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easement (n) – A right, such as a right of way, afforded a person to make limited use of another’s real property

East River (n) – A narrow tidal strait that connects Upper New York Bay with Long Island Sound and separates the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx from Brooklyn and Queens

ebb (v) – To flow out; recede

echidna (n) – Also called the spiny anteater, this nocturnal, burrowing, egg-laying mammal of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, has a spiny coat, slender snout, and a sticky tongue used for catching insects

echinoderm (n) – Any of numerous radially symmetrical marine invertebrates of the phylum Echinodermata (e.g., sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers), having an internal calcareous skeleton and often covered with spines

echolocation (n) – The determination of an object’s position by the emission of sound waves and consequential reflection back of echoes; used by bats and other nocturnal creatures for navigating in the dark

eclectic (adj) – Composed of elements drawn from various sources

ecological (adj) – Having to do with one’s natural environment; environmental

ecological footprint (n) – The total area of productive land and water that is used to produce all the resources consumed by a group of people; a measure of human’s impact on nature

ecologically (adv) – Having to do with the natural environment

ecologist (n) – A scientist who studies the relationships of organisms

ecology (n) – The branch of biology that deals with the relationship between living organisms and their environment

economic extinction (n) – A situation in which the cost to find and catch a particular species (of fish, etc.) is higher than the price for which it can be sold

economy (n) – A system of producing, distributing and consuming wealth

ecosystem (n) – Communities of organisms that coexist and are self sustaining; an interrelated community of plants, animals, bacteria and the physical and chemical environment in which they live

ecotourism (n) – Ecologically responsible tourism; using natural resources for tourism without being destructive or wasteful; tourism which focuses on the natural environment

eddy (n) – A current of water or air that flows in a circular motion contrary to the main current

edge effect – The climatic conditions present along the edge of a rainforest fragment that are different from normal rainforest conditions

effluent (n) – The outflow of a sewer or septic tank

egocentric (adj) – Self-centered

egret (n) – A type of heron, usually having long white feathers

ejido system (n) – The Spanish word for a system of communal land ownership and management

El Dorado (n) – A vaguely defined historical region and city of the New World, often thought to be in northern South America. Fabled for its great wealth of gold and precious jewels, it was eagerly sought after by sixteen- and seventeenth-century explorers

El Morro (n) – A famous 16th century fort that guards the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico

electrolyte (n) – Any of various ions, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, required by cells to regulate the electric charge and flow of water molecules across the cell membrane; necessary for the proper functioning of the human body

element (n) – 1 : A component or part of a set  2 : In chemistry, any substance that cannot be separated into different substances by ordinary chemical methods; all matter is composed of such substances

Elliott trap (n) – An aluminum trap used to catch small mammals

elusive (adj) – Tending to avoid capture or perception

embark (v) – 1 : To go on board a ship  2 : To make a start

embarkation (n) – The boarding of a ship

emergent (adj) – One of a group of the tallest trees in the rainforest, usually trees 150 to 200 feet high

emergents (n) – The tallest trees of the rainforest, usually trees 150 to 200 feet high

emergy (n) – The energy required to make something, in solar energy units

emigrate (v) – To leave one country or region to settle in another

emission (n) – Discharge; (when referring to engine emissions) a pollutant discharged from an engine

emit (v) – To send out, give forth

empanada (n) – Any of various pastry turnovers, filled with chopped meat, vegetables, or fruit, then sealed and deep-fried

empathetic (adj) – Characterized by being able to share in another’s emotions, thoughts, or feelings

empirical (adj) – Relying on or derived from observation or experiment

enclave (n) – A minority cultural and/or ethnic group living close together within a larger group

encomienda (n) – A Spanish term describing the labor system historically used by the Spanish; when a person owned a piece of land, they also owned the indigenous people who were attached to and worked on that land. This system was designed to ensure a cheap and adequate labor supply.

endangered (adj) – In danger of becoming extinct

endemic (adj) – Native, restricted or unique to a particular area

English pound (n) – The currency standard in the United Kingdom

enlisted (adj) – Related to being of a miltary rank below commissioned officer

enormity (n) – Immense; vastness

ensign (n) – A flag or banner displayed on a ship

entice (v) – To attract by arousing hope or desire; to lure

environmental art (n) – Any form of creative skill used to connect one with nature; the purpose of environmental art is to express an idea through nature and its physical forces, thus invoking a greater awareness of our environment

enzyme (n) – Any of the complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions

Eocene (n) – The second part of the Tertiary Period (of the Cenozoic Era) in which mammals became the dominant animals

EPA (n) – Environmental Protection Agency (USA)

epic poem (n) – A long narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero

epidemic (n) – A rapid, widespread occurrence (of a disease, etc.) amongst many individuals in a community

epiphylls (n) – Lichens, liverworts, and mosses

epiphyte (n) – A plant that grows on another plant without harming it. It gets water from the air and rain, produces its own food through photosynthesis, and adapts to its conditions in order to get other nutrients.

