Part 4 GLOSSARY

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  1. behavioral mimicry- one species of animal acting like another, usually to defend itself.
  2. evergreen- having green leaves throughout the year, the leaves of the past season not being shed until new leaves have been completely formed.
  3. catkins- a spike of unisexual flowers with no petals.
  4. clonal- genetically identical plants that are, in the case of many scrub oaks, connected underground by a common stem.
  5. herbivory- the act of plant-eating
  6. mutualism- a symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit.
  7. petiole- the slender stalk where a leaf attaches to the stem of a plant.
  8. population dynamics- changes in population size that result from various forces (such as disease, habitat destruction, predation, etc.) that control and regulate populations over time.
  9. predation- an interaction between species in which one species, the predator, eats the other species, the prey.
  10. tannins- astringent compounds found in oaks and some other plants.