Deciduous (spoken ‘dee-sid-u-os’):
Deciduous trees are also known as ‘broad-leafed’, or ‘hardwood’ trees. The leaves are wide (or broad) compared to their length and have veins like branches of a tree. Leaves stay on deciduous trees for a single growing season. In the autumn the leaves change colour and are shed from the tree before winter.

Deciduous forest:
A forest containing deciduous plants and exist in areas where temperatures are mild (not too hot and not too cold) and where there is a lot of rain.

Decompose:
To rot or decay. This happens when tiny things called ‘micro-organisms’ (or tiny organisms) begin to break down the organic matter, be it a dead animal or plants or animal waste, or even human waste, for example.

Decomposers:
Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that get their energy by decomposing (like ‘eating’) dead plants and animals and other organic material, into more simple substances. Decomposers are a very important part of our ‘eco-system’ because they break down bigger things back into valuable nutrients to the soil where they can be used again. Decomposers are like natures own recyclers because they take something that is not being used and turn it into something that can be used again; see food chain

Deforestation :
This is when lots of trees are ‘stripped’ away (cut down) making beautiful and very important forests, which took years to grow, become smaller or disappear completely.

Desert :
An area of land, which gets very little rain is called a desert when the water it loses because of ‘evaporation’ is more than it gets ‘precipitation’ (rain), and that has very high summer temperatures.

Disperse :
This is when something, for example seeds, are spread to another place. Sometimes the wind disperses seeds by blowing them through the air.

Distance:
This is the measurement from one place to another place.

Dormant:
This means when something is ‘inactive’, like a ‘sleeping’ volcano.

Drought:
This is when there is no rain for a long time causing much of the area to become dry. This is a big problem for most living things because most living things need water to live.