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Glossary of Climate Change Terms Abiotic: Nonliving. Absorption of radiation: The uptake of radiation by a solid body, liquid or gas. The absorbed energy may be transferred or re-emitted.^^ Acid rain: Acid rain is a generic term used for precipitation that contains an abnormally high concentration of sulfuric and nitric acid. These acids form in the atmosphere when industrial gas emissions combine with water, and have negative impacts on the environment and human health.** Acid solution: Any water solution that has more hydrogen ions (H+) than hydroxide ions (OH-); any water solution with a pH less than 7.^^

Adaptation: The process by which an organism or species becomes adjusted to its environment. In the context of climate change, adaptation refers to the adjustments inhabitants of the earth would need to make in the face of inevitable, irreversible changes. These adjustments would be made primarily at the local climate level. If mitigation measures were able to reduce the scale of change or extend the length of time over which it occurs, adaptation would be much easier. ***

Adiabatic process: A thermodynamic change of state of a system such that no heat or mass is transferred across the boundaries of the system. In an adiabatic process, expansion always results in cooling, and compression in warming.^^ Adjacent lands: Lands within 120 metres of a Provincially Significant Wetland and/or within 50 metres of a significant woodland or all land connecting individual wetland areas within a Wetland Complex as determined by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Adjacent lands provide a temporary zone of protection until further studies are completed (i.e. Environmental Impact Statements).^ Advisories warnings watches (weather): Environment Canada issues weather advisories, warnings and watches to inform people about current or developing weather. An "advisory" is a bulletin that informs people that actual or expected weather conditions may cause general inconvenience or concern, but do not pose a serious threat. A "watch" alerts people that conditions are favorable for the development of severe weather, while a "warning" tells them that severe or hazardous weather is occurring or highly probable.**

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Aerobic: A life or process that occurs in and is dependent upon oxygen.^^ Aerosol: Particulate matter, solid or liquid, larger than a molecule but small enough to remain suspended in the atmosphere. Natural sources include salt particles from sea spray, dust and clay particles as a result of weathering of rocks, both of which are carried upward by the wind. Aerosols can also originate as a result of human activities and are often considered pollutants. Aerosols are important in the atmosphere as nuclei for the condensation of water droplets and ice crystals, as participants in various chemical cycles, and as absorbers and scatters of solar radiation, thereby influencing the radiation budget of the Earth's climate system.^^ Air: The air or atmosphere that surrounds the earth is one of the main components of our environment.** Air quality: Scientists collect and analyze samples of air in different regions of Canada on a regular basis to determine pollutant levels. This information is not only used by decision-makers to pinpoint the sources of air pollution and determine strategies for reducing it, but also to produce daily air-quality forecasts that warn Canadians when smog levels are high.** Albedo: The fraction of the total solar radiation incident on a body that is reflected by it. Albedo can be expressed as either a percentage or a fraction of 1. Snow covered areas have a high albedo (up to about 0.9 or 90%) due to their white color, while vegetation has a low albedo (generally about 0.1 or 10%) due to the dark color and light absorbed for photosynthesis. Clouds have an intermediate albedo and are the most important contributor to the Earth's albedo. The Earth's aggregate albedo is approximately 0.3.^^ Alkalinity: Having the properties of a base with a pH of more than 7. A common alkaline is baking soda.^^

Alternative energy: Energy derived from nontraditional sources (e.g., compressed natural gas, solar, hydroelectric, wind).^^

Anaerobic: A life or process that occurs in, or is not destroyed by, the absence of oxygen.^^ Anaerobic decomposition: The breakdown of molecules into simpler molecules or atoms by microorganisms that can survive in the partial or complete absence of oxygen.^^ Anaerobic lagoon: A liquid-based manure management system, characterized by waste residing in water to a depth of at least six feet for a period ranging

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between 30 and 200 days. Bacteria produce methane in the absence of oxygen while breaking down waste.^^

Anomaly: The deviation of a measurable unit, (e.g., temperature or precipitation) in a given region over a specified period from the long-term average, often the thirty year mean, for the same region.^^^

Annex 1 Parties: Refers to OECD countries and those making the transition to a market economy, such as Russia and the former East Bloc countries, who are signatories to the Framework Convention on Climate Change.***

Anthropogenic: Human made. In the context of greenhouse gases, emissions that are produced as the result of human activities.^^

Anthropogenic emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions that arise from human activities.***

Attenuation storage: The active storage component of an end-of-pipe stormwater management facility designed to reduce inflows to a given rate.^ Aquifer: Subsurface feature that has sufficient porosity and permeability to hold and transmit water for human use.* Arable land: Land that can be cultivated to grow crops.^^ Arctic oscillation (AO): The Arctic Oscillation is a pattern in which atmospheric pressure at polar and middle latitudes fluctuates between negative and positive phases. The negative phase brings higher-than-normal pressure over the polar region and lower-than-normal pressure at about 45 degrees north latitude. The negative phase allows cold air to plunge into the Midwestern United States and western Europe, and storms bring rain to the Mediterranean. The positive phase brings the opposite conditions, steering ocean storms farther north and bringing wetter weather to Alaska, Scotland and Scandinavia and drier conditions to areas such as California, Spain and the Middle East. The North Atlantic Oscillation is often considered to be a regional manifestation of the AO.^^^ Aromatic: Applied to a group of hydrocarbons and their derivatives characterized by the presence of the benzene ring.^^ Atmosphere: The mixture of gases surrounding the Earth. The Earth's atmosphere consists of about 79.1% nitrogen (by volume), 20.9% oxygen, 0.036% carbon dioxide and trace amounts of other gases. The atmosphere can be divided into a number of layers according to its mixing or chemical characteristics, generally determined by its thermal properties (temperature). The layer nearest the Earth is the troposphere, which reaches up to an altitude

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of about 8 km (about 5 miles) in the Polar Regions and up to 17 km (nearly 11 miles) above the equator. The stratosphere, which reaches to an altitude of about 50 km (31 miles) lies atop the troposphere. The mesosphere which extends up to 80-90 km is atop the stratosphere, and finally, the thermosphere, or ionosphere, gradually diminishes and forms a fuzzy border with outer space. There is relatively little mixing of gases between layers.^^

Atmospheric circulation model: A mathematical model for quantitatively describing, simulating, and analyzing the structure of the circulation in the atmosphere and the underlying causes. Sometimes referred to as Atmospheric General Circulation Models or AGCMs.^^^

Bank: The lateral confine (channel margin) of a watercourse during all but flood stage.* Bankfull: The level of water in the defined channel at the height of the banks. The bankfull channel flow, which occurs once every one to two years in an undeveloped watershed, defines the physical characteristics of the river.* Barrier: A physical block or impediment to the movement or migration of fish, such as a waterfall (natural barrier) or a dam (man-made barrier).* Baseflow: This is the lowest flow that occurs in a river during the year, and usually occurs during summer. Baseflow consists mainly of groundwater but can also contain interflow and surface runoff.* Baseline emissions: The emissions that would occur without policy intervention (in a business-as-usual scenario). Baseline estimates are needed to determine the effectiveness of emissions reduction programs (often called mitigation strategies).^^ Basic solution: Water solution with more hydroxide ions (OH-) than hydrogen ions (H+); water solutions with pH greater than 7.^^ Bed: The base of a watercourse.* Biodegradable: Material that can be broken down into simpler substances (elements and compounds) by bacteria or other decomposers. Paper and most organic wastes such as animal manure are biodegradable.^^

Biodiversity: The diversity of plants, animals, and other living organisms in all their forms and levels of organization, including genes, species, ecosystems, and the evolutionary and functional processes that link them; Biodiversity (biological diversity) is the variability among living organisms from all sources

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including...terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.*

Biofuel: Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.^^ Biogeochemical Cycle: Natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the environment, to organisms, and then back to the environment. Examples are the carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and hydrologic cycles.^^ Biological oxygen demand: Amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic decomposers to break down the organic materials in a given volume of water at a certain temperature over a specified time period.^^ Biomass: Total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each tropic level in a food chain. Also, materials that are biological in origin, including organic material (both living and dead) from above and below ground, for example, trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, roots, and animals and animal waste.^^

Biomass: The total amount or mass of living organisms within a given surface area.***

Biomass energy: Energy produced by combusting biomass materials such as wood. The carbon dioxide emitted from burning biomass will not increase total atmospheric carbon dioxide if this consumption is done on a sustainable basis (i.e., if in a given period of time, regrowth of biomass takes up as much carbon dioxide as is released from biomass combustion). Biomass energy is often suggested as a replacement for fossil fuel combustion.^^

Bioregion: A natural region defined by its ecological coherence. Each bioregion has a distinct geological formations, climatic conditions and ecology.*

