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X. Glossary of terms | 175
Stratocoenosis — a coenosis of animals that only occur at a certain level (stra¬
tum) of a plant association (e.g. only living on roots) (Tischler)
Stratum - “layer”; a vertical division of the biotope (Tischler 1947, 1950),
equivalent ofa bioroph (Thalenhorst 1950, 1951)
Supersocion - an animal associational category above the presocium, and
the presumed limit of animal communities that unites food chains with
energy sources of a whole biotope
Sustinent - (sustaining) structural element of a biocoenosis; plants or ani¬
mals that underpin the survival of others as symbionts or reproductive
agents (e.g. pollinators)
Synbiology - study of biology at the level above populations
Synchorology - the study of distribution of plant communities, phytosoci¬
ological zones, vegetation and geographical complexes
Synchronology - the study of changes in associations through time
Synecology - the study of ecology at the level of the associations/communi¬
ty, ie. above populations
Syngenetics - field of research in plant sociology and zoocoenology that ex¬
amines developmental history of associations
Synmorphology - field of research in plant sociology and zoocoenology that
examines structure, composition and organisation of associations
Synphysiology - study of metabolic processes of plant species and commu¬
nities in competition
Syntaxonomy - system of associated categories of vegetation units of a given
area as understood by phytosociologists
Syntrophium - equivalent of a guild. Organisms with similar feeding habits
in a specific habitat.
Synusium - a structural unit of a major plant ecological community charac¬
terized by relative uniformity of life-form or of height. Used by Balogh
for animal associations of a bioroph
Syrmatophagous - feeding on dry plant material
Technocoenosis — an association created by humans
Terriherbosa — sub-division of Rtibel’s (1930) plant formation types; herbo¬
sa (herbaceous formations)
Tocogenetic - of or concerning the relationships between individuals in a
species to describe the ancestor-descendant relationship, as from mother
to daughter across generations (Hennig 1950)
Transformatum — biomass produced from inorganic components (i.e. trans¬
formed from those) Also termed ‘assimilatun’
Tychcoen - sub-categorisation (of eucoen) of animal associations sharing
the same space (Tischler 1947, 1950))
Valence - valency; tolerance limits
Vicini - (= neighbours) from Tischler’s (1947, 1950) classification; a sub¬
group of peregrinant organisms in a spatially delimited zoocoenosis
arriving from neighbouring locations (see alieni)