particle spectrum
espectro de partículas
Distribution of biomass in different size categories determined by the diameter of a sphere equivalent in volume (v) to the original particle multiplied by the number of particles (n).
patchiness
agregación
The tendency of many organisms, especially plankton to co-occur in dense swarms or
clumps or aggregates (qv), or nekton, primarily fish, to co-occur in schools or other aggregations.
pathogen
patógeno
An organism that is the causative agent of a disease. Pathogens are usually microbes (viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.).
pathway
ruta, camino, vía
Possible route or path by which organisms were distributed or spread; synonymous with
corridor (qv) or "track" (qv) (cf barrier, node).
patristic distance
distancia patrística
A measure of the amount of genetically determined change that has occurred between
any two points of a phylogenetic tree (cf cladistic distance, phenetic distance).
pattern
patrón, modelo
Dispersion (qv) or distribution of organisms, materials or phenomena in space and/or time.
PAUP
Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (PAUP). A widely used package of computer programs for phylogenetic analysis, developed by D. Swofford, Illinois Natural History Survey.
PCA
See principal components analysis.
pedonic
Pertaining to an inhabitant of the bottom community of a freshwater lake.
pelagic
pelágico
(1) In aquatic systems applied to organisms, materials or processes found in the
water column, removed or essentially so, from influence by contact with the bottom or the nearshore.
(2) In ornithology, applied to seabirds that come to land only to breed.
pelagic biogeography
biogeografía pelágica
Study of the distribution of pelagic (qv) organisms incorporating both historical and
ecological approaches to biogeography.
pelagic clupeoid
clupéido pelágico
A member of the fish families Clupeidae or Engraulidae inhabiting pelagic coastal
systems. Certain species are very important in the ecology and fisheries of major
eastern boundary current ecosystems. In many important respects pelagic clupeioids exhibit parallels in their ecology with some important mesopelagic fish groups.
pelagic region
región pelágica
A biogeographically definable subdivision of the global pelagic environment.
pelagium
pelagobios
A sea-surface community of the open ocean (cf neuston).
pelochthium
A mud-bank community.
penetrance
penetrancia
Genetics: The proportion of individuals of a specified genotype who manifest that genotype as
phenotype under a defined set of environmental conditions.
perigean tides
mareas de perigeo
The tides (qv) of increasing amplitude occurring at the time when the moon is nearest the
earth.
periodicity
periodicidad
Events exhibiting cyclicity, recurring either regularly (predictably) or irregularly.
periphyton
perifiton
Organisms attached to or clinging to stems and leaves of plants or other objects
projecting above the bottom sediments of freshwater ecosystems.
perturbation
perturbación
Any disturbance. Physical, chemical or biological in origin, a perturbation produces
measurable change in a community. The permanent effects of perturbation on a
community, if any, are the subject of equilibrium vs nonequilibrium models of community structure.
pessimal
pésimo
Least favorable; used to refer to values of environmental factors that are close to
the tolerance limits of the organism, farthest from the optimal (qv).
pesticide
pesticida
Any material, usually a chemical of human manufacture, that is used against undesirable organisms (generally animals referred to in the vernacular as pests (qv)).
pest
plaga
Any organism, usually an animal, with undesirable characteristics from the human perspective.
- phagous
Suffix; meaning feeding on, eating; eg ichthyophagous, saprophagous, scatophagous, etc.
phaoplankton
epiplancton superficial
The surface plankton (qv) of the upper photic zone, within the top 30 m of the water column.
phenetic distance
distancia fenética
A measure of the difference in phenotype between any two points on a phylogenetic tree
(cf cladistic distance, patristic distance).
phenetics
fenética
Phylogeny: Estimation of relationship by calculation of an overall, unweighted similarity
value; a purely typological (qv) approach to determining and expressing "relationship" (cf cladistics, evolutionary systematics).
