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Glossary
Common Acronyms
Wetland Regulatory Definitions
Glossary
References
Common
Acronyms within Wetland
and Watershed Management Resources
CRP
Conservation
Reserve Program (USDA)
N
SWANCC Solid
Waste Authority of Northern Cook County; refers to US Supreme
Court case involving isolated wetlands
WETLAND
DEFINITIONS
Wetlands
can be generally defined as land that is periodically flooded,
whether by the tide, river flows, rain, or groundwater. More
precise definitions have been developed for purposes of state
and federal regulation. In New York, wetland regulatory definitions
are provided by the State, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and
the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
NYS
Freshwater Wetlands Act [Environmental Conservation Law Article
24 S 24-0107]
1. "Freshwater
wetlands” means lands and waters of the state asshown
on the freshwater wetlands map which contain any or all of thefollowing:
(a) Lands
and submerged lands commonly called marshes, swamps,sloughs,
bogs, and flats supporting aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetationof
the following types:
(1)
wetland trees, which depend upon seasonal or permanent flooding
or sufficiently water-logged soils to give them a competitive
advantage over other trees; including, among others, red maple
(Acer rubrum), willows (Salix spp.), black spruce (Picea
mariana); swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), red ash (Fraxinus
pennsylvanica), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), silver maple
(Acer saccharinum), American elm (Ulmus americana), and Larch
(Larix laricina);
(b) lands
and submerged lands containing remnants of any vegetation that
is not aquatic or semi-aquatic that has died because of
wet conditions over a sufficiently long period, provided that
such wet conditions do not exceed a maximum seasonal water
depth of six feet and provided further that such conditions
can be expected to persist indefinitely, barring human intervention;
(c)
lands and waters substantially enclosed by aquatic
or semi-aquatic vegetation as set forth in paragraph (a)
or by dead vegetation as set forth in paragraph (b), the
regulation of which is necessary to protect and preserve
the aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation; and
(d)
the waters overlying the areas set forth in (a) and (b) and
the lands underlying (c).
NYS
Tidal Wetlands Act [Environmental Conservation Law Article 25
S 25-0103]
1. "Tidal
wetlands" shall mean and include the following:
(a)
those areas which border on or lie beneath tidal waters, such
as, but not limited to, banks, bogs, salt marsh, swamps,
meadows,
flats or other low lands subject to tidal action, including
those areas now or formerly connected to tidal waters;
(b)
all banks, bogs, meadows, flats and tidal marsh subject to
such tides, and upon which grow or may grow some or any of the
following: salt hay (Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata),
black grass (Juncus gerardi), saltworts (Salicornia ssp.),
sea lavender (Limonium carolinianum), tall cordgrass
(Spartina pectinata and Spartina cynosuroides), hightide
bush (Iva frutescens), cattails (Typha angustifolia and
Typha latifolia), groundsel (Baccharis halmilifolia), marsh
mallow (Hybiscus palustris) and the intertidal zone including
low marsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora).
USACOE
/ USEPA Wetlands Definition [42 Fed. Reg. 37, 125-26, 37128-29;
July 19, 1977]
T
Waters
of the United State [33 C.F.R. § 328(a)(3)]
A
subset of "waters of the United States" is described
as: "All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers,
streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats,
wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes,
or natural ponds, the use, degradation, or destruction of which
could affect interstate or foreign commerce . . .”
GLOSSARY
OF GENERAL WETLAND AND WATERSHED TERMS
A
B C D E
F G H I
J K L M
N O P Q
R S T U
V W X Y Z
A
Acid
– pH
of water less than 5.5; pH modifier used in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service wetland classification system
Acidic
– has a pH of less than 7
Acre
– a measure of land, 43,560 square
feet
Acre-Foot
(acre–ft.) – the volume of water
needed to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot; equivalent
to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons
Adaptation
– evolutionary process by which
an organism becomes better suited to live in a particular environment;
how a species changes over time to better live in a particular
environment
Adventitious
– buds or roots that develop in unusual areas; many wetland plants
exhibit adventitious rootsAerate
– to supply air to water, soil, or other media
Areal
Cover - a measure of dominance
that defines the degree to which aboveground portions of plants
(not limited to those rooted in a sample plot) cover the ground
surface; it is possible for the total areal cover in a community
to exceed 100 percent because (a) most plant communities consist
of two or more vegetative strata; (b) areal cover is estimated
by vegetative layer; and (c) foliage within a single layer may
overlapAerobic
– (of an organism or tissue)
requiring air for life; pertaining to or caused by the presence
of oxygen
Algae
– simple plants that are very small and live in water
through photosynthesis, algae are the main producers of food
and oxygen in water environments
Algal
Bloom – the rapid proliferation
of passively floating, simple plant life, such as blue–green
algae, in and on a body of water
Alkaline
– has a pH greater than 7; pH modifier in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service wetland classification system; in common usage,
a pH of water greater than 7.4
Alluvium,
Alluvial Soil – soil composed primarily
of eroded material such as sand, silt, or clay, that has been
deposited on land or on the bottom of water bodies by rivers and
streams overflowing their banksAlpine
Snow Glade – a marshy clearing
between slopes above the timberline in mountains
Altered
Wetland – area affected by anthropogenic
or natural events, such that one or more indicators of relative
wetland character is absent, obscured, or provides information
no longer representative of original conditionAmbient
Monitoring – monitoring within
natural systems (e.g., lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands) to
determine existing conditions
Amphibian
– an animal that may begin its
life in water, but as an adult is at home in both water and
land; frogs, salamanders and caecilians (which are found in
the tropics only)
Anadromous
Fish – migratory species that
are born in freshwater, live mostly in estuaries and ocean water,
and return to freshwater to spawn
Anaerobic
– living in the absence of air or free oxygen; pertaining to
or caused by the absence of oxygen
Anoxic
– without oxygen
Anthropogenic
– having to do with or caused
by humans
Aerenchymous
Tissue - a type of plant tissue
in which cells are unusually large and arranged in a manner that
results in air spaces in the plant organ; such tissues are often
referred to as spongy and usually provide increased buoyancyAquatic
–taking place in or being in water; consisting of, relating
to, or being in water; living or growing in, on, or near the
water; aquatic wetlands are those in which the plants, such
as lily pads, grow in or on top of the water, but do not emerge
above
Aquaculture
– the science of farming organisms
that live in water, such as fish, shellfish, and algae
Aquifer
– a geological formation, such
as fractured bedrock, glacial sands or gravels, which contains
water and yields significant quantities of water to springs
and wells; also known as ground water
Artificial
Drainage – removal of free water
from soil by surface mounding, ditches, or subsurface tiles
to the extent that water table levels are changed significantly
in connection with specific land uses
Artificial
Wetland – wetland constructed
where one did not exist before Aspect – the predominant compass
direction in which a site is sloping downward
Assemblage
– an association of interacting populations of organisms in
a wetland or other habitat; examples of assemblages used for
biological assessments include algae, amphibians, birds, macroinvertebrates
(insects, crayfish, clams, snails, etc.), and vascular plants
Assessment
– evaluation of the condition of
an area Attribute
– a measurable component of a
biological system
Atypical
situation - as used herein, this
term refers to areas in which one or more parameters (vegetation,
soil, and/or hydrology) have been sufficiently altered by recent
human activities or natural events to preclude the presence
of wetland indicators of the parameter
B
Backwater
–
a body of water in which the flow is slowed or turned back by
an obstruction such as a bridge or dam, an opposing current,
or the movement of the tide
Bank
– the rising ground that borders a stream, pond or other body
of water
Bank
storage
– the change in the amount of water stored in an aquifer resulting
from a change in stage of an adjacent surface–water body
Barrier
Bar
– an elongate offshore ridge submerged at least at high tide,
built up by the action of waves or currents
Barrier
Beach
– a narrow, elongate sandy ridge rising slightly above the high–tide
level and extending generally parallel with the mainland shore,
but separated from it by a lagoon
Base
Flow
– the sustained low flow of a stream, usually resulting from
groundwater inflow to the stream channel
Basic
–
the opposite of acidic; has a pH of greater than 7
Bed
– the ground under a river, pond or other body of water
Bed
Material
– sediment composing the streambed
Bedrock
– a general term used for solid rock that underlies soils or
other unconsolidated material
Benthic
Organism
– a form of aquatic life that lives on the bottom or near the
bottom of streams, lakes, or oceans
Biennial
- an event that occurs at 2-year intervals
Biochemical–Oxygen
Demand (BOD) –
the amount of oxygen, in milligrams per liter, that is removed
from aquatic environments by the life processes of microorganisms
Biochemical
Process
– a process characterized by, produced by, or involving chemical
reactions in living organisms
Biodiversity
–
the sum of all species of plants and animals. An ecosystem is
considered healthy when it supports the most diverse numbers and
types of species it is capable of supportingBiological
Assessment (Bioassessment) –
using biomonitoring data of samples of living organisms to evaluate
the condition or health of a place (e.g., a stream, wetland,
or woodlot)
Biological
Criteria (Biocriteria) –
numerical values or narrative expressions that describe the
condition of aquatic, biological assemblages of reference sites
of a given aquatic life use designation
Biological
Integrity –
"...the ability of an aquatic ecosystem to support and maintain
a balanced, adaptive community of organisms having a species composition,
diversity, and functional organization comparable to that of natural
habitats within a region." (Karr, J. R. and D. R. Dudley.
1981. Ecological perspective on water quality goals. Environmental
Management 5:55–68)Biological
Monitoring (Biomonitoring) –
sampling the biota of a place (e.g., a stream, a woodlot, or
a wetland) repetitively to monitor change over time
Biomass
–
the amount of living matter, in the form of organisms, present
in a particular habitat, usually expressed as weight-per-unit
area
Biota
– the plants and animals living in a habitatBlackwater
Streams
– streams that do not carry sediment, are tannic in nature and
flow through peat-based areas
Bog
–wetlands
characterized by a waterlogged, spongy mat of sphagnum moss,
ultimately producing a thickness of acid peat; bogs are highly
acid and tend to be nutrient poor; they are typically dominated
by sedges, evergreen trees and shrubs
Bottom–Land
Forest
– low-lying forested wetland found along streams and rivers,
usually on alluvial flood plains
Brackish
– water that contains some salt, but less than seawater; a mixture
of fresh and saltwater typically found in estuarine areas
Brownwater
Streams
– streams that carry sediment and generally originate from the
piedmont or mountains
Buffer
Zone –
the area of land next to a body of water or wetland, where activities
such as construction are restricted in order to protect water
or water quality
Buttress–
broadened bottom of a tree trunk that helps to stabilize a tree
growing in wet soil or water
C
Calcareous
–
formed of calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate by biological
deposition or inorganic precipitation in sufficient quantities
to effervesce when treated with cold hydrochloric acid
Canopy
Layer –the
uppermost layer of vegetation in a plant community; in forested
areas, mature trees comprise the canopy layer, while the tallest
herbaceous species constitute the canopy layer in a marsh
Capillary
Fringe –
a zone immediately above the water table (zero gauge pressure)
in which water is drawn upward from the water table by capillary
action
Cfs
- cubic feet per second - a measurement of water flow
Channel
Scour
– erosion by flowing water and sediment on a stream channel;
results in removal of mud, silt, and sand on the outside curve
of a stream bend and the bed material of a stream channel
Channelization
–
the straightening and deepening of a stream channel to permit
the water to move faster or to drain a wet area for farming
Chemical
Reduction –
any process by which one compound or ion acts as an electron
donor; in such cases, the valence state of the electron donor
is decreased
Chroma
–
the relative purity or saturation of a color; intensity of distinctive
hue as related to grayness; one of the three variables of color
Cienaga
–
a marshy area where the ground is wet due to the presence of
seepage or springs
Circumneutral
– pH of water between 5.5 and 7.4; pH modifier used in the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service wetland classification system
Clay
- a sedimentary material with grains smaller than 0.002 millimeters
in diameter
cm
– centimeter; one inch equals 2.5 cm
Colonial
–
a group of plants of the same species, spreading by rhizome
or rootstock
Composition
(Structure) –
the composition of the taxonomic grouping such as fish, algae,
or macroinvertebrates relating primarily to the kinds and number
of organisms in the group
Community
–
all the groups of organisms living together in the same area,
usually interacting or depending on each other for existence;
all the living organisms present in an ecosystemComprehensive
Wetland Determination –
a type of wetland determination that is based on the strongest
possible evidence, requiring the collection of quantitative
data
Confined
River
– a river or stream that has banks (typically of bedrock) that
do not move rapidly over time and are unlikely to erode
Conservation
– careful preservation and protection of natural resources from
loss, harm, or waste, planned management of a natural resource
to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect
Contributing
Area –
the area in a drainage basin that contributes water to streamflow
or recharge to an aquifer
Core
Sample –
a sample of rock, soil, or other material obtained by driving
a hollow tube into the undisturbed medium and withdrawing it
with its contained sample
Criteria
– standards, rules, or tests on which a judgment or decision
may be based
Crustacean
– the group of animals having a hard shell and joint body parts;
crabs or shrimp
Cypress
Dome
– small, isolated, circular, depressional, forested wetlands,
in which cypress predominates, that have convex silhouettes
when viewed from a distance
D
Dam
–
a barrier built across a body of water
Decay
– to rot; the breakdown of disintegration of matter
Deciduous
–
plants that lose their leaves once a year, usually in winter
Decomposer
–
an organism that consumes organic waste, reducing it to simple
nutrients that can be used again by living things; decomposers
include: moulds, insects, worms, and fungi
Deepwater
Habitat –
permanently flooded lands lying below the deepwater boundary
of wetlands
Degraded
–
condition of the quality of water that has been made unfit for
some specified purpose
Delineation
– identification and documentation of the boundary between wetlands
and uplandsDelta
–
the low, nearly flat tract of land at or near the mouth of a
river, resulting from the accumulation of sediment supplied
by the river in such quantities that it is not removed by tides,
waves, or currents
Designated
Use
– classification designated in water quality standards for each
waterbody or segment that defines the optimal purpose for that
waterbody (examples are drinking water use and aquatic life
use)
Detritus
– decaying organic matter found in the top layer of soil or
mixed with wetland waters; a food source for many small wetland
organisms
Dike
– a wall or mound built around a low–lying area to prevent flooding;
sometimes called a berm or levee
Direct
Runoff
– the runoff entering stream channels promptly after rainfall
or snowmelt
Discharge
– the volume of fluid passing a point per unit of time, commonly
expressed in cubic feet per second, million gallons per day,
gallons per minute, or seconds per minute per day
Discharge
Area
(ground water) – area where subsurface water is discharged to
the land surface, to surface water, or to the atmosphere
Dissolved
Oxygen
- oxygen dissolved in water and available to aquatic organisms;
one of the most important indicators of the condition of a water
body; concentrations below 5 mg/l are stressful and may be lethal
to many fish and other species
Dissolved
Solids
– minerals and organic matter dissolved in water
Disturbance
– any change in an ecosystem
Diurnal
– of or pertaining to a day; occurring over a 24–hour period
Diversity
– a combination of the number of taxa (see taxa richness) and
the relative abundance of those taxa; a variety of diversity
indexes has been developed to calculate diversity
