The Alaska Vegetation Classification - Alaska Geobotany Center ...

Edaphic-(adj.) Pertaining to the soil and particularly the influence of soil onorganisms.Edge-The more or less well-defined boundary between two or more elements ina landscape; for example, forest and grassland.Emergent-Aquatic plant, usually rooted, that during part of its life cycle has portionsabove water; for example, cattail and bulrush.Endemlc-A taxon confined to a particular region and having a comparativelyrestricted distribution (usually a relatively small geographic area or an unusual orrare type of habitat).Eolian soil material-Material accumulated through wind action. Commonly refersto sandy deposits in dunes or to silt (loess) in blankets on the surface.Ephemeral-Short-lived existence, or occupying a site for a brief period.Epiphyte-A plant using another living plant as a substratum (that is, growing uponanother plant but deriving no sustenance from the supporting structure); for example,many mosses and lichens growing on trees.Erlcaceom-Refers to the heath family, Ericaceae; for example, blueberry.Eutrophic-Literally, 'Well fed." Refers to habitats. particularly soils and water, richin nutrients.Even aged-A stand of trees with individuals that originated at nearly the sametime and thus have essentially the same age. The maximum difference in age inan even-aged stand is usually 10 to 20 years.EvergreebPlants, or pertaining to plants, that remain green the year round, eitherby retaining at least some of their leaves at all times or by having green stems thatcarry on the principal photosynthetic functions.Exotic-A plant or species not native to the region it is growing in; for example,clover in alpine tundra.Exposure-[l) The openness of a site to weather conditions, particularly sun andwind; (2) the direction a slope faces.Fauna-(1) The sum total of all species of animals living in a defined area at onetime; (2) a collective term tor all animal species in the same way that "vegetation" isa collective term for all plant communities.Feathermoss-Common name for some species of mosses; for example,Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Pfilium crista-castrensis. andRhytidiadelphus triqueffus.FellfielbFrom the Danish fjoeldmark, or rock desert. A type of tundra ecosystemcharacterized by rather flat relief, very stony soil, and low, widely spaced vascularplants.Fen-A general term for a mire (peat-forming ecosystem) with little or no Sphagnumspp. and with a source of water and minerals outside the limits of the mire. Fens,in comparison with bogs, are less acidic or even alkaline and mineral rich. Fensgenerally support a more varied vegetation, composed of grasses, sedges, or reeds,than bogs do.261