energy. The chemical…

A synthetic discipline that describes the distributions of living and fossil species of plants and animals across the Earth's surface as consequences of ecological and evolutionary processes. Biogeography overlaps and complements many biological…

The use of parasitoids, predators, and pathogens to reduce injurious pest insect populations and consequently the damage they cause. Viruses and bacteria are the most commonly used pathogens, but fungi, protozoa, and nematodes may also be important…

The amount and rate of production which occur in a given ecosystem over a given time period. Biological productivity may apply to a single organism, a population, or entire communities and ecosystems. Productivity can be expressed in terms of dry…

Organic materials or wastes produced by plants and animals that can be used as energy sources or fuels. Biomass is a collective term used to describe renewable materials that are derived from plants and animals. In some cases, microbial metabolic…