Tayside Biodiversity - Information - Glossary
Word Description
acidification increased levels of acid (lowered pH) in waterbodies which can be a result of changes in land use e.g. forestry.
Action Plan a plan for the conservation of a habitat, species, area or subject of local or national importance which outlines the key issues and actions needed to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the chosen subject.
afforestation the planned planting of trees.
agri-environment schemes which make payment for environmental work on farms.
alluvial fertile deposit of clay, silt and sand left by river floodwater.
altitude height above sea level; measured in metres.
amphibian a member of the vertebrate class Amphibia, e.g. frog or newt.
arthropod a species having an articulated external skeleton such as an insect, spider or crustacean.
arctic-alpine plants adapted to living in high altitude/ cold climates.
base-rich or base-poor soil rich or poor in calcium/magnesium carbonates.
bat roost hibernation, feeding or maternity colony.
BERN Convention The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1992). This imposes obligations to conserve wild plants, birds and other animals with particular emphasis on endangered and vulnerable species and their habitats. Provisions of this Convention underlie the EC Habitats Directive and the UK’s wildlife legislation.
biodiversity (biological diversity) the variety of all living things, or the total variety of life on Earth. It includes all plants and animals, their genetic diversity, habitats, eco-systems and humans.
biogeographical geographical distribution of plants and animals.
biomass the total weight of living organisations in a particular area, such as all the algae in a pond.
bioregion a continuous natural area such as a mountain range or river system large enough to extend beyond political boundaries.
boreal of the north or the Arctic.
brackish slightly salty water.
bivalve mollusc any aquatic mollusc with a laterally compressed body enclosed within two hinged shells.
bryophytes a major group of plants that includes mosses and liverworts.
calcareous of the nature, or composed of, lime(-stone).
calcareous grassland grasslands found in soils rich in calcium carbonate.
cereal crop producing edible grain.
Convention of Biological Diversity the international document signed by 153 world leaders, including the UK government, at the ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992 to ‘develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity’.
community all the organisms (including plants, animals and micro-organisms) living in a particular habitat and which affect one another as part of the food web or through their influences on the physical environment.
Compensation Flow this is the agreed minimum water flow required below intake or dam structures. The compensation flows are produced in a number of different ways. At certain locations the flow is produced by passing water through a small generator, at others water comes from regulating valves or via overshot gates.
corries and arętes corrie – steep-sided hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside; aręte – a sharp mountain ridge.
dolerite a dark igneous rock typically occurring in dykes and sills.
Dykes and sills dyke – an intrusion of igneous rock cutting across existing strata; sill – a sheet of igneous rock intruded between and parallel with existing strata.
dyke stone wall.
Earth Summit the popular name for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
ecology the scientific study of the interaction of organisms with their environment, including the physical environment and the other organisms living in it.
eco-system the organisms living in a particular environment such as a forest or loch and the physical part of the environment that impinges on them (the organisms alone are called ‘the community’).
eco-tourism tourism which takes into consideration many aspects of sustainable living and development and encourages the enjoyment of an area’s unique landscape, fauna and flora without damaging or disturbing it.
endangered referring to a species, habitat or eco-system so reduced or fragile that it is near extinction or extremely vulnerable.
endemic species a species confined to a particular region and having, so far as is known, originated there.
epiphyte a plant that grows on another, e.g. ferns and lichens that grow on trees.
eutrophication the process of nutrient enrichment.
exotic species non-native, alien or introduced species.
fauna all the animals found in a particular place.
fault an extended break in a rock formation marked by the displacement and discontinuity of layers on either side.
fen low marshy land, often waterlogged or covered with water.
flora all the plants found in a particular place.
floodplain flat area beside a river prone to periodic flooding.
fish counters a device, often located within a fish ladder, for recording the passage of fish.
fish ladders a man-made route up an otherwise impassable section of watercourse to allow the upstream migration of fish (the longest one in the UK is in the River Gaur, upstream of Loch Rannoch, Perthshire).
freshet artificial spate designed to be released from a dam or intake in order to encourage upstream migration of salmon and/or sea trout.
geodiversity (geological diversity) the diversity of rocks, soils, landforms and active physical processes.
glochidia the juvenile larvae of a bivalve mollusc such as Margaratifera.
habitat the area in which different species (inc. plants and animals) are present, e.g. woodland, wetland.
Habitat Action Plan a plan outlining the current status and extent of a specific habitat (such as Upland Oakwood, Standing Open Water), known factors causing loss or decline of the habitat, and current and proposed action to safeguard or enhance the habitat.
