amplitude |
Wide range,oscillation, maximum departure from average of alternating current or wave. |
|
|
bet-hatching |
Life history strategy of taking risk and safety at the same time. |
|
|
biodiversity |
The variety of life on Earth or any given part of it. |
|
|
biotope |
A place homogeneous in species composition, distinguished by its inhabiting flora and fauna. Usually characterized by its distinctive vegetation type. Now at days often called habitat. |
|
|
bivoltine |
Having two generations or broods each year. |
|
|
cadastral map |
Maps generally at scale 1:2.000 that describe the bounds of properties, roads and hydrographic nets. |
|
|
calcareous grassland |
Species-rich plant communities that occur on soils derived from chalk and limestone. |
|
|
carr |
A woodland ecotope, characterized by willows or alder, and often associated with fens and other wetlands. |
|
|
climate window |
Number of days per year average temperature is over 10°C, derived after the method of analysing the climate diagram. |
|
|
cocoon |
A silky, protective envelope formed by a larva and in which the pupa develops. |
|
|
coppice |
A traditional method of exploitation of a wood by cutting the poles just above the base of the trunk on a regular cycle. |
|
|
CORINE |
A biotope classification system largely based on vegetation composition, developed as a framework for comparing habitats across Europe. Now supersede by EUNIS. |
|
|
degree-day |
Degree Celsius per day, by summing up a measure of quantity of warmth. |
|
|
diapause |
A form of dormancy, characteristic of a particular stage of insect life cycles, during which metabolic activity is greatly decreased during a certain period of the year. |
|
|
dispersion |
The capacity of individuals to move to a new habitat or new parts of a landscape and to establish new populations. |
|
|
ecotone |
A transition between different ecotopes, a tension zone between ecosystems of different energy flow and material turnover. |
|
|
ecotope |
The elementary unit of a landscape, homogeneous for a particular pattern or function. Term used by landscape ecologists. |
|
|
endemic |
A species or other taxon restricted to a particular region or country, and which, as far as known, evolved or is relic there. |
|
|
EUNIS |
European Nature Information System, a part of the biodiversity data centre. |
|
|
fauna |
The animals of a region or epoch, treatise upon these. |
|
|
fenland |
Wetland with peat soils, which receive water and nutrients from the soil, rock and ground water as well from rainfall. |
|
|
flight period |
The length of the period over the year the adult (flying) stage of a butterfly species is observed. It can be illustrated by a phenogram. |
|
|
flora |
(List of) plants of particular region or epoch. |
|
|
fragility |
An attribute of ecological systems: a system is fragile when under a perturbation regime a change in biological diversity occurs. |
|
|
genus |
The smallest natural group containing related but distinct species. |
|
|
growth rate |
Specific tempo of larval development. |
|
|
guild |
A group of animals with similar characters associated to function (foraging guild, breeding guild etc.). |
|
|
habitat |
A place in which a particular plant or animal lives, characterized by its biological and physical attributes. In cases of an animal species, this mostly consist out of a complex of different biotopes. In English speaking tradition the term habitat is widely used in a broad meaning, often used in the meaning of biotope. |
habitat patch |
A patch selected by individuals of the same species. |
|
|
heat-sum |
Quantity of warmth per year expressed as sum of degree-days over the threshold of 10°C, calculated after the method of analysing the climate diagram. |
|
|
hibernaculum |
The shelter of an overwintering (hibernating) larva, usually formed from a leaf. |
|
|
immigrant |
A species that has established a breeding population in a region outside its historically known native range. |
|
|
instar |
The stage of development and growth between successive moults in insect larvae. |
|
|
introduction |
The intentional or accidental release of an organism to a place outside its historically known native range. (See also reintroduction). |
|
|
landmarks |
Objects in a landscape used by organisms for orientation. |
|
|
lek |
A gathering of male animals that females visit only to mate. |
|
|
matrix |
A term of different meanings, in landscape ecology the dominant component of a landscape mosaic. |
|
|
meta-population |
Several discrete populations in close proximity that are interconnected by movement of individuals. |
|
|
micro-climate |
Climatic conditions that occur in a very small space, e.g. inside a herb or grass vegetation. A microclimate may differ extremely from a meso-climate observed by a meteorologist. |
|
|
migrant |
A butterfly that moves instinctively from one geographical region to another (cf vagrant). |
|
|
nectar |
Sweet fluid or honey produced by plants, drink of the gods. |
|
|
nectary |
The honey gland of a flower. |
|
|
nomad |
Wanderer, roaming from place to place for pasture. |
|
|
osmeterium |
Tubular, forked process by the larvae of Swallowtail species. When the larva is alarmed the osmaterium is bulged out and produces a strong odour. |
oviposition |
Act of laying eggs . |
|
|
parasite |
An organism that is intimately associated with and metabolically dependent upon another living organism (the host) for the completion of its life cycle. |
parasitoid |
An animal, usually an insect, that is parasitic during the larval stage of its life cycle but becomes free living when adult. In most cases the host is killed, a parasitoid is in fact an endo-predator. |
phenology |
The seasonal occurrence of life cycle events. In studies on butterflies the period they are on the wing this is illustrated in phenograms. |
|
|
reintroduction |
The intentional release of an organism into a part of its native range from which it has become extinct. |
|
|
rides |
Pathways cut to provide access through woodland. |
|
|
ruderal |
Inhabiting disturbed sites. |
|
|
|
|
scent-brands |
Scales on the upper side of the forewings of male butterflies which are modified for distribution pheromones to attract females. |
|
|
sine |
Sinus curve, line drawn from one extremity of arc perpendicularly to radius which meets other extremity (trigonometry). |
|
|
spatial heterogeneity |
The variation across space of vegetation type or land cover. |
|
|
stray |
Wander, lose one’s way. |
|
|
succession |
The progressive change in the plant and animal species occupying an area over a long period of time, from the initial colonization to mature ecosystem. |
|
|
transect |
A fixed route, walked regularly through a site, used to monitor changes in abundance of butterflies. |
|
|
tree-fall-gap |
Opening in forest cover due to individual tree fall. |
|
|
unimproved grassland |
Grassland comprising mainly native species, which has not been ploughed, drained, cultivated or intensively fertilized. |
|
|
univoltine |
Having one brood or generation each year. |
|
|
vagrant |
A butterfly observed outside its normal geographical range (cf migrant). |
|
|
vegetation |
Plants collectively, plant life. |
|
|
voltinism |
The number of generations of a butterfly species each year. |