Dominant
species –
a plant species that exerts a controlling influence on or defines
the character of a community
Dormant
–
period when a plant is not actively growing, but is still alive
(i.e., for most wetland plants in NY in the winter)
Drainage
Basin –
the land area drained by a river or stream; also known as “watershed”;
the area is determined by topography that divides drainages
between watersheds
Drained
–
a condition in which ground or surface water has been reduced
or eliminated from an area by artificial means
Dredge
–
to remove the mud and sediment from a wetland area or waterbody
Drought
–
a prolonged period of less–than–normal precipitation such that
the lack of water causes a serious hydrologic imbalance; a period
of very dry weather
E
Ecological
– refers to the relationship between living things and their
environment
Ecological
Assessment –
an evaluation of the status of a water resource system; can be
used to detect degradation and if possible, to identify causes
of that degradationEcological
Integrity –
the condition of an unimpaired ecosystem when it is both healthy
(that is when it can maintain essential ecological processes
such as waste assimilation and micro–climate control) and can
support evolutionary and co-evolutionary changes over time
Ecology
– the branch of biology that studies the interaction of living
organisms with each other and their environment
Economic
–having
to do with the management of finances or with the production,
distribution, and consumption of wealth
Ecoregion
–
a region defined by similarity of climate, landform, soil, potential
natural vegetation, hydrology, and other ecologically relevant
variablesEcosystem
– an organic community of plants and animals viewed within its
physical environment (habitat); the ecosystem results from the
interaction between soil, climate, vegetation and animal life
Emergent
Plants
– water plants with roots and part of the stem submerged below
water level, but the rest of the plant is above water; cattails
and bulrushes
Emergent
Wetland –
a wetland class dominated by emergent plants; include marshes
and wet meadows. (abbreviated EM)
Emersed
–
rising above the surface of water
Endangered
Species –
any species of plant or animal that is having trouble surviving
and reproducing; often caused by loss of habitat, not enough
food, or pollution; protected by governments in an effort to
keep them from becoming extinct
Enhance
(wetland)
– to improve existing wetlands to benefit a particular function
or value, sometimes at the expense of other functions and values
Environment
–
the sum of all conditions and influences affecting the life
of organisms
Ephemeral
Stream –
a stream or part of a stream that flows only in direct response
to precipitation; it receives little or no water from springs,
melting snow, or other sources; its channel is at all times
above the water table
Erosion
–
the process whereby materials of the Earth's crust are loosened,
dissolved, or worn away and simultaneously moved from one place
to another
Estuaries
– the part of the wide lower course of a river where its current
is met by ocean tides; an arm of the sea that extends inland
to meet the mouth of a river; has somewhat salty water and tidal
activity
Estuarine
Wetlands –
tidal wetlands in low–wave–energy environments where the salinity
of the water is greater than 0.5 part per thousand and is variable
owing to evaporation and the mixing of seawater and freshwater;
tidal wetlands of coastal rivers and embayments, salty tidal
marshes, mangrove swamps, and tidal flats
Evapotranspiration
–
a term that includes water discharged to the atmosphere as a
result of evaporation from the soil and surface-water bodies
and by plant transpiration
Evergreen
–
plants that retain their leaves throughout the year
Exoskeleton
– the hard outer covering that supports or protects the soft
tissue of an organism such as the shells on turtles, snails
and lobsters
Exotic
Species –
plants or animals not native to the area
Extirpated
– a local population of a species that no longer exists but
populations exist elsewhere
F
Facultative
Plant (FAC) –
plants which are equally likely to occur in wetlands or non–wetlands
(estimated probability 34 to 66 percent)
Facultative
Upland Plant (FACU) –
plants which usually occur in non– wetlands but are occasionally
found in wetlands (estimated probability 1 to 33 percent)
Facultative
Wetland Plant (FACW) –
plants which usually occur in wetlands (estimated probability
67 to 99 percent)
Fen
– peat-accumulating wetland that generally receives water from
surface runoff and (or) seepage from mineral soils in addition
to direct precipitation; generally alkaline; or slightly acid
Field
Indicator –
a characteristic observed in the field that indicates the presence
of wetland vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology as
defined by the 1987 COE Wetland Delineation Manual
Fill
–
the process where low-lying, wet land is filled with materials
in an attempt to make it arable or suitable for construction,
any material that raises the ground elevation of a wetland or
waterbody
Fix
– to make more stable; plant roots fix soil making it more resistant
to erosion
Floating
Plants
– water plants with floating leaves; may be free-floating, such
as duckweed, or attached to the bottom by a root system as in
the case with pond lilies
Flooded
- a
condition in which the soil surface is temporarily covered with
flowing water from any source, such as streams overflowing their
banks, runoff from adjacent or surrounding slopes, inflow from
high tides, or any combination of sources
Flood
Attenuation
– a weakening or reduction in the force or intensity of a flood
Flood
Plain
– a strip of relatively flat land bordering a stream channel
that may be overflowed at times of high water; the amount of
land inundated during a flood is relative to the severity of
a flood event
Floodplain
Wetlands – wetlands
that are influenced by and associated with floodplains, where
the overflowing water of rivers and streams is the dominant hydrologic
inputFluvial
–
pertaining to a river or stream
Flyway
–
a specific air route taken by birds during migration
Food
Chain –
interrelations of organisms that feed upon each other, transferring
energy and nutrients; typically solar energy is processed by
plants who are eaten by herbivores which in turn are eaten by
carnivores: sun –> grass –> mouse –> owl
Food
Web
– the combined food chains of a community or ecosystem
Frequently
Flooded - a
flooding class in which flooding is likely to occur often under
normal weather conditions (more than 50-percent chance of flooding
in any year or more than 50 times in 100 years)
Forested
Wetland
– a wetland class where the soil is saturated and often inundated,
and woody plants taller than 20 feet form the dominant cover,
e.g. red maple, American elm, and tamarack; water tolerant shrubs
often form a second layer beneath the forest canopy, with a
layer of herbaceous plants growing beneath the shrubs (abbreviated
FO)
Freshwater
–
water without salt in it, like ponds and streams
Friable
–
descriptive of a rock or mineral that crumbles naturally or is
easily broken, pulverized, or reduced to powderFringe
Wetland – wetland
near a large body of water that receives significant and regular
two-way flow
Functions
– the roles that wetlands serve, which are of value to society
or environment
G
Geomorphic
–
pertaining to the form of the Earth or of its surface features
Geomorphology
–
the science that treats the general configuration of the Earth's
surface; the description of landforms
Gleyed
–
soil condition resulting from prolonged soil saturation, evidenced
by the presence of bluish or greenish colors through the soil
or in mottles (spots or streaks) among other colors; occurs
under reducing soil conditions resulting from soil saturation,
by which iron is reduced predominantly to the ferrous state
Ground
Water
– in the broadest sense, all subsurface water; more commonly
that part of the subsurface water in the saturated zone; a layer
of underground water that forms when precipitation soaks into
the soil and becomes trapped between the soil above and a rock
or clay layer below
Ground
Water Discharge –
ground water that emerges at the land surface, in the form of
springs or seepage areas; ground water can also discharge into
rivers (via bank seepage) and sustain flow during the drier
months
Groundwater
Flow System
– the underground pathway by which groundwater moves from areas
of recharge to areas of discharge
Groundwater
Recharge
– the process whereby infiltrating rain, snowmelt or surface
water enters and replenishes the groundwater stores
Growing
Season
– the period of the year when the soil temperature at 19.7 inches
below the soil surface is above biological zero; for ease of
determination this period can be approximated by the number
of frost-free days
Gully
Erosion –
a form of erosion that can occur on riverbanks which is related
to overland drainage down the bank and not to river processes
H
Habitat
– the sum total of all the living and non-living factors that
surround and potentially influence an organism; a particular
organism's environment
Halophyte
–
a plant that is adapted to grow in salty soils
Hardpan
– a relatively hard, impervious, and usually clayey layer of
soil lying at or just below land surface-produced as a result
of cementation by precipitation of insoluble minerals
Herbs
– succulent, non-woody plants that die down at the end of the
growing season
Histic
Epipedon –
an 8- to 16-in. soil layer at or near the surface that is saturated
for 30 consecutive days or more during the growing season in
most years and contains a minimum of 20 percent organic matter
when no clay is present or a minimum of 30 percent organic matter
when 60 percent or greater clay is present
Histosol
– soil
that has organic materials in more than half of the upper 32
inches or of any thickness overlying bedrock; formed almost
exclusively in wetlands (except for folists, which are formed
in forests)
Hydraulic
Head –
the height of the free surface of a body of water above a given
point beneath the surface
Hydraulic
Gradient
– the change of hydraulic head per unit of distance in a given
direction
Hydric
–
relating to, marked by, or requiring considerable moisture
Hydric
Soil
– a soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during
the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions that favor
the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation; field
indicators of hydric soils can include: a thick layer of decomposing
plant material on the surface; the odor of rotten eggs; and
colors of bluish–gray, gray, black, or sometimes gray with contrasting
brighter spots of color
Hydrogeomorphic
– of or pertaining to a synthesis of the geomorphic setting,
the water source and its transport, and hydrodynamics
Hydrogeomorphic
(HGM) Classification
– a wetland classification system based on the position of a
wetland in the landscape (geomorphic setting), dominant sources
of water, and the flow and fluctuation of water once in the
wetland; hydrogeomorphic classes include riverine, depressional,
slope, mineral soil flats, organic soil flats, estuarine fringe,
and lacustrine fringe
Hydrogeomorphic
(HGM) Approach –
a method that compares a wetland's functions (e.g., water retention,
nutrient cycling) to similar wetlands of the same type (as defined
by HGM classification) that are relatively unaltered; HGM functions
normally fall into one of three major categories: (1) hydrologic
(e.g., storage of surface water), (2) biogeochemical (e.g.,
removal of elements and compounds), and (3) habitat (e.g., maintenance
of plant and animal communities)
Hydrologic
Cycle
– the circulation of water from the sea, through the atmosphere,
to the land, and thence back to the sea by overland and subterranean
routes
Hydrology
– the
study of the cycle of water movement on, over and through the
earth's surface; the science dealing with the properties, distribution,
and circulation of waterHydroperiod
– depth, duration, seasonality, and frequency of flooding
Hydrophyte
–
plants that have adapted mechanisms for survival in saturated
or inundated soils with anaerobic conditions; examples include
cattails, bulrushes, willows; a plant that can, and often must,
live in water
I
Immersed
–
covered completely in a liquid; submerged
Impact
– a change in the chemical, physical (including habitat), or biological
quality or condition of a waterbody caused by external forcesImpaired
–
condition of the quality of water that has been adversely affected
for a specific use by contamination or pollution.
Impairment
–
a detrimental effect on the biological integrity of a waterbody
caused by an impact that prevents attainment of the designated
useIndex
of Biological Integrity
– an integrative expression of site condition across multiple
metrics; often composed of at least seven metrics; plural form
is either indices or indexes; similar to economic indexes used
for expressing the condition of the economy
Indicator
– organism, ecological community, or structural feature so strictly
associated with a particular environmental condition that its
presence indicates the existence of the condition
Infiltration
– the downward movement of water from the atmosphere into soil
or porous rock
Inorganic
– containing no carbon; matter other than plant or animal
Inorganic
Soil
– soil with less than 20 percent organic matter in the upper
16 inches
Interdependent
– mutually
dependent
Interface
–
in hydrology, the contact zone between two fluids of different
chemical or physical makeup
Intermittent
Stream
– streams that flow primarily during the wet seasons when the
water table is high, and remain dry for a portion of the year;
most intermittent streams flow for a good portion of the year
Intertidal
–
alternately flooded and exposed by tides
Intertidal
Habitat
– the tidal area between the mean lower low water and mean higher
high water which is alternately exposed and covered by water
twice daily
Inundation
–
a condition in which water from any source temporarily or permanently
covers a land surface.
Invertebrate
– an animal with no backbone or spinal column; invertebrates
include 95% of the animal kingdom
Ion
–
a positively or negatively charged atom or group of atoms
Irrigation
–
controlled application of water to arable land to supply requirements
of crops not satisfied by rainfall
Isolated
Wetland
– wetland not regulated by the COE because it does not have
an interstate commerce connection; typically does not have surface
water connection to other waters or wetlands
J
Jurisdictional
Wetlands
– wetlands which are under the jurisdiction of the COE and the
EPA pursuant to Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act because
they meet the COE and EPA definition of wetlands; those areas
which "...are inundated or saturated by surface or ground
water at a frequency and duration to support, and that under
normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation
typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions";
identified in the field based on the 1987 Corps of Engineers
Wetland Delineation Manual which requires indicators of
the following three parameters:
A) a dominance
of wetland plants;
B) hydric
soils; and
C) wetlands
hydrology
K
Karst
–
a type of topography that results from dissolution and collapse
of carbonate rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum,
and that is characterized by closed depressions or sinkholes,
caves, and underground drainage
Kettle
–
a steep-sided hole or depression, commonly without surface drainage,
formed by the melting of a large detached block of stagnant
ice that had been buried in the glacial drift
Kettle
Lake
– a body of water occupying a kettle, as in a pitted outwash
plain or in a kettle moraine
Knee–
A part of the root of a wetland tree that emerges from the water
in which the tree is growing; common on bald cypress (see “pneumatophore”)
L
Lacustrine
–
pertaining to, produced by, or formed in a lake
Lacustrine
Wetlands –
wetlands within a lake or reservoir greater than 20 acres or
within a lake or reservoir less than 20 acres if the water is
greater than 2 meters deep in the deepest part of the basin;
ocean-derived salinity must be less than 0.5 part per thousand
Lagoon
–
a shallow stretch of seawater (or lake water) near or communicating
with the sea (or lake) and partly or completely separated from
it by a low, narrow, elongate strip of land
Landscape
– a heterogeneous mix of properties that encompass more than one
ownership or management unitLandscape
Ecology
– specialty that deals with the patterns and processes of biological
systems at the scale of hundreds to thousands of acres
Landscape
Perspective
– method of viewing the interactive parts of a geographic areas
that are not necessarily in the same watershed
Leachate
–
a liquid that has percolated through soil containing soluble
substances and that contains certain amounts of these substances
in solution
Life
Zone
– major area of plant and animal life; region characterized
by particular plants and animals and distinguished by temperature
differences
Limnetic
–
the deepwater zone (greater than 2 meters deep); a subsystem
of the Lacustrine System in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
wetland classification system
Littoral
–
the shallow–water zone (less than 2 meters deep) at the edge
of a lake or pond; a subsystem in the Lacustrine System of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetland classification system
Load
–
material that is moved or carried by streams, reported as weight
of material transported during a specified time period, such
as tons per year
Lotic
– pertaining to or living in flowing water
M
m –
meter; there are approximately 39 inches in a meter
Macroinvertebrates
– animals without backbones that can be seen with the naked
eye (caught with a 1-mm2 mesh net); includes insects,
crayfish, snails, mussels, clams, fairy shrimp, etc.
