Dictionary of agricultural and environmental science

561 Pages·2003·49.02 MB·English

by  Frederick R Troeh

Dictionary of
Agricultural and
Environmental
Science
Frederick R. Troeh
Roy L. Donahue
Iowa State Press
A Blackwell Publishing Company
© 2003 Iowa State Press
A Blackwell Science Company
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Printed in India
First edition, 2003
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Troeh, Frederick R.
Dictionary of agriculture and environmental science / Frederick R.
Troeh and Roy L. Donahue.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-8138-0283-0 (alk. paper)
1. Agriculture—Dictionaries. 2. Environmental sciences—
Dictionaries. I. Donahue, Roy Luther, 1908-1999 II. Title.
S411.T76 2003
630'.3—dc21
2002000824
The last digit is the print number: 987654321
Preface
This dictionary is intended to facilitate communication in agricultural and environmental
sciences. Both of these broad sciences deal with the environment but in very different ways. People
working in these areas need to be able to communicate with each other clearly and effectively. Too
often, however, the tendency is to develop special terms and usages that are understood within a
particular group but that fail to convey their unique meanings to persons outside the group.
Roy Donahue was an educator and writer in the field of soil science and had broad interests in all
fields of agriculture and environmental science. He taught for many years at Michigan State
University and accepted long-term international assignments in India and Africa. He undertook this
project to help bridge the gap that has often existed between the terminologies used in these two broad
subject areas, as well as the gaps that often exist between scientists and practitioners in both areas.
He spent approximately ten years compiling terms and definitions from many sources. His emphasis
was on special and unique terms and usages, including unusual words and short phrases along with
special usages of common words. Words and usages that were not included in standard dictionaries
were of special interest to him as he compiled his material.
Dr. Donahue asked me to complete the project. As a professor of agronomy at Iowa State
University with a background in soil science and an emphasis on soil conservation, I, too, had worked
abroad in Uruguay, Argentina, and Morocco. I was able to provide an additional viewpoint and the
advantage of being an experienced computer user. I edited and revised Dr. Donahue's work, verifying
the meanings by consulting various dictionaries, textbooks, other books, and online references,
especially the compilation of hundreds of dictionaries compiled on the OneLook site. I made sure that
all of the definitions were consistent with materials already published, but they were rewritten for a
consistent style and to avoid plagiarism. In the process, I reviewed volumes of environmental and
agricultural literature, expanded the material by adding thousands of entries, and designated the parts
of speech and derivations for most of the words. It should be noted that the derivations are provided
mainly to clarify the source and meaning of the words and do not constitute complete etymologies.
Many of the definitions are not unique to agricultural and environmental sciences but are needed
to show that the word or phrase might be used in ways other than its unique scientific meaning.
Dr. Donahue's illustrations were mostly photographs and artwork from government sources. I used
many of them and supplemented them with photographs, my own artwork, and clip art. All
photographs and drawings not otherwise credited on the Figure Credits page are mine.
Dr. Donahue initiated this project and his input into the work was considerable, but regrettably he
did not live to see this dictionary published. The final form therefore became my responsibility. Users'
comments and suggestions are welcome and will be taken into consideration for any future editions
that may be undertaken. In spite of all the effort that went into this dictionary, there are certainly
many more terms and usages that could be added. Such a project can never be regarded as final and
complete, but the current form should be useful to many people.
Frederick R. Troeh
Ames, Iowa
August 2002
Figure Credits
The figures chosen to illustrate this dictionary are from a variety of sources. About half of them are
the work of Dr. Troeh in the form of original photographs, artwork, or graphs (sometimes based on
data or figures from some of the sources listed below). Ten photographs were taken by Dr. Donahue.
