Trees & plants fact sheet 2 : common terms to know

Vegetation Terms Knowing the terms often used in discussions about protecting or increasing the green infrastructure of a community will help you communicate and engage in these issues with other leaders and experts. The following are terms you may encounter: Annual: a plant that lives one year or season. Pansies, zinnias and petunias are annuals. Arborist: a professional in the practice of arboriculture or the cultivation, management and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines and other perennial woody plants. Bioretention: vegetated area designed to intercept and treat stormwater. Biota: all the living organisms of a particular area; the combined flora and fauna of a region. Canopy: the top layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees. Conservation Subdivision: residential developments with common open space and clustered compact lots. Their purpose is to protect farmland and natural resources while allowing for the maximum number of residences under community zoning and subdivision regulations. Deciduous: a tree or plant that loses its foliage at the end of the growing season. Environment: the physical, chemical and biotic factors that act upon an organism or ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival. Evergreen: a tree or plant that keeps its foliage throughout the year. Fauna: the animals characteristic of a region. Flora: the plant life characteristic of a region. Forest: a dense growth of trees plants and underbrush covering a large area. Landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs, buffer bothersome noises, treat and reduce stormwater runoff and increase property value. (Photo: Gloria Putnam/North Carolina Sea Grant) Green Infrastructure: the interconnected green space network that is planned and managed for its natural resource values and for the associated benefits it provides. Green Roof: roof of a building covered with a layer of vegetation. Green Space: loosely used term for undeveloped land — such as a park or greenway — that separates, surrounds or is within intensive residential or industrial areas and is used and maintained for recreational enjoyment. Greenbelt: an area of largely undeveloped, wild or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring an urban area. Greenway: relatively undeveloped land that generally has a linear character and may run through, instead of around, an urban area, and usually includes a trail. Habitat: the place or environment where plants and animals naturally or normally live and grow. Every organism has a unique habitat made up of what it needs to survive including water, sun, land, vegetation, temperature, food, shelter and refuge from predators. Habitat Fragmentation: a habitat that is broken into small sections, such as occurs when a major road is built through a wooded area. Herbaceous: a plant with little or no woody tissue and usually persists for a single growing season. Sustainability Series