polyclimaxn.
/ˈpɒlɪˌklʌɪmaks/, U.S. /ˈpɑliˌklaɪˌmæks/ Ecology.
The presence of several distinct stable communities of plants within a given region. Frequently attributive.
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the world > life > biology > balance of nature > [noun] > replacement of one species by another > climax
climax1899
post-climax1916
preclimax1916
subclimax1916
proclimax1930
polyclimax1933
monoclimax1934
plagioclimax1935
disclimax1936
1933 Jrnl. Ecol. 21 307 In the Arctic, zonal distribution of large vegetation units..appears to be replaced by changing complexes composed of numerous smaller units... The polyclimax type is general.
1960 N. Polunin Introd. Plant Geogr. xi. 331 It seems best to admit the likelihood, in any one region, of several different climax communities as representing what may then be termed a ‘polyclimax’.
1999 Ann. Assoc. Amer. Geographers 89 469/2 Davisian landform cycles and polyclimax, or multiple successional, pathways are also examples of convergence toward one or more endpoints that can occur independently of external changes.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1933- golden crown
- golden cuckoo
- golden cudweed
- golden cup
- golden delicious
- golden dock
- golden drop
- golden duck
- golden dust
- golden eagle
- golden ear
- golden ear-drop
- golden eardrop
- golden earth
- golden egg
- golden feather
- golden fibre
- golden fleece
- go there
- go thin
- go through
- go through a phase
- go through channels
- go through hell and back
- go through hell and back again