Habitats Convention The EC Council Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats of Wild Fauna and Flora adopted by the Council in 1992 – the Habitats and Species Directive. This contributes to the conservation of biodiversity by requiring Member States to take measures to maintain or restore natural habitats and wild species at a favourable conservation status giving effect to both site and species protection objectives.
hectare metric unit of area – equal to 2.47 acres.
igneous rocks rocks formed by volcanic processes.
insecticides chemicals used to destroy insect pests.
intrusion igneous rock forced into a pre-existing rock formation.
invertebrate an animal lacking a backbone (i.e. insects).
kilometre 1,000 metres – equal to 0.62 miles.
lime-rich soil rich in calcium carbonate.
Local Agenda 21 LA21 has the same roots as the Biodiversity Action Plan in the Rio Earth Summit 1992. It describes the local actions needed to promote sustainability.
Local Biodiversity Action Plan an LBAP is a process rather than a plan in the conventional sense. Focussing on local action, it is a mechanism to ensure both nationally and locally important species and habitats are conserved and enhanced in a specific area.
Local Nature Reserve a reserve designated by the local authority to safeguard habitats and species and for enjoyment by the public. Montrose Basin, Angus, is an LNR.
macrophyte larger aquatic plants, i.e. flowering plants.
mammal an animal characterised by production of milk in the female mammary gland and possession of a body covering of hair.
mesotrophic a body of water with a medium nutrient content.
montane habitats areas above the natural level of tree development (600m), including heath and areas which are snowcovered for part of the year.
National Nature Reserve a reserve declared under law and managed either by one of the statutory nature conservation agencies or by an approved body. Loch Leven, Kinross-shire, is an NNR.
nitrogenous fertiliser nitrogen-based fertiliser.
nutrient enrichment increased levels of nutrients, in particular those resulting in lowered oxygen levels in waterbodies.
oligotrophic a nutrient-poor body of water.
passerine order of birds characterised by the perching habit, i.e. larks, finches, etc.
pesticides chemicals used for killing undesirable plants, insects and fungi.
podzol a soil community found under coniferous forests which tends to consist of poorly decomposed organic layers with some organic matter in the sub-soil.
population in biology, a group of organisms belonging to the same species at the same time and place.
Priority habitat a habitat identified by the UK Biodiversity Group as being a priority for action. These are habitats under particular threat from decline or are of particular importance for priority species.
Priority species a species identified by the UK Biodiversity Group as being a priority for action. These are species for which the UK has international obligations and which are under particular threat or are suffering a high rate of decline.
quartzite a compact, hard, granular rock consisting mainly of quartz.
riparian the area on or around riverbanks, burns and lochs.
rodenticide a pesticide designed to kill rodents (mice, rats, etc.).
salmonid a migratory fish of the family Salmonidae, especially Salmon and Trout.
schist a course-grained metamorphic rock consisting of layers of different minerals and which can be split into thin irregular plates.
siltstone fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of consolidated silt.
species a group of organisms (living things) capable of reproducing to give fertile off-spring.
Species Action Plan a plan outlining the current status and extent of an individual species or group of species (such as Grey Partridge or Bat spp.), known factors causing loss or decline of the species, and current and proposed action to safeguard or enhance it.
Species of Conservation Concern a species identified by the UK Biodiversity Group as threatened or declining in range. These species are the next level of concern after those identified as Priority Species.
species-rich a grassland supporting a high proportion of wildflowers to grasses and/ or a wide range of wildflower species.
spp. species.
stakeholders the audience to whom the Action Plan is relevant.
stratigraphy layers of sediment deposited over a period of time.
substrate the surface or material on which an organism lives, grows or feeds.
sustainable development development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development uses land and water to sustain production indefinitely without environmental deterioration and, ideally, without the loss of native biodiversity.
terpene any of a large group of hydrocarbons found in essential oils, especially in conifers and other plants.
topography a description of natural and artificial features of an area, including altitudinal variations.
tranche in the context of biodiversity planning - a set of Action Plans.
treeline this LBAP uses the term in two ways: in the ‘montane’ sense - the highest altitude at which trees naturally occur (approximately 600m); in the ‘lowland’ sense – a row of standard trees growing in a hedgerow or as a separate row or avenue of trees.
UK Biodiversity Action Plan with its roots in the Rio Earth Summit 1992, the UK BAP, produced by the UK government, consists of various UK documents which detail actions necessary to safeguard and enhance a wide range of habitats and species. The UKBAP is the basis for all Local Biodiversity Action Plans.
vertebrate any animal with a backbone. There are five major groups of living vertebrates: fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
wildlife corridor linking habitats within a wider landscape or urban context to enable species to travel to feeding or breeding areas, or to aid in the dispersal of young to set up new breeding areas. Such ‘green corridors’ can include series of private gardens, or be linear in nature, i.e. hedgerows, dykes and ditches, treelines or roadside verges joining separated habitats.
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