phenocopy
fenocopia
An environmentally induced phenotypic variant that resembles the effect of a known
genetically-based variant, eg from gene mutation.
phenocritical period
período fenocrítico
That phase during development at which the expression of a gene is most easily or
visibly affected by externally applied factors.
phenogram
fenograma
A dendrogram (qv) expressing phenetic relationship (unweighted overall similarity) (cf cladogram).
phenology
fenología
The study of the impact of climate on the seasonal occurrence of floral and faunal
elements.
phenon
fenón
A sample or group of phenotypically similar organisms; used in numerical taxonomy to
replace the term "taxon".
phenotype
fenotipo
The totality of expressed characteristics of an individual (whether observed or measured), as a result of interaction between the genotype (qv) and the environment (cf ecophenotypic).
phenotypic plasticity
plasticidad fenotípica
The capacity for marked variation in phenotype as a result of environmental influences
on expression of the genotype during development.
philopatry
filopatria
(1) The tendency of an individual to return to or stay in its home area.
(2) The tendency of members of a stock (qv) or population to return to the natal
breeding/spawning grounds to reproduce as in salmon or Atlantic herring.
- philous
Suffix; meaning loving, thriving in; eg dendrophilous, helophilous, pelagophilus.
phoresy
foresis
Method of dispersal in which an animal clings to the body of a much larger animal of
another species and is carried some distance before releasing its grasp.
photic zone
zona fótica
Zone in which organisms exhibit behavioral or physiological response to day/night changes in light level. (cf euphotic).
photoperiodism
fotoperíodo
The response of an organism to periodic often rhythmic changes in either the intensity
of light, or, more usually, to increasing or decreasing daylength.
photophore
fotóforo
Luminous organ - a discrete morphological structure which contains all of the necessary
chemistry for bioluminescence, normally neuronally controlled - found in a variety of
deepsea (and some coastal marine) fishes and other organisms.
phototrophic
fototrófico
Of or pertaining to organisms that obtain their energy from light reactions; autotrophs (qv) (cf chemotrophs, heterotrophs).
phototropic
fototrópico
Tropic response (directional orientation and/or movement) of an organism to the
stimulus of light; also termed heliotropic (qv) in more direct reference to the sun.
phreatic
freático
Pertaining to ground water.
- phyceae
Suffix; the ending of a name of a class in botanical nomenclature.
- phycidae
Suffix; the ending of the name of a subclass in botanical nomenclature.
phycocoenology
ficocenología
Study of algal communities.
phyletic gradualism
graduaismo filético
New species (forms, series, taxa) arise over time through gradual and continuous
phyletic transformation, believed to proceed at a slow and constant rate; (cf anagenesis).
phylogenetic tree
árbol filogenético
Dendrogram (qv) representing a hypothesis of phylogeny (qv).
phylogeny
filogenia
Evolutionary relationships within and between taxonomic levels, especially the patterns
of lines of descent.
physics
física
Oceanography: Applies to physical oceanography and oceanographers ("physicists"). Essentially the study of the forcing functions (qv) helping to explain dynamic processes in the oceanic hydrosphere and the distribution of oceanic physical properties (temperature, light, pressure, flow fields, etc).
physiognomy
fisionomía
(1) Ecology: The form and structure of natural communities.
(2) Systematics: The body form and appearance of individual organisms.
physiological ecology
ecología fisiológica, ecofisiología
The study of the functioning of organisms in relationship to their environment.
phytobenthos
fitobentos
Autotrophic benthic organisms.
phytogeography
fitogeografía
The biogeography of autotrophs, especially plants. This branch of biogeography is
also known as floristics.
phytoplankton
fitoplancton
Autotrophic (cyanobacteria, protists, plants) plankton (qv).
phytosociology
fitosociología
Description of plant communities, especially their classification based on floristic
rather than life form or other physiognomic criteria.
phytotelmic
fitotélmico
Used of organisms that inhabit small pools of water within or upon plants
(phytotelmata).
