{"id":180,"date":"2019-04-24T13:13:09","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T17:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/owes.nipissingu.ca\/?page_id=180"},"modified":"2023-06-06T14:01:21","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T18:01:21","slug":"180-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/lessons\/180-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"

GLOSSARY FOR 13 PRE-OWES LESSONS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lesson 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hydric<\/strong> \u2013 For wetland evaluation purposes, hydric substrates are characterized by: rock, mineral or organic substrates with an ELC Moisture Regimes (MR) of \u2265 6, 7, 8, 9; or saturated rock, mineral or organic substrates (ELC category \u201cs\u201d); or an ELC MR of 5 (i.e, near-hydric), considered \u201cmoist\u201d which may support hydrophytic or water-tolerant vegetation<\/p>\n

Hydrophytic plants<\/strong> \u2013 Plant species suited to grow in water or in saturated soil conditions.<\/p>\n

OWES<\/strong> \u2013 The Ontario Wetlands Evaluation System. Lesson 2 elaborates on this. See the resource section and gain access to an online OWES Manual.<\/p>\n

Sedges<\/strong> \u2013 Any plant belonging to the family Cyperaceae which includes Carex<\/em> species, cotton-grass (Eriophorum<\/em> sp.), spike-rush (Eleocharis<\/em> sp.), bulrush and clubrush (Scirpus<\/em> sp.), umbrella-sedge (Cyperus<\/em> sp.) and beak-rush (Rynchospora<\/em> sp.).<\/p>\n

Sphagnum moss<\/strong> \u2013 Sphagnum is a genus of about 380 species of mosses, many of which do well in acidic environments, and so are commonly found in bogs.<\/p>\n

Water table<\/strong> \u2013 The upper surface of \u201cthe zone of saturation\u201d where the pores and fractures of the ground are filled with water.<\/p>\n

Lesson 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

CLTIP<\/strong> \u2013 The\u00a0Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program\u00a0is a voluntary\u00a0program\u00a0designed to recognize, encourage and support the long term sound stewardship of Ontario’s provincially significant\u00a0lands. It offers\u00a0tax\u00a0exemption to those landowners who agree to protect the natural heritage values of their property.<\/p>\n

CWS<\/strong> \u2013 The Canadian Wildlife Service.<\/p>\n

OMNR<\/strong> \u2013 The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; this government department was renamed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in 2014.<\/p>\n

PPS<\/strong> \u2013 The\u00a0Provincial Policy Statement\u00a0provides\u00a0policy\u00a0direction on matters of\u00a0provincial\u00a0interest related to land-use planning and development. As a key part of\u00a0Ontario’s policy-led planning system, the\u00a0Provincial Policy Statement\u00a0sets the\u00a0policy\u00a0foundation for regulating the development and use of land, including wetlands.<\/p>\n

PSW <\/strong>\u2013 Refers to a \u201cprovincially significant wetland\u201d.\u00a0 This is a particularly valuable wetland that scores either i) 600 points or more out of 1000 potential points available in the OWES system,\u00a0 or ii) 200 points or more out of 250 potential points in either the Biological or Special Features Components of the OWES system. See the OWES Manuals for more details.<\/p>\n

Lesson 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 components<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to the 4 components (Biological, Social, Hydrological and Special Features) that make up the backbone of the scoring criteria for OWES.<\/p>\n

Dietary requirements<\/strong> \u2013 Information about the planned menu can be found at the Nipissing University OWES Webpage. While enrolling for an OWES course, you will be asked to provide information about any special dietary requirements you may have. Communications will then ensue to make sure that your needs are accommodated.<\/p>\n

Lesson 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

Digital imagery interpretation<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to interpreting remotely sensed digital images and information. In the context of OWES, the interpretation would be aimed at establishing the boundaries of the wetland, the size of vegetation communities, the percentage of open water, and other information important to wetland evaluation.<\/p>\n

GIS <\/strong>\u2013 A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. GIS is used to facilitate the evaluation of wetlands in OWES.<\/p>\n

Remote sensing imagery<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to imagery that has been recorded by specialized equipment aboard satellites or high-flying aircraft. Passive remote sensors include film photography, infrared, and\u00a0radiometers<\/a>. Active collection involves emitting energy, such as radar or lidar, in order to scan objects, and then measuring the radiation that is reflected or backscattered from the target.<\/p>\n

