algae Single-celled organisms that produce their own food.
arboreal
Of trees; in the trees.
barons
People with great wealth, power, and influence in a specified sphere of activity, for example, oil barons.
biologist
One who studies biology, the science of living organisms and life processes.
biomass
The total dry weight of all living organisms in a specified area.
biome
A community of living organisms within a single ecological region.
birds of prey
A bird that hunts or preys on other animals and birds, a raptor.
bromeliads
Tropical plants in the pineapple family that often grow on the trunks and branches of trees, housing a tank of water or natural reservoir, within a rosette of leaves.
buttresses
Woody flanges or wings that spread out from the bases of some tall tropical forest trees. These buttresses spread the great weight of the tree over a larger area. Otherwise, the shallow-rooted trees might blow down easily.
camouflage
Skin coloring and special body parts are used as camouflage by creatures to help them blend in with their surroundings and remain hidden from predators or prey.
canopy
The layer of a forest formed by the crowns of tall trees. In a tropical rain forest, the canopy is made up of flat-crowned trees that are often about 65-100 feet tall. These crowns are closely interlaced by woody climbers.
carnivore
A flesh-eating animal or plant.
Chico Mendes
A rubber tapper whose heroic demonstrations, with union support, were successful against cattle rancherís attempts to destroy the forest. His murder by cattle ranchers made him a martyr and strengthened the ethic of the Brazilian people.
clandestine
Concealed or kept secret.
climatologist
One who studies climatology, the meteorological study of climate.
consolidate
To make strong, to strengthen; to combine.
cultivators
People who plant crops and tend fields.
culture
A way of life devised by people for getting along with the environment and each other.
decay
To rot, decompose.
decomposer
Any organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter, for example, fungi
defecate
To get rid of wastes from the body.
deforestation
The destruction of a forest by such activities as slash and burn agriculture,cattle ranching and timber harvesting.
dislocation
To remove or force people from their homes or territory and place them in a new area.
drip tips
Leaves come to a point allowing water to drip off.