EPIRB (n) – Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon; a beacon that transmits a distress call which is picked up or relayed by satellites

epitome (n) – A person or thing that is representative of the general quality or characteristics of a whole group

epitomize (v) – To be a typical example of

epoxy (n) – Any of various resins that are blended with other chemicals to form strong and hard adhesives, enamel coatings, etc.

equator (n) – An imaginary circle around the earth, equidistant from the North and South Poles, which divides the earth into the northern and southern hemispheres

equator-crossing ceremony (n) – A nautical tradition in which sailors who have not crossed the equator are initiated in order to gain King Neptune’s favor and approval; the ceremony is conducted just prior to or during the time that a ship crosses the equator

equatorial (adj) – Of or having to do with the equator

equidistant (adj) – Being at an equal distance from the same point or thing

equilibrium (n) – A condition in which all acting influences are canceled by others, resulting in a stable, balanced, or unchanging system

eradicate (v) – To do away with; exterminate

erode (v) – To gradually wear away

erodible (adj) – Able to be eroded or worn away

erosion (n) – The gradual wearing away of soil

essence (n) – A concentrated substance which maintains the fragrance, flavor or other property of the plant, food, etc., from which it was extracted

Estonia (n) – A country in north-central Europe that borders the Baltic Sea; formerly a republic of the USSR, Estonia gained independence in 1991

estuary (n) – The area at a mouth of a river, where the salty tide meets with freshwater current

ethnobotanist (n) – A scientist who studies how cultures use plants for medicine, food, shelter, and goods

eucalypt (adj) – Dominated by eucalyptus vegetation

eutrophication (n) – The process through which an excessive amount of nutrients in a body of water leads to the growth of plants, such as algae, that consume almost all of the available oxygen

evaporate (v) – To change from a liquid into a gas

evaporation (n) – The process by which liquid turns into a vapor or gas

evapotranspiration (n) – Water loss from the soil cause by direct evaporation and transpiration from the surface of plants

evergreen (n) – Having leaves that stay green year round

evolution (n) – The change in the hereditary characteristics of groups of organisms over the course of generations

evolve (v) – To develop by gradual changes

ex-situ restoration (n) – A conservation method that attempts to restore organisms’ populations out of their natural setting ("in captivity")

exacerbate (v) – Aggravate; make more severe; to increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of

excavate (v) – To unearth or expose by digging

excrement (n) – Animal and human waste

excrete (v) – To eliminate a substance from the body, usually through sweat glands or kidneys

excurrent (adj) – Running or flowing in an outward direction

exemplify (v) – To show by example

exorbitant (adj) – Out of all bounds; immoderate

exoskeleton (n) – Some animals have a skeleton on the OUTSIDE, not inside their bodies. These animals include insects, arachnids (spiders) and other animals that are in the group called arthropods. Turtles and lobsters are two animals with an exoskeleton.

exotic (adj) – Foreign; not native

expansive (adj) – Broad in size or extent; grand in scale

expatriate (n) – One who has taken up residence in a foreign country

expel (v) – To force to leave

experiential (adj) – Based on experience

explicitly (adv) – Expressed clearly and directly

exploit (v) – To utilize, often with negative connotations

exploitive (adj) – Exploiting

export (v) – To carry or send (goods) to another country, especially for purposes of sale

export (n) – An item or product shipped to another country, usually for the purpose of sale

exportation (n) – The act of exporting

expulsion (n) – The act of expelling

extinct (adj) – No longer existing anywhere in the world

extinction (n) – The complete destruction of a species or group

extractive (adj) – Capable of being removed

extrapolate (v) – To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

exude (v) – Discharge or emit gradually

eye (n) – The center area of a hurricane, usually measuring 14 to 50 miles across and characterized by calm, often sunny weather

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