mesophytic
- adjective
- /ˌmɛsəˈfaɪtɪk/
- Specialized
:
mesofítico
- In a mesophytic environment, plants flourish thanks to moderate moisture levels that are not too wet or too dry.
- mesophytic hardwoods
- mesophytic species
- mesophytic forest
Examples
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The trend toward mesophytic hardwoods will continue on landscapes where fire is actively suppressed, rendering them less combustible and creating further difficulties for land managers and conservationists who wish to restore past fire regimes.
Academic text (2008) -
An early-twentieth-century map of vegetation in the United States generalized the entire Atlantic coastal plain as southern mesophytic evergreen forest (Livingston and Shreve 1921).
Academic text (1994) -
Hysteresis is not as severe in the mesophytic state as on mesic landscapes.
Academic text (2008) -
However, once communities have converted to mesophytic hardwoods, efforts are probably best spent on retaining fire-adaptive communities on xeric systems.
Academic text (2008) -
The rate at which fire-adaptive communities undergo mesophication and convert to mesophytic hardwoods is dictated by landscape conditions.
Academic text (2008) -
For these reasons, the resistance to decay and the flammability of oak and pine litter are higher than that of the later successional, mesophytic hardwoods.
Academic text (2008) -
Even a short period of fire suppression allows fire-adaptive communities to convert readily to mesophytic hardwoods (Figure 6b).
Academic text (2008) -
Olive green trees represent oaks, dark green trees represent pines, and aquamarine trees represent mesophytic species (e.g., sugar maple).
Academic text (2008) -
However, overstory disturbance (cutting, windstorms) can accelerate this transition on any landscape where a mesophytic understory is present (Abrams and Nowacki 1992).
Academic text (2008) -
The leaves of oak species typically have greater thickness, specific mass, nitrogen content, and levels of phenolics (a defensive compound) when compared with many other mesophytic tree species in the eastern United States (Abrams 1990, Carreiro et al. 2000).
Academic text (2008)
Synonyms
Having a moderate amount of moisture, not too wet or dry
Compounds
How Wet
Surface Forms
Morphology
mesophytic = mesophyte (semi-transparent) = meso + phyte + ic
The adjective is a regular adjectival derivation from the noun 'mesophyte' using the productive suffix '-ic'.
Etymology
Mesophytic comes from meso- meaning 'middle' and -phytic meaning 'plant'. So, mesophytic describes plants that prefer a 'middle' amount of water, not too dry and not too wet.