Adaptation - A trait that helps a species survive and reproduce in a given environment.
Algae - Generally simple plants that in most cases tend to abide by aquatic situations to undergo photosynthesis. Examples in Australia range from freshwater green algae in rivers to marine kelp forests occurring offshore of the southern coast.
Alluvial Soil - Fertile soil deposited by rivers or floods, mostly found in river valleys like the Murray-Darling Basin.
Arid Zones - Places receiving scarce rainfall and capable of high evaporation. Large part of central Australia is within this zone, harboring deserts and sparse shrublands.
Artificial Waterhole - Constructed water bodies for wildlife care and conservation, predominately active in the arid and semi-arid Australian regions.
Biodiversity - Variety of living organisms in an ecosystem. Places such as the Great Barrier Reef and Gondwana rainforests typify greater biodiversity in Australia.
Biome - A large ecological area with a distinct climate, plants, and animals. In Australia, biomes range from deserts to tropical rainforeeds and temperate grasslands.
Brackish Water - Water with a mix of fresh and saltwater, generally found in estuaries such as the Hunter River estuary.
Bushfire - Fires occurring naturally or due to human beings that burn Australian vegetation. They also help in regenerating some eucalypt forests.
Catchment - An area from which water flows by downhill drainage into a river system. The Murray-Darling Basin is a major Australian catchment.
Climate - The long-term patterns of temperature, rainfall, and weather that prevail in a particular region. Australia ranges from a tropical climate in the north to a temperate climate in the south.
Commensalism - Relationship where one species benefits while the other is essentially unaffected. For exemple, egrets feeding on insects stirred up by grazing cattle.
Coral Reef - Underwater ecosystems constructed by coral organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is Australia's best-known example.
Deforestation - The clearing of native vegetation, usually for farming and urban development. An Australian example is the logging of native forests in Tasmania.
Decomposer - An organism that breaks down dead matter and recycles the nutrients. These include fungi and bacteria in Australian soils.
Desert - A biome characterized by very little rainfall and sparse vegetation. The biggest deserts of Australia are the Great Victoria Desert and the Simpson Desert.
Dune - A hill of sand formed by winds. Coastal dunes in Western Australia support specialized vegetation.
Ecosystem - A community of organisms interacting among themselves and with their physical environment. Mangrove estuaries and alpine grasslands are two Australian examples.
Endemic - Species found only in a particular region. The quokka is endemic to Rottnest Island, Western Australia.
Eucalypt Forest - Forests dominated by the eucalyptus trees. They occur in large tracts in eastern and southern Australia.
Estuary - A partially enclosed body of water where freshwater is mixed with seawater. The Brisbane River estuary is an example.
Evapotranspiration - The combined action of surface evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants.
Fauna - The animal life of a region. Australian fauna possesses marsupials, such as Kangaroos, and monotremes, such as the Platypus.
Fire Regime - The pattern that comprises the frequency and intensity of fires in an ecosystem. An instance of regular fire regimes can be found in many Australian ecosystems.
Floodplain - Flat land near rivers subject to flooding. The Kakadu floodplains are one of the most noteworthy techniques available to the wetland habitat.
Food Chain - The sequential series that denotes which organism eats another. A comparatively simpler one in Australian forests would be eucalyptus leaves → koalas → dingoes.
Forest Floor - The lowest layer of a forest that supports decomposers and small animals.
Geology - The study of the Earth's physical structure and processes. Australia's ancient rock formations determine the soil types as well as the ecosystem.
Glacial Refugia - Places where species managed to survive the ice ages. Alpine regions of southeastern Australia acted as refugia for some plant species.
Grassland - Biomes where grasses dominate rather than trees. The Brigalow Belt supports native grasslands.
Groundwater - Water stored under the surface of the Earth; it maintains ecosystems in arid zones of central Australia.
Habitat - Any place where a particular species naturally lives. In Victoria, wetlands are habitats for waterbirds.
Herbivore - An organism that eats plants. Kangaroo and wombat are possible examples.
Humidity - The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Tropical Queensland is humid, affecting the rainforest ecosystems.
Hydrology - The science of understanding the movement of water in the natural environment, which is vital in comprehending the mechanism of rivers, wetlands, and aquifers in Australia.
Indicator Species - Species whose presence indicates how healthy an ecosystem is. Frogs are frequently indicators in Australian wetlands.
Invasive Species - An organism that upsets an existing ecosystem. In Australia, these include the cane toad and the European rabbit.
Island Biogeography - Distribution of species on islands. Offshore islands of Australia host unique endemic species.
Intertidal Zone - The area between the high and low tide marks. Rock shores along Tasmania coasts hold a diverse marine life.
Juvenile - A life stage of an organism; immature. Juvenile platypuses are nurtured in burrows until they mature.