picoplankton
picoplancton
Plankton (qv) with maximum dimensions on the order of 0.2 - 2.0 microns
pioneer
pionero
Ecology: The first species or assemblage to colonize or recolonize a barren or disturbed area,
thereby commencing a new ecological succession.
plagio -
Prefix meaning oblique, as in plagiotropism, an orientation response at an
oblique angle to the vertical.
planetic
Motile; possessing motile or swarming stages.
plankter
plancter
An individual planktonic organism; phytoplankter; zooplankter.
plankton
plancton
Pelagic organisms incapable of maintaining their distribution against the movement of
water masses (cf. nekton). Commonly viewed as passive drifters although many are
capable of considerable vertical migration.
plasticity
plasticidad
The capacity of an organism to vary morphologically, physiologically or behaviorally
in response to environmental fluctuations.
plate tectonics
tectónica de placas
Unifying concept encompassing continental drift (qv), seafloor spreading, and other major
dynamic geophysical process including volcanism and seismic events. The concept is one
of a lithosphere of rigid plates of crust and upper mantle material "riding" upon a deformable æsthenosphere. The driving force is presumed to be heat derived through decay of radioactive elements within the earth.
pleio -
Prefix meaning more.
pleiotropy
pleitropía
The phenomenon of a single gene being responsible for a number of different phenotypic
effects.
plenary power
Taxonomy: The authority of the ICZN to suspend the provisions of the Code.
plesiomorphous
plesiomórfico
Phylogeny: Primitive (ancestral) state of a character (as opposed to apomorphous (qv) or
derived)(cf derivative).
pleuston
Organisms permanently found at the sea surface, limited to the surface by their
own buoyancy, often or typically extending into the air, and subject to wind drift (eg Sargassum, Physalia, Velella).
pluvial
(1) Pertaining to or resulting from the action of rain or precipitation.
(2) Used of a geological period or of a climate characterized by abundant rainfall.
POC
COP
Particulate organic carbon. Nonliving detrital suspended material in seawater,
part of the seston (qv), which also includes living particulate matter (cf DOC).
poikilo -
Prefix meaning various, variable.
poikilosmotic
poiquilosmótico
Refers to organisms that do not exhibit regulation of internal salt/fluid content relative
to the external milieu over the range of conditions specified; osmotic conformers.
poikilotherm (ectotherm)
poiquilotérmico
Organism that regulates body temperature by behavioral means only, if at all. In the vernacular termed "cold-blooded" (cf. homoiotherm).
polar
polarOceanic zone, at high latitudes, where sea surface temperatures exhibit an annual excursion from below 0°C to about 5° C.
poly -
Prefix meaning many.
polygamy
poligamia
In animals a pattern of mating in which an individual has more than one sexual
partner (includes polyandry and polygyny).
polygenic character
caracter poligénico
Quantitatively variable character (as expressed phenotypically) which is the result of
interaction of a number of genes.
polyhaline
polihalino
(1) euryhaline (qv).
(2) The second most saline zone of an estuary based on the Venice System (qv) of
classification of brackish waters.
polymictic
polimíctico
Applied to lakes where waters are circulating (overturning) virtually continuously
(eg in high altitudes in the tropics).
polymorphism
polimorfismo
The existence of two or more forms (differing in phenotypic expression) that are
genetically distinct but contained and maintained within the same interbreeding
population.
polynya
polinya
An expanse of open water in the middle of sea ice, often permanent or semipermanent.
polyphyletic
polifilético
Phylogeny: An artificial grouping of taxa based on homoplasy (qv), convergently acquired
apparent synapomorphy (qv), but not true synapomorphy.
polyploidy
poliploidía
Genetics: A condition in which the number of chromosome sets in the nucleus is a multiple (greater than 2) of the haploid numbers.
