Glossary for Biosphere

Boreal: Relating to the region of the earth just south of the Arctic, especially its plants and animals.

Coral polyps: Tiny, soft-bodied organisms related to sea anemones and jellyfish. At their base is a hard, protective limestone skeleton called a calicle, which forms the structure of coral reefs. Reefs begin when a polyp attaches itself to a rock on the sea floor, then divides, or buds, into thousands of clones.

Ecologist: A person who studies the natural relationships between the air, land, water, animals, plants, etc.

Endemic: Native or restricted to a certain place.eg. Lion-tailed macaque endemic to the Nilgiris.

Entomologist: A person who studies or is an expert in the branch of zoology concerned with insects.

Ex-Situ Conservation: Ex-situconservation is the preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats. This involves conservation of genetic resources using many techniques and facilities.

Habitat: The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Lagoon: A stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a low sandbank or coral reef.

Oasis: A small area in a desert that has supply of water and is able to support vegetation. An oasis forms when groundwater lies close enough to the surface to form a spring or to be reached by wells.

Permafrost: A thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing point throughout the year, occurring chiefly in Polar Regions.

Poaching: Trespassing, especially on another’s game reserve, in order to steal animals or to hunt.

Sedges: Any grass like plant, typically growing on wet ground and having rhizomes, triangular stems, and minute flowers. Sedges are found to grow in cold regions,

Vulnerable: Exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed or destroyed;