Macrophyte
– any plant species that can be readily observed without the
aid of optical magnification; this includes all vascular plant
species and mosses (e.g., Sphagnum spp.), as well as large algae
(e.g. Chara spp., kelp)
Macrophytic
– a term referring to a plant species that is a macrophyte
Main
Stem
– the principal trunk of a river or a stream
Man-Induced
Wetland –
any area that develops wetland characteristics due to some activity
(e.g., irrigation) of man
Mangroves
–
tropical evergreen trees found in swamps
Mangrove
Forest
– wetland in tropical areas, such as the coasts of Florida,
Africa, Mexico, Australia, that has mangrove trees and either
fresh or salt water
Marine
Wetland
– wetlands that are exposed to waves and currents of the open
ocean and to water having a salinity greater than 30 parts per
thousand; present along the coastlines of the open ocean
Marsh –
an area of soft, wet, low–lying land, characterized by grassy
vegetation and often forming a transition zone between water and
land; marshes are dominated by non-woody vegetation and they tend
to develop in zones progressing from terrestrial habitat to open
waterMaturity
–
a stage in the evolutionary erosion of land areas where the
flat uplands have been widely dissected by deep river valleys
Maturity
(stream) –
the stage in the development of a stream at which it has reached
its maximum efficiency, when velocity is just sufficient to
carry the sediment delivered to it by tributaries; characterized
by a broad, open, flat–floored valley having a moderate gradient
and gentle slope
Mean
Low Tide –
the average altitude of all low tides recorded at a given place
over a 19–year period
Mean
High Tide –
the average altitude of all high tides recorded at a given place
over a 19–year period
Mesophyte
–
any plant growing where moisture and aeration conditions lie
between the extremes of "wet" and "dry"
Method
– a
particular procedure or set of procedures to be followed
mg/l
–
milligrams per liter; a unit of concentration
Migratory
– a creature that moves from one region to another when the
seasons change
Mineral
soil
– soil composed predominantly of mineral rather than organic
materials; less than 20 percent organic material
Mitigation
– a process of minimizing or compensating for damages to natural
habitats, caused by human developments; these activities are designed
to decrease the degree of damage to an ecosystem and may include
restoration, enhancement, or creation; according to the Clean
Water Act, mitigation is a sequential process that includes avoiding
impacts, then minimizing impacts, and lastly, compensating for
impactsMonitoring
–
the regular measurement of an area or quantity/quality over
time (generally of things that can change)
Mottle
– contrasting spots of bright colors in a soil; an indication
of some oxidation or ground water level fluctuation
Muck
–
dark, finely divided, well–decomposed, organic matter forming
a surface deposit in some poorly drained areas
Mudflat
– bare, flat bottoms of lakes, rivers and ponds, or coastal
waters, largely filled with organic deposits, freshly exposed
by a lowering of the water level; a broad expanse of muddy substrate
commonly occurring in estuaries and bays
Muskeg
–
large expanses of peatlands or bogs that occur in sub arctic
zones
N
Native
– an
animal or plant that lives or grows naturally in a certain region
Natural
Levee –
a long, broad, low ridge built by a stream on its flood plain
along one or both banks of its channel in time of flood
Naturalist
– a person who appreciates, studies and interprets the natural
environment
Navigable
Water
– a water that has in the past, currently is or can be used
for interstate commerce (i.e., movement of logs downstate);
term is defined differently by the COE under the different regulatory
programs
Niche
– the way of life of an organism; how it get its food, its behavior
and impact on other organisms and habitat; the location and
function of a living organism in its environment
Nonpersistent
Emergent Plants –
emergent plants whose leaves and stems break down at the end
of the growing season from decay or by the physical forces of
waves and ice; at certain seasons, there are no visible traces
of the plants above the surface of the water
Nonpoint
Source –
a source (of any water–carried material) from a broad area,
rather than from discrete points
Nonrenewable
–
something that is limited in supply and cannot be replenished
by natural processes, at least for thousands of years; fossil
fuels are a nonrenewable resource
Nuisance
Species –
undesirable plants and animals, commonly exotic species
Nutrient
–
any inorganic or organic compound that provides the nourishment
needed for the survival of an organism
O
Obligate
Upland Plant (UPL) –
plants which almost always occur in uplands (estimated probability
greater than 99 percent)
Obligate
Wetland Plant (OBL) – plants
which almost always occur in wetlands (estimated probability
greater than 99 percent)
Off-site
Determination Method –
a method of assessing, from an office, the probability and estimated
size/location of wetlands on a site
Oligotrophic
– poor in nutrients; said of lakes and ponds
One–Hundred–Year
Flood
– refers to the floodwater levels that would occur once in 100
years, or as a 1.0 percent probability per year
On-site
Determination Method
– a method for identifying the location and extent of wetlands
from the field
Open
Water
– a wetland class consisting of areas of open water less than
6.6 feet deep; there are often submerged or floating–leaved
plants in the shallower portions along the edges of the waterbody
(abbreviated OW)
Ordinary
High Water Mark
– that line on the shore established by the fluctuations of
water and indicated by physical characteristics such as clear,
natural line impressed on the bank, shelving, changes in the
character of soil, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, the
presence of litter and debris, or other appropriate means that
consider the characteristics of the surrounding areas
Organic
–
containing carbon, but possibly also containing hydrogen, oxygen,
chlorine, nitrogen, and other elements
Organic
Material –
anything that is living or was living; in soil it is usually
made up of nuts, leaves, twigs, bark, etc.
Organic
Soil –
soil that contains more than 20 percent organic matter in the
upper 16 inches
Organic
Waste
– the decaying or decayed matter from once living organisms
Organism
– a living thing
Overland
Flow –
the flow of rainwater or snowmelt over the land surface toward
stream channels
Oxbow
–
a bow–shaped lake formed in an abandoned meander of a river
Oxidized
Rhizosphere
– precipitation of orange-ish ferric compounds around the roots
and rhizomes of plants growing in frequently saturated soils;
caused by oxidation of the soil immediately surrounding the
root from the discharge of oxygen by the roots or rhizomes of
a plant
P
Palustrine
Wetlands –
freshwater wetlands including open water bodies of less than
20 acres in which water is less than 2 meters deep; includes
marshes, wet meadows, fens, playas, potholes, pocosins, bogs,
swamps, and shallow ponds; most wetlands are classified as Palustrine
Parameter–
a
characteristic component of a unit that can be defined; vegetation,
soil, and hydrology are three parameters that may be used to
define wetlands
Peat
–
organic material (leaves, bark, nuts) that has decayed partially;
it is dark brown with identifiable plant parts, and can be found
in peatlands and bogs
Perched
Groundwater –
unconfined ground water separated from an underlying main body
of ground water by an unsaturated zone, typically by an impermeable
clay layer
Percolation
–
the movement, under hydrostatic pressure, of water through interstices
of a rock or soil (except the movement through large openings
such as caves)
Perennial
–
a plant that grows year after year
Perennial
Stream
– a stream that normally has water in its channel at all times
because it is sustained by groundwater discharge as well as
by surface runoff
Periphyton
–
micro–organisms that coat rocks, plants, and other surfaces
on lake bottoms
Permeability
–
the capacity of a rock for transmitting a fluid; a measure of
the relative ease with which a porous medium can transmit a
liquid
Persistent
Emergent Plant
– species of plants whose stems show above the water and do
not deteriorate when the plant goes dormant (e.g. cattails)
pH –
a measure of the acidity (less than 7) or alkalinity (greater
than 7) of a solution; a pH of 7 is considered neutral
Physiographic
Province –
a region in which the landforms differ significantly from those
of adjacent regions
Physiography
–
a description of the surface features of the Earth, with an
emphasis on the mode or origin
Photosynthesis
–
process by which green plants (chlorophyll containing) make
food by combining carbon dioxide and water using energy from
sunlight
Phytoplankton
– microscopic, free–floating plants that drift in the water
Pioneer
Plant –
herbaceous annual and perennial seedling plants that colonize
bare areas as a first stage in secondary successionPiping
–
erosion by percolating water in a layer of subsoil, resulting
in caving and in the formation of narrow conduits, tunnels,
or "pipes" through which soluble or granular soil
material is removed
Playa
–
a dry, flat area at the lowest part of an undrained desert basin
in which water accumulates and is quickly evaporated; underlain
by stratified clay, silt, or sand and commonly by soluble salts;
term used in Southwestern United States
Playa Lake
–
a shallow, temporary lake in an arid or semiarid region, covering
or occupying a playa in the wet season but drying up in summer;
temporary lake that upon evaporation leaves or forms a playaPneumatophore
– specialized
roots formed on several species of plants occurring frequently
in inundated habitats; root is erect and protrudes above the
soil surface
Pocosin
–
a local term along the Atlantic coastal plain, from Virginia
south, for a shrub-scrub wetland located on a relatively flat
terrain, often between streams
Point
Source
– originating at any discrete source (i.e., a discharge pipe)
Pollution
– The
Clean Water Act (Section 502.19) defines pollution as "the
[hu]man-made or [hu]man-induced alteration of chemical, physical,
biological, and radiological integrity of water."Pond
–
a relatively small body of standing, fresh water; usually shallow
enough for sunlight to reach the bed
Ponded
–
a condition in which water stands in a closed depression; water
may be removed only by percolation, evaporation, and/or transpiration
Poorly
Drained
– water is removed from the soil so slowly that the soil is
saturated periodically during the growing season or remains
wet for long periods
Population
– a collection of individuals of one species or mixed species
making up the residents of a prescribed area
Porosity
– the ratio of the volume of voids in a rock or soil to the
total volume
Positive
Wetland Indicator – any evidence of the presence
of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soil, and/or wetland hydrology
in an area
Potential
Evapotranspiration
– the amount of moisture which, if available, would be removed
from a given land area by evapotranspiration, expressed in units
of water depth
Pothole
or Prairie Pothole
– a term often used to describe the small, shallow ponds and marshes
formed by Pleistocene glaciation in the grasslands of the northern
United States and southern Canada; "kettlehole" was
the original term usedppt
– parts per thousand. The salinity of ocean water is approximately
35 ppt
Precipitation
– the process by which condensed water builds up in clouds and
falls to the ground as rain, sleet, snow, or hail
Preservation
– the protection and maintenance of organisms or ecosystems
for personal or special use
Prevalence
Index
– weighted average; a single number that summarizes quantitative
data about a large number of species within a community and
gives weight to each species’ contribution to the final number
in terms of an assigned value
Prey
– an animal that is eaten by other animals
Prior
Converted Wetland
– wetland converted to farmable land before December 23, 1985
Pristine
–
the earliest condition of the quality of a water body; unaffected
by human activities
Public
Participation
– involvement by citizens in the community, especially in decision-making
Q
Quadrat
–
an area of a certain size (generally from 1 to 20 square meters)
within which biodiversity is assessed/ monitored
Quantitative
– a precise measurement or determination expressed numerically
R
Ramsar
Convention –
an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation of wetlands
Rapid
Assessment
– an assessment methodology that can be able to be completed
in a short time (i.e., a few hours)
Reach
–
a continuous part of a stream between two specified points
Reaeration
–
the replenishment of oxygen in water from which oxygen has been
removed
Recharge
(groundwater) –
the process whereby infiltrating rain, snowmelt or surface water
enters and replenishes the ground water stores
Recharge
Area (groundwater) –
an area in which water infiltrates the ground and reaches the
zone of saturation
Recurrence
Interval
– the average interval of time within which the magnitude of
a given event, such as a storm or flood, will be equaled or
exceeded once
Redox Potential
– oxygen-reduction potential; often used to quantify
the degree of electrochemical reduction of wetland soils under
anoxic conditions
Reference
Condition – set of selected measurements or conditions
of minimally impaired waterbodies characteristic of a waterbody
type in a region
Reference
Site –
a minimally impaired site that is representative of the expected
ecological conditions and integrity of other sites of the same
type and region
Regulation
(of a stream)
– artificial manipulation of the flow of a stream
Renewable
– something that can be replaced through natural processes if
not overused or contaminated
Reserve
– land put aside by the government with the intent to protect
a habitat
Resilience
–
the ability of land to return to a relatively stable and functioning
state following a disturbance Resource – something that is available
that can be used to take care of a need
Restore
–
to return a wetland (or other natural habitat) to a close approximation
of its condition prior to disturbance by modifying conditions
responsible for the loss or change
Return
Flow –
that part of irrigation water that is not consumed by evapotranspiration
and that returns to its source or another body of water
Riparian
–
pertaining to or situated on the bank of a natural body of flowing
water
Riparian
Area
– an area of streamside vegetation including the stream bank and
adjoining floodplain, which is distinguishable from upland areas
in terms of vegetation, soils, and topographyRiparian
Forest –
a swamp that is narrow in width and runs along the shore of
and affects a river or stream
Riverine
Wetlands –
wetlands within river and stream channels; ocean–derived salinity
is less than 0.5 part per thousand
Rhizome
– an
elongated, underground root, which usually grows horizontally
and from which may sprout new plants
Rhizosphere–
the zone of soil in which interactions between living plant
roots and microorganisms occur
Root
zone–
the portion of a soil profile in which plant roots occur
Routine
Wetland Determination–
a type of wetland determination in which office data and/or
relatively simple, rapidly applied onsite methods are employed
to determine whether or not an area is a wetland; most wetland
determinations are of this type, which usually does not require
collection of quantitative data
Runoff
–
rainwater that flows over the land and into streams and lakes;
it often picks up soil particles along the way and transports
it into streams and lakes
Rush
–
grass–like plant that forms dense clumps, mostly in wet areas;
needle-like stems are cylindrical or flattened, hollow and green;
“rushes are round, sedges have edges”
S
Salina
–
an area where deposits of crystalline salt are formed, such
as a salt flat; a body of saline water, such as a saline playa
or salt marsh
Saline
Water
– water that is considered generally unsuitable for human consumption
or for irrigation because of its high content of dissolved solids;
generally expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved
solids; seawater is generally considered to contain more than
35,000 mg/L of dissolved solids
Salinity
–
the concentration of dissolved salts in a body of water; commonly
expressed as parts per thousand
Sample
Plot–
an
area of land used for measuring or observing existing conditions.
