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ecological dictionary

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Oikos

Greek for “house.”

Olivar

A plantation of olive trees.

Olive tree

A tree of the Oleaceas family, with a thick and twisted short trunk, wide crown and many branches. They grow to 4 or 5 meters in height and produce olives.

Omnivore

Organisms that eat both plants and animals.

Oncology

The branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of tumors.

Ophidians

Also called snakes. Reptiles that drag their bodies along the ground. The study of ophidians is called Herpetology. Many are poisonous and some (such as the boa) strangle their prey and can swallow large animals such as calves. There are also snakes that maintain ecological equilibrium by eating poisonous snakes.

Organic material

Animals or plants in any stage of decomposition found on or under the ground.

Organism

Any living creature, any plant or animal.

Orthodox

Related to various East European religions. The term is typically used to refer to the correct interpretation or practice of a religion, as determined by some overseeing body.

Oxidation

The reaction in which an atom, ion or molecule looses an electron. The opposite is called reduction. (See also Reduction.)

Ozone

An oxygen molecule (consisting of 3 oxygen atoms) that forms naturally from air about 45 km above the earth due to the action of ultraviolet solar radiation. If this ‘ozone layer’ is destroyed by so-called ozone-depleting gasses, it may have adverse consequences leading to climate change. Depletion of the ozone layer is believed to cause the destruction of microorganisms, increased skin cancer in humans, genetic mutations and defects, and a reduction in photosynthesis in plankton, which is the base of the maritime food chain.

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