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Basal Leaves: leaves at the base of the plant’s stem.

Biodiversity: the variety of life on our planet, measurable as the variety within species, between species, and the variety of ecosystems.

Botany: the study of plant life, its structure and function.

Bracts: reduced leaves

Climate Change: gradual changes in all the interconnected weather elements on our planet.

Deciduous: a group of plants with leaves that fall off at the end of the growing season (start of the winter season in Canada).

Indicator Plants: a plant that is recognized as a “biological measuring stick” of its habitat; it has brief, easily-observed growth stages, which reflect changes in its environment (eg. seasonal temperature increase).

Perennial Plants: that grow and produce flowers in successive years, from the same roots.

Phenology: the study of the seasonal timing of life cycle events (changes in plants and animals).