Biosphere: The total of all areas on Earth -- even the deep ocean and part of the atmosphere -- where organisms are found.***

Biotic: Living. Living organisms make up the biotic parts of ecosystems.^^

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Blackwater: Waste water that originates from toilets and is characterized by elevated levels of bacteria and nutrients (particularly nitrogen).* Bulk water removal (water): The removal and transfer of water out of its basin of origin by human-made diversions (e.g., canals), tanker ships or trucks, and pipelines. Such removals have the potential, directly or cumulatively, to harm the health of a drainage basin.** Calcareous: Resembling, containing, or composed of calcium carbonate.^

Carbon cycle: The cycle in which carbon moves through the biosphere, involving the exchange of carbon between the oceanic and terrestrial ecosystems, on the one hand, and the atmosphere, on the other. Scientists are seeking to understand the fluxes to and from these major carbon cycle reservoirs and how they respond to climate change. To do so, it is also necessary to understand why about half the carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere as a result of fossil fuel combustion and deforestation is accumulating in the atmosphere while the other half is held in other reservoirs such as the oceans or plants.***

Carbon dioxide (CO2): Recognized as the principal contributor to increasing atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and therefore to global warming (see greenhouse gases). Society's use of energy is the largest factor in this carbon dioxide generation. Carbon dioxide is produced by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. It is removed from the atmosphere through ocean absorption and through photosynthesis by growing plants.***

Carbon intensity: The relative amount of carbon emitted per unit of energy or fuels consumed.^^ Carbon sequestration: The uptake and storage of carbon. Trees and plants, for example, absorb carbon dioxide, release the oxygen and store the carbon. Fossil fuels were at one time biomass and continue to store the carbon until burned.^^. Carbon sinks: Carbon reservoirs and conditions that take-in and store more carbon (i.e., carbon sequestration) than they release. Carbon sinks can serve to partially offset greenhouse gas emissions. Forests and oceans are large carbon sinks.^^.

Catchment: See drainage basin.^ Channel: An open conduit either naturally or artificially created which periodically or continuously contains moving water, or which forms a connecting link between two bodies of water. River, creek, run, branch, anabranch, and

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tributary are some of the terms used to describe natural channels. Natural channels may be single or braided (see Braiding of river channels). Canal and floodway are some of the terms used to describe artificial channels.* Channelization: An arrangement that directs the flow of water into streams, limiting or preventing movements from one stream to another. Channelization usually results in artificial straightening of the stream channel and modification of the natural stream bank.^

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Manufactured substances used as coolants and computer-chip cleaners. When these products break down they destroy stratospheric ozone, creating the Antarctic Ozone Hole in the Southern Hemisphere spring (Northern Hemisphere fall). While no longer in use, their long lifetime will lead to a very slow removal from the atmosphere.^^^

Circulation: The flow, or movement, of a fluid (e.g., water or air) in or through a given area or volume.^^^

Clay: A type of soil possessing cohesion and plasticity which normally consists of rock or mineral fragments having a diameter less than 0.0030 mm.^

Climate: Climate may be defined as a composite of the long-term prevailing weather in a particular place. It includes all the elements of that weather temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns, for example.***

Climate change: Climate change refers to changes in the climate as a whole, not just one single element of the weather. Global climate change, therefore, refers to changes in all the interconnected weather elements of the Earth.***

Climate change (global warming): Human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the build-up of greenhouse gases that trap heat and reflect it back to the earth's surface. This is resulting in changes to our climate, including a rise in global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events.** Climate feedback: An atmospheric, oceanic, terrestrial, or other process that is activated by direct climate change induced by changes in radiative forcing. Climate feedbacks may increase (positive feedback) or diminish (negative feedback) the magnitude of the direct climate change.^^

Climate lag: The delay that occurs in climate change as a result of some factor that changes only very slowly. For example, the effects of releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere may not be known for some time because a large fraction is dissolved in the ocean and only released to the atmosphere many

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years later.^^ Climate model: A quantitative way of representing the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and ice. Models can range from relatively simple to quite comprehensive.^^ Climate sensitivity: The equilibrium response of the climate to a change in radiative forcing, for example, a doubling of the carbon dioxide concentration.^^ Cogeneration: Production of two useful forms of energy such as high-temperature heat and electricity from the same process. For example, while boiling water to generate electricity, the leftover steam can be sold for industrial processes or space heating.^^ Combined sewers: A sewer that transports surface runoff and human domestic wastes (sewage), and sometimes industrial wastes. Wastewater and runoff in a combined sewer may occur in excess of the sewer capacity and cannot be treated immediately. The excess is frequently discharged directly to a receiving stream without treatment, or to a holding basin for subsequent treatment and disposal.* Combustion: Chemical oxidation accompanied by the generation of light and heat.^^ Composting: Turning food and other organic wastes into soil. Composting gives us the opportunity to relieve overburdened landfills and sewage treatment facilities (by limiting the use of our garbage disposals), as well as allowing us to enrich the soil for our gardens and landscapes. Many states have now passed ordinances excluding yard waste from landfills. A good home-composting set up would include a compost bins for collecting kitchen waste and a compost pile where kitchen waste can be combined with yard clippings, turned occasionally until it becomes soil. There are many residential model chipper-shredders on the market to assist in the breakdown process, as well as a wealth of information on composting techniques to produce the most perfectly balanced soil blends.*

Condensation: The physical process by which water vapor in the atmosphere changes to liquid in the form of dew, fog or cloud; the opposite of evaporation.^^^

Conference of the Parties (COP): Refers to the meetings of the countries that have signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP is the supreme body of the convention. It currently meets once a year to review the Convention's progress. The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995, the second in

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Geneva in 1996. The Kyoto, Japan meeting held in December 1997 was the third Conference of Parties (COP3). ***

Confluence: Where a branch of a watercourse joins the main channel. Conservation: Environmental conservation is a general term that refers to the preservation of the natural environment-including wildlife, habitat, and the ecosystems they are a part of.** Contamination (water): Water is considered contaminated if it contains chemical or biological pollutants that are harmful to human health or the environment.**

Convection: Transfer of heat by fluid motion between two areas with different temperatures. In meteorology, the rising and descending air motion caused by heat. Atmospheric convection is almost always turbulent and is the dominant vertical transport process over tropical oceans and during sunny days over continents. The terms "convection" and "thunderstorms" are often use interchangeably, although thunderstorms are only one form of convection. In the ocean, convection is prominent in regions of high heat loss to the atmosphere and is the main mechanism for deep water formation.^^^

Corridor: Elements of the landscape that connect similar areas. Streamside vegetation may create a corridor of willows and hardwoods between meadows where wildlife feed.*

Coupled model (or coupled atmosphere-ocean model): In the context of climate modeling this usually refers to a numerical model which simulates both atmospheric and oceanic motions and temperatures and which takes into account the effects of each component on the other.^^^

Crop residue: Organic residue remaining after the harvesting and processing of a crop.^^ Crop rotation: Planting the same field or areas of fields with different crops from year to year to reduce depletion of soil nutrients. A plant such as corn, tobacco, or cotton, which remove large amounts of nitrogen from the soil, is planted one year. The next year a legume such as soybeans, which add nitrogen to the soil, is planted.^^ Crude oil: A mixture of hydrocarbons that exist in liquid phase in underground reservoirs and remain liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities.^^ Cryosphere: The frozen part of the Earth's surface. The cryosphere includes the

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polar ice caps, continental ice sheets, mountain glaciers, sea ice, snow cover, lake and river ice, and permafrost.^^ Decomposition: The breakdown of matter by bacteria and fungi. It changes the chemical composition and physical appearance of the materials.^^. Deforestation: Those practices or processes that result in the change of forested lands to non-forest uses. This is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect for two reasons: 1) the burning or decomposition of the wood releases carbon dioxide; and 2) trees that once removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the process of photosynthesis are no longer present and contributing to carbon storage.^^ Desertification: The progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover to form desert. This can occur due to overgrazing, deforestation, drought, and the burning of extensive areas. Once formed, deserts can only support a sparse range of vegetation. Climatic effects associated with this phenomenon include increased albedo, reduced atmospheric humidity, and greater atmospheric dust (aerosol) loading.^^ Design storm: A rainfall of specified amount, intensity, duration, pattern over time, and frequency used to design both major and minor drainage works.^ Depression: An area that is a topographic low without an overland hydrologic connection to the surrounding environment.^

Dew point: The point at which the air at a certain temperature contains all the moisture possible without precipitation occurring. When the dew point is 65oF, one begins to feel the humidity. The higher the temperature associated with the dew point, the more uncomfortable one feels.^^^