Salt
Flat –
the level, salt-encrusted bottom of a dried up lake or pond
Salt
Marsh –
flat land dominated by non-woody vegetation that is flooded
by salt water brought in by tides; it is found along saltwater
rivers, bays, and oceans
Salt
Meadow –
a meadow subject to overflow by salt water
Saltwater
–
water with a high concentration of salt; sometimes used synonymously
with seawater or saline water
Sand
–
a sedimentary material, finer than a granule and coarser than
silt, with grains between 0.06 and 2.0 millimeters in diameter
Saturated
Zone
– generally the zone within sediment and rock formations where
all voids are filled with water under pressure greater than
atmospheric
Saturation
–
a condition in which all easily drained voids (pores) between
soil particles are temporarily or permanently filled with water;
soil has as much water in it as it can hold
SAV
–
see submerged aquatic vegetation
Scrub
–
a straggly, stunted tree or shrub; a growth or tract of stunted
vegetation
Scrub–Shrub
Wetland
– a wetland class dominated by shrubs and woody plants that
are less than 20 feet tall, e.g. dogwoods, alders, red maple
saplings, etc.; water levels in shrub swamps can range from
permanent to intermittent flooding (abbr. SS)
Sea
Level –
the long–term average position of the sea surface; in this volume,
it refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929
Secondary
Succession –
an association of plants that develops after the destruction
of all or part of the original plant community
Sediment
–
fine–grained mineral and organic material in suspension, in
transit, or deposited by air, water, or ice on the earth's surface
Sedimentation
–
the act or process of forming or accumulating sediment in layers;
the process of deposition of sediment
Sedge
– grass–like plant, usually with solid triangular stems; “rushes
are round, sedges have edges”
Seep
– a wetland that forms in areas where groundwater discharges
to the land surface, often at the base of steep slopes, but
where water volume is too small to create a stream or creek;
these wetlands have a perpetually saturated soil but may have
little or no standing water
Shallows
–
a term applied to a shallow place or area in a body of water;
a shoal
Shrub
–
a woody plant generally less than 7 meters in height, having
several stems arising from the base and lacking a single trunk;
a bush
Shrubland
– land covered predominantly with shrubs
Shoal
–
a relatively shallow place in a stream, lake, or sea
Silt
–
one of three main parts of soil (sand, silt, and clay); silt
is small rock particles that are between .05 mm and .002 mm
in diameter
Siltation
–
the deposition or accumulation of silt (or small–grained material)
in a body of water
Silviculture
–
the cultivation of forest trees
Sinkhole
–
a depression in an area underlain by limestone; its drainage
is subterranean
Site
– the portion of land chosen as the basis for an activity or
ecological assessment
Slough
– a swamp or swamp-like region; a marshy or reedy pool, pond,
inlet, backwater or the like; a small marshy tract lying in
a swale or other local shallow undrained depression; a sluggish
creek or channel in a wetland
Slump
– a common form of riverbank erosion; can be caused by floodwaters
saturating the soil then falling quickly and carrying the bank
sediments with them, or by undercutting at the base of the bank
causing the section of bank above to topple; usually semi–circular
in shape and can vary from a few meters across up to 30m across
Soil–
unconsolidated mineral and organic material that supports, or
is capable of supporting, plants, and which has recognizable
properties due to the integrated effect of climate and living
matter acting upon parent material, as conditioned by relief
over time
Soil
Horizon –
a layer of soil that is distinguishable from adjacent layers
by characteristic physical and chemical properties
Soil
Matrix
– the portion of a given soil that has the dominant color; in
most cases the portion of the soil that has more than 50% of
the same color
Soil
Moisture –
water occurring in the pore spaces between the soil particles
in the unsaturated zone from which water is discharged by the
transpiration of plants or by evaporation from the soil
Soil
Profile
– a vertical section of a soil through all its horizons and
extending into the parent material
Soil
Types –
soils are commonly said to be sandy, loamy or clayey; sandy
soils are dominated by sand and fall apart easily and do not
have good water retention; loamy soils are where organic matter
makes the soil dark and friable, with good moisture retention;
clayey soils are dominated by clay to such an extent that you
can squeeze a 'ribbon' out of the moist soil
Somewhat
Poorly Drained–
soils that are wet near enough to the surface or long enough
that planting or harvesting operations or crop growth is markedly
restricted unless artificial drainage is provided; commonly
have a layer with low hydraulic conductivity, wet conditions
high in the profile, additions of water through seepage, or
a combination of these conditions
Spoil
–
overburden or other waste material removed in mining, quarrying,
dredging, or excavating
Spring
–
area where there is a concentrated discharge of ground water
that flows at the ground surface
Stage
–
height of the water surface above an established datum plane,
such as in a river above a predetermined point that may (or
may not) be near the channel floor
Staining
–
dark brown marks left on trees and on the ground made by water
Stakeholder
–
any person or organization with an interest in a site, project
or issue
Storm
Surge
– an abnormal and sudden rise of the sea along a shore as a
result of the winds of a storm
Stratigraphy
– features of geology dealing with the origin, composition,
distribution, and succession of geologic strata (layers)
Streamflow
–
the discharge of water in a natural channel
Submerged
Aquatic Vegetation
– plants that live entirely under water
Submergent
–
plants that grow and reproduce while completely submerged by
water, e.g. coontail and bladderworts
Submersed
Plant
– a plant that lies entirely beneath the water surface, except
for flowering parts in some species
Subsidence
–
the gradual downward settling or sinking of the Earth's surface
with little or no horizontal motion
Substrate
– the base or material on which an organism lives; subsoil
Subtidal
–
continuously submerged; an area affected by ocean tides
Surface
Runoff
– water that flows over the surface of the land as a result
of rainfall or snowmelt; surface runoff enters streams and rivers
to become channelized stream flow
Surface
Water
– water present above the substrate or soil surface; an open
body of water such as a lake, river, or stream
Survey
–
to examine the condition of an area or quality; to measure,
record and map the locations at particular points or boundaries
on a site
Suspended
Sediment –
sediment that is transported in suspension by a stream
Swale
– a slight depression, sometimes filled with water, in the midst
of generally level land
Swamp
– a wetland where the soil is saturated and often inundated
and dominated by shrubs (e.g., alder) or trees (e.g., red maple);
contrasting with a marsh that has non–woody plants
Systems
– a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements
forming a complex whole
T
Tarn
–
a relatively small and deep, steep–sided lake or pool occupying
an ice–gouged basin amid glaciated mountains
Taxa –
a grouping of organisms given a formal taxonomic
name such as species, genus, family, etc. (singular form is
taxon)
Taxa
Richness –
the number of distinct species or taxa that are found in an
assemblage, community, or sample
Terrestrial
–
pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the Earth; refers
to anything that is land based
Terrain
–
physical features of a tract of land
Tidal
Flat –
an extensive, nearly horizontal, tract of land that is alternately
covered and uncovered by the tide and consists of unconsolidated
sediment
Tidal
Prism
– the total volume of water passing in and out of a particular
area, such as a lagoon or salt marsh, during a tidal cycle
Tidal
Wetland
– a wetland that is subject to the periodic rising and falling
of sea level generated by the gravitational forces of the moon
and the sun.
Tide
–
the rhythmic, alternate rise and fall of the surface (or water
level) of the ocean, and connected bodies of water, occurring
twice a day over most of the Earth, resulting from the gravitational
attraction of the Moon, and to a lesser degree, the Sun
Toe
– the base of the riverbank, streambank, or slope
Top
Soil
– the top layer of soil; it is full of organic material and
can be good for growing crops
Topography
–
the general configuration of a land surface or any part of the
Earth's surface, including its relief and the position of its
natural and man–made features
Transect
– a straight line of certain length marked out through a wetland
or upland, along which biodiversity is assessed or monitored
Transitional
Habitat
– areas where communities shift from one type (i.e. wetland)
to another (i.e. upland), where boundaries between the two can
be unclear; also used to describe a particular piece of ground
that is in transition because of responding to changed conditions,
for example an area where vegetation is becoming re–established
after having been graded
Transpiration
–
the process by which water passes through living organisms,
primarily plants, into the atmosphere
Trees
– woody plants greater than 7 meters tall, and usually with
one main trunk
Tundra
–
a vast, nearly level, treeless plain of the arctic and sub arctic
regions. It usually has a marshy surface that supports mosses,
lichens, and low shrubs, underlain by mucky soils and permafrost
Turbidity
–
the state, condition, or quality of opaqueness or reduced clarity
of a fluid due to the presence of suspended matter
Turbid
– cloudy or opaque water due to the suspension of sediment
U
Unconfined
Aquifer –
an aquifer whose upper surface is a water table free to fluctuate
under atmospheric pressure
Unconfined
River
– a river or stream that flows through soft sediments, capable
of being eroded; typically these rivers move across a floodplain
with time and have a high bank erosion risk
Under
Normal Circumstances
- as used in the definition of wetlands, this term refers to
situations in which the vegetation has not been substantially
altered by man's activities
Undercutting
–
a process of riverbank erosion whereby the base or 'toe' of
the riverbank is 'eaten away' as a result of river flow or wave
action. It results in the section of bank above becoming unstable
and prone to collapse
Understory
–
a foliage layer lying beneath and shaded by the main canopy
of a forest often formed by shrub vegetation
Unsaturated
Zone –
a subsurface zone above the water table where the pore spaces
may contain a combination of air and water
Upland
–
a general term for nonwetland; elevated land above low areas
along streams or between hills; any elevated region from which
rivers gather drainage
V
Values
–
the goods and services that come from a biological system, including
wetlands and riparian areas, that benefit humans or human societyVascular
Plant
– a plant composed of or provided with vessels or ducts that
convey water or sap; a fern is an example of this type of plant
Vegetation
Structure
– the structure of the vegetation in terms of layers, heights
and spacing between trees
Vernal
Pond
– temporary ponds that fill with water in the spring as a result
of snowmelt, spring rains, and/or elevated ground water tables
and dry up later in the year
Vernal
Pool –
a small lake or pond that is filled with water for only a short
time during the spring; many species of reptiles, amphibians,
insects and invertebrates rely on vernal pools for breeding
Very
Poorly Drained – water
is removed from the soil so slowly that water remains at or
on the surface during most of the growing season
Vulnerable
– a species that is at risk because of low or declining numbers
W
Water
Budget –
an accounting of the inflow to, outflow from, and storage changes
of water in a hydrologic unit
Water
Column –
an imaginary column extending through a water body from its
floor to its surface
Water
Cycle
– the process by which water evaporates into water vapor, condenses
into liquid form in the clouds, and precipitates as rain or
snow back to Earth
Water
Gap –
a deep, narrow pass in a mountain ridge, through which a stream
flows
Watermark–
a line on a tree or other upright structure that represents
the maximum static water level reached during an inundation
event
Water
Quality Standard – a
legally established state regulation consisting of three parts:
(1) designated uses, (2) criteria, and (3) antidegradation policy
Water
Table
– the upper level of the portion of the ground (rock) in which
all spaces are wholly saturated with water; the water table
may be located at or near the land surface or at a depth below
the land surface and usually fluctuates from season to season;
springs, seepages, marshes or lakes may occur where the water
table intersects the land surface
Water
Vapor
– tiny drops of water floating in the air
Watershed
–
all the water from precipitation (snow, rain, etc.) that drains
into a particular body of water (stream, pond, river, bay, etc.);
surface drainage area that contributes water to a lake, river,
or other body of water; the area drained by a watercourse; different
watersheds are separated by divides or water partings
Wet Meadow
– emergent wetlands that are generally seasonally flooded and
have saturated soil for much of the growing season. Wet meadows
are dominated by grasses, sedges and rushes and are very often
cultivated or pasturedWet
Prairie
– herbaceous wetland dominated by grasses rather than sedges
and with waterlogged soil near the surface but without standing
water for most of the year
Wetland
– a vegetated ecosystem where water is a dominant factor in
its development and existence
Wetlands (Cowardin et al.) – are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. For purposes of this classification wetlands must have one or more of the following three attributes: (1) at least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytes (2) the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil and (3) the substrate is nonsoil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season of each year. Wetland
Boundary–
the point on the ground at which a shift from wetlands to nonwetlands
or aquatic habitats occurs; these boundaries usually follow
contours
Wetland
Determination–
the process or procedure by which an area is adjudged a wetland
or nonwetland
Wetland
Function –
a process or series of processes that take place within a wetland
that are beneficial to the wetland itself, the surrounding ecosystems,
and people
Wetland
Control Length –
the length (feet) of the crest of the restrictive feature that
would be overtopped if the water level in the wetland was raised
by one foot
Wetland
Soil–
a
soil that has characteristics developed in a reducing atmosphere,
which exists when periods of prolonged soil saturation result
in anaerobic conditions; hydric soils that are sufficiently
wet to support hydrophytic vegetation are wetland soils
Wetland
vegetation–
the sum total of macrophytic plant life that occurs in areas
where the frequency and duration of inundation or soil saturation
produce permanently or periodically saturated soils of sufficient
duration to exert a controlling influence on the plant species
present; hydrophytic vegetation occurring in areas that also
have hydric soils and wetland hydrology may be properly referred
to as wetland vegetation
Willow
Carr –
a pool, or wetland dominated by willow trees or shrubs
Z
Zonation
–
state or condition of being marked with bands, as of color or
texture; wetland vegetation often exhibits distinct zones characterized
by plant communities composed of different species
Zooplankton
–
free-floating animals that drift in the water, range from microscopic
organisms to larger animals such as jellyfish
References
A
Community Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Manual: Glossary.
A Community Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Manual, 2000.
http://www.zip.com.au/~aabr/cram/glossary.html
A
Glossary of Wetland Terminology.
Ballona Lagoon Marine Preserve, 1997. http://blmp.org/education/glossary.htm
Appendix
A: Wetland Terms Glossary.
Litchfield, NH Wetland Survey Home Page, 1996-1998. http://www.litchfield.mv.com/LCCWetlandWeb/index.htm
Appendix
F: Glossary.
Iowa Wetlands and Riparian Areas Conservation Plan, 1998. http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/iawetlands/Glossary.html
Corps
of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual.
ACOE Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1 (on-line
edition) 1987
Corps
of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual Appendix A: Glossary.
ACOE Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1 (on-line
edition) 1987http://www.wetlands.com/coe/87manglo.htm
Glossary
of Commonly Encountered Wetland-Related Terms and Units.
The California Environmental Resources Evaluation System, 1998.
http://ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/geo_info/so_cal/terms_definitions.html
Learning
About Wetlands Glossary.
The Wetland Writing Team, Athena Earth and Space Science for
K-12 1998. http://inspire.ospi.wednet.edu:8001/curric/land/wetland/gloss.html
National
Water Summary on Wetland Resources Supplemental Information: Glossary.
