Chernozem Fertile, black or dark brown soil
under prairie or grassland with lime layer at
some depth between 0.6 and 1.5 m.
Chestnut-brown soil Short-grass soil in subhumid to semiarid climate with dark brown layer
at top, which is thinner and browner than in
chernozem soils, that grades downward to a
layer of lime accumulation.
Climate Generalized statement of the prevailing
weather conditions at a given place, based on
statistics of a long period of record.
Climate diagram According to Walter (1984):
a diagram in which months are on the horizontal axis and extend January to December
for the Northern Hemisphere and July to June
for the Southern Hemisphere so summer is
always in the diagram middle and curves
give mean monthly values of temperature in
centigrade and rainfall in millimeters; by
choosing a scale at which 10
C corresponds
to 20 mm of rainfall, a relatively dry season
(rainfall curve lies below the temperature
curve) can be depicted.
Climatic climax The relatively stable community that terminates on zonal soils.
Climatic regime Seasonality of temperature
and moisture.
Climax
Relatively stable state of the
vegetation.
Clustering algorithm A step-by-step procedure for grouping sets of objects according
to similar characteristics.
Compensating factor Factor, or condition, that
overrides other factors to bring about the same
result.
Continental shelf The edge of a continent
submerged in relatively shallow seas and
oceans.
Cyclone Whirling storm characteristic of middle latitudes; any rotating low-pressure air
system.
Deciduous Woody plants, or pertaining to
woody plants, that seasonally lose all their
leaves and become temporarily bare stemmed.
Delta The flat alluvial area at the mouth of
some rivers, where the mainstream splits into
several distributaries.
Desert Supporting vegetation of plants so
widely spaced, or sparse, that enough of the
substratum shows through to give the dominant tone to the landscape.
Desertification Degradation of the plant cover
and soil as a result of overuse, especially
during periods of drought.
Desert soil Shallow, gray soils containing little
humus, excessive amounts of calcium carbonate at depths less than 30 cm.
Desert-like savanna Tropical semidesert with
scattered low trees or shrubs.
Division As defined for use in this book: a
subdivision of a domain determined by
isolating areas of definite vegetation affinities
that fall within the same regional climate
(continents) or areas of similar water temperature, salinity, and currents (oceans).
Doldrums An area near the equator of very illdefined surface winds associated with the
intertropical convergence zone.
Domain As defined for use in this book: groups
of ecoregions with related climates
(continents) or water masses (oceans).
Dry steppe See dry savanna.
Dry savanna or steppe With 6–7 arid months
in each year.
Ecoclimatic unit Ecosystem unit based on
climate.
Ecological restoration Practice of renewing
and restoring degraded, damaged, or
destroyed ecosystems and habitats by active
human intervention.
Ecoregion (Also called ecosystem region)
major ecosystem, resulting from large-scale
predictable patterns of solar radiation and
moisture, which in turn, affect the kinds of
local ecosystems and animals and plants
found there.
Ecoregional design Outcome of a deliberative
and analytical decision-making process for
planning that minimizes environmental
destructive impacts by integrating itself with
the characteristics and processes of the
ecoregion.
Ecosystem An area of any size with an association of physical and biological components so
154
Glossary of Technical Terms
under prairie or grassland with lime layer at
some depth between 0.6 and 1.5 m.
Chestnut-brown soil Short-grass soil in subhumid to semiarid climate with dark brown layer
at top, which is thinner and browner than in
chernozem soils, that grades downward to a
layer of lime accumulation.
Climate Generalized statement of the prevailing
weather conditions at a given place, based on
statistics of a long period of record.
Climate diagram According to Walter (1984):
a diagram in which months are on the horizontal axis and extend January to December
for the Northern Hemisphere and July to June
for the Southern Hemisphere so summer is
always in the diagram middle and curves
give mean monthly values of temperature in
centigrade and rainfall in millimeters; by
choosing a scale at which 10
C corresponds
to 20 mm of rainfall, a relatively dry season
(rainfall curve lies below the temperature
curve) can be depicted.
Climatic climax The relatively stable community that terminates on zonal soils.
Climatic regime Seasonality of temperature
and moisture.
Climax
Relatively stable state of the
vegetation.
Clustering algorithm A step-by-step procedure for grouping sets of objects according
to similar characteristics.
Compensating factor Factor, or condition, that
overrides other factors to bring about the same
result.
Continental shelf The edge of a continent
submerged in relatively shallow seas and
oceans.
Cyclone Whirling storm characteristic of middle latitudes; any rotating low-pressure air
system.
Deciduous Woody plants, or pertaining to
woody plants, that seasonally lose all their
leaves and become temporarily bare stemmed.
Delta The flat alluvial area at the mouth of
some rivers, where the mainstream splits into
several distributaries.
Desert Supporting vegetation of plants so
widely spaced, or sparse, that enough of the
substratum shows through to give the dominant tone to the landscape.
Desertification Degradation of the plant cover
and soil as a result of overuse, especially
during periods of drought.
Desert soil Shallow, gray soils containing little
humus, excessive amounts of calcium carbonate at depths less than 30 cm.
Desert-like savanna Tropical semidesert with
scattered low trees or shrubs.
Division As defined for use in this book: a
subdivision of a domain determined by
isolating areas of definite vegetation affinities
that fall within the same regional climate
(continents) or areas of similar water temperature, salinity, and currents (oceans).
Doldrums An area near the equator of very illdefined surface winds associated with the
intertropical convergence zone.
Domain As defined for use in this book: groups
of ecoregions with related climates
(continents) or water masses (oceans).
Dry steppe See dry savanna.
Dry savanna or steppe With 6–7 arid months
in each year.
Ecoclimatic unit Ecosystem unit based on
climate.
Ecological restoration Practice of renewing
and restoring degraded, damaged, or
destroyed ecosystems and habitats by active
human intervention.
Ecoregion (Also called ecosystem region)
major ecosystem, resulting from large-scale
predictable patterns of solar radiation and
moisture, which in turn, affect the kinds of
local ecosystems and animals and plants
found there.
Ecoregional design Outcome of a deliberative
and analytical decision-making process for
planning that minimizes environmental
destructive impacts by integrating itself with
the characteristics and processes of the
ecoregion.
Ecosystem An area of any size with an association of physical and biological components so
154
Glossary of Technical Terms