The aging process Sometimes used to describe lakes or other bodies of water in advanced stages of eutrophication Also used to describe plants and animals
Nodules formed on the root of a host have a finite life span, usually 50-60 days Plants can have several "crops" of nodules in a single growing season, and in leguminous trees current nodules may be at some distance from the stem The breakdown of nodules over time is called senescence
Deteriorative changes of an organ or whole plant preceding death (organ senescence, whole plant senescence) There can also be 'sequential senescence' (leaves along a branch) and 'synchronous senescence' (all at the same time)
death of a leaf triggered by an increase in the enzymes that promote the breakdown of plant cells Begins when shorter days and cooler temperatures occur
Cellular senescence is the process by which most normal human cells count the number of times they have divided, finally undergoing a growth arrest Cessation of replication
The process of plant degeneration that generally occurs at the end of the growing season It is typically characterized by increasing respiration, decreasing growth rates, chlorophyll breakdown, and mobilization of nitrogen out of leaves and into other plant organs
period of declining productivity after the period of most active growth, referred to both in terms of the seasonal life cycle of a plant, and the total life of a perennial plant