Food Comments: Comments on food types, food location (e.g., microhabitat), foraging methods/strategies, seasonal or geographic variation in the diet, and major differences in diet among age classes (e.g., young vs. adults).

Food Habits: Trophic type(s) of animal. Values include: carnivore, piscivore, invertivore, herbivore, granivore, frugivore, nectarivore, detritivore, scavenger, coprophagous, parasitic, nonfeeding, and unknown.. The trophic type should constitute 90% of the element's seasonal diet for any season of the year. Carrion is included in each of the animal-type food categories.

Forested Wetland: Areas vegetated by woody plants 6 m tall or taller. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation Class: For Ecological Communities, Formation Class (Level 1) is based on vegetation structure as determined by the relative percent cover and height of the dominant, uppermost stratum. Values are: Forest, Woodland, Shrubland, Dwarf-shrubland, Herbaceous, Nonvascular, and Sparse Vegetation. There is no Formation Class for Ecological Systems. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation Code: Code assigned to Formation (Level 5) and Alliance. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation Group: For Ecological Communities, Formation Group (Level 3) is generally based on leaf characters (e.g., broad- or needle-leaved) in conjunction with macroclimatic types (e.g., tropical or temperate). In the Herbaceous class, Group is based on the presence or absence of woody strata in conjunction with macroclimate. In the Sparse Vegetation class, Group is based on major topographic position and landform. There is no Formation Group for Ecological Systems. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation Name: For Ecological Communities, Formation (Level 5) represents vegetation types that share a definite physiognomy or structure within broadly defined environmental factors, relative landscape positions, and/or hydrologic regimes. Structural factors such as crown shape and lifeform of the dominant stratum are used in addition to the physiognomic characters already specified in the higher levels. Hydrologic modifiers, adapted from Cowardin et al. (1979), are used for wetlands. There is no Formation for Ecological Systems. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation Subclass: For Ecological Communities, Formation Subgroup (Level 4) is a based upon naturalness of the vegetation. Each Formation Group (Level 3 ) is divided into either a Natural/Semi-natural or Cultural Formation Subgroup (Level 4), providing a consistent dichotomy between natural vegetation (broadly defined to include natural, semi-natural, and modified vegetation) and cultural or planted/cultivated. There is no Formation Subgroup for Ecological Systems. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation Subgroup: For Ecological Communities, Formation Subgroup (Level 4) is a based upon naturalness of the vegetation. Each Formation Group (Level 3 ) is divided into either a Natural/Semi-natural or Cultural Formation Subgroup (Level 4), providing a consistent dichotomy between natural vegetation (broadly defined to include natural, semi-natural, and modified vegetation) and cultural or planted/cultivated. There is no Formation Subgroup for Ecological Systems. For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Formation: For more information see Classification of Ecological Communities.

Fragility Comments: Comments on the intrinsic vulnerability of the Element.

Fragility: Code that indicates the observed, inferred, or suspected degree to which intrinsic or inherent factors of the element make it vulnerable or resilient to natural or anthropogenic stresses or catastrophes. Values include: A = Highly Vulnerable; B = Moderately Vulnerable; C = Not Intrinsically Vulnerable; U = unknown.

Frugivore: Species that eat soft fruits.