Lesson 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Air photo interpretation<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to interpreting photographs<\/a>\u00a0that have been taken from aircraft or other flying objects<\/p>\n

\u201cBoot-level\u201d wetland ecology<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to going into the wetland by foot to examine the numerous variables that can only be documented, or can best be verified, with visits to all parts of the wetland.<\/p>\n

Lesson 6<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAt risk\u201d species<\/strong> \u2013 These are species that are classified as extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern in Ontario, as described in Ontario\u2019s Endangered Species Act.<\/p>\n

GIS <\/strong>\u2013 A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. GIS is used to facilitate the evaluation of wetlands in OWES.<\/p>\n

GPS <\/strong>\u2013 Global Positioning Systems\u00a0(GPS) is a satellite-based\u00a0radio-navigation<\/a>\u00a0system operated by the\u00a0United States Air Force<\/a>.\u00a0 It provides\u00a0geolocation<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0time information<\/a>\u00a0to a\u00a0GPS receiver<\/a>\u00a0anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.\u00a0 GPS can provide accurate locational information to OWES evaluators as they document the spatial features of wetlands.<\/p>\n

Hydrological processes<\/strong> \u2013 These include precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, groundwater flow, and runoff. OWES focuses on evaluating hydrological functions of wetlands such as flood attenuation, water quality improvement, groundwater recharge, and other related wetland functions. See Section 3 of the OWES Manuals.<\/p>\n

Lesson 7<\/strong><\/p>\n

Free-floating plants (ff)<\/strong> \u2013 Non-rooted hydrophytes floating on or just below the water surface.<\/p>\n

Hydrophytic plants<\/strong> \u2013 Plant species suited to grow in water or in saturated soil conditions.<\/p>\n

Robust emergent plants (re)<\/strong> \u2013 Robust monocots from 1.5 to 3 metres in height which may be temporarily or permanently flooded at the base but are exposed at the upper portion.<\/p>\n

Water-tolerant plants<\/strong> \u2013 Plant species that can grow in wetlands but can also grow in uplands.<\/p>\n

Wetland Indicator Species<\/strong> \u2013 Species that are usually confined to wetlands in Ontario. Listed in Appendix 10.<\/p>\n

Lesson 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

Absolute cover<\/strong> \u2013 This is the percentage of the ground surface that is covered by the aerial portions (leaves and stems) of a plant species when viewed from above. Due to overlapping plant canopies, the sum of absolute cover values for all species in a community may exceed 100 percent.<\/p>\n

Hydric<\/strong> \u2013 For wetland evaluation purposes, hydric substrates are characterized by: rock, mineral or organic substrates with an ELC Moisture Regimes (MR) of \u2265 6, 7, 8, 9; or saturated rock, mineral or organic substrates (ELC category \u201cs\u201d); or an ELC MR of 5 (i.e, near-hydric), considered \u201cmoist\u201d which may support hydrophytic or water-tolerant vegetation.<\/p>\n

Relative cover<\/strong> \u2013 This is the\u00a0cover\u00a0of a particular plant species as a percentage of total plant\u00a0cover.\u00a0Relative cover\u00a0will always tally up to 100%, even when\u00a0absolute cover\u00a0is quite low.<\/p>\n

Lesson 9<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interspersion of vegetation communities<\/strong> \u2013 A measure of edge contact, or ecotone length, that exists between adjacent vegetation communities.<\/p>\n

Plant form<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to the structures of plants, such as \u201crobust emergents\u201d and \u201cfree-floating\u201d plants and so on, described on pages 62-63 of the OWES Manuals.<\/p>\n

Polygons<\/strong> \u2013 The different shapes of plant communities can be drawn as polygons (closed geometric shapes, made of a series of straight lines, that represent the shapes of the actual plant communities) on a wetland map. The areas of those polygons can later be determined using GIS.<\/p>\n

Vegetation community<\/strong> \u2013 An assemblage of plant populations living in a prescribed area.<\/p>\n

Lesson 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

DEM<\/strong> \u2013 Digital Elevation Models are remotely sensed 3D representations of the Earth\u2019s \u201cbare ground\u201d surface, used in OWES to examine the elevations (topography) of the land and water in and around a wetland.<\/p>\n

