12.0 Glossary:

Abiotic - of a non-living nature

Allogenic - affected by outside factors or inputs

Amphipod - an order of crustaceans that have laterally compressed bodies

Anthropogenic - relating to, or resulting from the influence of humans on nature

Bivalve - any marine or freshwater mollusc of the class Lamellibranchiata (Pelycypoda) having two hinged parts to its shell.

Biotic - living organisms

Crepuscular - active during dawn and dusk

Cohort - generally refers to a particular age-class or size-class of a population

Denitrification - the process by which nitrogenous compounds are degraded and nitrogen is returned to the air in gaseous form

Desorption - opposite of absorption

Diatom - single celled organisms (Bacillariophyceae). One of the most important primary producers

Epiphyton - a plant that grows on the surface of another plant but derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain

Eutrophication - the process whereby a waterbody gradually becomes enriched with organic and mineral material, resulting in increased plant growth

Eutrophic - a body of water that is rich in organic and mineral nutrients, either naturally or by human induced factors

Frustules - the hard, silica-containing wall of a diatom

Interspecific - occurring between species e.g. aggression by Tundra Swans towards ducks

Intraspecific - occurring within a species e.g. aggression between two Canada Geese

Invertebrate - any animal that does not possess a backbone

Isostatic - gradual rebounding of the earth’s crust following compaction caused by the weight of ice during glacial events

Limnology - the scientific study of bodies of fresh water

Littoral Drift - lateral movement of particles within the shore, or intertidal are of a beach

Macroinvertebrate - large, non microscopic invertebrates

Macrophytes - plants that are not microscopic

Mesotrophic - a body of water having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients

Mollusc - any member of the phylum Mollusca, including the snails (Gasteropods), Bivalves, the squids and octopuses (Cephalopods) - most are aquatic

Moraine - an accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier

Native - a species that has colonized an area without human aid

Nitrification - the conversion of soil bacteria of organic nitrogen into inorganic nitrates which plants can utilize.

Oligotrophic - waterbodies with a limited nutrient supply and relatively little production of organic matter

Phytoplankton - that part of the plankton made up of plant life.

Pleistocene epoch - a division of the Quarternary period lasting from 2 million years ago until 10,000 years ago

Primary production - the production by living organisms of organic material from inorganic sources

Riparian - zone located along the bank of a natural watercourse such as a river.

Secchi Disk - instrument used to measure water clarity or turbidity

Seiches - an oscillation of the surface of a body of water such as a lake - oscillations vary in periods of a few minutes to several hours.

Sorption - the process of absorptopn or adsorption

Substrates - the medium on which an organism can grow e.g. soil

Succession - the progression from initial colonization of an area by organisms to the climax population

Surficial - relates to the surface e.g floating leaved vegetation

Taxa - plural of taxon

Taxon - any grouping within the classification of organisms, such as species, genus, order.

Trophic level - any of the feeding levels within an ecosystem. For example, primary producers (e.g. algae) form the first level in most ecosystems, followed by primary consumers (herbivores) up to the predator level.

Veliger - a molluscan larvae

Zooplankton - that part of plankton made up of animal life