The remainder come from the following sources:
Individuals:
Julian P. Donahue—Banyan tree
Frank Shuman (University of Illinois)—Fertilizer (effect), Fertilizer placement
Universities:
Texas A&M University—Asexual reproduction, Silverfish insects
University of Missouri—Ant (termite and ant), Cockroaches
University of Puerto Rico—June bug
U.S. government agencies:
U.S. Agency for International Development—Emission (smoke), Family planning
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation—Clouds
U.S. Council on Environmental Quality—Chlorofluorocarbon release
USDA Agricultural Research Service—Field bindweed, Canada thistle, Cocklebur, Lambsquarters,
Morning glory, Pigweed, Ragweed, Rhizobium nodules, Velvetleaf, Wasp, Wild oats
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service—Gully erosion, Manure (pollution potential),
Mollisol, Spodic soil profile, Strip cropping, Wetland
U.S. Department of Agriculture—Cabbage looper, Climatic types, Codling moth larva, Drained
land, Dryland agriculture, Lady beetle, Pheromone, Scabies (hair on fence), Ticks,
Trichogramma
U.S. Department of Energy—Global warming
U.S. Department of the Interior—Aquifer
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency —Acidity scale, Aerating wastewater, Air pollution sources,
Asbestos hazard, Water lily
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—Texas longhorns
U.S. Geological Survey—Agonic line, Volcanic dust
USDA Yearbooks of Agriculture:
Grass (1948)—Foxtail millet, Lupine, Millets, Orchardgrass, Reed canary grass
Insects (1952)—Bark beetle, Boxelder bug, Carpenter ants, Centipede, Chinch bug, Colorado
potato beetle, Corn borer larva, Cucumber beetle, Drone fly, Ground beetle, Heel fly,
Mosquitoes, Pacific Coast tick, Praying mantid, Seed corn maggot, Stinkbug, Sweet potato
weevil
Trees (1949)—Chestnut leaf and nut, Honey locust, Locust (trees), Spruce, Sugar maple
U. S. Agriculture (1992)—Kenaf
International organizations:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—Erosion, Shifting cultivation, Terraces
World Bank—Vetiver grass
Abbreviations Used in This Book
ac acre km kilometer
ac-in. acre-inch (water measure) km/h kilometer per hour
atm atmosphere kW kilowatt
ATP adenosine triphosphate kWh kilowatt-hour
Btu British thermal unit L liter
bu bushel Ib pound
C Celsius m meter
cal calorie m2 square meter
cc cubic centimeter m3 cubic meter
cfs cubic foot per second meq milliequivalent
Ci curie mg milligram
cm centimeter mi mile
cm2 square centimeter mi2 square mile
cm3 cubic centimeter min minute
cv cultivar mL milliliter
dB decibel mm millimeter
e.g. for example (exempli gratia) mmol millimole
F Fahrenheit MPa megapascal
ft foot mph mile per hour
ft2 square foot N normal
ft3 cubic foot nm nanometer
ft-lb foot-pound Pa pascal
g gram pk peck
gal gallon ppm parts per million
ha hectare pt pint
ha-cm hectare-centimeter qt quart
hr hour sec second
Hz hertz SI Standard International units
in. inch (Systeme International d'Unites)
in.2 square inch V volt
in.3 cubic inch W watt
K Kelvin yd yard
kcal kilogram calorie yd2 square yard
kg kilogram yd3 cubic yard
Contents
Preface ..................................................................................................... vii
Figure Credits ........................................................................................... viii
Abbreviations Used in This Book .............................................................. ix
Dictionary of Agricultural and Environmental Science Terms
A to Azygous .......................................................................................... 1
A to Alluvion .......................................................................................................... 1
Alluvium to Azygous ............................................................................................. 14
B to Buttress ........................................................................................... 33
B to Bipolaris ........................................................................................................ 33
Birch to Buttress ................................................................................................... 49
C to Cytosterility ..................................................................................... 69
C to Chemistry ...................................................................................................... 69
Chemoautotrophic to Conjunctivitis ..................................................................... 86
Connate to Cytosterility ........................................................................................107
D-activated Sterol to Dystrophy ............................................................ 126
D-activated Sterol to Dinosaur Extinction ............................................................126
Dinoseb to Dystrophy ...........................................................................................139
E to Exudate ............................................................................................ 152
F to Future Farmers of America (FFA) .................................................. 173
F to Flour Mite ......................................................................................................173
Flour Moth to Future Farmers of America (FFA) .................................................186
Gabbro to Gypsy Moth ........................................................................... 198
This page has been reformatted by Knovel to provide easier navigation. v
vi Contents
H to Hz ..................................................................................................... 218
I to Izaak Walton League ........................................................................ 239
J to Juvenility ......................................................................................... 254
K to Kwashiorkor .................................................................................... 258
L to Lysozyme ........................................................................................ 264
Maar to Myrtle ......................................................................................... 285
Maar to Mexican Blindness ..................................................................................285
Mexican Fruit Fly to Myrtle ...................................................................................300
N to Nyctitropism ................................................................................... 316
O to Ozone Hole ..................................................................................... 330
P to Python ............................................................................................. 343
P to Petrogenesis .................................................................................................343
Petrography to Pomace .......................................................................................359
Pome to Python ....................................................................................................377
Qanat to Quokka ..................................................................................... 391
R to Rye ................................................................................................... 394
R to Rennet ..........................................................................................................394
Rennin to Rye .......................................................................................................406
S to Systemic Pesticide ......................................................................... 420
S to Silicified Wood ..............................................................................................420
Silicon (Si) to Spurge ............................................................................................442
Squab to Systemic Pesticide ...............................................................................463
T to Typhoon ........................................................................................... 482
T to Tinder ............................................................................................................482
Tinea to Typhoon .................................................................................................496
U to Uvala ................................................................................................ 510
This page has been reformatted by Knovel to provide easier navigation.