polythetic
politético
A taxon of whatever rank that is not uniquely diagnosed by one or more autapomorphic (qv)
character states but is defined by a combination of character states, a large proportion of which occur in most of the members but no single feature is uniquely possessed by all of the members.
polytopic
politópico
Occurring in many localities or geographic areas (cf monotopic, syntopic).
polytypic species
especie politípica
Divided into subspecies or genetically distinct populations, varying
geographically (cf monotypic species).
polytypy
politipia
The occurrence of phenotypic variation (cf phenotype) between populations or subgroups within a species that are geographically distinct. The main problem in studying the variation between
such groups is distinguishing between ecophenotypic (qv) vs underlying genetic difference.
pontic
póntico
Pertaining to the deep sea.
pool
existencia
Ecology: The total or partial quantity of a component, compound, material, etc. (cf active pool, reservoir pool).
population
población
An infraspecific subdivision: an assemblage of organisms regarded as members of the
same species, differing from other such assemblages, if any, in relatively panmictic gene
exchange and in local differentiation. Unrigorously defined in most cases, the concept of population lies on the continuum between deme (panmictic) and species (reproductively isolated from other species) (cf stock).
population biology
biología poblacional
The intersect of population ecology (qv) and population genetics (qv).
population ecology
ecología poblacional
The study of populations (qv) in an environmental context, ie the study of physical and biological environmental parameters and their effects on the growth, age-structure and reproduction of populations.
population genetics
genética poblacional
The study of gene frequencies and selection pressures in populations.
population structure
estructura poblacional
The age and sex composition of a population, principally products of survivorship (lx)
and age-specific fecundity (mx).
positive estuary
estuario positivo
A "normal" estuary (qv) whose waters are of lower salinity than the adjacent sea (cf negative estuary, neutral estuary).
post -
Ecology: The total or partial quantity of a component, compound, material, etc. (cf active pool, reservoir pool).
Prefix meaning after, behind, succeeding, later than.
potamodromous
potamódromo
Reproductively migrating from a lake or lentic body of freshwater into a tributary
stream or lotic body of freshwater, eg sea lamprey stocks in the North American Great
Lakes.
potamoplankton
potamoplancton
Planktonic organisms of slow-moving rivers and streams.
potamous
potámico
Pertaining to the lower reaches of rivers and streams
potential niche
nicho potencial
See fundamental niche.
pre -
Ecology: The total or partial quantity of a component, compound, material, etc. (cf active pool, reservoir pool).
Prefix meaning before, in front of, prior to, earlier than.
preadaptation
preadaptación
Adaptation (qv) evolved in one adaptive zone (qv) (habitat, environment) which proves fortuitously advantageous in a different adaptive zone, allowing the organism to radiate into it. No selection for the alternate adaptive zone is implied.
precedence
precedencia
Taxonomy: The order of seniority of available names or nomenclatural acts.
precocial
precoz
Used of offspring or species that develop rapidly in obtaining independent self-maintenance (cf altricial).
predation
predación
Interaction between species populations in which one organism, the predator, obtains
energy (as food) by consuming, usually killing, another organism, the prey. Almost always refers to the consumption of one animal by another (cf grazing).
predator
pradador
The consumer in predation (qv) coaction (qv).
preferential species
especie preferencial
A species that is present in varying abundance in several communities (cf Braun-Blanquet classification), but especially abundant in one particular community (cf accidental, exclusive, indifferent, or selective species).
prey
presa
The consumed in predation (qv) coaction (qv).
primary production
producción primaria
The autotrophic fixation of carbon dioxide by photosynthesis, expressed as a
rate per unit volume or per unitary area of sea surface per unit time. (typical oceanic units:
mg-C/m2/day or g-C/m2/year). Gross primary production is rate of carbon fixation per unit volume per unit time. Net primary production is gross primary production minus respiration, and represents the fraction of captured and converted energy available for population growth of the autotroph and for herbivore consumption.
