Glossary of Wetland Terms

[Q factor–runoff]
 

Q factor: a rating scale that translates water quality test results to a number from 0-100.

raceme: a particular type of arrangement of flowers on a main axis or stem. Flowers with a raceme arrangement have single stalks arranged along a common axis (e.g., lily-of-the-valley).

rampant: widespread; extending unchecked; unrestrained.

random: having no particular pattern or order.

rapids: an extremely fast-moving part of a river, caused by a steep descent in the riverbed.

recycling: the process by which wastes can be reused or converted into other materials or products. The process by which materials and substances are reused.

refuse: waste products, including both wet and dry materials.

residential: land used for human dwellings and activities.

respiration: the process that involves the transfer of oxygen to cells and the breakdown of food to release energy. In complex animals, respiration involves the intake of oxygen and the discharge of carbon dioxide.

restoration: the act of putting something back to a prior condition.

riffle: a rapid, turbulent flow of water over a shallow area in a stream. Riffles add oxygen to the water as water is churned and provide habitat for many invertebrates.

riffle beetle: an aquatic macroinvertebrate of the order Coleptera; larvae are specially adapted to cling to smooth rocks in fast-flowing water (riffles); sensitive to pollution.

riparian area: the land adjacent to streams, rivers, or other bodies of water that directly affects, or is affected by, the water; a unique habitat that exists in mutual balance with the river channel.

river: a large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water, and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries.

river basin: the land area drained by a river and its tributaries; a watershed.

rubbish: refuse; trash; waste.

runoff: that part of the precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that appears in uncontrolled surface streams, rivers, drains, or sewers. Runoff may be classified according to speed of appearance after rainfall or melting snow (direct or base runoff) or according to source (surface runoff, storm interflow, or ground-water runoff).

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