Contents vii
V to Vulture ............................................................................................. 516
W to WWW .............................................................................................. 527
X to Xylophagous ................................................................................... 546
Y to Yucca Moth ..................................................................................... 548
Zamarra to Zymology ............................................................................. 551
This page has been reformatted by Knovel to provide easier navigation.
A
A n. 1. an excellent grade; top quality. 2. formerly the
chemical symbol for argon (now Ar).
A n. See Angstrom.
aardvark n. (Dutch aardvarken, aardvark) a large Abney level
burrowing mammal (Orycteropus afer) about 2 ft
(60 cm) high at the shoulders, with strong digging the norm, especially in an undesirable way. Some
claws and long snout, tongue, ears, and tail. A native abnormalities are symptoms that indicate a specific
of Africa that feeds mostly on ants and termites. Also disease, mineral toxicity, mineral deficiency, or other
called anteater. problem.
abattoir n. (French abattoir, slaughter place) abomasum n. (Latin ab, away + omasum, bullock's
slaughterhouse. tripe) the 4th of the four stomachs of a cow or other
ruminant; the true stomach, where digestion occurs.
abdomen n. (Latin abdomen, abdomen) 1. the belly; the
lower body cavity of a human or of many animals, aborigine n. (Latin aborigine, first inhabitant) 1. a
containing the intestines, bladder, and reproductive descendant of the original or earliest known inhabitants
organs (in females); separated from the thorax by the of a nation or region; the native plants and animals of a
diaphragm. 2. the part of the body that encloses this region. 2. an Australian Aborigine.
cavity. 3. the posterior body segment of an arthropod,
containing the reproductive organs. abortion n. (Latin abortio, miscarriage) 1. termination
of a pregnancy by removal of an embryo or fetus from
abiosis n. (Greek a, without + biosis, way of life) the uterus (called a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage
absence of life. if it occurs by natural cause). 2. abandonment of a
project or mission. 3. failure to develop, as in the
abiotic adj. (Greek a, without + biotikos, pertaining to
abortion of an illness at an early stage.
life) 1. without living organisms. 2. not biotic; any
component of the environment that is not a living abortive adj. (Latin abortivus, relating to abortion)
organism; e.g., air, light, plant nutrients, water. incompletely developed, as a fetus born prematurely, a
seed that does not germinate, or an action that is not
ablactate v. (Latin ablactare, to wean) to wean, as a calf
completed.
from its mother.
abrasion n. (Latin abrasio, scraping away) 1. a scrape,
ablate v. (Latin ablatus, carried away) 1. to remove, as
scratch, or cut that breaks the skin or other surface.
by surgery or erosion. 2. to be worn away.
2. wear of parts in a machine by friction. 3. the wearing
ablation n. (Latin ablatio, carrying away) 1. removal of away of rocks by wind or water.
an organ or abnormal growth by surgery. 2. the process
abscess n. (Latin abscess, a going away) a local
of wearing away; gradual removal of a surface layer, as
collection of pus, commonly caused by bacterial
by erosion or sandblasting.
infection.
abloom adj. (Anglo-Saxon a, in + blostma, bloom)
abscission n. (Latin abscissio, cutting off) 1. a natural
blooming; producing blossoms.
separation, as the fall of a leaf, flower, or fruit.
Abney level n. a handheld instrument used to measure 2. sudden termination by trimming.
the slope of a surface. It has a split line of sight: one
abscond v. (Latin abs, from + condere, to hide) to go
side has a line to be aimed parallel to the surface, and
away hastily and hide, especially to avoid capture or
the other side has a mirror reflecting a leveling bubble.
injury. Example: honeybees that leave their hive when
A scale indicates the slope in percent or degrees. The
pesticides are being used nearby.
internal mirror enables the user to see the bubble at the
top while sighting through the body of the instrument. absinthe n. (Latin absinthium, wormwood) 1. a bitter
green liquid extracted from wormwood {Artemisia
abnormality n. (Latin anormalus, not normal) an
absinthium, family Asteraceae); the principal
observable unusual condition or behavior in a person,
component is absinthin (C30H40O6). 2. a bitter drink
animal, plant, or thing; something that deviates from
with a licorice flavor containing 60% alcohol made acarid n. or adj. (Greek akari, mite) a mite or pertaining
from the wormwood extract. Its continued use can to mites.
