GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS
of terms related to the biodiversity

habitat / habitats

The environment in which an organism, species or population naturally lives. Habitat can also refer to the organisms and physical environment in a particular place.

habitat restoration

The return of a habitat to its original community structure, natural complement of species and natural functions.

haploid / haploids

- Cell or organism that contains one set of chromosomes. - Having the number of chromosomes present in the normal germ cell equal to half the number in the normal somatic cell.

herbs

Plants or plant parts valued for medicinal, savoury, cosmetic, or aromatic qualities.

heterozygosity

Genetic variability among individuals within populations(population) and variability among populations.

high-input production environment

A production environment where all rate-limiting inputs to animal production can be managed to ensure high levels of survival, reproduction and output. Output and production risks(risk) are constrained primarily by managerial decisions.

homologous chromosomes

Contain identical linear sequences of genes(gene) and pair during meiosis.

homozygote or homozygous

Individual having two identical copies of the same allele of a particular gene or genes at a genetic locus, and so breeding true for the corresponding characteristics.

horticulture

The cultivation of ornamental and vegetable plants in gardens or smallholdings (market gardens). Latin: hortus = garden.

hotspot

- An area on earth with an unusual concentration of species, many of which are often endemic to the area. - An area of especially high pollutant concentration.

hybrid

Individual organism resulting from a cross between parents of differing genotypes. Hybrids may be fertile or sterile, depending on qualitative and/or quantitative differences in the genomes(genome) of the two parents. Hybrids are most commonly formed by sexual cross-fertilization between compatible organisms, but techniques for the production of hybrids from widely differing organisms are being developed by cell fusion and tissue culture.

hybrid zone

Region of reproduction among individuals of different species.

hybridization

- Crossing of individuals from genetically different strains(strain), populations(population) or species. - The act of crossing two different individual organisms of differing genetic constitution from different populations or different species. - A molecular procedure in which single strands of DNA and/or RNA are mixed and subsequently bind to one another. The degree of binding is a measure of the relatedness of the strands. The procedure is used to detect RNA or DNA using suitable probes.

hypoxia

A state of low oxygen concentration in water and sediments, relative to the needs of most aerobic species.