A
| B | C | D
| E | F | G
| H | I | L
| M | N | O
| P | R | S
| T | U | W
A
Abiotic:
nonliving, usually used in reference to things in an environment,
such as air, water, rocks
Adaptation: a physical or behavioral trait that helps
an organism survive in its environment
Apex consumer: the highest consumer level (the top predator)
of a food chain or food pyramid
Aquarium:
A place for the public exhibition of live aquatic animals and
plants
Top
B
Bacteria: one-celled organisms that do not have membranes
surrounding their nuclei
Biodiversity: the variety of life at all levels, genetic,
species and community
Biotic: living, usually used in reference to things in
an environment, such as plants and animals
Blue crab: a crab common in coastal saltwater habitats,
characterized by a brown shell and large blue claws
Top
C
Carbohydrates: basic sugars that are produced by
plants in photosynthesis as food energy
Carnivore: an animal that consumes other animals for food
Chlorophyll: a green pigment in plants that absorbs energy
from sunlight for photosynthesis
Chloroplast: the structure in a plant that contains chlorophyll and
is where photosynthesis occurs
Clay: soils made up of sediment with very tiny particle
sizes that is plastic-like when wet
Climate: the average weather conditions (temperature,
rainfall, air pressure, humidity and cloudiness) of an environment
Coast: the land region in South Carolina that is adjacent
to the Ocean and is regularly influenced by the actions of the
Ocean
Coastal Plain: the land region in South Carolina that
is adjacent to the Coast and is characterized by flat land and
many wetlands
Community: all of the different plant and animal populations
that share a common environment
Conservation: the directed effort to take care of and
protect natural resources
Conservation easement: a legal contract in which a landowner
agrees not develop his property and all buyers of the property
in the future must follow the same regulations
Consumer: an animal that eats other organisms
Top
D
Decay: to decompose or break apart organic materials into
its separate parts or elements
Decomposer: an organism, such as a bacterium or fungi,
that breaks down the cells of plants and animals
Decomposition: the process by which organic material
is broken up into carbon, nitrogen, or other elements
Diamondback terrapin: a small turtle that lives and swims
in and around salt marshes
Diatom: microscopic, single-celled aquatic plants that
conduct photosynthesis and have an external skeleton made of
silica
Top
E
Ecosystem: all of the living populations of a community
and the nonliving resources of the environment
Elevation: the height of an object or landform from sea
level
Enzyme: a protein used by organisms as a catalyst to
cause biological reactions, such as digestion
Exhibit:
A public showing; to present for others to see
Top
F
Fiddler crab: small crabs that live along the sandy edges
of salt marshes. Males have one enlarged pincer, or front
claw
Food chain: a series of organisms linked together according
to who eats whom, illustrating the movement of energy from
one organism to another in a community
Food web: a diagram of a community showing how the
organisms are connected based on predator prey relationships
Fungus: a single-celled or multi-celled organism in
the scientific group Fungi, such as mushrooms, molds, mildews,
and yeasts, that live primarily by decomposing and digesting
organic material
Top
G
Germination: the sprouting and growth of a plant from a
seed
Glucose: a simple sugar, the most common type of carbohydrate,
that is produced by plants
Top
H
Habitat: the place where a plant or animal can get the
things it needs to survive
Habitat loss: the changing or destruction of a habitat,
usually caused by human use of the habitat
Herbivore: an animal that consumes only plants
Top
I
Impermeable surface: a surface that does not allow liquid
to flow through it
Igneous Rock: rock that forms when magma cools to become
a solid
Interdependence: two or more variables or organisms that
depend on each other
Top
L
Land development: the changing of natural areas to build
human structures, such as homes, businesses and roads
Loam: soil composed of clay, sand and organic material that
is ideal for many plants
Top
M
Marsh snail: small snails that live in salt marshes and
eat detritus and algae
Metamorphic rock: rock that forms when heat or pressure
changes the chemical composition of already existing rock
Mountains: the land region in South Carolina that is
part of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is characterized by cooler
climates and major changes in elevation
Top
N
Niche: a description of the roles and interactions an organism
has with the elements of its community
Top
O
Ocean: the region in South Carolina that is part of the
Atlantic Ocean
Omnivore: an animal that eats both plant and animal matter
Organism: a living object, such as a plant or animal
Osmosis: the movement of water across a permeable surface
from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration
Top
P
Photosynthesis: the process by which plants use sunlight,
carbon dioxide and water to make food (starch) and oxygen
Piedmont: the land region in South Carolina that is adjacent
to the Mountains and is characterized by rolling hills and clay
soils
Pollutant: a man-made impurity in the natural environment
Population: a group of organisms from one species that
share the same environment and interbreed
Precipitation: the falling of water in its various states,
as a part of weather (ex. rain, sleet, hail, mist, etc.)
Predator: an animal that catches and eats other animals
for food
Prey: an animal that is caught and eaten by another animal
for food
Primary consumer: organisms that get their food energy
by eating organisms that are producers. Herbivores are primary
consumers
Producer: any organism that produces its own food through
the process of photosynthesis or chemical reactions
Top
R
Region: an area of land characterized by specific climate,
geology and ecosystems
River otter: mammals found in aquatic habitats with an
elongate body, webbed toes, and a thick coat of brown fur; members
of the weasel family
Runoff: rainwater that, when it hits the ground, does
not soak into the ground or evaporate but instead flows along
the surface
Top
S
Sandhills: the land region in South Carolina that is the
remnants of ancient sand dunes of the former coastline and
that mark
the boundary between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont
Secondary consumer: animals in the food chain who eat
the primary consumers (herbivores)
Sedimentary rock: Rock that is formed by the consolidation
of sediment particles or of the remains of plants and animals
Simile: a comparison to show similarities between unlike
things using the words, "like" or "as" (ex.
He runs like a deer)
Soil: the uppermost layer of earth that is composed of
rock and mineral particles and decomposed plant and animal matter
Spores: microscopic, reproductive structures that are
produced by organisms such as fungi that are easily dispersed
and resistant to unfavorable conditions
Stimulus (pl. stimuli): something that causes a reaction
in a living organism
Stomata: tiny openings in the leaves of plants that allow
carbon dioxide to enter the plant and water vapor and carbon
dioxide to leave the plant
Top
T
Temperature: a measurement in degrees of how active atoms
are, commonly described in terms of how hot or cold something
is
Tertiary consumer: The third animal linked in a food
chain; is always a consumer and is usually the apex consumer
Topography: the elevations and shapes of the land
Trophic level: the feeding level in a food chain
Top
U
Urban: relating to a city
Urban sprawl: the spreading of development (homes, stores,
etc.) around a city as more people move to the area (or as population
increases)
Top
W
Waste: the unused food remains that are released by an animal
after digestion
Watershed: a delineated area of land in which all of
the rain that falls in the area will eventually drain into the
same body of water