primary succession
sucesión primaria
Succession initiated on a newly-produced bare area, with no living remnants of a
previously-existing community (if any) (cf secondary succession).
primitive
primitivo
Phylogeny: Preserving the character state(s) of an ancestral stage (taxon). The term may be applied to a single character (as a synonym of plesiomorphic) or to the whole organism or to
a taxon.
primordial
Primitive; original; used of the earliest stage in the ontogeny or development of an
organ or system.
principal component analysis (PCA)
análisis de componentes principales (ACP)
A method of transforming the axes of multidimensional space in which observations occur
such that the first axis explains the maximum amount of variance; the second axis
(orthogonal to the first) explains the maximum of the remaining variance, and so on. The first 2 or 3 axes explain most of the variance.
pro -
Prefix meaning before, in front of, forward.
probability
probabilidad
Statistics: The chance that a given event will occur. The probability of an impossible
event is zero, the probability of an inevitable event is unity (ie 0 <= p <= 1).
production
producción
See primary productivity, secondary productivity.
profundal
de profundidad
Pertaining to the deep zone of a lake, below the level of effective light penetration.
progression rule
regla de la progresión
In cladistic biogeography (qv), the idea that, in general, the most plesiomorphous (qv) members of a monophyletic lineage will be found in that area at or closest to the area of origin of the group, the most apomorphous (qv) will be found in those areas most distant.
prolific
prolífico
Abundant; able to produce large numbers of offspring.
promunturium
A rocky seashore community.
pros (pro) -
Prefix denoting the positive condition.
prospective
potencial, posible, probable
Potential; possible; probable (cf realized).
protandry
protandria
Sequential hermaphroditism in which individuals are initially functional as males and
later switch to being functional females.
protocooperation
protocooperación
An interaction of species populations (qv) in which both populations benefit
but neither is dependent on the relationship (cf mutualism, amensalism, commensalism).
protogyny
protoginia
Sequential hermaphroditism in which individuals are initially functional as females and
later switch to being functional males.
provenance
origen
Biogeography: The place of origin.
province
provincia
See biogeographical province.
provincialism
provincialismo
See endemism.
psamathium
A strandline community of a sandy seashore.
psammon
The microscopic flora and fauna of interstitial species between sand grains.
pseudo -
Prefix meaning false.
pseudo-oceanic
pseudo-oceánico
Species that are members of otherwise pelagic and oceanic groups that are obligatory
or facultative in their strong association with bottom communities. Commonly associated
with continental slopes or island margins.
pseudopelagic
pseudopelágico
Synonym of pseudo-oceanic (qv).
pseudoplankton
pseudoplancton
Organisms not normally planktonic occurring accidentally in the pelagic realm
(cf tychopelagic) .
pseudovicars
pseudovicariantes
"Ecologically equivalent species" (qv); Unrelated or distantly related but ecologically equivalent
species occupying separate and disjunct geographic areas.
pteropod ooze
fango de pterópodos
Calcareous deepsea biogenic fine-grain sediment in which at least 30% of the sediment consists of shells / shell fragments of the small planktonic gastropods known as pteropods.
pulsed forcing
Forcing functions (qv) which cycle off and on (or weaken / intensify) in cyclic or
rhythmic progression, eg the effects on ocean circulation of seasonally occurring monsoonal
wind fields.
punctuated equilibria
equilibrio puntuados
Evolution of new species (forms, varieties, taxa) concentrated in very rapid events,
considered nearly instantaneous in terms of geologic time.
pycnocline
picnoclina
Zone of rapid change of density per unit distance (usually vertically).
pyramids
pirámide
So-called Eltonian pyramids (qv) depict material/energy flow in a community. Commonly cited
transfer rates (producer ==> herbivore ==> carnivore, etc) center on 10%, with the
rest expressed as entropy or transferred to the decomposer chain (cf inverted pyramid).
