| habitat |
the kind of place in relation to vegetation and climate in which a given species of animal lives. Generally a localised area |
|
| hadean era |
Geological period forming the earliest
part of the Archaean Eon, including final stages
of formation of Earth by meteorite bombardment
(4 600 million to 3 800 million years ago) |
|
| haemotoxic |
type of venom that causes blood to stop clotting, associated with internal haemorrhaging |
|
| harem |
a group of females (ungulates) herded and protected by a dominant male animal |
|
| harvesting rate |
the number of animals harvested from a game population, expressed as a % of the entire population |
|
| head burn |
a fire that is lit in such a manner as to burn with the wind. The fires move very rapidly and are generally not very descructive. Also known as a Cool Burn |
|
| heartwater |
a disease transmitted by ticks causing nervous symptoms and death in especially springbok and eland |
|
| helminthes |
parasitic worms infecting the internal organs of animals |
|
| hemicellulose |
a type of plant tissue, difficult to digest |
|
| hemimetabolous |
incomplete metamorphosis (in insects) |
|
| hemipenes |
a paired copulatory organ (males) |
|
| herbicides |
chemicals used to control the growth of shrubs and trees |
|
| herbivore |
an animal that eats plants |
|
| herd |
A social group consisting of at least two same-sex adults; generally applied to gregarious ungulates. |
|
| heredity |
the study of how characteristics are passed from parent to offspring |
|
| hermaphrodite |
an animal that contains both male and female reproductive organs |
|
| heterogeneity |
the variation in species, soils, etc. evident in an area |
|
| heterotrophic |
unable to photosynthesise, eats other organisms |
|
| heteroxenic |
a parasite having two hosts |
|
| hibernate |
an animal that sleeps through the winter |
|
| highveld |
the region in South Africa, 2000m (6600 ft) above sea level containing the Gauteng Province (Johannesburg, Pretoria) |
|
| hindgut fermenters |
herbivores that do not ruminate. non-ruminants. Fermentation and digestion occurs in the animals single compartmentalised stomach and intestines |
|
| hippoboscidae |
ectoparasitic fly family which display the same ecology as lice |
|
| holdfast |
An organ or structure of attachment, especially the basal, rootlike formation by which certain seaweeds or other algae are attached to a substrate. |
|
| holism |
a point of view that links everything together |
|
| holometabolous |
complete metamorphosis (in insects) |
|
| home range |
the area over which an animal normally travels in pursuit of its routine activities |
|
| homeothermy |
the regulation of a constant body temperature by physiological means |
|
| hominin group |
of primates that includes all the
bipedal forms as well as humans, i.e. all the
fossil genera such as Australopithecus,
Ardipithecus, Kenyanthropus and Homo |
|
| homogenous vegetation units |
an artificial segment of vegetation that is comprised of a single form of dominant vegetation. HVU are used for habitat analysis |
|
| hormone |
an internal chemical message within an organism |
|
| horsetails |
Group of seedless vascular land plants
with primitive leaves growing from nodes
(resembling bamboo); today only the genus
Equisetum survives but in the past some plants
grew to tree size |
|
| horst |
Elongated block of rock that is elevated by
faulting relative to the surrounding rocks |
|
| host |
a plant or animal that harbours a parasite |
|
| host community |
a local community (often rural) that is close to an ecotourism destination |
|
| hot burn |
A veld management fire that is lit to burn slowly into the wind. This hot fire removes all grasses and well as small trees. It is lit before the first seasons rains and during midday. |
|
| hotspot |
The expression at the Earth’s surface of a
mantle plume (column of rising, hot material
from the deep mantle), usually taking the form
of localised, intense volcanic activity |
|
| humeral |
Scutes that are behind the gulars and in front of the pectorals as refers to reptiles |
|
| humification |
the process by which humus is formed |
|
| humus |
compost, decaying vegetable matter |
|
| hybrid |
The resultant offspring of a successful mating between two different species. E.g. zebra and donkey hybridize to produce a zonkey. |
|
| hydrology |
the study of properties, distribution and circulation of water |
|
| hydrolysable tannins |
tannins found in the vacoules of leaves which inhibit digestive enzymes of herbivores |
|
| hydromorphism |
the formation of soils as a result of excessive water conditions |
|
| hydrophilic |
an organism that is attracted to water / has an affinity to water |
|
| hydrophobic |
an organism that is repelled by water |
|
| hydrophyte |
a plant suited to wet conditions |
|
| hydrosphere |
Total layer of liquid water at and
near the Earth’s surface |
|
| hydrothermal fluid |
Hot groundwater containing
various dissolved substances |
|
| hydrothermal vent |
Point of discharge of
hydrothermal fluid, usually on the sea floor |
|
| hypersensitivity |
an over sensitivity to certain stimuli and / or chemicals. Example, bee-stings |
|
| hypodermid |
type of fly larvae which burrow under the skin |
|
| hyrax/dassie |
Small, stocky gregarious mammals of the Order Hyracoidea. They range in colour from light to dark brown. Please see Mod #7 Comp #2 of the Game Ranging Course for more information. |
|
|