United States Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 2425, 1998.
http://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/glossary.html
Topic
E: Wetland Ecosystems Glossary.
Muriel Martin Elementary School, year unknown. http://mmem.spschools.org/grade5science/wetland/wetlandglossary.html
Wetlands:
Characteristics and Boundaries.
National Academy Press, 1995.
Wetland
Plants Glossary.
North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality, year unknown. http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/Wetplant/glossary.htm
Wetland
Words.
Environmental Concern, Inc. Wetland Education Department, year
unknown. http://www.wetland.org/educ_kids.htm
Wetland and Watershed Protection
Toolkit: Guidance Materials
for Local Governments in New York State
February, 2002
Preface | Importance
of Wetlands | Establishing a Wetland and
Watershed Program
Federal and State Regulatory Programs
| Local Government Methods of Wetland Protection
Non-Regulatory Methods of Wetland Protection
Outreach and Information Campaigns Technical
and Financial Assistance
Special Topics
| NYS Directory | Bibliography
| Glossary | UPDATES
Although
preparation of this “Wetland and Watershed Protection Toolkit for New York”
was funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Division
under Grant Assistance Agreement # X992998-99-0, the views represented in this
product should not be interpreted to be those of the US Environmental Protection
Agency.
Common Acronyms
Wetland Regulatory Definitions
Glossary
References
Common
Acronyms within Wetland
and Watershed Management Resources
CRP
Conservation
Reserve Program (USDA)
N
SWANCC Solid
Waste Authority of Northern Cook County; refers to US Supreme
Court case involving isolated wetlands
WETLAND
DEFINITIONS
Wetlands
can be generally defined as land that is periodically flooded,
whether by the tide, river flows, rain, or groundwater. More
precise definitions have been developed for purposes of state
and federal regulation. In New York, wetland regulatory definitions
are provided by the State, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and
the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
NYS
Freshwater Wetlands Act [Environmental Conservation Law Article
24 S 24-0107]
1. "Freshwater
wetlands” means lands and waters of the state asshown
on the freshwater wetlands map which contain any or all of thefollowing:
(a) Lands
and submerged lands commonly called marshes, swamps,sloughs,
bogs, and flats supporting aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetationof
the following types:
(1) wetland trees, which depend upon seasonal or permanent flooding or sufficiently water-logged soils to give them a competitive advantage over other trees; including, among others, red maple (Acer rubrum), willows (Salix spp.), black spruce (Picea mariana); swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), American elm (Ulmus americana), and Larch (Larix laricina);(2) wetland shrubs, which depend upon seasonal or permanent flooding or sufficiently water-logged soils to give them a competitive advantage over other shrubs; including, among others, alder (Alnus spp.), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), dogwoods (Cornus spp.), and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata);(3) emergent vegetation, including, among others, cattails (Typhaspp.), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), bulrushes (Scirpus spp.),arrow arum (Peltandra virginica), arrowheads (Sagittaria spp.), reed(Phragmites communis), wildrice (Zizania acquatica), bur-reeds(Sparganium spp.), purple loosetrife (Lythrum salicaria), swamploosestrife (Decodon verticillatus); and water plantain (Alismaplantago-aquatica);(4) rooted, floating-leaved vegetation; including, among others, water-lily (Nymphaea odorata), water shield (Brasenia schreberi), and spatterdock (Nuphar spp.);(5) free-floating vegetation; including, among others, duckweed (Lemna spp.), big duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), and watermeal (Wolffia spp.);(6) wet meadow vegetation, which depends upon seasonal or permanentflooding or sufficiently water-logged soils to give it a competitiveadvantage over other open land vegetation; including, among others,sedges (Carex spp.), rushes (Juncus spp.), cattails (Typha spp.), ricecut-grass (Leersia oryzoides), reed canary grass (Phalarisarundinacea), swamp loosestrife (Decodon verticillatus), and spikerush(Eleocharis spp.);(7) bog mat vegetation; including, among others, sphagnum mosses (Sphagnum spp.), bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), and cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon and V. oxycoccos);(8) submergent vegetation; including, among others, pondweeds(Potamogeton spp.), naiads (Najas spp.), bladderworts (Utriculariaspp.), wild celery (Vallisneria americana), coontail (Ceratophyllumdemersum), water milfoils (Myriophyllum spp.), muskgrass (Chara spp.),stonewort (Nitella spp.), water weeds (Elodea spp.), and watersmartweed (Polygonum amphibium);
(b) lands
and submerged lands containing remnants of any vegetation that
is not aquatic or semi-aquatic that has died because of
wet conditions over a sufficiently long period, provided that
such wet conditions do not exceed a maximum seasonal water
depth of six feet and provided further that such conditions
can be expected to persist indefinitely, barring human intervention;
(c)
lands and waters substantially enclosed by aquatic
or semi-aquatic vegetation as set forth in paragraph (a)
or by dead vegetation as set forth in paragraph (b), the
regulation of which is necessary to protect and preserve
the aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation; and
(d)
the waters overlying the areas set forth in (a) and (b) and
the lands underlying (c).
NYS
Tidal Wetlands Act [Environmental Conservation Law Article 25
S 25-0103]
1. "Tidal
wetlands" shall mean and include the following:
(a)
those areas which border on or lie beneath tidal waters, such
as, but not limited to, banks, bogs, salt marsh, swamps,
meadows,
flats or other low lands subject to tidal action, including
those areas now or formerly connected to tidal waters;
(b)
all banks, bogs, meadows, flats and tidal marsh subject to
such tides, and upon which grow or may grow some or any of the
following: salt hay (Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata),
black grass (Juncus gerardi), saltworts (Salicornia ssp.),
sea lavender (Limonium carolinianum), tall cordgrass
(Spartina pectinata and Spartina cynosuroides), hightide
bush (Iva frutescens), cattails (Typha angustifolia and
Typha latifolia), groundsel (Baccharis halmilifolia), marsh
mallow (Hybiscus palustris) and the intertidal zone including
low marsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora).
USACOE
/ USEPA Wetlands Definition [42 Fed. Reg. 37, 125-26, 37128-29;
July 19, 1977]
TWaters
of the United State [33 C.F.R. § 328(a)(3)]
A
subset of "waters of the United States" is described
as: "All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers,
streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats,
wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes,
or natural ponds, the use, degradation, or destruction of which
could affect interstate or foreign commerce . . .”
GLOSSARY OF GENERAL WETLAND AND WATERSHED TERMS
A
Acid
– pH
of water less than 5.5; pH modifier used in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service wetland classification system
Acidic
– has a pH of less than 7
Acre
– a measure of land, 43,560 square
feet
Acre-Foot
(acre–ft.) – the volume of water
needed to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot; equivalent
to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons
Adaptation
– evolutionary process by which
an organism becomes better suited to live in a particular environment;
how a species changes over time to better live in a particular
environment
Aerate
– to supply air to water, soil, or other media
Aerobic – (of an organism or tissue) requiring air for life; pertaining to or caused by the presence of oxygen
Algae
– simple plants that are very small and live in water
through photosynthesis, algae are the main producers of food
and oxygen in water environments
Algal
Bloom – the rapid proliferation
of passively floating, simple plant life, such as blue–green
algae, in and on a body of water
Alkaline
– has a pH greater than 7; pH modifier in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service wetland classification system; in common usage,
a pH of water greater than 7.4
Alpine
Snow Glade – a marshy clearing
between slopes above the timberline in mountains
Ambient Monitoring – monitoring within natural systems (e.g., lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands) to determine existing conditions
Amphibian
– an animal that may begin its
life in water, but as an adult is at home in both water and
land; frogs, salamanders and caecilians (which are found in
the tropics only)
Anadromous
Fish – migratory species that
are born in freshwater, live mostly in estuaries and ocean water,
and return to freshwater to spawn
Anaerobic – living in the absence of air or free oxygen; pertaining to or caused by the absence of oxygen
Anoxic
– without oxygen
Anthropogenic
– having to do with or caused
by humans
Aquatic
–taking place in or being in water; consisting of, relating
to, or being in water; living or growing in, on, or near the
water; aquatic wetlands are those in which the plants, such
as lily pads, grow in or on top of the water, but do not emerge
above
Aquaculture
– the science of farming organisms
that live in water, such as fish, shellfish, and algae
Aquifer
– a geological formation, such
as fractured bedrock, glacial sands or gravels, which contains
water and yields significant quantities of water to springs
and wells; also known as ground water
Artificial
Drainage – removal of free water
from soil by surface mounding, ditches, or subsurface tiles
to the extent that water table levels are changed significantly
in connection with specific land uses
Artificial
Wetland – wetland constructed
where one did not exist before Aspect – the predominant compass
direction in which a site is sloping downward
Assemblage – an association of interacting populations of organisms in a wetland or other habitat; examples of assemblages used for biological assessments include algae, amphibians, birds, macroinvertebrates (insects, crayfish, clams, snails, etc.), and vascular plants
Assessment – evaluation of the condition of an areaAttribute
– a measurable component of a
biological system
Atypical
situation - as used herein, this
term refers to areas in which one or more parameters (vegetation,
soil, and/or hydrology) have been sufficiently altered by recent
human activities or natural events to preclude the presence
of wetland indicators of the parameter
B
Backwater
–
a body of water in which the flow is slowed or turned back by
an obstruction such as a bridge or dam, an opposing current,
or the movement of the tide
Bank
– the rising ground that borders a stream, pond or other body
of water
Bank
storage
– the change in the amount of water stored in an aquifer resulting
from a change in stage of an adjacent surface–water body
Barrier
Bar
– an elongate offshore ridge submerged at least at high tide,
built up by the action of waves or currents
Barrier
Beach
– a narrow, elongate sandy ridge rising slightly above the high–tide
level and extending generally parallel with the mainland shore,
but separated from it by a lagoon
Base
Flow
– the sustained low flow of a stream, usually resulting from
groundwater inflow to the stream channel
Basic
–
the opposite of acidic; has a pH of greater than 7
Bed
– the ground under a river, pond or other body of water
Bed
Material
– sediment composing the streambed
Bedrock
– a general term used for solid rock that underlies soils or
other unconsolidated material
Benthic
Organism
– a form of aquatic life that lives on the bottom or near the
bottom of streams, lakes, or oceans
Biennial
- an event that occurs at 2-year intervals
Biochemical–Oxygen
Demand (BOD) –
the amount of oxygen, in milligrams per liter, that is removed
from aquatic environments by the life processes of microorganisms
Biochemical
Process
– a process characterized by, produced by, or involving chemical
reactions in living organisms
Biological
Assessment (Bioassessment) –
using biomonitoring data of samples of living organisms to evaluate
the condition or health of a place (e.g., a stream, wetland,
or woodlot)
Biological
Criteria (Biocriteria) –
numerical values or narrative expressions that describe the
condition of aquatic, biological assemblages of reference sites
of a given aquatic life use designation
Biological
Monitoring (Biomonitoring) –
sampling the biota of a place (e.g., a stream, a woodlot, or
a wetland) repetitively to monitor change over time
Biomass
–
the amount of living matter, in the form of organisms, present
in a particular habitat, usually expressed as weight-per-unit
area
Blackwater
Streams
– streams that do not carry sediment, are tannic in nature and
flow through peat-based areas
Bog
–wetlands
characterized by a waterlogged, spongy mat of sphagnum moss,
ultimately producing a thickness of acid peat; bogs are highly
acid and tend to be nutrient poor; they are typically dominated
by sedges, evergreen trees and shrubs
Bottom–Land
Forest
– low-lying forested wetland found along streams and rivers,
usually on alluvial flood plains
Brackish
– water that contains some salt, but less than seawater; a mixture
of fresh and saltwater typically found in estuarine areas
Brownwater
Streams
– streams that carry sediment and generally originate from the
piedmont or mountains
Buffer
Zone –
the area of land next to a body of water or wetland, where activities
such as construction are restricted in order to protect water
or water quality
Buttress–
broadened bottom of a tree trunk that helps to stabilize a tree
growing in wet soil or water
C
Calcareous
–
formed of calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate by biological
deposition or inorganic precipitation in sufficient quantities
to effervesce when treated with cold hydrochloric acid
Canopy
Layer –the
uppermost layer of vegetation in a plant community; in forested
areas, mature trees comprise the canopy layer, while the tallest
herbaceous species constitute the canopy layer in a marsh
Capillary
Fringe –
a zone immediately above the water table (zero gauge pressure)
in which water is drawn upward from the water table by capillary
action
Cfs
- cubic feet per second - a measurement of water flow
Channel
Scour
– erosion by flowing water and sediment on a stream channel;
results in removal of mud, silt, and sand on the outside curve
of a stream bend and the bed material of a stream channel
Channelization
–
the straightening and deepening of a stream channel to permit
the water to move faster or to drain a wet area for farming
Chemical
Reduction –
any process by which one compound or ion acts as an electron
donor; in such cases, the valence state of the electron donor
is decreased
Chroma
–
the relative purity or saturation of a color; intensity of distinctive
hue as related to grayness; one of the three variables of color
Cienaga
–
a marshy area where the ground is wet due to the presence of
seepage or springs
Circumneutral
– pH of water between 5.5 and 7.4; pH modifier used in the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service wetland classification system
Clay
- a sedimentary material with grains smaller than 0.002 millimeters
in diameter
cm
– centimeter; one inch equals 2.5 cm
Colonial
–
a group of plants of the same species, spreading by rhizome
or rootstock
Composition
(Structure) –
the composition of the taxonomic grouping such as fish, algae,
or macroinvertebrates relating primarily to the kinds and number
of organisms in the group
Comprehensive Wetland Determination – a type of wetland determination that is based on the strongest possible evidence, requiring the collection of quantitative data
Confined River – a river or stream that has banks (typically of bedrock) that do not move rapidly over time and are unlikely to erode
Conservation – careful preservation and protection of natural resources from loss, harm, or waste, planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect
Contributing
Area –
the area in a drainage basin that contributes water to streamflow
or recharge to an aquifer
Core
Sample –
a sample of rock, soil, or other material obtained by driving
a hollow tube into the undisturbed medium and withdrawing it
with its contained sample
Criteria
– standards, rules, or tests on which a judgment or decision
may be based
Crustacean
– the group of animals having a hard shell and joint body parts;
crabs or shrimp
Cypress
Dome
– small, isolated, circular, depressional, forested wetlands,
in which cypress predominates, that have convex silhouettes
when viewed from a distance
D
Dam
–
a barrier built across a body of water
Decay
– to rot; the breakdown of disintegration of matter
Deciduous
–
plants that lose their leaves once a year, usually in winter
Decomposer
–
an organism that consumes organic waste, reducing it to simple
nutrients that can be used again by living things; decomposers
include: moulds, insects, worms, and fungi
Deepwater
Habitat –
permanently flooded lands lying below the deepwater boundary
of wetlands
Degraded
–
condition of the quality of water that has been made unfit for
some specified purpose
Delta – the low, nearly flat tract of land at or near the mouth of a river, resulting from the accumulation of sediment supplied by the river in such quantities that it is not removed by tides, waves, or currents
Designated
Use
– classification designated in water quality standards for each
waterbody or segment that defines the optimal purpose for that
waterbody (examples are drinking water use and aquatic life
use)
Detritus
– decaying organic matter found in the top layer of soil or
