L— Continued 



limnology— The study of freshwater bodies, 

 physically, biologically, and chemically. 



littoral— Several usages in ecology: (1) The 

 zone between extreme high and extreme 

 low tides. (2) Occasionally the zone 

 from the shore to the light compensation 

 level. (3) In lakes, shallow water from 



the shore to the light compensation 

 level. (4) The zone from high tide level 

 to edge of Continental Shelf. 



live weight— See biomass. 



lotic— Running waters, streams, and rivers 

 as opposed to lentic, standing waters. 



--M- 



macrobiota— Large hfe forms visible to the 

 naked eye. 



macroclimate— The most general overall 

 climate picture for an area, usually not 

 specifically including the area immedi- 

 ately next to the surface. See also 

 microclimate. 



macrofauna— Those animals equal to or 

 larger than 1 millimeter in size. 



macronutrient8— Elements and their com- 

 pounds needed in relatively large 

 amounts as opposed to micronutrients. 



macroplankton— Planktonic organisms that 

 can be readily seen with the unaided eye 

 or those greater than or equal to 1 

 millimeter in length. 



mariculture— The culturing of fish, shell- 

 fish, etc. in saltwater. See also algacul- 

 , ture and aquaculture. 



marine-littoral sediments — (1) Neritic: 

 Composed of earth mixed with organic 

 substances of shallow water. (2) Terri- 

 genous: Mineralized substances carried 

 into the sea by rivers. 



marsh -In biological usage: (1) A herbaceous 

 plant-dominated ecosystem in which the 

 rooting medium is inundated for long 

 periods if not continually, (2) An area of 



soft, wet flatland periodically flooded by 

 saltwater is called a salt marsh. 



megaloplankton— Plankton greater than 1 

 centimeter. 



meio fauna— Generally those interstitial 

 animals between 1.0 and 0.5 millimeters 



merological approach— As opposed to the 

 "black box" approach, a method which 

 attempts to investigate an ecosystem as 

 individual units making up the whole 

 system. See also holological appraoch. 



meromictic lake— A permanently stratified 

 lake, most commonly as a result of 

 chemical differences in hypolimnial and 

 epilimnial waters. 



meroplankton— Nonpermanent planktonic 

 larval stages of benthos and nekton. 



meso — A prefix referring to or of the 

 middle. 



mesophyte— Plants adapted to medium 

 moisture conditions, neither a xerophyte 

 nor a hydrophyte. 



mesoplankton— A subdivision of the macro- 

 plankton containing organisms between 

 1 millimeter and 1 centimeter in size. It 

 is also used to describe plankton in 

 mid-depth waters and hence can be a 

 confusing term. 



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