Discharge area: An area where groundwater emerges at the surface; an area where upward pressure or hydraulic head moves groundwater towards the surface to escape as a spring, seep, or baseflow of a stream.* Dissolved oxygen (DO): The level of oxygen present in water. Dissolved oxygen is the most fundamental requirement for aquatic life. Factors which influence the amount of oxygen present in the water are production by aquatic flora, consumption by fauna, atmospheric input, and distribution of oxygen through the water column.^ Divide: Marks the high point of land that separates one watershed from another. Drainage basin: An area occupied by a closed drainage system, especially a region that collects surface runoff and contributes it to a stream channel, lake, or

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other body of water. Also referred to as a catchment, subcatchment, watershed and/or subwatershed.^ Ecological balance: A state of dynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms in which genetic, species and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable, subject to gradual changes through natural succession.* Ecological footprint: the ecological effect of cities, including the direct local effects and the indirect regional and global effects due to the resources they use and the wastes they produce; The area of land required to provide the resources consumed by an individual, city or nation. By calculating the ‘environmental footprint’ the extent to which a person is utilizing more or less than their fair sustainable share of the worlds resources can be shown.* Ecological functions: The natural processes, products or services that living and non-living environments provide or perform within or between species, ecosystems and landscapes, including hydrological functions and biological, physical, chemical and socioeconomic interactions.* Ecological integrity: Integrity is an intrinsic quality which characterizes natural, self-sustainable ecosystems, composed of native vegetation and wildlife that respond to natural disturbance regimes through adjustments in their composition and structure. There is considerable overlap in definition and meaning of both ecosystem health and integrity. Ecological health may be considered a measure of ecological integrity; The quality of a natural unmanaged or managed ecosystem in which the natural ecological processes are sustained, with genetic, species and ecosystem diversity assured for the future.* Ecosystem: Is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit; Systems of plants, animals, and micro-organisms, together with the non-living component and related ecological processes, and humans.* El Nino: El Nino is a warm surface current that usually appears in the Pacific Ocean off Ecuador and Peru around Christmas, and lasts about three months. Every three to seven years it remains for as long as a year-and-a-half as part of a southern oscillation. In North America, this contributes to warmer temperatures along the Pacific coast and weaker hurricanes on the Atlantic.** Emergency response (action and learning): An emergency response is an action carried out in a particular community or region to protect human health and the environment from the impacts of an environmental emergency, such as a forest fire or a chemical spill.**

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Emergents: Herbaceous plants which are rooted under water but which grow above the water.^ Emissions: The release of a substance (usually a gas when referring to the subject of climate change) into the atmosphere. ^^ Emissions banking and borrowing: When emissions reductions by a country in a given period can be applied against its emissions in the future, or when a country can borrow from future periods to offset excess emissions in a current period. These terms are defined under the Framework Convention on Climate Change.***

Emissions coefficient/factor: A unique value for scaling emissions to activity data in terms of a standard rate of emissions per unit of activity (e.g., grams of carbon dioxide emitted per barrel of fossil fuel consumed).^^

Emissions trading: A system that would allow countries that have committed to targets to "buy" or "sell" emissions permits among themselves. Emissions trading is included in the Kyoto Protocol. It provides participating parties with the opportunity to reduce emissions where it is most cost-effective to do so. ***

Energy: Anything that can be efficiently converted into heat or motion to provide power to run machines and vehicles and to supply heat and light is a source of energy.** Energy conservation: Reducing the amount of energy used, for example, through the use of energy efficient lighting and appliances, turning off lights and appliances when not in use and using insulation and weather stripping. This may also be referred to as energy efficiency.* Energy consumption: Energy consumption refers to the amount of energy used by an object, system or process to carry out a particular function.** Enhanced greenhouse effect: The concept that the natural greenhouse effect has been enhanced by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, CFCs, HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3 and other photochemically important gases caused by human activities such as fossil fuel consumption, trap more infra-red radiation, thereby exerting a warming influence on the climate.^^

ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation): Originally, ENSO referred to El Niño/ Southern Oscillation, or the combined atmosphere/ocean system during an El Niño warm event. The ENSO cycle includes La Niña and El Niño phases as well as neutral phases, or ENSO cycle, of the coupled atmosphere/ocean system

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though sometimes it is still used as originally defined. The Southern Oscillation is quantified by the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI).^^^

Environmental assessment: Carrying out an environmental assessment means determining or estimating the value, significance or extent of damage to a particular ecosystem or aspect of it.** Environmental emergencies: An uncontrolled, unplanned or accidental release of a substance into the environment that may affect human life or health or the environment of which human health depends. These emergencies include those resulting from human activities as well as ones created as a side effect of a natural hazard (forest fires, spills, leaks).** Environmental monitoring: Monitoring, or making systematic geo-referenced observations of the environment-such as measuring water level or counting trees-is essential to detecting changes in ecosystems over time.** Erosion: The wearing away of the land surface by running water, wind, ice, or other geological agents, including such processes as gravitational creep. Geological erosion is naturally occurring erosion over long periods of time. Accelerated erosion is more rapid than normal erosion and results primarily from (human) activities. Erosion is further classified by the amount and pattern of soil removal and transport as gully, interrill, rill, sheet, and splash or raindrop erosion.* Ethanol (C2H5OH): Otherwise known as ethyl alcohol, alcohol, or grain spirit. A clear, colorless, flammable oxygenated hydrocarbon with a boiling point of 78.5 degrees Celsius in the anhydrous state. In transportation, ethanol is used as a vehicle fuel by itself (E100), blended with gasoline (E85), or as a gasoline octane enhancer and oxygenate (10 percent concentration).^^

Evaporation: The physical process by which a liquid or solid is changed to a gas; the opposite of condensation.^^^

Evapotranspiration: The loss of water from the soil by evaporation and by transpiration from the plants growing in the soil, which rises with air temperature.^^ Excess nutrients (water): Excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus compounds come mainly from municipal sewage and farm runoff containing fertilizers and animal waste. When these nutrients are introduced to lakes, rivers, and marine environments, they can cause excess growth of aquatic plants, which then die and decay, depleting water of dissolved oxygen and killing fish (a process called eutrophication).**

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Exotic species: Those species occurring out of their native ranges in a given place as a result of action by humans; any species introduced from a foreign country.* Exponential growth: Growth in which some quantity, such as population size, increases by a constant percentage of the whole during each year or other time period; when the increase in quantity over time is plotted, this type of growth yields a curve shaped like the letter J.^^ Extended detention storage: The active storage component of an end-of-pipe stormwater management facility designed to detain inflows for a given detention period. Flows are discharge over an extended period to enhance water quality and provide erosion control.^ Extirpated: A species that no longer survives in regions that were once part of its native range.* Feedback mechanisms: A mechanism that connects one aspect of a system to another. The connection can be either amplifying (positive feedback) or moderating (negative feedback).^^ Fertilization: A term used to denote efforts to enhance plant growth by increased application of nitrogen-based fertilizer or increased deposition of nitrates in precipitation.^^ Flaring: The burning of waste gases through a flare stack or other device before releasing them to the air.^^ Flora: Plant species and communities.^ Flood: The condition that occurs when water overflows the artificial or natural boundaries of a stream, river, or other body of water. Also used for the ponding of water at or near where the rain is falling or has fallen. The term may also be used to alert the public of non life threatening flooding of small streams, streets, storm drains and low lying urban areas. It may also be used if small streams in rural areas reach or exceed bankfull.* Flood plain: The strip of relatively smooth land adjacent to a river channel constructed by the present river in its existing regimen and covered with water when the river overflows its banks. It is built of alluvium carried by the river during floods and deposited in the sluggish water beyond the influence of the swiftest current. A river has one flood plain and may have one or more terraces representing abandoned flood plains.*

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Flooding (Water): An overflowing of water beyond its normal confines, and especially over land. Flooding may occur as a result of heavy rainfall and, in spring, as the result of a sudden melting of ice and snow.** Flow: The volume of water or ground water moving past a point of reference: expressed in volume with respect to time, e.g., cubic metres per second - m3/s.* Fluidized bed combustion (FBC): Process for burning coal more efficiently, cleanly, and cheaply. A stream of hot air is used to suspend a mixture of powdered coal and limestone during combustion. About 90 to 98 percent of the sulfur dioxide produced during combustion is removed by reaction with limestone to produce solid calcium sulfate.^^ Fluorocarbons: Carbon-fluorine compounds that often contain other elements such as hydrogen, chlorine, or bromine. Common fluorocarbons include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).^^. Forcing mechanism: A process that alters the energy balance of the climate system, i.e. changes the relative balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation from Earth. Such mechanisms include changes in solar irradiance, volcanic eruptions, and enhancement of the natural greenhouse effect by emission of carbon dioxide.^^ Forecasts (weather): Predictions of the weather for the next few hours or days made by using computer models to analyze atmospheric data. Long-range weather forecasts, which are more general and less accurate, are also made for future periods of several months.**