mixed with wetland waters; a food source for many small wetland
organisms
Dike
– a wall or mound built around a low–lying area to prevent flooding;
sometimes called a berm or levee
Direct
Runoff
– the runoff entering stream channels promptly after rainfall
or snowmelt
Discharge
– the volume of fluid passing a point per unit of time, commonly
expressed in cubic feet per second, million gallons per day,
gallons per minute, or seconds per minute per day
Discharge
Area
(ground water) – area where subsurface water is discharged to
the land surface, to surface water, or to the atmosphere
Dissolved
Oxygen
- oxygen dissolved in water and available to aquatic organisms;
one of the most important indicators of the condition of a water
body; concentrations below 5 mg/l are stressful and may be lethal
to many fish and other species
Dissolved
Solids
– minerals and organic matter dissolved in water
Disturbance
– any change in an ecosystem
Diurnal
– of or pertaining to a day; occurring over a 24–hour period
Diversity
– a combination of the number of taxa (see taxa richness) and
the relative abundance of those taxa; a variety of diversity
indexes has been developed to calculate diversity
Dominant
species –
a plant species that exerts a controlling influence on or defines
the character of a community
Dormant
–
period when a plant is not actively growing, but is still alive
(i.e., for most wetland plants in NY in the winter)
Drainage
Basin –
the land area drained by a river or stream; also known as “watershed”;
the area is determined by topography that divides drainages
between watersheds
Drained
–
a condition in which ground or surface water has been reduced
or eliminated from an area by artificial means
Dredge
–
to remove the mud and sediment from a wetland area or waterbody
Drought
–
a prolonged period of less–than–normal precipitation such that
the lack of water causes a serious hydrologic imbalance; a period
of very dry weather
E
Ecological
– refers to the relationship between living things and their
environment
Ecological
Integrity –
the condition of an unimpaired ecosystem when it is both healthy
(that is when it can maintain essential ecological processes
such as waste assimilation and micro–climate control) and can
support evolutionary and co-evolutionary changes over time
Ecology
– the branch of biology that studies the interaction of living
organisms with each other and their environment
Economic
–having
to do with the management of finances or with the production,
distribution, and consumption of wealth
Ecosystem
– an organic community of plants and animals viewed within its
physical environment (habitat); the ecosystem results from the
interaction between soil, climate, vegetation and animal life
Emergent
Plants
– water plants with roots and part of the stem submerged below
water level, but the rest of the plant is above water; cattails
and bulrushes
Emergent
Wetland –
a wetland class dominated by emergent plants; include marshes
and wet meadows. (abbreviated EM)
Emersed
–
rising above the surface of water
Endangered
Species –
any species of plant or animal that is having trouble surviving
and reproducing; often caused by loss of habitat, not enough
food, or pollution; protected by governments in an effort to
keep them from becoming extinct
Enhance
(wetland)
– to improve existing wetlands to benefit a particular function
or value, sometimes at the expense of other functions and values
Environment
–
the sum of all conditions and influences affecting the life
of organisms
Ephemeral
Stream –
a stream or part of a stream that flows only in direct response
to precipitation; it receives little or no water from springs,
melting snow, or other sources; its channel is at all times
above the water table
Erosion
–
the process whereby materials of the Earth's crust are loosened,
dissolved, or worn away and simultaneously moved from one place
to another
Estuaries – the part of the wide lower course of a river where its current is met by ocean tides; an arm of the sea that extends inland to meet the mouth of a river; has somewhat salty water and tidal activity
Estuarine Wetlands – tidal wetlands in low–wave–energy environments where the salinity of the water is greater than 0.5 part per thousand and is variable owing to evaporation and the mixing of seawater and freshwater; tidal wetlands of coastal rivers and embayments, salty tidal marshes, mangrove swamps, and tidal flats
Evapotranspiration
–
a term that includes water discharged to the atmosphere as a
result of evaporation from the soil and surface-water bodies
and by plant transpiration
Evergreen
–
plants that retain their leaves throughout the year
Exoskeleton
– the hard outer covering that supports or protects the soft
tissue of an organism such as the shells on turtles, snails
and lobsters
Exotic
Species –
plants or animals not native to the area
Extirpated
– a local population of a species that no longer exists but
populations exist elsewhere
F
Facultative
Plant (FAC) –
plants which are equally likely to occur in wetlands or non–wetlands
(estimated probability 34 to 66 percent)
Facultative
Upland Plant (FACU) –
plants which usually occur in non– wetlands but are occasionally
found in wetlands (estimated probability 1 to 33 percent)
Facultative
Wetland Plant (FACW) –
plants which usually occur in wetlands (estimated probability
67 to 99 percent)
Fen – peat-accumulating wetland that generally receives water from surface runoff and (or) seepage from mineral soils in addition to direct precipitation; generally alkaline; or slightly acid
Field
Indicator –
a characteristic observed in the field that indicates the presence
of wetland vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology as
defined by the 1987 COE Wetland Delineation Manual
Fill
–
the process where low-lying, wet land is filled with materials
in an attempt to make it arable or suitable for construction,
any material that raises the ground elevation of a wetland or
waterbody
Fix
– to make more stable; plant roots fix soil making it more resistant
to erosion
Floating
Plants
– water plants with floating leaves; may be free-floating, such
as duckweed, or attached to the bottom by a root system as in
the case with pond lilies
Flooded
- a
condition in which the soil surface is temporarily covered with
flowing water from any source, such as streams overflowing their
banks, runoff from adjacent or surrounding slopes, inflow from
high tides, or any combination of sources
Flood
Attenuation
– a weakening or reduction in the force or intensity of a flood
Flood
Plain
– a strip of relatively flat land bordering a stream channel
that may be overflowed at times of high water; the amount of
land inundated during a flood is relative to the severity of
a flood event
Fluvial
–
pertaining to a river or stream
Flyway
–
a specific air route taken by birds during migration
Food
Chain –
interrelations of organisms that feed upon each other, transferring
energy and nutrients; typically solar energy is processed by
plants who are eaten by herbivores which in turn are eaten by
carnivores: sun –> grass –> mouse –> owl
Food Web – the combined food chains of a community or ecosystem
Frequently Flooded - a flooding class in which flooding is likely to occur often under normal weather conditions (more than 50-percent chance of flooding in any year or more than 50 times in 100 years)
Forested
Wetland
– a wetland class where the soil is saturated and often inundated,
and woody plants taller than 20 feet form the dominant cover,
e.g. red maple, American elm, and tamarack; water tolerant shrubs
often form a second layer beneath the forest canopy, with a
layer of herbaceous plants growing beneath the shrubs (abbreviated
FO)
Freshwater
–
water without salt in it, like ponds and streams
Fringe Wetland – wetland near a large body of water that receives significant and regular two-way flow
Functions – the roles that wetlands serve, which are of value to society or environment
G
Geomorphic
–
pertaining to the form of the Earth or of its surface features
Geomorphology
–
the science that treats the general configuration of the Earth's
surface; the description of landforms
Gleyed
–
soil condition resulting from prolonged soil saturation, evidenced
by the presence of bluish or greenish colors through the soil
or in mottles (spots or streaks) among other colors; occurs
under reducing soil conditions resulting from soil saturation,
by which iron is reduced predominantly to the ferrous state
Ground
Water
– in the broadest sense, all subsurface water; more commonly
that part of the subsurface water in the saturated zone; a layer
of underground water that forms when precipitation soaks into
the soil and becomes trapped between the soil above and a rock
or clay layer below
Ground
Water Discharge –
ground water that emerges at the land surface, in the form of
springs or seepage areas; ground water can also discharge into
rivers (via bank seepage) and sustain flow during the drier
months
Groundwater
Flow System
– the underground pathway by which groundwater moves from areas
of recharge to areas of discharge
Groundwater
Recharge
– the process whereby infiltrating rain, snowmelt or surface
water enters and replenishes the groundwater stores
Growing
Season
– the period of the year when the soil temperature at 19.7 inches
below the soil surface is above biological zero; for ease of
determination this period can be approximated by the number
of frost-free days
Gully
Erosion –
a form of erosion that can occur on riverbanks which is related
to overland drainage down the bank and not to river processes
H
Habitat
– the sum total of all the living and non-living factors that
surround and potentially influence an organism; a particular
organism's environment
Halophyte
–
a plant that is adapted to grow in salty soils
Hardpan
– a relatively hard, impervious, and usually clayey layer of
soil lying at or just below land surface-produced as a result
of cementation by precipitation of insoluble minerals
Herbs
– succulent, non-woody plants that die down at the end of the
growing season
Histic
Epipedon –
an 8- to 16-in. soil layer at or near the surface that is saturated
for 30 consecutive days or more during the growing season in
most years and contains a minimum of 20 percent organic matter
when no clay is present or a minimum of 30 percent organic matter
when 60 percent or greater clay is present
Histosol
– soil
that has organic materials in more than half of the upper 32
inches or of any thickness overlying bedrock; formed almost
exclusively in wetlands (except for folists, which are formed
in forests)
Hydraulic
Head –
the height of the free surface of a body of water above a given
point beneath the surface
Hydraulic
Gradient
– the change of hydraulic head per unit of distance in a given
direction
Hydric
–
relating to, marked by, or requiring considerable moisture
Hydric
Soil
– a soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during
the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions that favor
the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation; field
indicators of hydric soils can include: a thick layer of decomposing
plant material on the surface; the odor of rotten eggs; and
colors of bluish–gray, gray, black, or sometimes gray with contrasting
brighter spots of color
Hydrogeomorphic
– of or pertaining to a synthesis of the geomorphic setting,
the water source and its transport, and hydrodynamics
Hydrogeomorphic
(HGM) Classification
– a wetland classification system based on the position of a
wetland in the landscape (geomorphic setting), dominant sources
of water, and the flow and fluctuation of water once in the
wetland; hydrogeomorphic classes include riverine, depressional,
slope, mineral soil flats, organic soil flats, estuarine fringe,
and lacustrine fringe
Hydrogeomorphic
(HGM) Approach –
a method that compares a wetland's functions (e.g., water retention,
nutrient cycling) to similar wetlands of the same type (as defined
by HGM classification) that are relatively unaltered; HGM functions
normally fall into one of three major categories: (1) hydrologic
(e.g., storage of surface water), (2) biogeochemical (e.g.,
removal of elements and compounds), and (3) habitat (e.g., maintenance
of plant and animal communities)
Hydrologic
Cycle
– the circulation of water from the sea, through the atmosphere,
to the land, and thence back to the sea by overland and subterranean
routes
Hydroperiod
– depth, duration, seasonality, and frequency of flooding
Hydrophyte
–
plants that have adapted mechanisms for survival in saturated
or inundated soils with anaerobic conditions; examples include
cattails, bulrushes, willows; a plant that can, and often must,
live in water
I
Immersed
–
covered completely in a liquid; submerged
Impaired
–
condition of the quality of water that has been adversely affected
for a specific use by contamination or pollution.
Index of Biological Integrity – an integrative expression of site condition across multiple metrics; often composed of at least seven metrics; plural form is either indices or indexes; similar to economic indexes used for expressing the condition of the economy
Indicator
– organism, ecological community, or structural feature so strictly
associated with a particular environmental condition that its
presence indicates the existence of the condition
Infiltration
– the downward movement of water from the atmosphere into soil
or porous rock
Inorganic
– containing no carbon; matter other than plant or animal
Inorganic
Soil
– soil with less than 20 percent organic matter in the upper
16 inches
Interdependent
– mutually
dependent
Interface
–
in hydrology, the contact zone between two fluids of different
chemical or physical makeup
Intermittent
Stream
– streams that flow primarily during the wet seasons when the
water table is high, and remain dry for a portion of the year;
most intermittent streams flow for a good portion of the year
Intertidal
–
alternately flooded and exposed by tides
Intertidal
Habitat
– the tidal area between the mean lower low water and mean higher
high water which is alternately exposed and covered by water
twice daily
Inundation
–
a condition in which water from any source temporarily or permanently
covers a land surface.
Invertebrate
– an animal with no backbone or spinal column; invertebrates
include 95% of the animal kingdom
Ion
–
a positively or negatively charged atom or group of atoms
Irrigation
–
controlled application of water to arable land to supply requirements
of crops not satisfied by rainfall
Isolated
Wetland
– wetland not regulated by the COE because it does not have
an interstate commerce connection; typically does not have surface
water connection to other waters or wetlands
J
Jurisdictional
Wetlands
– wetlands which are under the jurisdiction of the COE and the
EPA pursuant to Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act because
they meet the COE and EPA definition of wetlands; those areas
which "...are inundated or saturated by surface or ground
water at a frequency and duration to support, and that under
normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation
typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions";
identified in the field based on the 1987 Corps of Engineers
Wetland Delineation Manual which requires indicators of
the following three parameters:
A) a dominance
of wetland plants;
B) hydric
soils; and
C) wetlands
hydrology
K
Karst
–
a type of topography that results from dissolution and collapse
of carbonate rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum,
and that is characterized by closed depressions or sinkholes,
caves, and underground drainage
Kettle
–
a steep-sided hole or depression, commonly without surface drainage,
formed by the melting of a large detached block of stagnant
ice that had been buried in the glacial drift
Kettle
Lake
– a body of water occupying a kettle, as in a pitted outwash
plain or in a kettle moraine
Knee–
A part of the root of a wetland tree that emerges from the water
in which the tree is growing; common on bald cypress (see “pneumatophore”)
L
Lacustrine
–
pertaining to, produced by, or formed in a lake
Lacustrine
Wetlands –
wetlands within a lake or reservoir greater than 20 acres or
within a lake or reservoir less than 20 acres if the water is
greater than 2 meters deep in the deepest part of the basin;
ocean-derived salinity must be less than 0.5 part per thousand
Lagoon
–
a shallow stretch of seawater (or lake water) near or communicating
with the sea (or lake) and partly or completely separated from
it by a low, narrow, elongate strip of land
Landscape
Ecology
– specialty that deals with the patterns and processes of biological
systems at the scale of hundreds to thousands of acres
Landscape
Perspective
– method of viewing the interactive parts of a geographic areas
that are not necessarily in the same watershed
Leachate
–
a liquid that has percolated through soil containing soluble
substances and that contains certain amounts of these substances
in solution
Life
Zone
– major area of plant and animal life; region characterized
by particular plants and animals and distinguished by temperature
differences
Limnetic
–
the deepwater zone (greater than 2 meters deep); a subsystem
of the Lacustrine System in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
wetland classification system
Littoral
–
the shallow–water zone (less than 2 meters deep) at the edge
of a lake or pond; a subsystem in the Lacustrine System of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetland classification system
Load
–
material that is moved or carried by streams, reported as weight
of material transported during a specified time period, such
as tons per year
Lotic
– pertaining to or living in flowing water
M
m –
meter; there are approximately 39 inches in a meter
Macroinvertebrates
– animals without backbones that can be seen with the naked
eye (caught with a 1-mm2 mesh net); includes insects,
crayfish, snails, mussels, clams, fairy shrimp, etc.
