The purpose of this glossary is provide a quick reference for terms that may appear on this website, linked websites or other sources of information pertaining to Greenways, streams etc.

The following definitions are primarily drawn form the glossaries in two publications. Bold words followed by a hyphen (-) are borrowed from the glossary found in the Adopt a Stream Manual. Bold words followed by a semicolon (:) are borrowed from the glossary in the Seine River Greenway Study. Please note the following web glossary does not present the complete glossaries found in either source. Words that are underlined are derived from other sources and have been added to augment the usefulness of this resource.

If there are words and definitions you would like to see included in this glossary please contact SOS be email through the contact page on this website.

The reader should not consider these definitions complete, and their meanings relied upon, without proper verification from other reliable sources.

A

Adaptation - any characteristic which has developed to improve a species' chance of survival in a particular habitat and is passed on genetically to subsequent generations

Algae - simple photosynthetic plants which do not create seeds

Algal bloom - a heavy growth of algae in or on a body of water as a result of high phosphate concentrations (usually caused by fertilizers and/or detergents)

Aquatic - found in or upon water; may refer to organisms which inhabit a water environment

B

Bar - silt, sand or gravel deposited on the inside of a stream meander or between the channels of a braided stream

Benthic - pertaining to the bottom of the water or streambed

Buffering strip - a strip of land along a stream bank left in its original condition i.e. not farmed, harvested for timber etc.

C

Carrying Capacity: capacity of a site to support a use without substantial negative impact on environmental features such as water quality, natural vegetation, soil, wildlife population and visual attractiveness.

Channel - the bed of a running stream, river etc

Community - the plants and animals that interact in a particular habitat e.g. stream community, riparian community

Conditioning - change in an organism in response to environmental conditions; these changes help the organism survive

Conduits area areas in the landscape along which water, animals, plants, and people move

Conservation: the wise management of the environment in a way which will maintain, restore, enhance and protect its quality and quantity for sustained benefit to humans and the environment.

Contaminant - substance which negatively affects the purity of water, air, etc

Corridors: a naturally existing linear feature that differs from the matrix on either side. It usually has concave boundaries rather than the straight lines as in a network. An advantage of corridors is that it can facilitate migration and gene exchange among species. An example of a corridor which is evident in southern Manitoba, is a river corridor which is surrounded by an agricultural matrix on either side.

Cover - overhanging or in stream structures such as roots, undercut stream banks, boulders that offer protection from predators or shelter from strong currents

Cultural Landscape: a cultural landscape is a product of human activity over time modifying the landscape for their own purpose, and is an aggregation of human-made features such as a village, farmland, waterways, transportation corridors, and other artifacts.

Current - velocity of flow measured in metres/second

D

Dam - a structure built to hold back flowing water

Decomposer - a stream organism such as a bacterium or fungus which degrades dead organic matter

Density: typically refers to the measurement of a population, which in simple terms, is the number present within a unit of area. This may be a poor measure because the size of some plant species may be more important in terms of density rather than the number of that species in that area.

Developer: a person or company who coordinates the ownership, financing, designing, and other activities necessary to bring about subdivision and construction of infrastructure on land for a new purpose, generally residential, commercial, or industrial use.

Development: the actions taken to acquire a zoning permit, special-use permit, conditional-use permit, or sign permit. Also refers to land that has been cleared or that has had residential, commercial, or business structures erected on it.

Discharge - the amount of water flowing past a given point in a stream, measured in cubic metres/second

Dissolved Oxygen - oxygen dissolved in water; it is essential for plant and animal growth

Diversity: there are two aspects of diversity which are species richness (the number of different species in a community) and species equitability (relative distribution of the numbers of species). Each should be considered in determining diversity as the value of each aspect may contradict each other.

E

Easement: written authorization by a property owner for the use of a designated part of the property by another or others for a specified purpose, such as recreation or running utility lines.

Ecology: the study of interactions between an individual and its environment

Ecosystem: a community of organisms (animal and plants) functioning and interacting together in their physical environment (air, water, minerals, etc.).

Edge Habitat an area of transition between two types of land cover (habitat) Usually surrounds a natural area due to fragmentation

Edge Effect A habitat's edge, created by clearing vegetation (road or field) increases the penetration of wind and light up to 35 - 100 feet into a forest, and allows penetration of 'edge species' like predators, 1,000 - 2,000 feet into a forest. This effect alters the habitat quality and suitability for some native species.

