Difference between revisions of "Multi-lingual glossary"
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− | The | + | The multilingual REFORM glossary explains key terminology for hydromorphological river restoration. The English glossary is shown in the table below. The English to other language translations can be found trough the following links: '''[[DutchGlossary|Dutch]], [[Spanish Glossary|Spanish]], [[Polish Glossary|Polish]], [[Slovakish Glossary|Czech]], [[Italian Glossary|Italian]], [[German Glossary|German]], [[Greek Glossary|Greek]] and [[French Glossary|French]]'''.<br /><br /> |
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+ | ''You did not find the term you are looking for? Then try also one of the following glossaries:''<br /> | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://www.wiser.eu/glossary/<br /> | ||
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+ | https://www.eea.europa.eu/help/glossary<br /> | ||
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+ | http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/glossary.html<br /> | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://www.freshwaterplatform.eu/index.php/glossary.html | ||
+ | <br /> | ||
+ | <br /> | ||
{| {{table}} | {| {{table}} | ||
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''English''' | | align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''English''' | ||
− | | align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''' | + | | align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Explanation''' |
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− | | Alluvial deposits|| | + | | Alluvial deposits||Sediments deposited by modern rivers and streams |
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− | | Alluvial river|| | + | | Alluvial river||River with a bed consisting of sediments deposited by this river and still actively remolded by erosion and sedimentation |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Alluvium|| | + | | Alluvium||Sediment deposits |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Anabranched river|| | + | | Anabranched river||River consisting of a network of channels separated by large islands that are usually vegetated |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Anadromous|| | + | | Anadromous||Adjective indicating fish that spawn in fresh water after spending most of their lives and becoming mature in the sea. See also |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Aquifer|| | + | | Aquifer||Water-bearing layer of porous subsurface material that can yield usable quantities of water |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Backswamps|| | + | | Backswamps||Wetlands in the lowest areas of the valley floor away from the main channel, storing fine-grained suspended-load sediments |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Backwater effect|| | + | | Backwater effect||Influence from downstream conditions on water levels and flow velocities |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Bank|| | + | | Bank||Lateral channel boundary |
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− | | Bankfull discharge|| | + | | Bankfull discharge||Discharge at which water levels reach the top of the river banks |
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− | | Bar|| | + | | Bar||Submerged or emerged bedform of sand, gravel, or other unconsolidated material, built in shallow water and much longer than the water depth |
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− | | Base flow|| | + | | Base flow||Sustained low flow in a stream, mostly fed by groundwater discharge |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Bathymetry|| | + | | Bathymetry||Spatial distribution of water depths below an agreed plane of reference water levels. As this plane has a slope in rivers, bathymetry should not be confused with |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Bed level|| | + | | Bed level||Elevation of bottom of river or stream above a horizontal datum |
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− | | Bedload|| | + | | Bedload||Sediment transported by rolling, sliding or jumping over the bed |
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− | | Bed-material load||Transport | + | | Bed-material load||Transport of sediment that is also found in the river bed. It can be transported as both and |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Bedrock|| | + | | Bedrock||Consolidated subsurface material that underlies soils or other unconsolidated material |
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− | | Bed shear stress|| | + | | Bed shear stress||Tangential forces per unit bed area exerted by the flow on the river bed, as a measure of flow strength. See also and |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Bed topography|| | + | | Bed topography||Spatial distribution of bed elevations with respect to a horizontal datum, not to be confused with |
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− | | Bench|| | + | | Bench||Sediment deposition unit along a bank face. Also |
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− | | Benthic|| | + | | Benthic||Living at or in the bottom of a fresh or salty body of water. Opposed to |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Benthos|| | + | | Benthos||Plants and animals that live in, on or attached to the bottom of water bodies |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Berm|| | + | | Berm||Sediment deposition unit along a bank face. Also |
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− | | Biogeographical region|| | + | | Biogeographical region||Relatively large area that contains characteristic assemblages of natural communities and species that are the product of broad environmental influences and common evolutionary and immigration history. See |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Bivalve|| | + | | Bivalve||A mollusk with two shells, for instance a clam or a mussel |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Boulders|| | + | | Boulders||Rock fragments larger than 200 mm in diameter |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Braided river|| | + | | Braided river||River consisting of a network of smaller channels separated by small and often temporary non-vegetated islands called braid bars |
