Glossary

The hind section of the body of an arthropod, behind the thorax or the cephalothorax which contains the insect’s digestive and reproductive organs.

A tiny fin found between the dorsal and tail fins on some fish.

Loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel.

The single anal fin is located on the underside of the body just forward of the tail fin. The anal fin serves to stabilize the fish while it is swimming. Long anal fins that are moved in an undulating manner are used for propulsion.

A plant which germinates from seed, flowers, sets seed, and dies in the same year.

The horizontal direction to which a mountain slope faces.

A group of small carp-like freshwater fish, almost all of the genus Barbus. The name barbell is derived from the Latin word “barba” meaning beard, a reference to the two pairs of barbs on the side of the mouth forming a mustache.

A plant which lives two years, usually forming a basal rosette of leaves the first year and flowers and fruits the second year.

The collective offspring of an animal, usually hatched and cared for at one time.

Leaves, twigs, and young shoots of trees or shrubs, which animals feed on.

(buff) A brownish yellow to yellowish brown color such as that of dried grasses. This color may be infused with hints of gray or pink and is most often used in describing bird plumage.

The plant calibration species are a set of 20 plants selected to help "calibrate" phenological measurements across the USA. These native and introduced plants have broad distributions and are ecologically or economically significant. Observations on calibration species will be integrated to get "the big picture" regarding plant response to environmental change. Observers are encouraged to include at least one calibration species in their monitoring projects. Widespread observation of calibration species helps integrate collective plant data with climate change measurements nationwide.

A layer of vegetation elevated above the ground. It can refer to the layer of leaves surrounding an individual tree or shrub, or to the continuous layer of vegetation that comprises the top layer of a forest.

Upper front most section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animals, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises.

An inflorescence (cluster of flowers) consisting of a dense spike or raceme of apetalous, unisexual flower as in Salicaceae and Betulaceae; an ament (a cylindrical flower cluster).

A group of individuals originating from a single parent plant through vegetative reproduction.

Genetically identical plants. The cloned plant component of the USA-NPN Plant Phenology Program offers monitoring of a small group of species, including the cloned lilac,that will eventually be distributed nationwide.

Loose bodies of sediment that have been deposited or built up at the bottom of a low-grade slope or against a barrier on that slope, transported by gravity. The deposits that collect at the foot of a steep slope or cliff are also known by the same name. Colluvium normally forms humps at the base of mountains or fan-shaped deposits similar in shape to alluvial fans that cover former ground surfaces.

Bearing cones or strobili.

A cultivated variety of a plant that has been deliberately selected for specific desirable characteristics (such as the colour and form of the flower, yield of the crop, disease resistance, etc.).

The cupule holds and protects the seed during its growth and maturation. In some genera it only partly encloses the single nut, while in others, it fully encloses the two or more nuts, and splits open at maturity into four valves to release the nuts. The cupule is covered by numerous scales. In some species the scales are developed into sharp spines, giving the nut protection from squirrels and other seed predators.

Falling off, as leaves from a tree; not evergreen; not persistent.

A fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Some species may have up to three dorsal fins.

Having green leaves throughout the winter; not deciduous.

Flagging tape is a non adhesive marking ribbon used for surveying, mapping, tagging, roping off areas or any other marking application. For the purpose of phenological monitoring, flagging tape can be used to identify plants, or groups of plants, for regular observation. It can also be used to mark places where animals of interest have been observed. On more robust plants such as full-grown trees, flagging tape can be wrapped around trunks or branches. On younger plants, or where there is no suitable vegetation, a twig or rod is usually inserted in the ground, and the tape is usually applied at the distal end, resembling a conventional pole and 'flag.'

The process of growing feathers (for a bird).

A young bird that has recently acquired its flight feathers.

Herbaceous (non-woody) flowering plants that are not graminoids (grasses, sedges and rushes).

The type of environment in which an organism usually resides (i.e. "marine habitat" or "woodland habitat").

The analog to the mammalian penis, the hemipenes are the reproductive organs of reptiles. These two organs are usually held inverted, within the body, and are everted for reproduction via erectile tissue.

With the characteristics of an herb; not woody.

A group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches.

Ridged: having a ridge or shaped like a ridge or suggesting the keel of a ship. Unkeeled would be without such a ridge.

