drought A period of extreme dryness caused by the lack of rain.
dung Solid animal waste
ecologist One who studies ecology, the science of the relationships between organisms and their environments.
ecosystem A community of interdependent organisms within a specific environment. An ecosystem includes the atmosphere, the forest and plant cover, the animals, and the land and water in which the organisms grow. Each part of the ecosystem is dependent on the others.
emergent A tree that grows taller than the canopy trees around it. Emergents have umbrella-shaped crowns and slender trunks and may be 200 feet tall.
entrepreneur A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.
environment The physical features of the world around us.
epiphyte A plant that grows on other plants without taking nourishment from its host. The roots of many epiphytes can absorb moisture directly from the air. Examples are mosses, ferns, orchids, bromeliads.
ethonobotany The study of how people use plants.
extinction The process of an entire species dying out.
famine A wide-reaching shortage of food, severe hunger, starvation.
forage To look for food.
futurist One who studies or forecasts potential developments, as in science and technology, using current conditions or trends as a starting point.
germination The beginning of growth, sprouting.
gymnosperm Member of an ancient, even primitive, group of plants of which the seeds are not enclosed in an ovary; the term literally means ìnaked seed.î
humidity The amount of water or water vapor in the air
connection Cheap supplies of beef bought from central America by the United States for hamburgers and frankfurters contributes to the clearing of the rainforest for cattle pasture.
hectare A unit of measurement for area in the metric system.
herbivore A plant eating animal or plant
hunter-gatherers People who get most or all of the food they need by hunting and by gathering wild plants from the natural environment.
indigenous Occurring naturally in a certain area. ìIndigenous peopleî are the tribal peoples who lived in an area before Europeans arrived.
invertebrate An animal without an internal skeleton or backbone
larva A stage in the life cycle of insects which looks different in appearance the adult form.
leach out Drain out as liquid percolates through.
mammal A warm-blooded vertebrate that has hair, gives birth to live babies, and breast-feeds its young.
mimicry Copying or imitating the actions or appearance of another species in order to scare away enemies or attract pollinators.
nectar A sweet liquid secreted by flowers and gathered by bees for making honey.
New World The Americas and Oceania.
niche The ecological role of a species, such as producer, consumer, decomposer, and scavenger. Niche may also mean the physical space occupied by a species.
nocturnal To be active during the night.
nutrients Nourishing ingredient in a food or soil.
omnivore A plant or animal that eats both plants and animals.
parasite A plant or animal that lives on or in another plant or animal with-out benefiting the host and usually harming it.
photosynthesis The process by which plants use sunlight to manufacture their own food from carbon dioxide and water.
plague A highly infectious, usually fatal, epidemic disease.
plantain A banana plant with greenish fruit that is edible after cooking.
pollinate To fertilize flowers by transferring pollen from one flower to itself or to another flower. Insects, animals, water and wind may all be pollinators.
population The total number of a certain species living in a particular area at a given time.
predator A plant or animal that kills and eats other plants or animals.
prehensile Adapted for seizing or holding by wrapping around an object.
prey A plant or animal that is killed and eaten by another organism.
producer An organism that produces organic matter by photosynthesis.
resources An available supply that can be drawn upon when needed; assets.
roost A place where birds nest or sleep; to sleep or rest on a branch or support.
selective logging Only certain trees are removed, other trees are left standing. The opposite of clear cutting.
slash and burn A farming method in which trees are felled and are used for houses and canoes. Burning removes the under brush and enriches the soil for planting.
soil nutrient Mineral substance found in the soil that is used by plants for growth: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium; rain forest soils are notably lacking in many of these.
species A collection of plants or animals having certain common characteristics and the ability to interbreed and reproduce.
speculators Those who buy or sell a commodity, with an element of risk, on the chance of profit.
stamen The pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower.
stigma The part of the flower on which pollen is deposited during pollination.
subsistence farmers Farmers who plant just enough to live on, not to make a profit by selling a crop.
sustainable development Development that uses natural resources in an efficient way and without destroying the basis of their productivity. Sustainable development allows natural resources to regenerate.
terrestrial Living on or near the ground.
Third World Underdeveloped or developing countries.
toxic Poisonous.
transmigrant Agricultural worker (and his family) officially encouraged by the government to move into a forested area, clear it, and farm it.
tropical rainforest An evergreen forest located at low elevations in regions between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Tropical rainforests are characterized by abundant rainfall and a very warm, humid climate year-round.
tycoons Wealthy and powerful businessmen.
understory The forest layer beneath the canopy that includes small trees, young canopy trees, shrubs, and herbs.
vertebrate An animal with an internal skeleton, a backbone. Amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles are vertebrates.
warning coloration Special coloring used to announce to a predator that the organism is toxic, or harmful.
