Glossary of Wetland Terms

Wetland Terms – S

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S [sample–suspended sediment]

sample: a portion, piece, or segment regarded as representative of a whole.
sand: suspended sediment or bed material with a particle-size of 0.062-2.0 mm in diameter.
scrubland: a growth or tract of stunted vegetation.
scud: an aquatic macroinvertebrate; an amphipod of the phylum Arthropoda, class Crustacea; have many appendages and two pairs of antennae; are very fast swimmers; look like shrimp; somewhat sensitive to pollution.
secondary consumer: an organism that feeds on primary consumers; a carnivore.
second of latitude (or longitude): a unit of measure equal to 1/60 of a minute latitude or longitude.
sediment: loose materials such as rock fragments and mineral grains that have been transported by wind, water, or glaciers.
sediment load: total sediment in a sample of water. There are three categories of sediment: suspended load, dissolved load, and bed load.
sediment particle size: the diameter, in millimeters, of sediment. Particle-size classifications are 0.00024-0.004 mm (clay); 0.004-0.062 mm (silt); 0.062-2.0 mm (sand); 2.0-64.0 mm (gravel).
sedimentation: the action or process of forming or depositing sediment.
sensitive to pollution: characteristic of organisms that are easily harmed by low levels of pollutants. They are good indicators of clean water because they cannot survive in polluted water.
sewage: solid and liquid human and animal wastes.
shellfish: an aquatic animal having a shell or shell-like exoskeleton (e.g., mollusk, crustacean).
silt: suspended sediment or bed material with a particle-size of 0.004-0.062 mm in diameter.
siltation: the state of being choked or obstructed with silt.
snapping turtle: a freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae. Snapping turtles have a rough shell and powerful hooked jaws.
soil compaction: a process that occurs as soil is squeezed repeatedly, decreasing the air spaces between soil particles and making the soil very hard.
sow bugs: an aquatic macroinvertebrate; an isopod of the phylum Arthropoda, class Crustacea; somewhat sensitive to pollution.
spawn: to produce or deposit eggs.
species: a group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can interbreed with one another to produce fertile offspring.
spring peeper: Hyla Crucifer. A small brownish tree frog, found in eastern North America, having a shrill high-pitched call.
speed (stream): the rate that water flows.
stewardship: to be responsible for managing property or resources; the individual's responsibility to manage his/her life and property with proper regard for the rights of others.
stonefly: aquatic macroinvertebrate; order Plecoptera; nymphs have three pairs of legs, a pair of antennae, and two long tail filaments; typically found on or near stones in the stream; sensitive to pollution.
stream: a body of water flowing in a natural channel and containing water at least part of the year.
striped bass: Roccus saxatilis. A food and game fish of North American coastal waters, having dark longitudinal stripes along the sides.
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV): benthic plants that grow totally under water (e.g., hydrilla, coontail, wild celery, eel grass).
suburban: pertaining to the area or communities surrounding a major city.
suspended load: sediment that contains organic and inorganic particulate matter suspended in and carried by moving water.
suspended sediment: very fine soil particles that remain in suspension in water for a considerable period of time without contact with the bottom, due to the upward components of turbulence and currents.

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