| TERMS | DEFINITIONS | |
| Community | The populations of different species living in the
same habitat is called community. |
|
| Analytic
characteristics |
The characteristics which can be analyzed by
Quantitative or qualitative methods are called |
|
| Qualitative characteristics | The disruptive characteristics which cannot be
measured are called qualitative characteristics. |
|
| Stratification | The plants occurring together with a similar ecology in definite strata are called stratification | |
| Periodicity | The rhythmic phenomena related to seasonal
changes is called periodicity. |
|
| Vitality | Vitality: The capacity of plants to complete its life cycle is called vitality . | |
| Quantitative
characteristics |
The characteristics which can be measured are
called quantitative characteristics. |
|
| Density | The number of individuals of specie in a unit area is called density. | |
| Abundance | The estimation of individuals of specie is called abundance. | |
| Fidelity | The relative occurrence of specie in an association or a group of related association is called fidelity. | |
| Physiognomic characteristics |
The general appearance or outlines of the stand or community are called physiognomic characteristics. | |
| Phanerophytes | These plants include woody trees and shrubs. Their bud bearing shoots are elevated and exposed to the atmosphere. | |
| Therophytes | It includes’ all the annual plants. Their only
perennating buds are present in seeds. |
|
| Chamaeophytes | They include wood or semi woody perennial under shrubs. The bud is above the ground but less than 25 cm high. Example Salvia sp. | |
| Hemi-cryptophytes | The perennating buds are half hidden in the surface of soil. Example euphorbia. | |
| Cryptophytes | Their buds are in soil or under water, e.g. Hydrilla. | |
| Transect | A transect is a long rectangular sample plot. | |
| Quadrat | A quadratis a sampling unit used for the
quantitative study of plant communities. |
|
| Succession | The process of community development is called succession. | |
| Primary succession | The formation of ecosystem from bare rock, sand or clear glacial pool where previous life do not exist is called primary succession. | |
| Autogenic succession | The succession in which organisms themselves
bring change in the environment during succession is called autogenic succession. |
|
| Allogenic succession | The succession in which external environmental
factors cause change in the environment during |
|
| Ecesis
|
The phenomena of growth of propagules and their adjustments in the new surrounding area is called ecesis | |
| Competition | The struggle for existence between the plants is called competition. |
| Reaction | The effect of plants on the habitat is known as reaction. |
| Proclimax | The community which is more or less stable
resembling the climax community is called |
| Productivity | The rate at which food is manufactured by the
producersin unit area in unit time is called |
| Primary productivity | The rate at which solar energy is converted into
organic energy by green plants or total food assimilation rateof producers is called primary |
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