adaptation
Physical and behavioural changes over time to fit new environments or conditions.
biodiversity
Many different types of plants and animals.
braided river
River made up of interconnecting channels that divide and then come back together.
catchment
The entire area from which drainage water is received by a body of water such as a river or swamp.
ecosystem
A community of organisms together with the environment that they inhabit and depend on.
endemic
Plants and animals that live only in New Zealand.
ephemeral
Lasting for only a short period of time.
fertilizer
Substance added to soil to increase its ability to support plant growth.
food chainÂ
An arrangement of organisms in a community according to which organism is eaten or eats another. Food chains always start with a plant (or plants).
food webÂ
A system of food chains linked to one another.
groundwater
Water found beneath the surface of the land.
habitat
Living place of plant or animal.
inter-montane
Lying between mountains.
invertebrate
Any animal that does not have a spinal cord at any stage of its life such as worms, insects, spiders, crustaceans and molluscs.
kettle hole
Bowl-shaped hollow in the loose rocks that have been left by a melting glacier.
migration/migrate
A seasonal journey from one region to another.
niche
How an organism makes a living. It describes things such as an organism's life history, its habitat, its position in a food chain and food web and its geographic range. No two species can occupy the same niche in the same environment for a long time.
nutrients
Elements or compounds essential as raw materials to sustain life.
peat
Accumulation of partially decomposed remains of plants and animals.
pollution
The presence of unwanted matter or energy (heat, noise, etc.) that have harmful effects on living or non-living matter.
riparian
Situated or taking place along or near the bank of a river.
sediment
Material, originally suspended in a liquid, that settles at the bottom of the liquid when it is left standing for a long time.
Material eroded from rocks that is transported by water, wind, or ice and deposited elsewhere.
sustainable
Using natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area.
tarn
Small mountain lake.
