Glossry


Basal
Attached at the base of the plant, either resting on or near the ground.

Bog
A peat accumulating wetland that has no significant inflows or outflows of water, all water inputs are from precipitation (snow and rain). Bogs are typically low in available nutrients and have low plant species diversity. These areas are typically dominated by sphagnum mosses. Carnivorous plants, such as pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) and sundew (Drosera spp.) are also common. Due to decomposition processes and lack of groundwater input, the pH of bogs is typically acidic.

Bracts
A reduced or modified leaf associated with a flower or an inflorescence, but not part of the flower itself.

Fen
A peat accumulating wetland that receives some drainage from surrounding mineral soil. Fens typically have a higher nutrient content than bogs and support a higher diversity of plant species. The pH of fens is typically circumneutral to basic due to groundwater inputs that contain significant levels of calcium, in addition to other nutrients.

Graminoid
An area where the dominant plants are a combination of grasses and sedges. Fens are commonly dominated by this plant association.
Inflorescence
The flower cluster of a plant, the arrangement of the flowers on the flower stalk.

Mesic forest
Moist, neither very wet nor very dry. Rich mesic forests are dominated by hardwoods such as sugar maple (Acer saccharum), beech (Fagus grandifolia) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis). The soil in these forests is typically moist and has a sufficient supply of nutrients. At higher elevations, these areas can be dominated by conifers, such as spruces (Picea sp.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea).

Mixed forest
Forests containing populations of both conifers and hardwoods. Soil in these forests is typically drier than in mesic forests, and not as rich in nutrients.

Mycorrhizae
The symbiotic relationship between certain fungi and plant roots. Necessary for all orchid species. Mycotrophic plants employ this fungal association, also referred to as a mycorrhizal association.

Niche
The role played by a particular species in its ecosystem.
Northern white-cedar swamp
Forests dominated by northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis), also balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and various mixed hardwoods. These forests, considered a type of fen, are typically nutrient rich and support a wide diversity of plant species.

Peat
An accumulation of dead plant matter that forms in wetland environments, specifically bogs and fens. Peat only forms when oxygen is not present, which is typical in wetland soils that are continually saturated with water. Typical peat constituents include sphagnum mosses, sedges, and grasses.

Saprophytic
A plant that lives on dead organic matter, neither parasitic nor making its own food. Often refers to include non-green mycotrophic plants that get their food from the symbiotic fungal associate.

Swamp
A wetland dominated by trees or shrubs. Typical tree species include the eastern larch or tamarak (Larix laricina), black spruce (Picea mariana) and alder (Alnus rugosa).

Symbiosis
The living together in close association of two or more dissimilar organisms. These associations can be mutually beneficial (mutualism) or harmful to one of the organisms (parasitism).

Wetland
An area of the landscape that is characterized by the presence of water, unique soil conditions that support vegetation that is adapted to wet conditions (hydrophytic).
Wet meadow
Grassland with waterlogged soil near the surface but without standing water for most of the year.