Fossil fuel: A collective term for coal, petroleum and natural gas, which are used for energy production through combustion. They are called fossil fuels because they are made of fossilized, carbon-rich plant and animal remains. These remains were buried in sediments millions of years ago and, over geological time, have been converted to their current state. Fossil fuels can be extracted from the sediments by humans millions of years after their deposition and their stored energy can be used as fuel when it is burned.***

Fossil fuel combustion: Burning of coal, oil (including gasoline), or natural gas. This burning, usually to generate energy, releases carbon dioxide, as well as combustion by products that can include unburned hydrocarbons, methane, and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide, methane, and many of the unburned hydrocarbons slowly oxidize into carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Common sources of fossil fuel combustion include cars and electric utilities.^^

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Fragmentation: The breaking up of large habitats into smaller, isolated chunks. Fragmentation is one of the main forms of habitat destruction, which is the primary reason biodiversity is in decline; Habitat fragmentation, particularly forest fragmentation, is a major concern for terrestrial habitat within the TRCA's jurisdiction. Plant and animal populations are seriously affected by fragmentation. For example, animals that require cover for movement are unable to cross open agricultural areas between forest patches due to the risk of predation. Other barriers such as roads and urban areas are formidable or dangerous obstacles to animal movement.*

Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC): The agreement signed by 154 countries, including Canada, at the Earth Summit in Rio in June 1992, under which climate change is discussed globally. Developed countries agreed to aim to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. The FCCC established a framework of general principles and institutions and set up a process through which governments can meet regularly.***

Freshwater: Water that is not salty, found in inland bodies of water.** Fugitive emissions: Unintended gas leaks from the processing, transmission, and/or transportation of fossil fuels, CFCs from refrigeration leaks, SF6 from electrical power distributor, etc.^^ Geology: The science of the earth. Existing soil conditions either close to the ground surface or deep in the earth. Generally determines the type of soil material present at a given location.^ Geosphere: The soils, sediments, and rock layers of the Earth's crust, both continental and beneath the ocean floors.^^ Geothermal energy: Heat transferred from the earth's molten core to under-ground deposits of dry steam (steam with no water droplets), wet steam (a mixture of steam and water droplets), hot water, or rocks lying fairly close to the earth's surface.^^ Gene pool: Sum total of all the genes found in the individuals of the population of a particular species.*

General Circulation Model (GCM): A global, three-dimensional computer model of the climate system which can be used to simulate human-induced climate change. GCMs are highly complex and they represent the effects of such factors as reflective and absorptive properties of atmospheric water vapor, greenhouse gas concentrations, clouds, annual and daily solar heating, ocean

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temperatures and ice boundaries. The most recent GCMs include global representations of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface.^^

Global warming: Strictly speaking, the natural warming and cooling trends that the Earth has experienced all through its history. However, the term global warming has become popularized as the term that encompasses all aspects of the global warming problem, including the potential climate changes that will be brought about by an increase in global temperatures.***

Gravel: A sediment of stones greater than 2 mm in size formed by the action of moving water, usually mixed with finer particles.^

Greenhouse effect: The process by which heat accumulates in the Earth's atmosphere instead of being released out into space. This process occurs naturally and keeps the Earth warm enough to sustain life. Scientific evidence shows human activity is intensifying this natural process. The greenhouse effect produced by different gases depends not just on the amount of the gas in the atmosphere at present, expected future emissions, and the lifetime of individual molecules in the gas. It is also dependent to a very large extent on how effective the gas is in absorbing radiation.***

Greenhouse effect: The greenhouse effect is the phenomenon whereby certain gases that absorb and trap heat in the atmosphere cause a warming effect on earth.**

Greenhouse gases (GHGs): Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These gases together absorb the earth's radiation and warm the atmosphere. Some greenhouse gases occur naturally but are also produced by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. When greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, they have an impact on climate and weather patterns. They are usually measured in carbon dioxide equivalents. The United Nations says the GHGs mostly responsible for causing climate change are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).***

Greenhouse gases: Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb and trap heat in the atmosphere and cause a warming effect on earth. Some occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons.** Green roofs: Ecological roof gardens that involve large planted areas, specialized soil substitutes, and little or no reengineering on the existing roof. Green roofs improve the building’s thermal insulation , absorb less heat, produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, filter air pollution, provide wildlife

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habitat, and absorb up to 75 percent of rain falling from it, thus slowing stormwater runoff.* Greenspace: Protected land and water that is in its natural, undeveloped state as well as a supporting network of land in private and public ownership that has been developed only to the extent consistent with natural systems protection, recreational uses, or agricultural and forest production.* Grey water: Waste water that originates from sinks, showers, and washing facilities that is characterized by elevated levels of surfactants (soaps and detergents) and nutrients (particularly phosphorus).* Groundwater: The term groundwater is usually reserved for the subsurface water that occurs beneath the water table in soils and geologic formations that are fully saturated. However, groundwater also encompasses the near-surface, unsaturated, soil moisture regime that plays an important role in the hydrologic cycle, and the much deeper, saturated regimes that have an important influence on many geologic processes.* Groundwater discharge: Movement of water from the saturated zone in the ground to the surface, usually to a river, wetland or other water body.* Groundwater recharge: The entry into the saturated zone of water made available at the water table surface, together with the associated flow away from the water table within the saturated zone.^ Groundwater table: The surface on which the fluid pressure in the pores of a porous medium is exactly atmospheric. It generally rises and falls with the season, the rate of withdrawal, the rate of recharge, and other conditions.^ Habitat: The environment in which a population or individual lives; includes not only the place where a species is found, but also the particular characteristics of the place (e.g., climate or the availability of suitable food and shelter) that make it especially well suited to meet the life cycle needs of that species.* Halocarbons: Chemicals consisting of carbon, sometimes hydrogen, and either chlorine, fluorine bromine or iodine.^^ Halons: Compounds, also known as bromofluorocarbons, that contain bromine, fluorine, and carbon. They are generally used as fire extinguishing agents and cause ozone depletion. Bromine is many times more effective at destroying stratospheric ozone than chlorine.^^ Hazardous waste: Discarded material which, because of its inherent nature and quantity, requires special disposal techniques to avoid crating health hazards,

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nuisances or environmental pollution. Hazardous waste can physically be solid, liquid, semi-solid or gaseous.** Headwaters: The small streams that come together to form a river. Also may be thought of as any and all parts of a river basin except the mainstream river and main tributaries.* Heat: Form of kinetic energy that flows from one body to another when there is a temperature difference between the two bodies. Heat always flows spontaneously from a hot sample of matter to a colder sample of matter. This is one way to state the second law of thermodynamics.^^ Heat content: The amount of heat per unit mass released upon complete combustion.^^ Higher heating value: Quantity of heat liberated by the complete combustion of a unit volume or weight of a fuel assuming that the produced water vapor is completely condensed and the heat is recovered; also known as gross calorific value.^^. Histosol: Wet organic soils, such as peats and mucks.^^ Human water cycle: The parts and processes built by people to bring drinking water to, and remove waste water from, a community. The source of the water, and ultimate destination of the waste water, is normally the natural water cycle (hydrologic cycle).* Hummock: A conical or rounded, usually equidimensional mound, hillock, or other small elevation.^ Hurricanes (weather): Hurricanes are cyclones of tropical origin, with wind speeds of at least 118 kilometres per hour. The winds in a hurricane rotate inwards to an area of low barometric pressure. This relatively calm centre is called the "eye".** Hydrocarbons: Substances containing only hydrogen and carbon. Fossil fuels are made up of hydrocarbons. Some hydrocarbon compounds are major air pollutants.^^. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs): Compounds containing hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, and carbon atoms. Although ozone depleting substances, they are less potent at destroying stratospheric ozone than chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They have been introduced as temporary replacements for CFCs and are also greenhouse gases.^^

