Tropical Forests Tropical Forests
Vocabulary

Terms & Definitions

carnivore
meat-eating animals
deciduous
bushes and trees that shed their leaves at the end of a growing season
ecosystem
a natural arrangement of living organisms interacting within their physical environment to create a stable system
endangered
in danger of extinction throughout (all or a significant portion of) its range if current trends affecting its population continue
environment
the external surroundings in which an organism lives
equilibrium
a state of balance between opposing forces or influences
evolution
changes in organisms through successive generations that allow new species to develop
exploitation
over use of a natural resource for one's own profit or advantage
extinction
the loss of an entire species so there are no living members
gene pool
the total number of genes or genetic information possessed by all the reproductive members of a species
herbivore
plant-eating animals
lineage
a direct descendent from an ancestor; ancestry
niche
the functional position of an organism in its environment
species
a group of organisms that closely resembles one another, that breeds under natural conditions, and produces fertile offspring
threatened
any species likely to become endangered in all or a significant portion of its range