Glossary
-
Algae—A group of onecelled
or manycelled plants, having chlorophyll, without roots,
living in water.
- Aquifer—An underground porous
rock formation containing water, especially one that supplies water for wells
or springs.
- Bayhead—A tree island in the freshwater
marsh that may be submerged during the wet season; so named because it usually
contains redbay or sweet bay trees.
- Bight—A body of water bounded
by a bend or curve in the shore; several are found in Key West.
- Brackish water—Mixed fresh and
salt water.
- Bromeliad—Nonparasitic air plants
from the Pineapple family that are epiphytes.
- Chickee—An opensided structure
built on a raised platform and covered by a thatched roof; the traditional
housing of the Seminole adapted to the southern Florida environment.
- Crustacean—Animals that wear a
segmented shell and have segmented legs are arthropods, such as insects and
crustaceans. Crustaceans are arthropods that live in the water and breathe
by gills, such as lobsters, barnacles, crabs, and shrimps.
- Detritus—Decomposed plant and
animal matter.
- Ecosystem—A biological community
existing in a specific physical environment.
- Endangered species—A species that,
throughout all or a significant portion of its range, is in danger of extinction.
- Epiphyte—A nonparasitic plant
growing upon or attached to another plant or nonliving structure.
- Estuary—The portion of a river
or coastal wetland affected by the rise and fall of the tide, containing
a mixture of fresh and salt water.
- Flats—Shallow, nearshore waters
of the Atlantic and Gulf.
- Habitat—Where an organism lives;
its natural home.
- Hammock—A dense growth of trees
on a slightly elevated area, not wet enough to be a swamp.
- Limestone—A sedimentary rock derived
from the shells and skeletons of animals deposited in seas, and consisting
mostly of calcium carbonate.
- Miccosukee Tribe—One of two federally
recognized organizations of Seminole Indians. Incorporated in 1962.
- Nocturnal—Active at night.
- Periphyton—An assemblage of small
plant organisms (mostly algae) attached to surfaces underwater or floating;
may form a spongy mat insulating the ground from total dehydration during
the dry season in the Everglades.
- Photosynthesis—The production
of carbohydrates by plants in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight.
- Plankton—Aquatic organisms that
float at the mercy of the currents or have limited swimming abilities.
- Salt marsh—An area of soft, wet
land periodically flooded by salt water.
- Seminole Tribe—One of two federally
recognized organizations of Seminole Indians. Incorporated in 1957, the Tribe
is governed by a constitution and is headed by a council and board of directors.
- Slough—A channel of slowmoving
water in a marsh land.
- Species—A basic taxonomic group
consisting of individuals of common ancestry who strongly resemble each other
physiologically and who interbreed, producing fertile offspring.
- Subspecies—A subdivision of species
consisting of individuals different from the rest of the species but still
able to interbreed with other members of the species.
- Threatened species—A species still
present in its range but, without significant changes in conditions, may
become endangered.
- Zooplankton—Animal plankton.