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Hydroelectric power (HEP) plant: Structure in which the energy of fading or flowing water spins a turbine generator to produce electricity.^^ Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): Compounds containing only hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon atoms. They were introduced as alternatives to ozone depleting substances in serving many industrial, commercial, and personal needs. HFCs are emitted as by-products of industrial processes and are also used in manufacturing. They do not significantly deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, but they are powerful greenhouse gases with global warming potentials ranging from 140 (HFC-152a) to 11,700 (HFC-23).^^ Hydrogeology: The physical process of groundwater including factors that influence the amount of water available, the flow of water into and through the ground, and the flow of water to the surface through springs or to watercourses.^ Hydrograph: A continuous graph showing the properties of streamflow with respect to time derived from direct measurement or prediction of runoff.^ Hydrologic conditions: Related to the flow conditions in a watercourse including the response to rainfall and snowmelt.^ Hydraulic conductivity: A measure of the ability of soil, rock, and other geological materials to transmit water through pore space.^ Hydrologic cycle (Water cycle): The circulation of water in and on the earth and through earth's atmosphere through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, ground water storage and seepage, and re-evaporation into the atmosphere.* Hydrologic regime: Pertains to flow conditions in the stream.^ Hydrology: The science of water, its properties and laws, and its distribution over the earth’s surface.^ Hydropower: Electrical energy produced by falling or flowing water.^^ Hydrosphere: The part of the Earth composed of water including clouds, oceans, seas, ice caps, glaciers, lakes, rivers, underground water supplies, and atmospheric water vapor.^^ Ice core: A cylindrical section of ice removed from a glacier or an ice sheet in order to study climate patterns of the past. By performing chemical analyses on the air trapped in the ice, scientists can estimate the percentage of carbon dioxide and other trace gases in the atmosphere at that time.^^

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Impervious area: Lands with no recharge potential due to impermeable surface treatment (e.g. concrete, asphalt, conventional rooftops).* Infiltration: The downward entry of water through the soil surface into the soil. Infiltration constitutes the sole source of water to sustain the growth of vegetation and it helps to sustain the groundwater supply to wells, springs, and streams. The rate of infiltration is influenced by the physical characteristics of the soil, soil cover (i.e. plants), water content of the soil, soil temperature, and rainfall intensity. The terms infiltration and percolation are often used interchangeably.* Infrared radiation: The heat energy that is emitted from all solids, liquids, and gases. In the context of the greenhouse issue, the term refers to the heat energy emitted by the Earth's surface and its atmosphere. Greenhouse gases strongly absorb this radiation in the Earth's atmosphere, and radiate some back towards the surface, creating the greenhouse effect.^^ Inorganic compound: Combination of two or more elements other than those used to form organic compounds.^^ Interflow: Movement of infiltration laterally through the soil horizons.^

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the IPCC is the authoritative international body charged with studying climate change. The IPCC surveys the worldwide technical and scientific literature on climate change and publishes assessment reports. Its widely quoted 1995 report found that "the balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on global climate.***

Intensification: The creation of new dwelling units in existing buildings or on previously developed, serviced land and includes redevelopment and small-scale intensification.^ Intermittent streams: Streams, creeks, or drainage courses which flow only part of the year, or at intervals through the year.^ Inundation: The act of covering with water, especially flood water.^ Invasive species: Any non-native species whose introduction does, or is likely to, cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.* Isolated wetlands: Wetlands with no surface outflow.^

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Jet stream: Strong winds concentrated within a narrow zone in the atmosphere in the upper troposphere, about 30,000 feet aloft that generally move in an easterly direction that drive weather systems around the globe. In North America jet streams are more pronounced in winter.^^^

Key function: A function which is measurable; or contributes significantly to the integrity of the wetland ecosystem; or has been identified as an important feature in the wetland evaluation system data record; or the loss of which would have a significant impact on the wetland score.^

Kyoto Protocol: The international agreement emerging from COP3, held in December 1997. Under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Canada agreed to cut greenhouse gases to six percent below 1990 levels, to be reached between 2008 and 2012.***

Lacustrine wetlands: Wetlands influenced by lake water.^ Landfill: Land waste disposal site in which waste is generally spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of soil each day.^^ La Nina: La Nina is an extensive cooling of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that occurs less frequently than El Nino and is its climatic opposite. It occurs when easterly trade winds in the tropics strengthen, intensifying the up-welling of cold waters off the coast of Peru and Ecuador. The effects of La Nina are strongest during the Northern Hemisphere winter, and include abundant snowfall from the interior of British Columbia to the Great Lakes region.** Lifetime (Atmospheric): The lifetime of a greenhouse gas refers to the approximate amount of time it would take for the anthropogenic increment to an atmospheric pollutant concentration to return to its natural level (assuming emissions cease) as a result of either being converted to another chemical compound or being taken out of the atmosphere via a sink. This time depends on the pollutant's sources and sinks as well as its reactivity. The lifetime of a pollutant is often considered in conjunction with the mixing of pollutants in the atmosphere; a long lifetime will allow the pollutant to mix throughout the atmosphere. Average lifetimes can vary from about a week (sulfate aerosols) to more than a century (CFCs, carbon dioxide).^^ Light-duty vehicles: Automobiles and light trucks combined.^^ Lignite: A brownish-black coal of low rank with high inherent moisture and volatile matter content, used almost exclusively for electric power generation. Also referred to as brown coal.^^ Liquefied natural gas (LNG): Natural gas converted to liquid form by cooling to

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a very low temperature.^^ Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG): Ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, normal butane, butylene, and isobutane produced at refineries or natural gas processing plants, including plants that fractionate new natural gas plant liquids.^^ Locally significant: Significant within the municipality or county. In the case of wetlands, Class 4 to 7 wetland under the Ontario Wetlands Evaluation System.^ Longwave radiation: The radiation emitted in the spectral wavelength greater than 4 micrometers corresponding to the radiation emitted from the Earth and atmosphere. It is sometimes referred to as terrestrial radiation or infrared radiation, although somewhat imprecisely.^^ Loss of habitat (Wildlife): Habitat is the natural environment characteristically occupied by an organism. Loss of habitat to human development, forestry, agriculture and other activities is the primary cause of biodiversity loss in Canada and around the world.** Low Emission Vehicle (LEV): A vehicle meeting the low-emission vehicle standards.^^ Lower heating value: Quantity of heat liberated by the complete combustion of a unit volume or weight of a fuel assuming that the produced water remains as a vapor and the heat of the vapor is not recovered; also known as net calorific value.^^ Mammals: Of the class Mammalia, the highest class of vertebrates. Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have mammary glands and a four-chambered heart. Most give birth to live young, and are either partially or completely covered in hair.** Marsh: Wet areas periodically or permanently inundated with standing or slowly moving water, dominated by robust emergents (eg. cattails), narrow-leaved emergents (eg. sedges and grasses), floating plants, and submerged plants.^ Mass balance: The application of the principle of the conservation of matter.^^

Mean: The arithmetic average, or the middle point between two extremes.^^^

Meander: A loop-like bend in a river or stream. Typically, a natural meander has a steep bank or cliff on the outside of the curve and a shallow-sloping bank on

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the inside, often with a low-lying deposit (or 'bar') comprised of material such as silt, sand or shingle. Such features provide opportunities for specialist plants and animals (e.g. sand martins nest in river cliffs).* Meander belt: The area of land in which a watercourse channel moves or is likely to move over a period of time.* Mesic: Of or relating to organisms or communities that have a moderate amount of moisture.^

Methane (CH4): One of the three major greenhouse gases responsible for climate change (see greenhouse gases). Although there is less methane than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, methane is a more effective heat-trapping greenhouse gas. The IPCC estimates that the global warming potential of methane is 21 times that of carbon dioxide. Methane comes from the decay of matter without the presence of oxygen. Human activities such as rice cultivation, the rearing of some farm animals (see ruminants), biomass burning, coal mining and natural gas venting are increasing the input of methane into the atmosphere.***

Methanol (CH33OH): A colorless poisonous liquid with essentially no odor and little taste. It is the simplest alcohol with a boiling point of 64.7 degrees Celsius. In transportation, methanol is used as a vehicle fuel by itself (M100), or blended with gasoline (M85).^^

Migration (wildlife): Regular, periodic movements of animals in large numbers, usually away from and back to a place of origin. Many birds undertake seasonal migrations-typically in the spring and fall-to find more favorable conditions of temperature, food, or water. Such migrations may involve a change of latitude, altitude, or both, and are intended to provide a suitable breeding area.** Mineral Soil: Soil composed of mineral matter with less than 20% organic matter, normally having a surface organic layer less than 60cm thick.^

Mitigation: The term used to cover measures that seek to avoid, reduce or delay global warming by reducing those emissions of atmospheric gases that are of human origin or within human control.***

Monitoring: Periodic or continuous collection of data (measured parameters) using consistent methods to determine the status (the condition of the ecological resources) of a water body and watershed and the changes in those measurements over time.* Mouth: The place where a stream discharges to a larger stream, a lake or the sea.*