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− | | Buffer strip|| | + | | Buffer strip||Vegetation along a stream left intact after logging or land clearing, preventing fine sediment from entering into the stream |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Cascade|| | + | | Cascade||Stream bed covered with disorganized boulders in steep confined channels |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Catadromous|| | + | | Catadromous||Adjective indicating fish that spawn in the open sea after spending their lives and becoming mature in fresh water. See also |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Catchment|| | + | | Catchment||Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Also or . Catchment is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Chute channel|| | + | | Chute channel||Channel across a bar or floodplain, shortcutting the flow in the main channel |
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− | | Clay|| | + | | Clay||Mineral soil particle smaller than 0.002 mm in diameter |
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− | | Cobbles|| | + | | Cobbles||Rock fragments between 63 mm and 200 mm in diameter |
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− | | Crenal|| | + | | Crenal||Zone of stream source in longitudinal habitat zonation, also . See also and |
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− | | Crevasse|| | + | | Crevasse||Breach in natural levee |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Crevasse splay|| | + | | Crevasse splay||Local accumulation of sand or gravel, deposited by water escaping from the channel through a |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Crossing|| | + | | Crossing||Relatively shallow zone between two consecutive bends in navigable rivers. Also |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Cross-over|| | + | | Cross-over||Relatively shallow zone between two consecutive bends in navigable rivers. Also |
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− | | Crustacean|| | + | | Crustacean||Invertebrate animal (without backbone) with a hard exoskeleton (external support or protection of the body) and at least five pairs of jointed legs on the thorax |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Current|| | + | | Current||Movement of water in a water body |
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− | | Datum|| | + | | Datum||Reference elevation level, for instance mean sea level |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Degradation|| | + | | Degradation||In hydromorphology: Lowering of bed elevation by erosion or removal of sediment. In ecology: Damaged condition of habitat |
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− | | Discharge|| | + | | Discharge||Volume of water that flows through a section per unit of time |
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− | | Drainage basin|| | + | | Drainage basin||Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Also or . is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Dune|| | + | | Dune||Bedform with a height in the order of tens of percent of the water depth. Two-dimensional dunes have long crests perpendicular to the flow. Three-dimensional dunes have short crests. |
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− | | Ecoregion|| | + | | Ecoregion||See and . |
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− | | Emergent plant|| | + | | Emergent plant||Plant rooted in shallow water with much of the stem and most of the leaves above the water |
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− | | Eurytopic|| | + | | Eurytopic||Adjective for aquatic species that tolerate both stagnant and flowing water conditions. See also and |
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− | | Floodplain|| | + | | Floodplain||Land bordering a river or a stream, built up of sediments from overbank flows and subject to inundation at floods |
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− | | Flow resistance|| | + | | Flow resistance||Forces opposing the discharge of water. A low flow resistance implies high flow velocities and small water depths. A high flow resistance implies low flow velocities and high water depths. |
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− | | Flow velocity|| | + | | Flow velocity||Distance travelled by flowing water per unit time, as a measure of flow strength. See also and |
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− | | Geomorphic unit|| | + | | Geomorphic unit||Area containing a landform created by erosion or deposition inside or outside the river channel. Also , or . Geomorphic unit is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Glide|| | + | | Glide||Zone of relatively shallow flow as an intermediate feature between shallower riffles and deeper pools, similar to the somewhat steeper |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Gravel|| | + | | Gravel||Rock fragments between 2 and 63 mm in diameter |
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− | | Habitat|| | + | | Habitat||Place where a particular species or life stage lives and grows. Essentially, it is the (mostly physical) environment that surrounds a species population or age group |
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− | | Hydraulic roughness|| | + | | Hydraulic roughness||Parameter governing |
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− | | Hydraulic unit|| | + | | Hydraulic unit||Spatially distinct patch of relatively homogeneous surface-flow and substrate character. Hydraulic unit is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Impoundment|| | + | | Impoundment||Structure built to maintain a desired water level |
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− | | Infauna|| | + | | Infauna||Benthic animals that burrow into the substrate |
