sere

views updated May 14 2018

sere¹ / si(ə)r/ (also sear) • adj. dry; arid: a harsh life on the sere granite ledges of those remote offshore islands. . ∎ (esp. of plants) withered.sere² • n. Ecol. a natural succession of plant (or animal) communities, esp. a full series from uncolonized habitat to the appropriate climax vegetation. Compare with succession.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

sere

views updated May 23 2018

sere The characteristic sequence of developmental stages occurring in plant succession. See COMPETITION; ECESIS; MIGRATION; NUDATION; REACTION; and SUCCESSION.

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences MICHAEL ALLABY

sere

views updated Jun 27 2018

sere The characteristic sequence of developmental stages occurring in plant succession. See competition; ecesis; migration; nudation; reaction; stabilization.

A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY

sere

views updated Jun 27 2018

sere A complete succession of plant communities, which results in the climax community. A sere is composed of a series of different plant communities that change with time. These communities are known as seral stages or seral communities.

A Dictionary of Biology

sere

views updated May 18 2018

sere (arch.) dry, withered. OE. sēar = MLG. sōr (LG. soor, Du. zoor) :- Gmc. *sauraz :- IE. *sousǒs, repr. also by Gr. aûos, (Attic) haûos, and rel. to L. sūdus dry.