Q-mode
modo Q
Methods for analyzing data in which the observations (N) (records) form the columns
and the variables or attributes (n) (fields) form the rows in a table or matrix (cf
R-technique).
quadrat
cuadrado
A delimited area for sampling flora or fauna, usually placed randomly, haphazardly or arbitrarily within the study area. A one meter square frame is a typical size. Quadrat may also refer to the
physical sampling frame itself.
quadrature
cuadratura
The time at which the sun and moon are approximately at right angles with respect to
the earth, associated with neap tides (cf syzygy).
qualitative
cualitativo
Descriptive, non-numerical.
quantitative
cuantitativo
Numerical; based on counts, measurements, ratios or other values.
quantum evolution
quantum evolutivo
A "burst" of evolution (cf punctuated equilibria).
quiescent
quiescente
Being quiet, still, or at rest; inactive.
Q10
Ratio of the speed of a reaction at a given temperature to that of the same reaction at
a temperature 10° C lower. This ratio is approximately 2.0 for most biological
reactions.
R
r vs K
Basic terms of the exponential (qv) and (K) logistic (qv) models of population growth.
In ecology a common oversimplification is an attempt to categorize species as either
"r-selected" or "K-selected" (qv).
R-MODE
modo R
Methods for analyzing data in which the observations (N) (records) form the rows
and the variables or attributes (n) (fields) form the columns in a table or matrix
(cf Q-technique). This is the more typical method of data organization.
r-selection
selección r
Selection for maximizing the intrinsic rate of increase of an organism (r), so that
when favorable conditions occur, eg dispersal into a newly opened habitat, the species
is able to expand its numbers rapidly to colonize the area (cf K-selection).
R-strategist
R-estratega
An r-selected species (cf r-selection; C-S-R triangle).
race
raza
Interbreeding group of individuals genetically distinct from the members
of other such groups of the same species. Usually these groups are geographically
isolated (cf allopatry) from one another so that there are barriers to intergroup gene flow.
radiation
radiación
(1) Ecology: any portion of the electromagnetic spectrum impacting life.
(2) Evolution: The evolution of many different forms with many different adaptations
within a single lineage (cf adaptive radiation).
radiolarian ooze
fango de radiolarios
Siliceous deepsea fine-grain sediment in which at least 30% of the sediment consists of tests of the protists known as radiolarians.
rafting
Passive transport of organisms by solid nonliving objects, ranging from rafts
of floating, downed vegetation at the sea surface to transport of entire floras and
faunas via continental drift.
random
al azar, aleatorio
A pattern of distribution where individual organisms are sparse in relationship to the
total area (volume) and in relationship to the total number of samples, and where every
possible sample locality has the same (low) probability of being occupied by the organism.
In other words capture or noncapture in one sample is nonpredictive of capture or noncapture
in a second sample from the same area. This distribution is well-approximated by a Poisson Distribution (cf even, aggregated)
random assemblage
conjunto aleatorio
The concept that a community (qv) of organisms is found together on a random basis
(cf superorganism concept).
random numbers
números aleatorios
Statistics: A table of numbers in which the probability of any number occurring at
any one time is constant and independent of all preceding numbers.
range
área
The particular area occupied by an organism or group of organisms or included within its
(their) ambit (qv).
rank
rango
A product of ordinal scaling (cf scale), the assignment of relative position (first,
second, third, fourth,..., last) irrespective of absolute quantitative difference.
rank-abundance
rango de abundancia
Relative abundance of organisms within a community ordered by rank, with the most
abundant species assigned rank=1, the next most rank=2, and so forth. A common measure of
community similarity in open ocean studies involves comparisons of rank-abundance.
rare
raro
(1) Very seldom occurring; typical sampling distribution fits a Poisson.
(2) Refers to a species known to exist in a community but that is often absent from a series
of samples from that community.