Macrophyte
– any plant species that can be readily observed without the
aid of optical magnification; this includes all vascular plant
species and mosses (e.g., Sphagnum spp.), as well as large algae
(e.g. Chara spp., kelp)
Macrophytic
– a term referring to a plant species that is a macrophyte
Main
Stem
– the principal trunk of a river or a stream
Man-Induced
Wetland –
any area that develops wetland characteristics due to some activity
(e.g., irrigation) of man
Mangroves
–
tropical evergreen trees found in swamps
Mangrove
Forest
– wetland in tropical areas, such as the coasts of Florida,
Africa, Mexico, Australia, that has mangrove trees and either
fresh or salt water
Marine
Wetland
– wetlands that are exposed to waves and currents of the open
ocean and to water having a salinity greater than 30 parts per
thousand; present along the coastlines of the open ocean
Maturity
–
a stage in the evolutionary erosion of land areas where the
flat uplands have been widely dissected by deep river valleys
Maturity
(stream) –
the stage in the development of a stream at which it has reached
its maximum efficiency, when velocity is just sufficient to
carry the sediment delivered to it by tributaries; characterized
by a broad, open, flat–floored valley having a moderate gradient
and gentle slope
Mean
Low Tide –
the average altitude of all low tides recorded at a given place
over a 19–year period
Mean
High Tide –
the average altitude of all high tides recorded at a given place
over a 19–year period
Mesophyte
–
any plant growing where moisture and aeration conditions lie
between the extremes of "wet" and "dry"
Method
– a
particular procedure or set of procedures to be followed
mg/l
–
milligrams per liter; a unit of concentration
Migratory
– a creature that moves from one region to another when the
seasons change
Mineral
soil
– soil composed predominantly of mineral rather than organic
materials; less than 20 percent organic material
Monitoring
–
the regular measurement of an area or quantity/quality over
time (generally of things that can change)
Mottle
– contrasting spots of bright colors in a soil; an indication
of some oxidation or ground water level fluctuation
Muck
–
dark, finely divided, well–decomposed, organic matter forming
a surface deposit in some poorly drained areas
Mudflat
– bare, flat bottoms of lakes, rivers and ponds, or coastal
waters, largely filled with organic deposits, freshly exposed
by a lowering of the water level; a broad expanse of muddy substrate
commonly occurring in estuaries and bays
Muskeg
–
large expanses of peatlands or bogs that occur in sub arctic
zones
N
Native
– an
animal or plant that lives or grows naturally in a certain region
Natural
Levee –
a long, broad, low ridge built by a stream on its flood plain
along one or both banks of its channel in time of flood
Naturalist
– a person who appreciates, studies and interprets the natural
environment
Navigable
Water
– a water that has in the past, currently is or can be used
for interstate commerce (i.e., movement of logs downstate);
term is defined differently by the COE under the different regulatory
programs
Niche
– the way of life of an organism; how it get its food, its behavior
and impact on other organisms and habitat; the location and
function of a living organism in its environment
Nonpersistent
Emergent Plants –
emergent plants whose leaves and stems break down at the end
of the growing season from decay or by the physical forces of
waves and ice; at certain seasons, there are no visible traces
of the plants above the surface of the water
Nonpoint
Source –
a source (of any water–carried material) from a broad area,
rather than from discrete points
Nonrenewable
–
something that is limited in supply and cannot be replenished
by natural processes, at least for thousands of years; fossil
fuels are a nonrenewable resource
Nuisance
Species –
undesirable plants and animals, commonly exotic species
Nutrient
–
any inorganic or organic compound that provides the nourishment
needed for the survival of an organism
O
Obligate
Upland Plant (UPL) –
plants which almost always occur in uplands (estimated probability
greater than 99 percent)
Obligate
Wetland Plant (OBL) – plants
which almost always occur in wetlands (estimated probability
greater than 99 percent)
Off-site
Determination Method –
a method of assessing, from an office, the probability and estimated
size/location of wetlands on a site
Oligotrophic
– poor in nutrients; said of lakes and ponds
One–Hundred–Year
Flood
– refers to the floodwater levels that would occur once in 100
years, or as a 1.0 percent probability per year
On-site
Determination Method
– a method for identifying the location and extent of wetlands
from the field
Open
Water
– a wetland class consisting of areas of open water less than
6.6 feet deep; there are often submerged or floating–leaved
plants in the shallower portions along the edges of the waterbody
(abbreviated OW)
Ordinary
High Water Mark
– that line on the shore established by the fluctuations of
water and indicated by physical characteristics such as clear,
natural line impressed on the bank, shelving, changes in the
character of soil, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, the
presence of litter and debris, or other appropriate means that
consider the characteristics of the surrounding areas
Organic
–
containing carbon, but possibly also containing hydrogen, oxygen,
chlorine, nitrogen, and other elements
Organic
Material –
anything that is living or was living; in soil it is usually
made up of nuts, leaves, twigs, bark, etc.
Organic
Soil –
soil that contains more than 20 percent organic matter in the
upper 16 inches
Organic
Waste
– the decaying or decayed matter from once living organisms
Organism
– a living thing
Overland
Flow –
the flow of rainwater or snowmelt over the land surface toward
stream channels
Oxbow
–
a bow–shaped lake formed in an abandoned meander of a river
Oxidized
Rhizosphere
– precipitation of orange-ish ferric compounds around the roots
and rhizomes of plants growing in frequently saturated soils;
caused by oxidation of the soil immediately surrounding the
root from the discharge of oxygen by the roots or rhizomes of
a plant
P
Palustrine
Wetlands –
freshwater wetlands including open water bodies of less than
20 acres in which water is less than 2 meters deep; includes
marshes, wet meadows, fens, playas, potholes, pocosins, bogs,
swamps, and shallow ponds; most wetlands are classified as Palustrine
Parameter–
a
characteristic component of a unit that can be defined; vegetation,
soil, and hydrology are three parameters that may be used to
define wetlands
Peat
–
organic material (leaves, bark, nuts) that has decayed partially;
it is dark brown with identifiable plant parts, and can be found
in peatlands and bogs
Perched
Groundwater –
unconfined ground water separated from an underlying main body
of ground water by an unsaturated zone, typically by an impermeable
clay layer
Percolation
–
the movement, under hydrostatic pressure, of water through interstices
of a rock or soil (except the movement through large openings
such as caves)
Perennial
–
a plant that grows year after year
Perennial
Stream
– a stream that normally has water in its channel at all times
because it is sustained by groundwater discharge as well as
by surface runoff
Periphyton
–
micro–organisms that coat rocks, plants, and other surfaces
on lake bottoms
Permeability
–
the capacity of a rock for transmitting a fluid; a measure of
the relative ease with which a porous medium can transmit a
liquid
Persistent
Emergent Plant
– species of plants whose stems show above the water and do
not deteriorate when the plant goes dormant (e.g. cattails)
pH –
a measure of the acidity (less than 7) or alkalinity (greater
than 7) of a solution; a pH of 7 is considered neutral
Physiographic
Province –
a region in which the landforms differ significantly from those
of adjacent regions
Physiography
–
a description of the surface features of the Earth, with an
emphasis on the mode or origin
Photosynthesis
–
process by which green plants (chlorophyll containing) make
food by combining carbon dioxide and water using energy from
sunlight
Phytoplankton
– microscopic, free–floating plants that drift in the water
Piping – erosion by percolating water in a layer of subsoil, resulting in caving and in the formation of narrow conduits, tunnels, or "pipes" through which soluble or granular soil material is removed
Playa
–
a dry, flat area at the lowest part of an undrained desert basin
in which water accumulates and is quickly evaporated; underlain
by stratified clay, silt, or sand and commonly by soluble salts;
term used in Southwestern United States
Pneumatophore
– specialized
roots formed on several species of plants occurring frequently
in inundated habitats; root is erect and protrudes above the
soil surface
Pocosin
–
a local term along the Atlantic coastal plain, from Virginia
south, for a shrub-scrub wetland located on a relatively flat
terrain, often between streams
Point
Source
– originating at any discrete source (i.e., a discharge pipe)
Pond
–
a relatively small body of standing, fresh water; usually shallow
enough for sunlight to reach the bed
Ponded
–
a condition in which water stands in a closed depression; water
may be removed only by percolation, evaporation, and/or transpiration
Poorly
Drained
– water is removed from the soil so slowly that the soil is
saturated periodically during the growing season or remains
wet for long periods
Population
– a collection of individuals of one species or mixed species
making up the residents of a prescribed area
Porosity
– the ratio of the volume of voids in a rock or soil to the
total volume
Positive
Wetland Indicator – any evidence of the presence
of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soil, and/or wetland hydrology
in an area
Potential Evapotranspiration – the amount of moisture which, if available, would be removed from a given land area by evapotranspiration, expressed in units of water depth
Pothole or Prairie Pothole – a term often used to describe the small, shallow ponds and marshes formed by Pleistocene glaciation in the grasslands of the northern United States and southern Canada; "kettlehole" was the original term usedppt
– parts per thousand. The salinity of ocean water is approximately
35 ppt
Precipitation
– the process by which condensed water builds up in clouds and
falls to the ground as rain, sleet, snow, or hail
Preservation
– the protection and maintenance of organisms or ecosystems
for personal or special use
Prevalence
Index
– weighted average; a single number that summarizes quantitative
data about a large number of species within a community and
gives weight to each species’ contribution to the final number
in terms of an assigned value
Prey
– an animal that is eaten by other animals
Prior
Converted Wetland
– wetland converted to farmable land before December 23, 1985
Pristine
–
the earliest condition of the quality of a water body; unaffected
by human activities
Public
Participation
– involvement by citizens in the community, especially in decision-making
Q
Quadrat
–
an area of a certain size (generally from 1 to 20 square meters)
within which biodiversity is assessed/ monitored
Quantitative
– a precise measurement or determination expressed numerically
R
Ramsar
Convention –
an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation of wetlands
Rapid
Assessment
– an assessment methodology that can be able to be completed
in a short time (i.e., a few hours)
Reach
–
a continuous part of a stream between two specified points
Reaeration
–
the replenishment of oxygen in water from which oxygen has been
removed
Recharge
(groundwater) –
the process whereby infiltrating rain, snowmelt or surface water
enters and replenishes the ground water stores
Recharge
Area (groundwater) –
an area in which water infiltrates the ground and reaches the
zone of saturation
Recurrence
Interval
– the average interval of time within which the magnitude of
a given event, such as a storm or flood, will be equaled or
exceeded once
Redox Potential – oxygen-reduction potential; often used to quantify the degree of electrochemical reduction of wetland soils under anoxic conditions
Reference Condition – set of selected measurements or conditions of minimally impaired waterbodies characteristic of a waterbody type in a region
Reference
Site –
a minimally impaired site that is representative of the expected
ecological conditions and integrity of other sites of the same
type and region
Regulation
(of a stream)
– artificial manipulation of the flow of a stream
Renewable
– something that can be replaced through natural processes if
not overused or contaminated
Reserve
– land put aside by the government with the intent to protect
a habitat
Resilience
–
the ability of land to return to a relatively stable and functioning
state following a disturbance Resource – something that is available
that can be used to take care of a need
Restore
–
to return a wetland (or other natural habitat) to a close approximation
of its condition prior to disturbance by modifying conditions
responsible for the loss or change
Return
Flow –
that part of irrigation water that is not consumed by evapotranspiration
and that returns to its source or another body of water
Riparian
–
pertaining to or situated on the bank of a natural body of flowing
water
Riparian
Forest –
a swamp that is narrow in width and runs along the shore of
and affects a river or stream
Riverine
Wetlands –
wetlands within river and stream channels; ocean–derived salinity
is less than 0.5 part per thousand
Rhizome
– an
elongated, underground root, which usually grows horizontally
and from which may sprout new plants
Rhizosphere–
the zone of soil in which interactions between living plant
roots and microorganisms occur
Root
zone–
the portion of a soil profile in which plant roots occur
Routine
Wetland Determination–
a type of wetland determination in which office data and/or
relatively simple, rapidly applied onsite methods are employed
to determine whether or not an area is a wetland; most wetland
determinations are of this type, which usually does not require
collection of quantitative data
Runoff
–
rainwater that flows over the land and into streams and lakes;
it often picks up soil particles along the way and transports
it into streams and lakes
Rush
–
grass–like plant that forms dense clumps, mostly in wet areas;
needle-like stems are cylindrical or flattened, hollow and green;
“rushes are round, sedges have edges”
S
Salina
–
an area where deposits of crystalline salt are formed, such
as a salt flat; a body of saline water, such as a saline playa
or salt marsh
Saline
Water
– water that is considered generally unsuitable for human consumption
or for irrigation because of its high content of dissolved solids;
generally expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved
solids; seawater is generally considered to contain more than
35,000 mg/L of dissolved solids
Salinity
–
the concentration of dissolved salts in a body of water; commonly
expressed as parts per thousand
Sample
Plot–
an
area of land used for measuring or observing existing conditions.