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Muck: A classification of organic soil used in the soil surveys of Ontario. Muck soils are formed in wetlands, shallow lakes, or pond bottoms, and are composed almost entirely of organic matter (the remains of plant tissues). The organic matter may be partially or very well decomposed. Muck is essentially the same as “peat”. The soil map “muck” classifications generally do not differentiate between various depths of organic matter, the degree of decomposition, the parent plant material, or the depth of the layers.^ Native species: Species within the historic range, as occupied at the time of European colonization.* Natural area linkages: A corridor which allows for the uninhibited movement of wildlife. Deer trails between feeding areas in adjacent woodlots an example.^ Natural capital: Natural capital refers to the mineral, plant, and animal formations of the Earth's biosphere when viewed as a means of production of oxygen, water filter, erosion preventer, or provider of other natural services. It is one approach to ecosystem valuation, an alternative to the traditional view of all non-human life as passive natural resources, and to the idea of ecological health.* Natural gas: Underground deposits of gases consisting of 50 to 90 percent methane (CH4) and small amounts of heavier gaseous hydrocarbon compounds such as propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10).^^ Natural gas liquids (NGLs): Those hydrocarbons in natural gas that are separated as liquids from the gas. Includes natural gas plant liquids and lease condensate.^^ Nitrogen cycle: Cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms from the environment, to organisms, and then back to the environment.^^ Nitrogen fixation: Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas into forms useful to plants and other organisms by lightning, bacteria, and blue-green algae; it is part of the nitrogen cycle.^^ Nitrogen oxides (NOx): Gases consisting of one molecule of nitrogen and varying numbers of oxygen molecules. Nitrogen oxides are produced, for example, by the combustion of fossil fuels in vehicles and electric power plants. In the atmosphere, nitrogen oxides can contribute to formation of photochemical ozone (smog), impair visibility, and have health consequences; they are considered pollutants.^^

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Nitrous oxide (N2O): One of the three major greenhouse gases responsible for climate change (see greenhouse gases). Soils and oceans are the primary natural sources of nitrous oxide. Humans contribute to nitrous oxide emissions through soil cultivation and the use of nitrogen fertilizers, nylon production and the burning of organic material and fossil fuels. Combustion and biomass burning are sources of nitrous oxide emissions. Agricultural practices may stimulate emissions of nitrous oxide from soils and play a major role in the build-up of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.***

Nonbiodegradable: Substance that cannot be broken down in the environment by natural processes.^^ Non-point source: Large land area such as crop fields and urban areas that discharge pollutant into surface and underground water over a large area.^^

Nuclear electric power: Electricity generated by an electric power plant whose turbines are driven by steam generated in a reactor by heat from the fissioning of nuclear fuel.^^ Nuclear energy: Energy released when atomic nuclei undergo a nuclear reaction such as the spontaneous emission of radioactivity, nuclear fission, or nuclear fusion.^^

Oil shale: Underground formation of a fine-grained sedimentary rock containing varying amounts of kerogen, a solid, waxy mixture of hydrocarbon compounds. Heating the rock to high temperatures converts the kerogen to a vapor, which can be condensed to form a slow flowing heavy oil called shale oil.^^

Old growth: Old growth is a forest that contains live and dead trees of various sizes, species, composition, and age class structure. Old-growth forests, as part of a slowly changing but dynamic ecosystem, include climax forests but not sub-climax or mid-seral forests. The age and structure of old growth varies significantly by forest type and from one biogeoclimatic zone to another.*

One-Zone Policy Area: The approach whereby the entire flood plain, as defined by the Regulatory Floodline, is treated as one unit, and approval of all development applications are prohibited or restricted.^ Open water: Lake water that is free of emergent vegetation or artificial obstructions.^ Ore: Mineral deposit containing a high enough concentration of at least one metallic element to permit the metal to be extracted and sold at a profit.^^ Organic compound: Molecule that contains atoms of the element carbon,

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usually combined with itself and with atoms of one or more other element such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, or fluorine.^^ Organic fertilizer: Organic material such as manure or compost, applied to cropland as a source of plant nutrients.^^ Organic soil: Soil consisting mainly of organic matter, such as peat or muck.^

Oscillations: A shift in position of various high and low pressure systems that in climate terms is usually defined as an index (i.e., a single numerically-derived number, that represents the distribution of temperature and pressure over a wide ocean area, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and Pacific Decadal Oscillation).^^^

Ozone: Ozone is a naturally occurring gas, formed from normal oxygen, that protects the earth by filtering out ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Most of the world's ozone is concentrated in the stratosphere, 10-50 kilometres above the earth's surface.** Ozone depleting substance (ODS): A family of man-made compounds that includes, but are not limited to, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), bromofluorocarbons (halons), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These compounds have been shown to deplete stratospheric ozone, and therefore are typically referred to as ODSs.^^ Ozone hole: A severe depletion of stratospheric ozone over Antarctica that occurs each spring. The possibility exists that a hole could form over the Arctic as well. The depletion is caused by a chemical reaction involving ozone and chlorine, primarily from human produced sources, cloud particles, and low temperatures.^^^ Ozone layer: The layer of gaseous ozone (O3) in the stratosphere that protects life on earth by filtering out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.^^ Ozone precursors: Chemical compounds, such as carbon monoxide, methane, non-methane hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, which in the presence of solar radiation react with other chemical compounds to form ozone, mainly in the troposphere.^^ Palustrine wetlands: Wetlands with no or intermittent inflow and either permanent or intermittent outflow.^

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Particulate matter (PM): Solid particles or liquid droplets suspended or carried in the air (e.g., soot, dust, fumes, mist).^^ Parts per billion (ppb): Number of parts of a chemical found in one billion parts of a particular gas, liquid, or solid mixture.^^ Parts per million (ppm): Number of parts of a chemical found in one million parts of a particular gas, liquid, or solid.^^ Perfluorocarbons (PFCs): A group of human-made chemicals composed of carbon and fluorine only. These chemicals (predominantly CF4 and C2F6) were introduced as alternatives, along with hydrofluorocarbons, to the ozone depleting substances. In addition, PFCs are emitted as by-products of industrial processes and are also used in manufacturing. PFCs do not harm the stratospheric ozone layer, but they are powerful greenhouse gases: CF4 has a global warming potential (GWP) of 6,500 and C2F6 has a GWP of 9,200.^^ Permanent streams: A stream whose bed lies below the water table, so that the stream flows continuously throughout the year. See intermittent stream.^ Permeability: A measurement of the ability of water to diffuse.^ Petrochemicals: Chemicals obtained by refining (i.e., distilling) crude oil. They are used as raw materials in the manufacture of most industrial chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fibers, paints, medicines, and many other products.^^ Petroleum: A generic term applied to oil and oil products in all forms, such as crude oil, lease condensate, unfinished oils, petroleum products, natural gas plant liquids, and non-hydrocarbon compounds blended into finished petroleum products.^^ Petroleum coke: A residue that is the final product of the condensation process in cracking. Photosynthesis: Complex process that takes place in living green plant cells. Radiant energy from the sun is used to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to produce oxygen (O2) and simple nutrient molecules, such as glucose (C6H12O6).^^ Photovoltaic and solar thermal energy: Energy radiated by the sun as electromagnetic waves (electromagnetic radiation) that is converted into electricity by means of solar (i.e., photovoltaic) cells or useable heat by concentrating (i.e., focusing) collectors.^^

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Planning (environmental emergencies): Determining the potential impacts of environmental emergencies on communities and natural resources is essential to minimizing the impacts of such emergencies when they occur. Of particular importance is the development of a network of appropriate responders with clearly delineated responsibilities.** Point source: A single identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the environment. Examples are smokestack, sewer, ditch, or pipe.^^ Pollution (water): Any substance introduced into water or a body of water that has unpleasant or harmful effects. Although water pollution often comes from direct sources, such as effluent emitted into lakes and rivers by industries, it may also fall out of the atmosphere or seep in from surrounding land.** Pollution prevention: Pollution prevention refers to the use of processes, practices, materials, products or energy that avoid or minimize the creation of pollutants and waste, and reduce the overall risk to human health or the environment.** Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): A polymer of vinyl chloride. It is tasteless, odorless and insoluble in most organic solvents. A member of the family vinyl resin, used in soft flexible films for food packaging and in molded rigid products, such as pipes, fibers, upholstery, and bristles.^^ Pond: A body of water usually smaller than a lake, encircled by vegetation, and generally shallow enough for sunlight to reach the bottom. Rooted plants can grow in any spot within the pond creating a habitat for various forms of animal life.* Potable water: Water suitable for drinking or cooking purposes from both health and aesthetic considerations.*

ppmv: A unit of measure, parts per million by volume, often used in climate change terminology to express the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Variations include parts per billion by volume (ppbv) and parts per trillion by volume (pptv).***