Keystone Species - A species with a disproportionately large effect on an ecosystem. The Tasmanian devil affects prey populations and nutrient cycling.
Kangaroo Grass - Native grass in temperate and savanna zones of Australia that support herbivores.
Littoral Zone - Nearshore area of lakes or seas where sunlight penetrates. Northern Australian mangrove forests lie in littoral zones.
Lichen - A symbiotic organism of fungi and algae, typically found on rocks and tree bark across Australian woodlands.
Loam - Soil consisting of sand, silt, and clay. It supports agriculture and native vegetation in areas like Darling Downs.
Mangrove - Coastal trees that tolerate saltwater. These trees are established along the tropical coasts of northern Australia, such as in the Northern Territory.
Microclimate - Weather conditions at a small scale differing from those in the surrounding region. Eucalypt groves cool down the microclimate.
Migration - Movement of animals that is seasonal. Most Australian birds go north for the winter.
Monsoon Forest - Tropical forests with a wet and dry season. Present in northern Queensland.
Native Species - Species found naturally in Australia. Examples would be the koala, eucalyptus tree, and emu.
Niche - The role that a species assumes or performs in its own ecosystem. The lyrebird disperses seeds and eats insects.
Nutrient Cycling - Transfer of nutrients through the organisms and the environment. Further is leaf litter decomposition in forests taken into this account.
Omnivore - A species, whether plant-eating or meat-eating, eating both. Examples in Australia include goanna and currawong.
Overgrazing - When herbivores feed so much that vegetation is harmed. Overgrazing of Australian grasslands is due to rabbits.
Parasite - An organism that lives on or within another organism by digestion of nutrients. Examples in Australia include ticks on kangaroos.
Photosynthesis - The conversion by plants of sunlight energy. Eucalypt trees do photosynthesis to make food.
Plains - Large, flat land areas. The Nullarbor Plains is a large one in Australia.
Predator - An organism that hunts others for food. Wedge-tailed eagles act as apex predators in many Australian ecosystems.
Rainforest - A dense forest, with heavy rainfall. A prominent tropical Australian example is Daintree Rainforest.
Queensland Wetlands - These are diverse ecosystems supporting habitats for migratory birds and several freshwater species.
Reef - Protruding or partially submerged ridges of rock, coral, or sand; coral reefs along the east coast of Australia harbor large varieties of marine life.
Riparian Zone - Land-water interface of rivers and streams; in Australia, such zones support vegetation and wildlife.
Rotational Grazing - Livestock management system intending to reduce overgrazing, practiced in some Australian pastoral lands.
Salinity - The amount of salt in soil or in water. Increasing salinity acts against agricultural lands of inland Australia.
Savanna - Grasslands scattered with trees. Northern Australia has tropical savannas dominated by eucalypt and acacias.
Sediment - Is made up of a few particles of soil or rock frictioned along by water or wind. Sediment deposition occurs in river floodplains in Australia.
Soil Type - A classification denoting in terms of texture, composition, and fertility. Some examples include sandy, clay, and loamy soil.
Succession - An ever-natured alteration in species composition over the passage of time. For example, heathland may slowly get succeeded by eucalypt forest after bushfire.
Trophic Level - Refers to the position of an organism in the food chain. The grass, being the producer, belongs to the first trophic level, herbivores belong to the second, while carnivores belong to the third trophic level.
Tundra - Cold and treeless biome. Only a few segments of alpine tundra exist across the highest mountains of Australia.
Turpentine Tree - Indigenous to the eastern rainforests of Australia, well-known for their hardwood and ecological contribution.
Urban Ecology - Study of ecological processes in the built environment. Green spaces and biodiversity efforts are well integrated into Australian cities such as Melbourne.
Vegetation - Plant life of a region. Vegetation in Australia ranges from desert shrubs to rainforest canopies.
Volcanic Soil - Fertile soils formed from volcanic ash. Such soils are found in areas like the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland.
Wetland - Areas that are permanently or seasonally inundated by water. Kakadu National Park and Gippsland Lakes provide examples.
Wildfire - Fires in natural areas that are uncontrolled. Similar to bushfires, they affect forests, grasslands, and heathlands.
Wombat - Burrowing marsupial native to Australia. Wombats are important for soil aeration and the creation of habitats.
Xerophyte - Dry-adapted plants. Australian spinifex grasses are xerophytes of the arid zones.
Yabby - Freshwater crayfish inhabiting Australian rivers, streams, and farm dams.
Zooplankton - Tiny aquatic animals feeding on phytoplankton in Australian lakes, rivers, and coastal waters.
Zonation - The distribution of species or habitats into distinct horizontal or vertical bands. It occurs along Australian coastlines and mountain slopes.