Salt
Flat –
the level, salt-encrusted bottom of a dried up lake or pond
Salt
Marsh –
flat land dominated by non-woody vegetation that is flooded
by salt water brought in by tides; it is found along saltwater
rivers, bays, and oceans
Salt
Meadow –
a meadow subject to overflow by salt water
Saltwater
–
water with a high concentration of salt; sometimes used synonymously
with seawater or saline water
Sand
–
a sedimentary material, finer than a granule and coarser than
silt, with grains between 0.06 and 2.0 millimeters in diameter
Saturated
Zone
– generally the zone within sediment and rock formations where
all voids are filled with water under pressure greater than
atmospheric
Saturation
–
a condition in which all easily drained voids (pores) between
soil particles are temporarily or permanently filled with water;
soil has as much water in it as it can hold
SAV
–
see submerged aquatic vegetation
Scrub
–
a straggly, stunted tree or shrub; a growth or tract of stunted
vegetation
Scrub–Shrub
Wetland
– a wetland class dominated by shrubs and woody plants that
are less than 20 feet tall, e.g. dogwoods, alders, red maple
saplings, etc.; water levels in shrub swamps can range from
permanent to intermittent flooding (abbr. SS)
Sea
Level –
the long–term average position of the sea surface; in this volume,
it refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929
Secondary
Succession –
an association of plants that develops after the destruction
of all or part of the original plant community
Sediment
–
fine–grained mineral and organic material in suspension, in
transit, or deposited by air, water, or ice on the earth's surface
Sedimentation
–
the act or process of forming or accumulating sediment in layers;
the process of deposition of sediment
Sedge
– grass–like plant, usually with solid triangular stems; “rushes
are round, sedges have edges”
Seep
– a wetland that forms in areas where groundwater discharges
to the land surface, often at the base of steep slopes, but
where water volume is too small to create a stream or creek;
these wetlands have a perpetually saturated soil but may have
little or no standing water
Shallows
–
a term applied to a shallow place or area in a body of water;
a shoal
Shrub
–
a woody plant generally less than 7 meters in height, having
several stems arising from the base and lacking a single trunk;
a bush
Shrubland
– land covered predominantly with shrubs
Shoal
–
a relatively shallow place in a stream, lake, or sea
Silt
–
one of three main parts of soil (sand, silt, and clay); silt
is small rock particles that are between .05 mm and .002 mm
in diameter
Siltation
–
the deposition or accumulation of silt (or small–grained material)
in a body of water
Silviculture
–
the cultivation of forest trees
Sinkhole
–
a depression in an area underlain by limestone; its drainage
is subterranean
Site
– the portion of land chosen as the basis for an activity or
ecological assessment
Slough
– a swamp or swamp-like region; a marshy or reedy pool, pond,
inlet, backwater or the like; a small marshy tract lying in
a swale or other local shallow undrained depression; a sluggish
creek or channel in a wetland
Slump
– a common form of riverbank erosion; can be caused by floodwaters
saturating the soil then falling quickly and carrying the bank
sediments with them, or by undercutting at the base of the bank
causing the section of bank above to topple; usually semi–circular
in shape and can vary from a few meters across up to 30m across
Soil–
unconsolidated mineral and organic material that supports, or
is capable of supporting, plants, and which has recognizable
properties due to the integrated effect of climate and living
matter acting upon parent material, as conditioned by relief
over time
Soil
Horizon –
a layer of soil that is distinguishable from adjacent layers
by characteristic physical and chemical properties
Soil
Matrix
– the portion of a given soil that has the dominant color; in
most cases the portion of the soil that has more than 50% of
the same color
Soil
Moisture –
water occurring in the pore spaces between the soil particles
in the unsaturated zone from which water is discharged by the
transpiration of plants or by evaporation from the soil
Soil
Profile
– a vertical section of a soil through all its horizons and
extending into the parent material
Soil
Types –
soils are commonly said to be sandy, loamy or clayey; sandy
soils are dominated by sand and fall apart easily and do not
have good water retention; loamy soils are where organic matter
makes the soil dark and friable, with good moisture retention;
clayey soils are dominated by clay to such an extent that you
can squeeze a 'ribbon' out of the moist soil
Somewhat
Poorly Drained–
soils that are wet near enough to the surface or long enough
that planting or harvesting operations or crop growth is markedly
restricted unless artificial drainage is provided; commonly
have a layer with low hydraulic conductivity, wet conditions
high in the profile, additions of water through seepage, or
a combination of these conditions
Spoil
–
overburden or other waste material removed in mining, quarrying,
dredging, or excavating
Spring
–
area where there is a concentrated discharge of ground water
that flows at the ground surface
Stage
–
height of the water surface above an established datum plane,
such as in a river above a predetermined point that may (or
may not) be near the channel floor
Staining
–
dark brown marks left on trees and on the ground made by water
Stakeholder
–
any person or organization with an interest in a site, project
or issue
Storm
Surge
– an abnormal and sudden rise of the sea along a shore as a
result of the winds of a storm
Stratigraphy
– features of geology dealing with the origin, composition,
distribution, and succession of geologic strata (layers)
Streamflow
–
the discharge of water in a natural channel
Submerged
Aquatic Vegetation
– plants that live entirely under water
Submergent
–
plants that grow and reproduce while completely submerged by
water, e.g. coontail and bladderworts
Submersed
Plant
– a plant that lies entirely beneath the water surface, except
for flowering parts in some species
Subsidence
–
the gradual downward settling or sinking of the Earth's surface
with little or no horizontal motion
Substrate
– the base or material on which an organism lives; subsoil
Subtidal
–
continuously submerged; an area affected by ocean tides
Surface
Runoff
– water that flows over the surface of the land as a result
of rainfall or snowmelt; surface runoff enters streams and rivers
to become channelized stream flow
Surface
Water
– water present above the substrate or soil surface; an open
body of water such as a lake, river, or stream
Survey
–
to examine the condition of an area or quality; to measure,
record and map the locations at particular points or boundaries
on a site
Suspended
Sediment –
sediment that is transported in suspension by a stream
Swale
– a slight depression, sometimes filled with water, in the midst
of generally level land
Swamp
– a wetland where the soil is saturated and often inundated
and dominated by shrubs (e.g., alder) or trees (e.g., red maple);
contrasting with a marsh that has non–woody plants
Systems
– a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements
forming a complex whole
T
Tarn
–
a relatively small and deep, steep–sided lake or pool occupying
an ice–gouged basin amid glaciated mountains
Taxa – a grouping of organisms given a formal taxonomic name such as species, genus, family, etc. (singular form is taxon)
Taxa
Richness –
the number of distinct species or taxa that are found in an
assemblage, community, or sample
Terrestrial
–
pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the Earth; refers
to anything that is land based
Terrain
–
physical features of a tract of land
Tidal
Flat –
an extensive, nearly horizontal, tract of land that is alternately
covered and uncovered by the tide and consists of unconsolidated
sediment
Tidal
Prism
– the total volume of water passing in and out of a particular
area, such as a lagoon or salt marsh, during a tidal cycle
Tidal
Wetland
– a wetland that is subject to the periodic rising and falling
of sea level generated by the gravitational forces of the moon
and the sun.
Tide
–
the rhythmic, alternate rise and fall of the surface (or water
level) of the ocean, and connected bodies of water, occurring
twice a day over most of the Earth, resulting from the gravitational
attraction of the Moon, and to a lesser degree, the Sun
Toe
– the base of the riverbank, streambank, or slope
Top
Soil
– the top layer of soil; it is full of organic material and
can be good for growing crops
Topography
–
the general configuration of a land surface or any part of the
Earth's surface, including its relief and the position of its
natural and man–made features
Transect
– a straight line of certain length marked out through a wetland
or upland, along which biodiversity is assessed or monitored
Transitional
Habitat
– areas where communities shift from one type (i.e. wetland)
to another (i.e. upland), where boundaries between the two can
be unclear; also used to describe a particular piece of ground
that is in transition because of responding to changed conditions,
for example an area where vegetation is becoming re–established
after having been graded
Transpiration
–
the process by which water passes through living organisms,
primarily plants, into the atmosphere
Trees
– woody plants greater than 7 meters tall, and usually with
one main trunk
Tundra
–
a vast, nearly level, treeless plain of the arctic and sub arctic
regions. It usually has a marshy surface that supports mosses,
lichens, and low shrubs, underlain by mucky soils and permafrost
Turbidity
–
the state, condition, or quality of opaqueness or reduced clarity
of a fluid due to the presence of suspended matter
Turbid
– cloudy or opaque water due to the suspension of sediment
U
Unconfined
Aquifer –
an aquifer whose upper surface is a water table free to fluctuate
under atmospheric pressure
Unconfined
River
– a river or stream that flows through soft sediments, capable
of being eroded; typically these rivers move across a floodplain
with time and have a high bank erosion risk
Under
Normal Circumstances
- as used in the definition of wetlands, this term refers to
situations in which the vegetation has not been substantially
altered by man's activities
Undercutting
–
a process of riverbank erosion whereby the base or 'toe' of
the riverbank is 'eaten away' as a result of river flow or wave
action. It results in the section of bank above becoming unstable
and prone to collapse
Understory
–
a foliage layer lying beneath and shaded by the main canopy
of a forest often formed by shrub vegetation
Unsaturated
Zone –
a subsurface zone above the water table where the pore spaces
may contain a combination of air and water
Upland
–
a general term for nonwetland; elevated land above low areas
along streams or between hills; any elevated region from which
rivers gather drainage
V
Values – the goods and services that come from a biological system, including wetlands and riparian areas, that benefit humans or human societyVascular Plant – a plant composed of or provided with vessels or ducts that convey water or sap; a fern is an example of this type of plant
Vegetation
Structure
– the structure of the vegetation in terms of layers, heights
and spacing between trees
Vernal
Pond
– temporary ponds that fill with water in the spring as a result
of snowmelt, spring rains, and/or elevated ground water tables
and dry up later in the year
Vernal
Pool –
a small lake or pond that is filled with water for only a short
time during the spring; many species of reptiles, amphibians,
insects and invertebrates rely on vernal pools for breeding
Very
Poorly Drained – water
is removed from the soil so slowly that water remains at or
on the surface during most of the growing season
Vulnerable
– a species that is at risk because of low or declining numbers
W
Water
Budget –
an accounting of the inflow to, outflow from, and storage changes
of water in a hydrologic unit
Water
Column –
an imaginary column extending through a water body from its
floor to its surface
Water
Cycle
– the process by which water evaporates into water vapor, condenses
into liquid form in the clouds, and precipitates as rain or
snow back to Earth
Water
Gap –
a deep, narrow pass in a mountain ridge, through which a stream
flows
Watermark–
a line on a tree or other upright structure that represents
the maximum static water level reached during an inundation
event
Water
Quality Standard – a
legally established state regulation consisting of three parts:
(1) designated uses, (2) criteria, and (3) antidegradation policy
Water
Table
– the upper level of the portion of the ground (rock) in which
all spaces are wholly saturated with water; the water table
may be located at or near the land surface or at a depth below
the land surface and usually fluctuates from season to season;
springs, seepages, marshes or lakes may occur where the water
table intersects the land surface
Water
Vapor
– tiny drops of water floating in the air
Watershed
–
all the water from precipitation (snow, rain, etc.) that drains
into a particular body of water (stream, pond, river, bay, etc.);
surface drainage area that contributes water to a lake, river,
or other body of water; the area drained by a watercourse; different
watersheds are separated by divides or water partings
Wet
Prairie
– herbaceous wetland dominated by grasses rather than sedges
and with waterlogged soil near the surface but without standing
water for most of the year
Wetland
– a vegetated ecosystem where water is a dominant factor in
its development and existence
Wetlands (Cowardin et al.) – are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. For purposes of this classification wetlands must have one or more of the following three attributes: (1) at least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytes (2) the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil and (3) the substrate is nonsoil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season of each year. Wetland
Boundary–
the point on the ground at which a shift from wetlands to nonwetlands
or aquatic habitats occurs; these boundaries usually follow
contours
Wetland
Determination–
the process or procedure by which an area is adjudged a wetland
or nonwetland
Wetland
Function –
a process or series of processes that take place within a wetland
that are beneficial to the wetland itself, the surrounding ecosystems,
and people
Wetland
Control Length –
the length (feet) of the crest of the restrictive feature that
would be overtopped if the water level in the wetland was raised
by one foot
Wetland
Soil–
a
soil that has characteristics developed in a reducing atmosphere,
which exists when periods of prolonged soil saturation result
in anaerobic conditions; hydric soils that are sufficiently
wet to support hydrophytic vegetation are wetland soils
Wetland
vegetation–
the sum total of macrophytic plant life that occurs in areas
where the frequency and duration of inundation or soil saturation
produce permanently or periodically saturated soils of sufficient
duration to exert a controlling influence on the plant species
present; hydrophytic vegetation occurring in areas that also
have hydric soils and wetland hydrology may be properly referred
to as wetland vegetation
Willow
Carr –
a pool, or wetland dominated by willow trees or shrubs
Z
Zonation
–
state or condition of being marked with bands, as of color or
texture; wetland vegetation often exhibits distinct zones characterized
by plant communities composed of different species
Zooplankton
–
free-floating animals that drift in the water, range from microscopic
organisms to larger animals such as jellyfish
References
A
Community Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Manual: Glossary.
A Community Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Manual, 2000.
http://www.zip.com.au/~aabr/cram/glossary.html
A Glossary of Wetland Terminology. Ballona Lagoon Marine Preserve, 1997. http://blmp.org/education/glossary.htm
Appendix A: Wetland Terms Glossary. Litchfield, NH Wetland Survey Home Page, 1996-1998. http://www.litchfield.mv.com/LCCWetlandWeb/index.htm
Appendix F: Glossary. Iowa Wetlands and Riparian Areas Conservation Plan, 1998. http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/iawetlands/Glossary.html
Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual. ACOE Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1 (on-line edition) 1987
Corps
of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual Appendix A: Glossary.
ACOE Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1 (on-line
edition) 1987http://www.wetlands.com/coe/87manglo.htm
Glossary
of Commonly Encountered Wetland-Related Terms and Units.
The California Environmental Resources Evaluation System, 1998.
http://ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/geo_info/so_cal/terms_definitions.html
Learning
About Wetlands Glossary.
The Wetland Writing Team, Athena Earth and Space Science for
K-12 1998. http://inspire.ospi.wednet.edu:8001/curric/land/wetland/gloss.html
Topic E: Wetland Ecosystems Glossary. Muriel Martin Elementary School, year unknown. http://mmem.spschools.org/grade5science/wetland/wetlandglossary.html
Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries. National Academy Press, 1995.
Wetland
Plants Glossary.
North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality, year unknown. http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/Wetplant/glossary.htm
Wetland
Words.
Environmental Concern, Inc. Wetland Education Department, year
unknown. http://www.wetland.org/educ_kids.htm
Wetland and Watershed Protection
Toolkit: Guidance Materials
for Local Governments in New York State
February, 2002
Preface | Importance
of Wetlands | Establishing a Wetland and
Watershed Program
Federal and State Regulatory Programs
| Local Government Methods of Wetland Protection
Non-Regulatory Methods of Wetland Protection
Outreach and Information Campaigns Technical
and Financial Assistance
Special Topics
| NYS Directory | Bibliography
| Glossary | UPDATES
Although
preparation of this “Wetland and Watershed Protection Toolkit for New York”
was funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Division
under Grant Assistance Agreement # X992998-99-0, the views represented in this
product should not be interpreted to be those of the US Environmental Protection
Agency.
This webpage last updated
November 22, 2009.
Comments or suggestions may be directed to webmaster@aswm.org.
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