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− | | Invertebrates|| | + | | Invertebrates||Animals without a backbone |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Island|| | + | | Island||Landform surrounded by areas of the channel bed and emerged at bankfull stage |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Krenal|| | + | | Krenal||Zone of stream source in longitudinal habitat zonation, also . See also and |
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− | | Landscape unit|| | + | | Landscape unit||Portion of a catchment with similar landscape morphological characteristics. Also physiographic unit. Landscape unit is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Levee|| | + | | Levee||See . Levee can also refer to a man-made dike along the Loire river in France or along North-American rivers that belonged to French Louisiana between 1682 and 1803, such as the Mississippi river |
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− | | Limnetic|| | + | | Limnetic||Related to the environment of lakes and ponds. Adjective for aquatic macroinvertebrates that prefer standing water |
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− | | Limnophilic|| | + | | Limnophilic||Adjective for aquatic species that prefer stagnant water. See also and |
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− | | Lotic|| | + | | Lotic||Related to fast-moving water, such as in most streams and rivers |
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− | | Macroinvertebrates|| | + | | Macroinvertebrates||Animals without backbones (“invertebrates”) that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye (“macro”, larger than 0.5 mm) |
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− | | Macrophyte|| | + | | Macrophyte||All aquatic higher plants, mosses and characean algae, but excluding single-celled phytoplankton and diatoms |
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− | | Macrozoobenthos|| | + | | Macrozoobenthos||Aquatic macroinvertebrates living at or in the bottom |
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− | | Meandering river|| | + | | Meandering river||River with a single channel and a larger than 1.5 |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Measure|| | + | | Measure||See and |
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− | | Mesohabitat|| | + | | Mesohabitat||Spatially distinct patch of relatively homogeneous patches serving species or life stages as . See |
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− | | Microhabitat|| | + | | Microhabitat||Spatially distinct patch of uniform substrate, plant cover or physical structure which is relevant for species, e.g. as spawning or feeding substrate |
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− | | Mitigation measure|| | + | | Mitigation measure||Activity to reduce the impact of a pressure |
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− | | Mollusks|| | + | | Mollusks||Unsegmented invertebrate animals (without a backbone) that possess an external or vestigial calcium carbonate shell |
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− | | Morphological unit|| | + | | Morphological unit||See |
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− | | Mud|| | + | | Mud||Loose slushy fine sediment consisting of clay, silt, fine sand, and organic material. Often water-formed and deposited on the bottom of lakes, rivers and estuaries |
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− | | Natural levee|| | + | | Natural levee||Elevated feature along river channel, composed of sediments deposited by overbank flows leaving the main channel |
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− | | Oxbow lake|| | + | | Oxbow lake||Lake formed when a river meander is cut off from the main channel |
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− | | Pebble|| | + | | Pebble||Gravel particle |
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− | | Pelagic|| | + | | Pelagic||Living and feeding in the water column. Opposed to |
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− | | Physiographic unit|| | + | | Physiographic unit||See |
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− | | Phytoplankton|| | + | | Phytoplankton||Microscopic plants that float or drift almost passively in water |
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− | | Point bar|| | + | | Point bar||Bar along the inner bank of a river bend |
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− | | Pool|| | + | | Pool||Relatively deep, still section in a river or stream. Pools alternate with or in gravel-bed rivers and with or in navigable rivers |
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− | | Potamal|| | + | | Potamal||Zone of lowland rivers in longitudinal habitat zonation. See also or and |
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− | | Pothole|| | + | | Pothole||Deep circular hole scoured in bedrock as a result of abrasion by transported particles trapped in the hole |
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− | | Pressure|| | + | | Pressure||In hydromorphology: Force per unit area exerted on a surface by the weight of the water above that surface. In the Water Framework Directive: Direct environmental effect of a driver such as agriculture, industry, hydropower generation or navigation |
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− | | Rapids|| | + | | Rapids||Stream bed with boulders organized in irregular transverse lines (ribs), in steep confined channels |
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− | | Reach|| | + | | Reach||Section of river along which boundary conditions are sufficiently uniform for the river to maintain a near-constant internal set of process-form interactions. Reach is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Region|| | + | | Region||Relatively large area underleying similar broad influences of climate, relief, tectonic processes, etc. Also or . Region is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms. It typically contains characteristic assemblages of natural communities and species. |
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− | | Restoration measure|| | + | | Restoration measure||Activity to improve the status of degraded waters, be it by improving water quality or by changing hydromorphological conditions |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Rheophilic|| | + | | Rheophilic||Adjective for aquatic species that prefer flowing waters. See also and |