Rassenkreis
circulo de razas
A polytypic species, especially when the populations are naturally arranged in a
zonal or meridional trend line, reflecting gene exchange and/or barriers thereto.
realized
realisado
Actual or observed (cf prospective).
realized niche
nicho realizado, nicho efectivo
Ecology: The actual constraints under which an organism operates - negative coaction such as
competition or predation, suboptimal physical environmental conditions, etc. - ensure
that the niche (qv) in which the organism operates in the real world has less breadth (qv) than that in which it could operate if the only limits were its own physiological tolerances and intraspecific interactive effects (cf fundamental niche).
realm
zona, área
Major biogeographic region, eg Nearctic, Ethiopian (terrestrial); Antarctic, tropical or equatorial (marine). Also used for major ecological regions (eg pelagic, oceanic).
recapitulation
recapitulación
Heterochrony (qv) that results in the appearance during ontogeny of development mirroring presumed rectilinear evolutionary change in a lineage.
recruitment
reclutamiento
Fisheries Biology: First appearance of individuals of a fishable stock in the fishery - younger individuals are not taken due to size or location or both.
rectilinear
rectilíneo
Used of growth or movement that follows a straight line trajectory, also orthogenesis (qv).
recurrent group
grupo recurrente
A group of species that consistently co-occurs in samples from an environment, area or
community. Consistency of co-occurrence is determined by pairwise calculation of
similarity indices using presence/absence data from field samples.
red clay
fango rojo
A pelagic (oceanic) sediment containing less than 30% material of biogenic origin (cf ooze); extremely fine clay mineral particles, accumulating very slowly, typically underlying the most oligotrophic areas of the subtropical anticyclones, covering about 38% of the deep ocean floor.
red tide
marea roja
A marked bloom of aquatic plants, protists or procaryotes; typified by dinoflagellate
blooms discoloring the water a reddish brown coloration, often with concomitant
production of toxins and bioluminescence phenomena. (cf milky seas)
reducers
reducidores
Ecology: Organisms, principally bacteria, that gain nutrition chemolithotrophically in anoxic environments using principally nitrate or sulfate ions as electron receptors, thereby reducing those compounds (eg denitrifying bacteria , sulfate-reducing bacteria).
refugium
refugio
Small isolated area where extensive changes in environmental conditions, most typically
changes in climate, have not occurred. Plants and animals formerly widespread in the
region now find a refuge from the new and unfavorable conditions in such an unaltered location. Alternatively an area or environment in which a species otherwise displaced by competitive exclusion survives.
region
región
See biogeographical region or realm.
regression
regresión
Paleontology/ historical geology: the withdrawl of the sea from a land area (cf transgression).
relationship (phylogenetic)
relación (filogenética)
(1) Evolutionary systematics: the relative closeness of two taxa in an evolutionary sense.
(2) Cladistics: two taxa are each others closest relative (sister taxa) if and only if each
shares with the other a more recent common ancestor than does either with any other
taxon.
relictual distribution
distribución relictual
Applied to the distribution of organisms or taxa, perhaps formerly widespread, now
surviving in a fraction of their former range or in an environment generally more
specialized or less favorable than previously occupied.
remote sensing
monitoreo remoto
Use of aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and other platforms to detect from afar electromagnetic cues (typically involving sensing of light, heat, uv emissions or reflections) concerning
environmental conditions at the sea or land surface.
reproductive potential
potencial reproductivo
Population biology: the expected average per capita production of offspring per female.
reservoir pool
fondo de reserva
In the biogeochemical cycle, that portion of the nutrient or active substance that is not actively in exchange but may be available to the organisms involved (cf active pool).
residence time
tiempo de residencia
A measure of the chemical or biological reactivity of a substance in seawater and its
rate of removal (typically to the sediments). Residence time is the ratio of the
input/output flux of the material (assumed to be in equilibrium) to the total amount.
resilience
resiliencia
Ecology: A stability metric, the rate at which a community or ecosystem returns to an original state following a perturbation (cf fragility).
resource partitioning
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