Prairie: A dry habitat dominated by tall grasses and herbaceous perennial plants.^ Precession: The tendency of the Earth's axis to wobble in space over a period of 23,000 years. The Earth's precession is one of the factors that results in the planet receiving different amounts of solar energy over extended periods of time.^^

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Preparedness (environmental emergencies): Readiness to respond to an environmental emergency is crucial to minimizing the harmful effects it could have on the environment.** Prescribed burning: Deliberate setting and careful control of surface fires in forests to help prevent more destructive fires and to kill off unwanted plants that compete with commercial species for plant nutrients; may also be used on grasslands.^^ Prevention (environmental emergencies): A variety of method to help prevent environmental emergencies from occurring, whenever possible. These include education, regulations and other legal instruments governing the handling of hazardous materials.** Provincial significance: Important on a provincial scale. May refer to a species, a habitat, or an entire wetland. A provincially significant wetland is protected by the Wetlands Policy.^ Provincially significant wetland: a) Class 1, 2, and 3 wetlands in that part of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Region below the line approximating the south edge of the Canadian Shield, defined in An Evaluation System for Wetlands of Ontario South of the Precambrian Shield. Second Edition, 1984, as amended from time to time; and b) Those wetlands identified as Provincially Significant Wetlands by the Ministry of Natural Resources through an evaluation system(s) developed specifically for other areas of Ontario.^ Radiation: Energy emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves. Radiation has differing characteristics depending upon the wavelength. Because the radiation from the Sun is relatively energetic, it has a short wavelength (ultra-violet, visible, and near infrared) while energy radiated from the Earth's surface and the atmosphere has a longer wavelength (e.g., infrared radiation) because the Earth is cooler than the Sun.^^ Radiative forcing: A change in the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation. Without any radiative forcing, solar radiation coming to the Earth would continue to be approximately equal to the infrared radiation emitted from the Earth. The addition of greenhouse gases traps an increased fraction of the infrared radiation, radiating it back toward the surface and creating a warming influence (i.e., positive radiative forcing because incoming solar radiation will exceed outgoing infrared radiation).^^

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Regeneration: (1) Renewing a vegetation community whether by natural or artificial means including natural reproduction by self-sown seed, by vegetative means such as coppicing, or by planting or direct seeding. (2) The young tree crop itself, i.e., seedlings and saplings.* Remnant: Areas of natural cover which remain after clearing of adjacent areas for agriculture, development, etc.^ Renewable energy: Energy obtained from sources that are essentially inexhaustible (unlike, for example, fossil fuels, of which there is a finite supply). Renewable sources of energy include conventional hydroelectric power, wood, waste, geothermal, wind, photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy.* Resources: The machines, workers, money, land, raw materials, and other things that a country can use to produce goods and services and to make its economy grow. Resources may be renewable or nonrenewable. Countries must use their resources wisely to ensure long term prosperity.* Respiration: The process by which animals use up stored foods (by combustion with oxygen) to produce energy.^^ Restoration: Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed.*

Retrogression or retrograde motion: Means motion that is backwards from the usual way things move in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics - which is from west to east. In meteorology, the term is used in relation to atmospheric waves or pressure systems. When meteorologists say that a pattern will retrograde, they mean that the troughs and ridges will end up further west than they were previously. Normal motion (over the United States) is progressive, or prograde, which means (weather systems move) from west to east.^^^

Riparian: The area associated with the bank of a river or lake or tidewater.* Risk assessment: A risk assessment is an estimate of the chance that environmental or health problems will result from a particular activity. Risk assessments play an important role in determining controls for the manufacture, use and transportation of toxic chemicals.** Riverine wetlands: Wetlands influenced by the waters of a river or permanent stream.^

Ruminants: The group of animals that have a stomach with three or four chambers that regurgitate and rechew their food. Cattle and sheep are ruminants, as are camels, deer and goats.***

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Runoff: That component of precipitation that is discharged overland to the surface drainage system.^ Rural residential: An area of low density residential (as used to define land uses in the Surface Water Modelling).^ Sand: A soil mineral particle coarser than silt and finer than gravel, having quartz as its most common component.^ Sanitary sewer: A sewer that transports only wastewaters (from domestic residences and/or industries) to a wastewater treatment plant.* Sediment: Soils or other surface materials transported by wind or water as a result of erosion.^ Sedimentation (water): sedimentation is an increase in the amount of solid particles suspended in water, caused primarily by soil erosion. The main human causes of sedimentation are forestry, farming, and construction. When sediment settles, it can smother the feeding and spawning grounds of fish and kill aquatic organisms.** Severe weather: Includes conditions such as: high wind, heavy rain, hail, heavy snowfall, blizzard, severe thunderstorm and tornado.** Sewage (water): Waste matter, usually in the form of human excrement.** Silt: A very small rock or mineral particle smaller than a very fine grain of sand and larger than coarse clay. Usually defined as having a diameter from 0.002 mm to 0.06 mm.^

Sinks: Natural systems forests and wetlands, for example that absorb and store greenhouse gases.***

Sludge: Gooey solid mixture of bacteria and virus laden organic matter, toxic metals, synthetic organic chemicals, and solid chemicals removed from wastewater at a sewage treatment plant.^^ Smog (ground-level ozone): Smog is formed in the Earth's lower atmosphere, near ground level, when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight. Ninety per cent of all smog found in urban areas is made up of ground-level ozone-the same chemical found in the stratosphere. In large enough quantities, ground-level ozone can cause respiratory problems in humans and other animals, and damage to plants and building materials.**

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Soil: Complex mixture of inorganic minerals (i.e., mostly clay, silt, and sand), decaying organic matter, water, air, and living organisms.^^ Soil carbon: A major component of the terrestrial biosphere pool in the carbon cycle. The amount of carbon in the soil is a function of the historical vegetative cover and productivity, which in turn is dependent in part upon climatic variables.^^ Solar energy: Direct radiant energy from the sun. It also includes indirect forms of energy such as wind, falling or flowing water (hydropower), ocean thermal gradients, and biomass, which are produced when direct solar energy interact with the earth.^^ Solar radiation: Energy from the Sun. Also referred to as short-wave radiation. Of importance to the climate system, solar radiation includes ultraviolet radiation, visible radiation, and infrared radiation.^^ Source water: Water in the environment that may be used as a supply for a drinking water system. Speciation: The process by which one or more populations of a species become genetically different enough to form a new species. The process often requires populations to be isolated for a long period of time.* Species: The lowest principal unit of biological classification formally recognized as a group of organisms distinct from other groups. In sexually producing organisms, "species" is more narrowly characterized as a group of organisms that in natural conditions freely interbreed with members of the same group but not with members of other groups.* Species of concern: Generally species which are disappearing in the landscape, primarily as a result of land use changes; Species that are not yet listed as endangered or threatened, but that are undergoing a status review. This may include species whose populations are consistently and widely dispersed or whose ranges are restricted to a few localities, so that any major habitat change could lead to extinction. A species that is particularly sensitive to some external disturbance factors.* Storm sewer: A system of pipes (separate from sanitary sewers) that carries water runoff from buildings and land surfaces.* Stormwater: Rainwater that runs off urban and rural areas, flows through ditches and storm drain systems, and empties into rivers and lakes, normally untreated.*

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Stormwater treatment pond: A stormwater management facility (e.g., wet ponds, dry ponds, wetlands, infiltration basins) that receives water from a conveyance system (ditches, sewers) and discharges the treated water to the receiving waters.* Stream: A natural body of flowing water that is a complex ecosystem in which biological, chemical, or physical changes may affect other characteristics. A stream begins at its headwaters and gathers water from runoff, rain, snowmelt, or from underground springs. Streams hold great importance regardless of size or flow. They provide water supplies, a variety of aesthetic values, and are also important wildlife habitats.* Stream order: A method of numbering streams as part of a drainage basin network. The smallest unbranched mapped tributary is called first order. The stream receiving the tributary is called second order, and so on. Tributaries which have no branches are designated as of the first order, streams which receive only first-order tributaries are of the second order, larger branches which receive only first-order and second-order tributaries are designated third order, and so on, the main stream being always of the highest order.* Succession: This is the process by which one community of plants and animals is gradually replaced by another. It is reasonably directional and hence to a certain extent, predictable (e.g. bare ground > pioneer weed species > grassland >scrub > woodland). Succession occurs because the original community modifies the physical environment in some way, making it more favourable for a different set of species. The first stage in a succession is termed the pioneer stage. Succession will then proceed through various other stages (seres), until a climax (or final) stage is reached. The climax community is in equilibrium with the physical environment and succession proceeds no further. The length of each stage in a succession and its direction (i.e., the final climax community), will depend on local environmental conditions.* Sulfur dioxide (SO2): A compound composed of one sulfur and two oxygen molecules. Sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere through natural and anthropogenic processes is changed in a complex series of chemical reactions in the atmosphere to sulfate aerosols. These aerosols are believed to result in negative radiative forcing (i.e., tending to cool the Earth's surface) and do result in acid deposition (e.g., acid rain).^^ Sustainable development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In other words, development is essential to satisfy human needs and improve the quality of human life. At the same time, development must be based on the efficient and environmentally responsible use of all of society's scarce resources - natural, human, and economic.**

