Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Property regime -
Types of property owner-
ship, rights, access, and rules of use.
Puna -
High-altitude zone above forest and
below permanent snow in the Andes Moun-
tains of Peru. Relatively dry grasslands that
contain areas of peatland (see bofedales).
Raised bog -
Growing moss and peat layer that
stand above the surrounding terrain, such
that no surface runoff or ground water enters
the bog from outside.
Ramsar Treaty -
Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance, i rst adopted in
Ramsar, Iran in 1971, and now with 160
member countries protecting
Salt marsh -
Halophytic grassland on alluvial
sediment bordering saline water bodies
where water level may l uctuate either tidally
or nontidally.
Sand sea -
Geographically extensive tract
of large and well-preserved or active sand
dunes.
Sangamon -
Refers to the last interglacial
period,
130,000 to 120,000 years ago, when
sea level stood a few meters higher than
today. North American term equivalent to
Eemian in Europe.
Sedge meadow -
Shallow wetland dominated
by several species of sedges (e.g.
Carex,
Scirpus, Cyperus
).
Shorebirds -
Birds that typically walk on
beaches, mudl ats and wet meadows or wade
in shallow water, such as sandpipers, herons,
cranes, l amingos, etc.
Slough -
Elongated swamp or shallow lake
system, often adjacent to a river or stream.
Slowly l owing shallow swamp or marsh in
the southeastern U.S. (see bayou). Etymol:
Old English, sloh - watercourse in a hollow.
Stromatolite -
Reef built by cyanobacteria
(blue-green algae) in shallow marine envi-
ronments. Oldest known fossils; organisms
are still extant in the world today.
Swamp -
Low, waterlogged ground having
shrubs or trees (U.S.), with or without forma-
tion of peat. In Europe, forested fens and
reed (
Phragmites
) wetlands are also called
swamps.
Takir -
Russian term for clay-silt playa. Also
spelled takyr.
Terrestrialization -
Gradual sedimentary ini ll-
ing of lakes and other small water bodies
leading eventually to wetland habitats.
Tidal l at -
Mud or sand l ats along sea coasts
that are alternately inundated and exposed
by the l ood and ebb tides.
Treatment wetland -
Artii cial wetland designed
to i lter, decontaminate, or clean sewage or
polluted water.
Tundra -
Treeless, level or undulating plain char-
acteristic of Arctic and subarctic regions. Usually
has a marshy surface that supports mosses,
lichens, and low shrubs and is underlain by
mucky soil and permafrost. Etymol: Sami.
∼
>
1900 sites
worldwide (Ramsar Home 2011).
Raupo swamp -
Cattail (
Typha
) marsh in New
Zealand.
Reedmace swamp -
Cattail (
Typha
) marsh in
the United Kingdom.
Reedswamp -
Marsh dominated by common
reed (
Phragmites
), term used particularly in
Europe.
Redoximorphic -
Soil processes that cause
alternating oxidation and reduction, particu-
larly of iron, resulting in rusty mottles and
streaks.
Restoration -
Returning a degraded wetland as
close as possible to pre-existing conditions.
Riparian -
Refers to a zone or ecosystem with a
high water table in close proximity to an
aquatic environment, usually a stream or river.
Sabkha -
Supratidal environment of deposition
formed under arid and semiarid conditions
on restricted coastal plains just above normal
high-tide level. A saline marine marsh. Char-
acterized by tidal l ooding, evaporite-saline
minerals, including dolomite, and aeolian
deposits. Common around the Persian Gulf
and the Sea of Cortez. Etymol: Arabic, also
spelled sabkhah and sebkha.
Salada -
Term in southwestern U.S. for a salt-
covered plain where a lake has evaporated.
Salar -
Term in southwestern U.S. and South
America for a salt l at or salt-encrusted
depression that may represent the basin of a
salt lake.
Salina -
Salt-encrusted playa or wet playa. Also
refers to a body of saline water, such as pond,
lake, spring, well or playa.