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− | | Rhithral|| | + | | Rhithral||Zone of streams in longitudinal habitat zonation, identical to the zone of trout and grayling. See also or and |
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− | | Ridge|| | + | | Ridge||Old incorporated in the floodplain as the channel migrated away |
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− | | Riffle|| | + | | Riffle||Zone of relatively shallow and rapid flow in gravel-bed rivers |
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− | | Riparian|| | + | | Riparian||Related to zone adjacent to a stream or river with a high density, diversity, and productivity of plant and animal species compared to nearby uplands |
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− | | Ripple|| | + | | Ripple||Small bedform of a few centimetres high, with a long crest perpendicular to the flow |
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− | | River element|| | + | | River element||Part of river environment including individuals and patches of sediment, plants, wood, etc. Also . River element is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms. |
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− | | River sector|| | + | | River sector||See |
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− | | River segment|| | + | | River segment||Section of river subject to similar valley-scale influences and energy conditions. Also river sector. River segment is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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− | | Run|| | + | | Run||Zone of relatively shallow flow as an intermediate feature between shallower riffles and deeper pools, similar to the somewhat flatter |
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− | | Sand|| | + | | Sand||Mineral soil particle between 0.063 mm and 2.0 mm in diameter |
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− | | Scour|| | + | | Scour||Local removal of sediment from the stream bed by flowing water |
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− | | Scroll bar|| | + | | Scroll bar||Elongated raised feature on top of a |
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− | | Sediment|| | + | | Sediment||Solid matter eroded, transported or deposited in rivers |
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− | | Sediment yield|| | + | | Sediment yield||Amount of sediment eroded per unit land area in a river catchment |
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− | | Silt|| | + | | Silt||Mineral soil particle between 0.002 mm and 0.063 mm in diameter |
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− | | Sinuosity|| | + | | Sinuosity||Ratio between the distance measured along the channel and the distance measured in the direction of the overall planimetric course or meander belt axis |
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− | | Specific stream power|| | + | | Specific stream power|| per unit channel width, as a measure of flow strength |
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− | | Step|| | + | | Step||Steep accumulation of boulders and cobbles across a channel, generally with a pool downstream that is scoured by flow plunging over the step |
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− | | Stream power|| | + | | Stream power||Rate of energy dissipation per unit downstream length, as a measure of flow strength. See also and |
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− | | Stressor|| | + | | Stressor||Pressure in the sense of a direct environmental effect of a driver |
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− | | Subreach|| | + | | Subreach||See |
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− | | Suspended load|| | + | | Suspended load||Sediment transported in the water column, kept from settling by upward turbulent motions of the water. It can consist of both and |
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− | | Swale|| | + | | Swale||Depression between adjacent that are old |
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− | | Terrace|| | + | | Terrace||Abandoned inactive floodplain perched above contemporary channel and floodplain |
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− | | Thalweg|| | + | | Thalweg||Line connecting the deepest points of consecutive cross-sections |
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− | | Thread|| | + | | Thread||Channel in river typologies. A single-thread river has only one channel in each cross-section. A multiple-thread has more than one channel in each cross-section |
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− | | Wandering river|| | + | | Wandering river||River with a single channel that locally splits into two channels, as a transitional form between meandering rivers and braided rivers |
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− | | Washload|| | + | | Washload||Sediments much finer than those in the river bed, transported without dependence on flow strength |
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− | | Water body|| | + | | Water body||Distinct and significant volume of water |
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− | | Water depth|| | + | | Water depth||Height of water column. Elevation difference between water level and bed level |
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− | | Water level|| | + | | Water level||Elevation of water surface above a horizontal datum |
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− | | Watershed|| | + | | Watershed||Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Also or . is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
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|} | |} |
Latest revision as of 10:44, 7 January 2019
The multilingual REFORM glossary explains key terminology for hydromorphological river restoration. The English glossary is shown in the table below. The English to other language translations can be found trough the following links: Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Italian, German, Greek and French.