Effluent - waste liquid flowing into a body of water from a sewage treatment plant. Industrial plant, etc.

Eminent domain: the right of a government unity to take private property for public use, with appropriate compensation to the owner.

Enhancement Areas are areas where a lack of a natural understory was observed but a native tree canopy still existed

Environment - the combination of physical, chemical and biological factors which are present in a particular area

Environmental Impact: the net change (positive or negative) in human health and the condition of the environment that results from actions, activities or developments.

Environmentally Sound: the maintenance of a healthy environment and the protection of life-sustaining ecological processes. It is based on thorough knowledge and requires or will result in products, manufacturing processes, developments, etc. which are in harmony with essential ecological processes and human health.

Environmentally sensitive: areas so designated include wetlands, steep slopes, waterways, underground water recharge areas, shores, natural plant and animal habitats, and other land forms that are easily disturbed by development.

Ephemeral stream - a stream channel which only carries water during and immediately after periods of rainfall or snowmelt

Erosion - a wearing away of the earth's surface by ice, wind, water, etc.

Eutrophication - increase in nutrient levels; this may be a natural process, but if it is excessive can cause deterioration in water quality since it can result in algal blooms, etc. If caused by human action it may be referred to as cultural eutrophication

F

Fauna - the animal life characterizing a specific geographic region or environment

Fish Habitat: the spawning grounds and nursery, rearing, food supply, and migration areas on which fish depend, directly or indirectly, in order to carry out their life processes.

Flood Plain: the area, usually lowlands, adjoining a water course which has been, or may be covered by flood water.
Flora - the plant life characterizing a specific geographic region or environment

Food chain - sequence of organisms through which food energy is passed e.g. plants - mice - owls; plants - hares - lynx

Fragmentation dividing a natural area into fragments, creating a barrier for the movement of wildlife. Reduced natural spaces can harm some species that require large areas for habitat. Also creates 'Edge' Habitat and resultant Edge effects.

G

Goal(s): desired future result(s). Goals in combination with an organization's mandate define its activities and work (roles).

Gradient - the slope of a stream bed

Greenway: linear open space connecting parks, nature preserves, and cultural and historical sites with each other, and with developed, populated areas. The greenway may contain formal elements to provide alternative transportation routes for pedestrians and bicyclists, or it may be total undeveloped.

Ground water - water that sinks into the soil and collects in a permeable soil layer above an impermeable rock layer; under suitable conditions it can flow underground toward a stream, lake or ocean

H

Habitat: a place where an organism lives. The total requirement of plants and animals to sustain their species, including food, light heat, cover, water, and opportunities for breeding replacement individuals of the population.

Headwaters - small rills and creeks at the uppermost end of a stream system; the origin of a stream

Herbicide - substance used to control unwanted plants

Heritage Property: features in or on the land or underwater and considered to be a consultable record of past human activities, endeavours or events (e.g. buildings, street furniture, engineering works, planting and archaeological sites).

Heritage Tree Status is defined as trees with the potential to be given heritage tree status. Candidates were selected because they represented extraordinary examples of a particular tree type. Features used to select a tree include overall size and age.

Hydrological cycle (water cycle) - cycle in which water falls, runs off in rivers, lakes, oceans, etc and re-enters the atmosphere through evaporation

I

Insecticide - substance used to kill insects

Interjurisdictional: involving more than one authority or level of authority, eg. Issues, responsibilities, activities which require the participation of the provincial and federal government, provincial and municipal government, provincial and a foreign government and between departments of the same government.

Intermittent stream - stream which carries water a considerable portion of the time but which ceases to flow occasionally or seasonally because bed seepage and evaporation exceed available water supply

Introduced: species or habitat created or transported by people or their activities.

Inventory: a survey of selected natural resources not necessarily including an assessment.

Invertebrate - animal without a backbone e.g. insect, shellfish

L

Land Acquisition: lands to be purchased or leased normally on an opportunity basis, and lands that can be acquired through donation, credit reserve or any other manner. Lands being used for agricultural purposes, that are periodically "soaked" or "wet", are not considered to be Wetlands in this definition. Such lands, whether or not they were Wetlands at one time are considered to have been converted to alternate uses.

