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Bats are members of the order Chiroptera, which is the second-largest order of living mammals. The geographic distribution of these flying mammals is tremendous as well, ranging from the limit of trees in the Northern Hemisphere to the southern tips…

Any of several leguminous plants, or their seeds, long utilized as food by humans or livestock. There are more than 40,000 varieties of beans, with only a small number of these being mass-produced for human or animal consumption. In particular,…

A taxonomic order of insects comprising the cockroaches and termites. The order Blattodea, also referred to as Blattaria, contains at least 4500 species of cockroaches (Fig. 1) and 3000 species of termites. Previously, termites were assigned to a…

Any member of the grass family (Poaceae or Gramineae) that produces edible grains usable as food by humans and livestock. Cereals are important cultivated crops. Common cereals include rice, wheat, barley, oats, maize (corn), sorghum, rye, and…

The common name for three living species of mammals in the family Elephantidae (order Proboscidea). Elephants are extant members of the mammalian family Elephantidae, which is one of several families included in the order Proboscidea., The remaining…

The science, art, and practice of managing and using the natural resources that occur on and in association with forested lands. Forestry is the management of forested lands (see illustration). It involves the planning and implementation of…

Plants that have altered genetic material (DNA) through recombinant DNA (rDNA) manipulation. Genetic engineering of plants allows for very specific genetic changes to be made to a plant's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), as opposed to the random…

Commercially grown plants that have altered genetic material through artificial recombinant manipulation. Genetic modification is the latest scientific tool for developing improved crop varieties. Such genetically modified (GM) crops can help to…

A mammalian order containing the egg-laying platypus and echidnas. Members of the order Monotremata (monotremes) are egg-laying mammals belonging to the subclass Prototheria (in some alternative classifications, the monotremes have been assigned to…

An order of placental mammals containing the largest and most powerful living terrestrial mammals—the elephants. Proboscideans once had a wide distribution, reaching every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Although early forms lacked both…

The planning and implementation of actions to establish, protect, restore, and maintain trees and forests in cities and smaller communities. When the field of urban forestry began in the 1960s, it focused on individual trees along streets and…

A clade of ancient birds known as lithornithids (chicken-sized, long-beaked birds), who lived approximately 40–70 million years ago, possessed a unique vibrotactile bill-tip organ that allowed these birds to detect vibrations in the ground. The…