You did not find the term you are looking for? Then try also one of the following glossaries:
https://www.eea.europa.eu/help/glossary
http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/glossary.html
http://www.freshwaterplatform.eu/index.php/glossary.html
English | Explanation |
Alluvial deposits | Sediments deposited by modern rivers and streams |
Alluvial river | River with a bed consisting of sediments deposited by this river and still actively remolded by erosion and sedimentation |
Alluvium | Sediment deposits |
Anabranched river | River consisting of a network of channels separated by large islands that are usually vegetated |
Anadromous | Adjective indicating fish that spawn in fresh water after spending most of their lives and becoming mature in the sea. See also |
Aquifer | Water-bearing layer of porous subsurface material that can yield usable quantities of water |
Backswamps | Wetlands in the lowest areas of the valley floor away from the main channel, storing fine-grained suspended-load sediments |
Backwater effect | Influence from downstream conditions on water levels and flow velocities |
Bank | Lateral channel boundary |
Bankfull discharge | Discharge at which water levels reach the top of the river banks |
Bar | Submerged or emerged bedform of sand, gravel, or other unconsolidated material, built in shallow water and much longer than the water depth |
Base flow | Sustained low flow in a stream, mostly fed by groundwater discharge |
Bathymetry | Spatial distribution of water depths below an agreed plane of reference water levels. As this plane has a slope in rivers, bathymetry should not be confused with |
Bed level | Elevation of bottom of river or stream above a horizontal datum |
Bedload | Sediment transported by rolling, sliding or jumping over the bed |
Bed-material load | Transport of sediment that is also found in the river bed. It can be transported as both and |
Bedrock | Consolidated subsurface material that underlies soils or other unconsolidated material |
Bed shear stress | Tangential forces per unit bed area exerted by the flow on the river bed, as a measure of flow strength. See also and |
Bed topography | Spatial distribution of bed elevations with respect to a horizontal datum, not to be confused with |
Bench | Sediment deposition unit along a bank face. Also |
Benthic | Living at or in the bottom of a fresh or salty body of water. Opposed to |
Benthos | Plants and animals that live in, on or attached to the bottom of water bodies |
Berm | Sediment deposition unit along a bank face. Also |
Biogeographical region | Relatively large area that contains characteristic assemblages of natural communities and species that are the product of broad environmental influences and common evolutionary and immigration history. See |
Bivalve | A mollusk with two shells, for instance a clam or a mussel |
Boulders | Rock fragments larger than 200 mm in diameter |
Braided river | River consisting of a network of smaller channels separated by small and often temporary non-vegetated islands called braid bars |
Buffer strip | Vegetation along a stream left intact after logging or land clearing, preventing fine sediment from entering into the stream |
Cascade | Stream bed covered with disorganized boulders in steep confined channels |
Catadromous | Adjective indicating fish that spawn in the open sea after spending their lives and becoming mature in fresh water. See also |
Catchment | Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Also or . Catchment is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Chute channel | Channel across a bar or floodplain, shortcutting the flow in the main channel |
Clay | Mineral soil particle smaller than 0.002 mm in diameter |
Cobbles | Rock fragments between 63 mm and 200 mm in diameter |
Crenal | Zone of stream source in longitudinal habitat zonation, also . See also and |
Crevasse | Breach in natural levee |
Crevasse splay | Local accumulation of sand or gravel, deposited by water escaping from the channel through a |
Crossing | Relatively shallow zone between two consecutive bends in navigable rivers. Also |
Cross-over | Relatively shallow zone between two consecutive bends in navigable rivers. Also |
Crustacean | Invertebrate animal (without backbone) with a hard exoskeleton (external support or protection of the body) and at least five pairs of jointed legs on the thorax |
Current | Movement of water in a water body |
Datum | Reference elevation level, for instance mean sea level |
Degradation | In hydromorphology: Lowering of bed elevation by erosion or removal of sediment. In ecology: Damaged condition of habitat |