Reptile scales that, rather than being smooth, have a ridge down the center that may or may not extend to the tip of the scale, making them rough to the touch and making the reptile appear rough and dull.

A line running down the length of a fish on both sides.

A type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, i.e. a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie.

Conventionally described as data about data, metadata can be more accurately defined as structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes easier to use or manage an information resource.

Having male and female parts on the same individual plant.

The National Phenology Database is the SQL database in which the USA-NPN stores contemporary phenology data and allows for integration with historic and other contemporary efforts to observe the natural environment.

An observation represents the full suite of phenophase responses for an individual plant or species of animal, at a site, on a given day. So, if you reported observations on three red maples, a robin and a bumblebee, today, you'd have made five observations (in the way that we're defining them here).

Distinguishable marks running down the length of a fish on either side, generally large and circular.

The paired pectoral fins are located near the gill cover and are used for maneuvering the fish. These fins have been adapted, in the case of some bottom-dwelling species, so fish can prop themselves up or even walk around above or below water. Sometimes the pectoral fins are equipped with spines for defense.

A plant that lives three or more years.

A precisely defined point in the life cycle of a plant or animal, generally marking the start or end point of a phenophase. The occurrence of a phenological event can be pinpointed to a single date and time (in theory, if not in practice). Examples include the opening of the first flower on a plant, the end of leaf fall on a tree, the first appearance of a particular songbird species in spring, or the start of fish migration up-river to spawn. (Note: The definition of the term “phenological event” has not yet been standardized and varies among scientists. The definition presented here reflects our usage of the term on the USA-NPN website.)

The state of one or more phenophases for an individual or species at a given moment. Phenological status could include but is not limited to measures of the state of flowers, leaves, and fruits for plants or migration, breeding, and development for animals. For example, the phenological status of a plant might be: has flowers and unfolded leaves; does not have ripe fruits. For birds, an example might be: is present, is an adult, and is calling; is not building or sitting on a nest.

Phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages. It is also the study of these recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate.

An observable stage or phase in the annual life cycle of a plant or animal that can be defined by a start and end point. Phenophases generally have a duration of a few days or weeks. Examples include the period over which newly emerging leaves are visible, or the period over which open flowers are present on a plant. (See also phenological event) (Note: The definition of the term “phenophase” has not yet been standardized and varies among scientists. The definition presented here reflects our usage of the term on the USA-NPN website.)

The regional plant species component of the USA-NPN Plant Phenology Program consists of a set of ~200 native or introduced plant species that have more localized distributions than calibration species, or that are particularly important in certain locales or regions of the nation in terms of ecological processes, biological diversity, conservation, economics, or human culture.

A reddish brown or brownish red color, such as that of rust or oxidized iron.

Salt effected, or an excess of soluble salts. Saline soils are often caused by irrigation with salty water. Saline soils cannot be chemically amended and must be leeched with excess water to transport salts away from the root zone.

Bony external plates or scales such as those found on bird’s feet, on the shells of turtles and the skin of crocodilians.

The growth phase in a plant or plant part (as a leaf) from full maturity to death.

High amounts of exchangeable sodium. Sodic soils decrease water permeability into soil, increasing runoff and erosion and decreasing water available to plants.

This fin at the back of the fish is used for propulsion. Fish that have forked tail fins are regular fast-swimmers. Fish that have rounded caudal fins are fish capable of quick actions and turns. Large, elongated caudal fins are often used to attract mates.

A taxon is a group (plural: taxa) is a group of (one or more) organisms. A taxon usually, although not always, reflects presumptive evolutionary (phylogenetic) relationships.

(From the Glossary of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature:) "A taxonomic unit, whether named or not: i.e. a population, or group of populations of organisms which are usually inferred to be phylogenetically related and which have characters in common which differentiate the unit (e.g. a geographic population, a genus, a family, an order) from other such units. A taxon encompasses all included taxa of lower rank and individual organisms. [...]"

A division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen. It is the area where the wings and legs attach in insects.

Fine outgrowths or appendages on plants. These are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae.

Smooth, not ridged.

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into 11 separate zones; each zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone.

The paired pelvic or ventral fins are located forward of the anal fin. Ventral fins are used to provide further stability in swimming. Sometimes these fins are modified as long, thread-like fins used as a tactile organ.