Landfill site - location designated for the disposal of solid waste

Larva (pl. larvae) - stage which hatches from an egg in life cycle of insect species with 4 stages in their life cycles; it advances to the pupa stage

Leaching - the dissolving of materials into water as it filters through the soil, sand, etc.

Life Cycle - progressive series of changes undergone by an organism from fertilization to death

Life Cycle [Costing, Costs]: the life (total accumulated economic, environmental and social costs) of a product, or facility including all stages in its production, manufacture, distribution, consumption, reuse and eventual disposal.

M

Meander - the curved pattern of a stream channel

Meandering - the process by which a stream winds or snakes its way across a floodplain, continually changing its course by erosion and by the transportation and deposition of sediment

Metabolism - chemical processes within an organism, including respiration, conversion of food to energy

Microhabitat - a small specialized area which differs significantly in some way from the area around it

Microorganism - microscopically small organism; unicellular plant, animal or bacterium

Migrate - to move from one place to another e.g. many fish species migrate to a different habitat to spawn

Mitigation: techniques or requirements (eg. Conditions of development approval) aimed at reducing or neutralizing identified negative environmental, economic or social effects of a proposed activity, policy or development. Mitigation can include repair, replacement, cleanup, reconstruction or other methods to restore conditions to their previous undisturbed state.

N

Native: species of animals or plants that have not been introduced by people or their direct activities

Natural: ecological processes that are relatively unchanged by humans

Nymph - intermediate stage between egg and adult in life cycle of insect species with 3 stages in their life cycle

O

On-Street Trail: an officially-designated route which is part of a network of trials that occur on existing roadways. An on-street trail may be a shared roadway or include additional paving width, striping, or signing for the exclusive use of bicycles.

Open Space: undeveloped or mostly undeveloped land, especially within an urbanized region, serves as a buffer between densely developed parcels.

Organic matter - matter which originates from a living source. It may form from plant or animal sources e.g. dead leaves, sewage

Oxbow - wetland area originally formed by a closely looping U-shaped stream meander; it is no longer connected to the main stream

P

Parameter - a variable such as temperature, dissolved oxygen or fish population which can be measured in a survey or sampling procedure

Parkway is an open space connector linking parks, nature reserves, cultural features or historic sites with each other and with populated areas.

Partnership: a relationship that exists between parties having specified and joint rights and responsibilities.

Patch or Habitat Patches are landscapes containing communities or species groups surrounded by a landscape of different structure or composition. An example would be Central Park in New York as a patch that is surrounded by buildings and pavement.

Percolate - to pass a liquid slowly through small spaces; to drain through

Pesticide - substance used to control or kill pests such as weeds or insects

pH - measure of acidity on a scale of 1 - 14, determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions; pH 7 is neutral; values below 7 are acid; above are alkaline

Photosynthesis - process in green plants whereby energy from the sun is used to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates, a form of chemical energy which can be used for food by many organisms. The process releases oxygen

Plankton - microscopic free-floating or suspended plants and animals which inhabit an aquatic environment and are used as food by some fish species

Poikilothermic - refers to an organism whose body temperature is near that of its surroundings; often referred to as cold-blooded

Pollutant - a substance which negatively affects the purity of some component of the environment such as air or water

Pool - area of relatively deep slow-moving water in a stream, often at the outside of a bend

Population - the individuals of a particular species living in a given area

Predator - organism [introduced or native] which attacks another, usually to feed on it

Preservation: the maintenance of natural or cultural heritage features in their current or original form, and the maintenance of the natural environment to allow natural processes to continue undisturbed by human intervention. While preservation is often used interchangeable with "conservation," the latter differs by implying the prudent use of a resources.

Protection: ensuring that human activities are now allowed to occur which will result in the unacceptable degradation of the quality of an environment.

Pupa - the inactive intermediate stage in the life cycle of some insect species; it occurs between the larva and adult and is enclosed in a hardened cuticle or cocoon

R

Raptor - bird which captures prey e.g. hawk, owl

Reclamation - restoration of land after development so that it is returned to a level of productivity near to its original state

Reforestation - planting and establishment of tree seedlings following removal of original tree growth

Regulations: those enforceable rules of the municipality and part of the zoning code which states, for example, the exact footage of setbacks, or the height of dwelling units, or the width of streets.