Discharge | Volume of water that flows through a section per unit of time |
Drainage basin | Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Also or . is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Dune | Bedform with a height in the order of tens of percent of the water depth. Two-dimensional dunes have long crests perpendicular to the flow. Three-dimensional dunes have short crests. |
Ecoregion | See and . |
Emergent plant | Plant rooted in shallow water with much of the stem and most of the leaves above the water |
Eurytopic | Adjective for aquatic species that tolerate both stagnant and flowing water conditions. See also and |
Floodplain | Land bordering a river or a stream, built up of sediments from overbank flows and subject to inundation at floods |
Flow resistance | Forces opposing the discharge of water. A low flow resistance implies high flow velocities and small water depths. A high flow resistance implies low flow velocities and high water depths. |
Flow velocity | Distance travelled by flowing water per unit time, as a measure of flow strength. See also and |
Geomorphic unit | Area containing a landform created by erosion or deposition inside or outside the river channel. Also , or . Geomorphic unit is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Glide | Zone of relatively shallow flow as an intermediate feature between shallower riffles and deeper pools, similar to the somewhat steeper |
Gravel | Rock fragments between 2 and 63 mm in diameter |
Habitat | Place where a particular species or life stage lives and grows. Essentially, it is the (mostly physical) environment that surrounds a species population or age group |
Hydraulic roughness | Parameter governing |
Hydraulic unit | Spatially distinct patch of relatively homogeneous surface-flow and substrate character. Hydraulic unit is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Impoundment | Structure built to maintain a desired water level |
Infauna | Benthic animals that burrow into the substrate |
Invertebrates | Animals without a backbone |
Island | Landform surrounded by areas of the channel bed and emerged at bankfull stage |
Krenal | Zone of stream source in longitudinal habitat zonation, also . See also and |
Landscape unit | Portion of a catchment with similar landscape morphological characteristics. Also physiographic unit. Landscape unit is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Levee | See . Levee can also refer to a man-made dike along the Loire river in France or along North-American rivers that belonged to French Louisiana between 1682 and 1803, such as the Mississippi river |
Limnetic | Related to the environment of lakes and ponds. Adjective for aquatic macroinvertebrates that prefer standing water |
Limnophilic | Adjective for aquatic species that prefer stagnant water. See also and |
Lotic | Related to fast-moving water, such as in most streams and rivers |
Macroinvertebrates | Animals without backbones (“invertebrates”) that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye (“macro”, larger than 0.5 mm) |
Macrophyte | All aquatic higher plants, mosses and characean algae, but excluding single-celled phytoplankton and diatoms |
Macrozoobenthos | Aquatic macroinvertebrates living at or in the bottom |
Meandering river | River with a single channel and a larger than 1.5 |
Measure | See and |
Mesohabitat | Spatially distinct patch of relatively homogeneous patches serving species or life stages as . See |
Microhabitat | Spatially distinct patch of uniform substrate, plant cover or physical structure which is relevant for species, e.g. as spawning or feeding substrate |
Mitigation measure | Activity to reduce the impact of a pressure |
Mollusks | Unsegmented invertebrate animals (without a backbone) that possess an external or vestigial calcium carbonate shell |
Morphological unit | See |
Mud | Loose slushy fine sediment consisting of clay, silt, fine sand, and organic material. Often water-formed and deposited on the bottom of lakes, rivers and estuaries |
Natural levee | Elevated feature along river channel, composed of sediments deposited by overbank flows leaving the main channel |
Oxbow lake | Lake formed when a river meander is cut off from the main channel |
Pebble | Gravel particle |
Pelagic | Living and feeding in the water column. Opposed to |
Physiographic unit | See |
Phytoplankton | Microscopic plants that float or drift almost passively in water |
Point bar | Bar along the inner bank of a river bend |
Pool | Relatively deep, still section in a river or stream. Pools alternate with or in gravel-bed rivers and with or in navigable rivers |
