Barrier

An element that prevents or impedes the dispersal of a species from one location to another. For example, roads act as barriers to some small species, such as amphibians and reptiles, and dams often act as barriers to migrating fish.


Biodiversity

The variety of life and its processes, including living organisms, their genetic diversity, and habitats and ecosystems in which they occur. For the purposes of this website, biodiversity refers primarily to native species and natural ecological processes.


Buffer

A band of vegetation located between two different habitat types, such as a stream and upland area or a natural habitat and developed area. Maintenance of buffers adjacent to sensitive habitats can help to insulate these areas from the effects of disturbance or changes in land use by providing a natural barrier between natural and disturbed areas. Buffers are often linear, but can be any shape. Long, linear buffers provide edge habitat that may be detrimental to interior dependent species.


Community

1) a collection of species that live in close proximity to one another, share the same habitat, or live in the same region. 2) A place where people live, work, recreate, and typically share cultural values.


Connectivity

The degree to which patches of habitat are linked to one another, allowing organisms to travel between the patches.


Core area

The central portion of a habitat patch; the core is surrounded by similar habitat, and is away from the edge of a patch. Core area also refers to substantial blocks of habitat necessary to support a broad spectrum of native plants and animals.


Corridor

A linear strip of habitat that connects otherwise isolated habitat patches and potentially facilitates travel of individuals between the patches. A corridor can be as narrow as a culvert or overpass or as wide as several miles. Narrow corridors may expose animals to predation from the edges. Corridors may also facilitate the spread of invasive exotic species.


Ecosystem

A geographic area consisting of all the living organisms (people, animals, plants, microorganisms) and their surroundings (soil, water, air) and the natural cycles that sustain them. Ecosystems can be small, such as an isolated forest stand, or large, such as a watershed or ecoregion that contains thousands of forest stands across the landscape. The term can also be used to describe a specific land use, such as an agricultural ecosystem.


Ecosystem services

Ecosystem products (food, fiber) and services (water and air purification) that humans derive from functioning ecosystems.


Edge

The portion of a habitat or ecosystem near its perimeter that is influenced by surrounding land use. Edges can be a few to several hundred feet wide depending on habitat, environmental conditions, and species present.


Edge Effect

A condition in which otherwise suitable habitat becomes less suitable for a species because it is adjacent to dissimilar habitat (developed land, agriculture). This degradation of habitat may occur due to predation or increased competition from species that live outside of the patch.


Exotic species

Species living in areas that are outside their natural historical range. Some, but not all exotic species are invasive, which means they compete with native species and cause other adverse environmental effects.


Green Infrastructure

Our natural life support system - an interconnected network of waterways, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitats, and other natural areas; greenways, parks, and other conservation lands; working farms, ranches and forests; and wilderness and other open spaces that support native species, maintain natural ecological processes, sustain air and water resources and contribute to the health and quality of life for communities and people. Green infrastructure's components include a variety of natural and restored ecosystems and landscape features that make up a system of "hubs" and "links". Hubs anchor green infrastructure networks, providing origins and destinations for the wildlife and ecological processes moving to or through them. Links are the connections tying the system together and enabling green infrastructure networks to work. Hubs and links range in size, function, and ownership.

Habitat

The physical features and biological characteristics needed to provide food, shelter, and reproductive needs of an animal or plant species, often named for the dominant plant, physical characteristic, or position in the landscape (e.g., hardwood forest, riparian forest, stream, river).


Habitat fragmentation

The process by which contiguous large blocks of habitat are broken into progressively smaller, spatially separate pieces. Fragmentation occurs as a result of both human (development, resource extraction such as logging and mining, agriculture) and natural (fire, flooding) factors. Habitat fragments support fewer species than larger habitat blocks.


Interior habitat

Habitat within the interior of a patch (non-edge). Interior habitat is necessary for many species, providing insulation from edge effects, such as human activity, noise, wind, solar radiation, and increased competition and predation by edge-dwelling species.


Invasive species

Species that spread rapidly and quickly dominate habitats in which they occur, often out-competing or even eliminating other species.


Landscape

A large heterogeneous land area consisting of a cluster of interacting ecosystems of similar form.


Matrix

Matrix lands fall between conservation areas and may include urban areas and lands used for agriculture, forestry, and other commodity purposes.


Mosaic

A network of patches, corridors, and matrices in a landscape.


Patch

An area of the landscape differing in appearance from its surroundings. Patches may be due to natural (soil type) or anthropogenic (development) factors. Areas of oak woodland, grassland, and residential development are examples of patches within a landscape.


Scale

The relative size or degree of spatial resolution of an area. Small areas of interest, such as a stand of trees or a stream, are considered fine scale, while large areas of interest, such as ecoregions or watersheds, are considered coarse or broad scale.