cause mental deterioration. It is banned in many
acarine n. (Greek akari, mite) any of a large number of
countries.
arachnids (order Acarina); any mite or tick.
absolute humidity n. the amount (weight or liquefied
accelerated erosion n. erosion that is accelerated by
volume) of water vapor present in a unit volume of air.
human activity to a rate that is faster than geologic
absolute temperature n. a temperature measured from erosion and soil formation. See geologic erosion.
absolute zero, normally using either the Kelvin scale or
acceleration of gravity n. the acceleration of a body
the Rankine scale.
falling without friction under the influence of gravity.
absolute zero n. the theoretical temperature of zero On Earth, the acceleration of gravity is 32.17 ft/sec2 or
thermal energy for all substances; equivalent to 0 K 9.8 m/sec2. Symbol: g.
(-273.160C) or 00R M59.69°F). See Kelvin scale,
accession n. (Latin accessio, an approach or addition)
Rankine scale.
1. the action or process of coming into something, as
absorption n. (Latin absorptio, sucked in) 1. the accession to a title or position. 2. an addition to one's
passage of a substance into and dispersion through holdings, as an accession of new property or new books
another, such as oxygen dissolved in water or nutrient for a library. 3. acceptance or agreement, as accession
ions entering plant roots. 2. passage through a to a demand or to a treaty. 4. joining, as accession to a
membrane into another part or substance, such as confederacy or other group. 5. onset, as the accession
absorption of nutrients into the blood stream. 3. of a disease.
assimilation; taking in, as the absorption of water by a
access tube n. a tube installed vertically in soil to
seed or a sponge. 4. deep mental concentration. See
provide a place to insert a radiation source and
adsorption, sorption.
detector, especially a neutron probe to determine the
abstract adj. (Latin abstractus, drawn off) 1. general- moisture content of the soil or a gamma-ray probe to
ized; theoretical; not a specific object or concrete measure soil density at various depths.
reality. 2. a characteristic that is difficult to define or to
acclimation or acclimatization n. the physiological and
illustrate with a specific example; e.g., an abstract
behavioral adjustments of an organism to changes in its
quality like righteousness. 3. difficult to understand, n.
environment, especially to changes in temperature
4. a summary; a condensed expression of a larger
and/or altitude.
concept or work, as an abstract of an article, v. 5. to
draw out the main points; to write a summary. 6. to acclivity n. (Latin acclivitus, steep slope) an upward
divert or steal attention. 7. to generalize the qualities or slope; rising ground; e.g., a hillside viewed from the
characteristics of a body or group. bottom, as opposed to declivity.
abutment n. 1. a retaining wall such as a seawall or the accretion n. (Latin accretio, increase) 1. growth by
end of a bridge, especially one made of masonry. 2. the gradual acquisition from an external source. 2. growth
junction of adjoining parts, as the abutment of a part of snowflakes or ice crystals by contact and freezing of
against another. water droplets.
abyss n. (Greek abyssos, bottomless) 1. an extremely accumulative pesticide n. a chemical that tends to
deep place; generally very large and not measurable. concentrate in the food chain of animals or in the
2. the deep part of the ocean. 3. a topic that cannot be environment. See pesticide.
understood or explained adequately, as the abyss of
time. acetaminophen n. a widely used pain reliever and fever
reducer (CHNO), named for its acetate, amine, and
8 9 2
abyssal plain n. the surface of a relatively flat part of phenol components, that is less likely than aspirin to
the deep ocean floor. cause upset stomach. Its excessive use can cause liver
damage.
acacia n. (Greek akakia, Egyptian thorn) 1. a shrub or
small tree (Acacia sp., family Fabaceae), mostly of acetylene n. a colorless hydrocarbon gas (CH) with a
2 2
warm, semiarid climates (e.g., Australia), that bears triple bond between its two carbons (HC^CH); a highly
clusters of small yellow or white flowers; used as combustible fuel used for oxyacetylene cutting and
ornamentals and as a source of gum arabic. 2. any of welding, for lighting, and in the synthesis of many
several similar species, including some locusts. 3. gum organic compounds. Also called ethene.
arabic.
acetylene reduction n. a process used to evaluate the
acaricide n. (Greek akari, mite + Latin tide, killer) a activity of nitrogenase and thereby determine whether
chemical for killing acarines. Also called miticide. See nitrogen is being fixed by a microbe.
acarine, miticide, pesticide.