Potamal | Zone of lowland rivers in longitudinal habitat zonation. See also or and |
Pothole | Deep circular hole scoured in bedrock as a result of abrasion by transported particles trapped in the hole |
Pressure | In hydromorphology: Force per unit area exerted on a surface by the weight of the water above that surface. In the Water Framework Directive: Direct environmental effect of a driver such as agriculture, industry, hydropower generation or navigation |
Rapids | Stream bed with boulders organized in irregular transverse lines (ribs), in steep confined channels |
Reach | Section of river along which boundary conditions are sufficiently uniform for the river to maintain a near-constant internal set of process-form interactions. Reach is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Region | Relatively large area underleying similar broad influences of climate, relief, tectonic processes, etc. Also or . Region is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms. It typically contains characteristic assemblages of natural communities and species. |
Restoration measure | Activity to improve the status of degraded waters, be it by improving water quality or by changing hydromorphological conditions |
Rheophilic | Adjective for aquatic species that prefer flowing waters. See also and |
Rhithral | Zone of streams in longitudinal habitat zonation, identical to the zone of trout and grayling. See also or and |
Ridge | Old incorporated in the floodplain as the channel migrated away |
Riffle | Zone of relatively shallow and rapid flow in gravel-bed rivers |
Riparian | Related to zone adjacent to a stream or river with a high density, diversity, and productivity of plant and animal species compared to nearby uplands |
Ripple | Small bedform of a few centimetres high, with a long crest perpendicular to the flow |
River element | Part of river environment including individuals and patches of sediment, plants, wood, etc. Also . River element is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms. |
River sector | See |
River segment | Section of river subject to similar valley-scale influences and energy conditions. Also river sector. River segment is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |
Run | Zone of relatively shallow flow as an intermediate feature between shallower riffles and deeper pools, similar to the somewhat flatter |
Sand | Mineral soil particle between 0.063 mm and 2.0 mm in diameter |
Scour | Local removal of sediment from the stream bed by flowing water |
Scroll bar | Elongated raised feature on top of a |
Sediment | Solid matter eroded, transported or deposited in rivers |
Sediment yield | Amount of sediment eroded per unit land area in a river catchment |
Silt | Mineral soil particle between 0.002 mm and 0.063 mm in diameter |
Sinuosity | Ratio between the distance measured along the channel and the distance measured in the direction of the overall planimetric course or meander belt axis |
Specific stream power | per unit channel width, as a measure of flow strength |
Step | Steep accumulation of boulders and cobbles across a channel, generally with a pool downstream that is scoured by flow plunging over the step |
Stream power | Rate of energy dissipation per unit downstream length, as a measure of flow strength. See also and |
Stressor | Pressure in the sense of a direct environmental effect of a driver |
Subreach | See |
Suspended load | Sediment transported in the water column, kept from settling by upward turbulent motions of the water. It can consist of both and |
Swale | Depression between adjacent that are old |
Terrace | Abandoned inactive floodplain perched above contemporary channel and floodplain |
Thalweg | Line connecting the deepest points of consecutive cross-sections |
Thread | Channel in river typologies. A single-thread river has only one channel in each cross-section. A multiple-thread has more than one channel in each cross-section |
Wandering river | River with a single channel that locally splits into two channels, as a transitional form between meandering rivers and braided rivers |
Washload | Sediments much finer than those in the river bed, transported without dependence on flow strength |
Water body | Distinct and significant volume of water |
Water depth | Height of water column. Elevation difference between water level and bed level |
Water level | Elevation of water surface above a horizontal datum |
Watershed | Area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Also or . is a spatial unit within the multi-scale of hydromorphological processes and forms |