Restoration: the efforts to restore a disturbed site to near its natural and native condition

Regulated watershed - drainage area in which at least some of the streams are regulated by flow-control mechanisms such as dams and weirs

Respiration - chemical reactions from which an organism derives energy. In aerobic organisms, respiration requires oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide

Riffle - a shallow gravelly portion of streambed with swift current, used for spawning beds by many fish species; the most productive area of a stream

Rill - a shallow furrow eroded into the soil by runoff water

Riparian: the waters edge or ecotone between the aquatic and upland ecosystem (includes the waterway, its flood plain, its banks and immediate uplands)

Riparian Zone is defined as the area surrounding a stream or river and is composed of the stream, its flat plain, the steeper banks, and the uplands which are often wooded.

River Corridor: the band of vegetation along a river that differs from the surrounding environment

Rip-Rap - a foundation or wall made of broken rock or logs

Rivulet - a small stream

Runoff - water which drains from the surface of the land into a body of water

S

Scouring - gradual or rapid erosion of particles from the channel walls or bed caused by a concentration of the current

Sediment - fine soil or mineral particles

Sedimentation (siltation) - deposition of fine sediments which can cause clogging of gravel beds

Slash - waste from forestry operations e.g. brush, branches, etc

Spawn - to deposit and fertilize fish eggs

Species: a genetically distinctive group of natural populations that share a common gene pool that are reproductively isolated from all other such groups.

Stability: a community is considered stable if it can recover from a disturbance i.e. a fire. There are two terms often associated with stability, which are resistance and resilience. The former refers to the ability to resist change in the face of external stresses. A tropical rain forest, because of its high species diversity, has a high resistance. The tundra is considered low resistance. However, resilience refers to the ability to re-establish itself after the disturbance. The tundra has a high resilience because it generally has a low number of species (and often low biomass) but most of these species have a high reproductive capacity. The rain forest has a low resilience because it is very difficult to re-build such a complex system.

Stagnant - not moving or flowing

Stakeholder [Participation, Involvement]: individuals, groups or businesses that are interested, involved or affected by a particular action or activity.

Stewardship - a land ethic where people care for our land, air and water as parts of a natural system, and in a way that sustains and enhances it for generations to come.

Storm drain (storm sewer) - system of gutters, pipes and ditches used to carry away storm water runoff.

Stormwater runoff - surface water that washes off land after a rainstorm; in developed areas, rather than being allowed to drain into the soil, water flows off roofs and pavement into storm drains which feed directly into a stream or river.

Sustainable Development: A general philosophy, ethic and an approach to guide individual and collective behaviour in respect of the environment - where we live - (the life sustaining processes of the earth and its natural resources) and the economy - what we do - (provision of jobs, incomes and wealth) resulting from economic activity.

Stream flow - the discharge of water at any given time

Suspended particulate matter - fine soil or mineral particles that are prevented from settling out by the movement of the water, they create turbidity

T

Thalweg - path of maximum depth in a river or streams; this normally follows a meandering pattern back and forth across the stream

Toxic - poisonous, carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to life

Turbidity - cloudiness; usually caused by fine sediments suspended in the water; it is measured by passing light through a sample of the water

Turbulent - agitated

V

Velocity - rate of stream flow measured in metres/second

W

Watershed - entire drainage area or basin feeding a stream or river; includes surface water and groundwater

Watershed Management: the analysis, protection, development, operation and maintenance of the land, vegetation and water resources of a drainage basin.

Water table - the upper surface of the groundwater; the level below which the soil is saturated with water

Weir - a low dam built in a stream or river to back up or drain water; water escapes over the top since there is no release mechanism at the bottom of the reservoir

Wetlands: lands that are seasonally or permanently covered by shallow water, as well as lands where the water table is close to or at the surface. In either case the presence of abundant water has caused the formation of hydric soils and have favoured the dominance of either hydrophytic or water tolerant plants. The four major types of wetlands are swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens.

Wildlife Habitat: areas of the natural environment where plants, animals, and other organisms, excluding fish, survive in self-sustaining populations, and from which they derive services such as cover, protection or food.

Wildlife Management: the management of wildlife habitats for the purposes of sustaining the quality and quantity of wildlife.

Winterkill - death of aquatic organisms during the winter caused by lack of dissolved oxygen in the water

Z

Zoning permit: a permit issued by the land-use administrator that authorizes the recipient to make use of property in accord with requirements of the Zoning Code.

 

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