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Swamp: Wooded wetlands with 25% or more cover of trees, tall shrubs, or (occasionally) low shrubs.^ Tailings: Rock and other waste materials removed as impurities when minerals are mined and mineral deposits are processed. These materials are usually dumped on the ground or into ponds.^^ Tar sand: Swamp-like deposit of a mixture of fine clay, sand, water, and variable amounts of tar-like heavy oil known as bitumen. Bitumen can be extracted from tar sand by heating. It can then be purified and upgraded to synthetic crude oil.^^ Terrestrial: Pertaining to land.^^ Terrestrial natural heritage: Terrestrial Natural Heritage includes plants, animals and natural communities associated with the land, as opposed to aquatic environments. It encompasses wetlands and plants and animals that require land for at least part of their life cycle (such as amphibians and waterfowl).* Terrestrial radiation: The total infrared radiation emitted by the Earth and its atmosphere in the temperature range of approximately 200 to 300 Kelvin. Terrestrial radiation provides a major part of the potential energy changes necessary to drive the atmospheric wind system and is responsible for maintaining the surface air temperature within limits of livability.^^

Thermocline: As one descends from the surface of the ocean, the temperature remains nearly the same as it was at the surface, but at a certain depth temperature starts decreasing rapidly with depth. This boundary is called the thermocline. In studying the tropical Pacific Ocean, the depth of 20oC water ("the 20oC isotherm") is often used as a proxy for the depth of the thermocline. Along the equator, the 20oC isotherm is typically located at about 50m depth in the eastern Pacific, sloping downwards to about 150 m in the western Pacific.^^^

Till: Glacial drift composed of an unconsolidated, heterogeneous mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders.^ Top of valley bank: The physical top of the valley bank is that point where there is a break in slope or grade which distinguishes the valley corridor landform from its surrounding landscape.* Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen (TKN): Measures all nitrogen present in an aquatic system. This includes, depending on the sample taken, nitrogen dissolved in the

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water, absorbed to sediments and distributed in plants and animals. Kjeldhal refers to the distillation technique which dissolves all forms of nitrogen.^ Total phosphorus (TP): Measures all forms of phosphorus dissolved and suspended in the water column including organic and inorganic fractions. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient which often limits the extent of algae and other plant production in aquatic systems.^ Total organic carbon (TOC): Measures all forms of carbon in the water including dissolved carbon and that attached to suspended particles. Elevated organic carbon levels generally increase the levels of many contaminants in the water such as metals which bind to the organic carbon. Organic carbon levels may also be indicative of the presence of organic contaminants.^ Toxic substances (water): Substances that have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or human health. Toxic substances from industrial and agricultural activities often enter water and have been linked to health problems in animals and humans.** Trace gas: Any one of the less common gases found in the Earth's atmosphere. Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon make up more than 99 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. Other gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, and ammonia, are considered trace gases. Although relatively unimportant in terms of their absolute volume, they have significant effects on the Earth's weather and climate.^^ Transpiration: Emission of water vapour from the surface of a plant.^ Treatment (water): The treatment of wastewater or contaminated water using chemical, physical or biological agents to make it safe for drinking and other uses.** Trends (weather): Trends identify similarities over time. For example, observations of climatic data, such as precipitation and temperature, are used to determine changes in our climate. Any general directions and tendencies in these data over the long-term are referred to as trends.** Tributary: A stream or river whose water flows into a larger stream or river.* Turbidity: A cloudy or hazy appearance in water caused by the suspension of finer solids or colloids.^ Ultraviolet (UV) radiation: Invisible electromagnetic radiation with a frequency between that of visible violet light and X rays. Most of the ultraviolet component of sunlight is absorbed by the ozone layer of the atmosphere, but UV-B radiation

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can cause sunburn and skin cancer and UV-A radiation can cause photosensitivity reactions and possibly skin cancer.** Urbanization: Expansion of cities into rural regions because of population growth. In most cases, population growth is primarily due to the movement of rural based people to urban areas. This is especially true in Less Developed Countries.* Valley and stream corridor: Valley and Stream Corridors are the natural resources associated with river systems characterized by their landform.* Vegetation community: An association of plants in a given area in which various species are more or less interdependent upon one another.^ Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic compounds that evaporate readily into the atmosphere at normal temperatures. VOCs contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certain health problems.^^ Warm water fishery: A fresh water, mixed fish population with no salmonids.^ Waste (water): Wastewater is water that has been used for a human activity and allowed to run away-usually into the environment or into a treatment facility.** Water conservation: Water conservation means reducing water usage or using water more efficiently, in order to reduce pollution and health risks, lower water costs, and extend the useful life of the existing supply and waste-treatment facilities.** Watercourse: A watercourse is flowing water, though not necessarily continuous, within a defined channel and with a bed or banks and usually discharges itself into some other watercourse or body.* Waterfowl (wildlife): Any bird that frequents the water, or lives on or near rivers, lakes, seas, etc.-some of which are long-legged waders and others web-footed swimmers. The term is especially common for swimming game birds.** Water quality: The quality of water as determined by its chemical and bacterial composition. To ensure the safety of drinking water in Canada, maximum allowable limits exist for all potentially harmful contaminants.** Watershed: A watershed includes all of the lands draining into a river system and, in the Greater Toronto region, ultimately into Lake Ontario; A watershed is a commonly used practical definition of the boundary of an ecosystem on land. Within a watershed, any drop of rain that reaches the ground flows out in the

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same stream. Topography determines the watershed. With this definition of an ecosystem the system is unified in terms of chemical cycling. Watersheds are relatively easy to delineate compared to other ecosystems.* Water supply system: The collection, treatment, storage, and distribution of potable water from source to consumer.* Water vapor: The most abundant greenhouse gas; it is the water present in the atmosphere in gaseous form. Water vapor is an important part of the natural greenhouse effect. While humans are not significantly increasing its concentration, it contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect because the warming influence of greenhouse gases leads to a positive water vapor feedback. In addition to its role as a natural greenhouse gas, water vapor plays an important role in regulating the temperature of the planet because clouds form when excess water vapor in the atmosphere condenses to form ice and water droplets and precipitation.^^ Weather and meteorology: Meteorology is the science that studies the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place with regard to temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind, cloudiness, and precipitation. The term weather is used mostly for conditions over short periods of time.** Wetland: Lands that are seasonally or permanently flooded by shallow water as well as lands where the water table is close to the surface; in either case the presence of abundant water has caused the formation of hydric soils and has favoured the dominance of either hydrophytic or water tolerant plants. The four major types of wetlands are swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens.* Wetlands: Wetlands are land where the water table is at, near or above the surface, or which is saturated for a long enough period to create such features as wet-altered soils and water-tolerant vegetation. They include bogs, fens, marshes, swamps and shallow open water. Wetlands are threatened by human development and water pollution.** Wetland area: A single contiguous wetland which may be composed of one or more wetland types.^ Wetland complexes: Two or more individual wetland areas along with their adjacent lands that are related in a functional manner, and are grouped within a common wetland boundary. The whole complex is evaluated and classified as a single unit.^ Wetland functions: The biological, hydrological, physical, and social/economic interactions that occur in wetlands.^

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Wet meadow: A type of marsh dominated by grasses, sedges, and broad-leaved perennial plants where there is insufficient standing water to provide fisheries habitat except under flood or high water conditions.^ Wildlife: Wild animals and vegetation, especially animals living in a natural, undomesticated state.** Wind chill (weather): Wind chill describes the way we feel as a result of the combined cooling effects of temperature and wind. Wind chill is most commonly calculated using the Siple-Passel formula, and expressed as the rate of heat loss in watts per square metre, or likened to the equivalent temperature on a calm day.** References: * Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Education

Department. A Systems Thinking Curriculum: For the Living City, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

** Environment Canada (EC).

http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?Lang=En&n=7EBE5C5A-1 *** National Round Table on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE).

http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/programs/Current_Programs/Energy-Climate-Change/ECC-glossary_e.htm

^ City of Cambridge.

http://www.city.cambridge.on.ca/relatedDocs/Moffat%20Creek%20-%20Glossary.pdf

^^ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/glossary.html ^^^National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA).

http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/outreach/glossary.shtml Updated July 31, 2007