DSM<\/strong> \u2013 Digital Surface Models are remotely sensed 3D representations of the reflective surfaces of trees, buildings, and other features that are elevated above the Earth\u2019s \u201cbare ground\u201d surface. They are used in OWES to gain information about the taller vegetation (trees and shrubs) in and around a wetland.<\/p>\n

GIS <\/strong>\u2013 A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. GIS is used to facilitate the evaluation of wetlands in OWES.<\/p>\n

Infrared aerial imagery<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to aerial imagery obtained by using sensors that detect infrared light, instead of detecting visible light, for example. Many forms of vegetation reflect infrared light differently, allowing infrared imagery to be used to differentiate vegetation.<\/p>\n

Orthophotography<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to aerial imagery that has been geometrically corrected, allowing it to be used to measure distances and areas within the image.<\/p>\n

Polygons<\/strong> \u2013 The different shapes of plant communities can be drawn as polygons (closed geometric shapes, made of a series of straight lines, that represent the shapes of the actual plant communities) on a wetland map. The areas of those polygons can later be determined using GIS.<\/p>\n

Remote sensing<\/strong> \u2013 Refers to the acquisition of information about an object without close physical contact, and thus in contrast to on-site observation. \u00a0OWES makes use of a variety of images and information collected by satellite-based or aircraft-based sensor technologies to aid the process of evaluating wetlands.<\/p>\n

Lesson 11<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hydric<\/strong> \u2013 For wetland evaluation purposes, hydric substrates are characterized by: rock, mineral or organic substrates with an ELC Moisture Regimes (MR) of \u2265 6, 7, 8, 9; or saturated rock, mineral or organic substrates (ELC category \u201cs\u201d); or an ELC MR of 5 (i.e, near-hydric), considered \u201cmoist\u201d which may support hydrophytic or water-tolerant vegetation.<\/p>\n

Substrate compared to soil<\/strong> \u2013 A substrate consists of any mineral, bedrock, coarse fragment, or organic materials, normally above water or covered by standing water that is less than two meters in depth.\u00a0 Soil is comprised of minerals and organic matter, liquids and gases, occurs on the surface of the land, and is characterized by horizons and the ability to support the growth of rooted plants.<\/p>\n

Lesson 12<\/strong><\/p>\n

Endangered species<\/strong> \u2013 A species facing imminent extinction or extirpation in Ontario which is a candidate for regulation under Ontario\u2019s Endangered Species Act. Listed as Endangered on the Species at Risk in Ontario List.<\/p>\n

Mustelids<\/strong> \u2013 These are members of a family of carnivorous mammals including weasels, mink, otters and fishers; they are considered to be valuable furbearers.<\/p>\n

Threatened species<\/strong> \u2013 A species that is at risk of becoming endangered in Ontario if limiting factors are not reversed. Listed as Threatened on the Species at Risk in Ontario List<\/p>\n

Lesson 13<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wetland complex<\/strong> \u2013 A group of wetland units that are functionally linked to one another. The outer boundary of any one unit is no more than 750 m away from the outer boundary of one or more other units in the complex.<\/p>\n

Wetland evaluation data and scoring record (WEDSR)<\/strong> \u2013 This is a 40-page detailed record of the sources of information and the scoring associated with each wetland that is evaluated (pp. 163-202 in the Southern OWES Manual; pp. 167-207 in the Northern OWES Manual).<\/p>\n

Wetland evaluation file<\/strong> \u2013 A complete wetland evaluation file consists of the following items: 1. Wetland Evaluation Data and Scoring Record (WEDSR); 2. Five-page scoring summary; 3. Catchment basin map; 4. Map(s) of the wetland boundary and vegetation communities within the wetland; 5. Field notes; 6. Documentation of sources of information; 7. A copy of the map or digital file\/program used to calculate interspersion; 8. Copies of completed Rare Species Reporting Forms; 9. Photographs; 10. Copies of collection labels; and more. (See p. 8 of the OWES Manuals.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GLOSSARY FOR 13 PRE-OWES LESSONS Lesson 1 Hydric \u2013 For wetland evaluation purposes, hydric substrates are characterized by: rock, mineral or organic substrates with an ELC Moisture Regimes (MR) of \u2265 6, 7, 8, 9; or saturated rock, mineral or … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"parent":151,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-180","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":291,"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/180\/revisions\/291"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpms.nipissingu.ca\/owes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}