Throughout this website, we use words and terms that you may not
have encountered before. These words and our definitions are
listed below:
Aquatic Zone - The
aquatic zone remains under water the entire year. Plants in this
zone have special adaptations that enable them to survive being
partially or completely under water.
Canopy Trees - Trees whose crowns form the topmost layer of a
forest.
Coarse Woody Debris - Downed logs and large branches either on land
or in the water.
Erosion - The loss of soil particles, usually seen as ruts, gullies,
and washouts.
Footprint – The area
covered by human-caused changes to the site, including the house,
garage, paved surfaces (driveway, paths), lawn, walkways, pier, dock,
and beach.
Genotype – The genetic
make-up of a plant or animal.
Green Building Techniques
– Construction practices that protect and preserve native vegetation
(e.g., tree guards that protect against bark damage and soil compaction
around trees, conservation of top soils containing seeds of native
plants for closing the site, protecting the buffer area from run-off
during construction).
Ground Cover - Plants (flowers, grasses, sedges, ferns, and mosses)
that grow from a few inches to 2 to 3 feet tall.
Landtype – Geographic area defined by dominant vegetation
type and major soil associations at a broad scale.
Lake Access - The path
from your house or yard to the lake.
Mesic – Environmental
(and especially soil) conditions that are medium, regarding moisture.
Microsite – A small
site or habitat, such as a log, stump, or small depression, where
conditions are different (re., moisture, shade) from the surrounding
area.
Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) - The point on the bank or shore up
to which the presence and action of water is so continuous or frequent
as to leave a distinct mark by erosion, destruction of terrestrial
vegetation, or other easily recognized characteristic.
Shallow Water Area - The area along the shoreline from the water's
edge extending 10 feet out into the water.
Shoreland - The area of land from the water line stretching inland.
The width of the shoreland varies by county zoning and state ordinances.
Shoreland Buffer or Riparian
Buffer - The strip of land along a shoreline, where native
vegetation provides wildlife habitat and protects water quality.
Shoreland Restoration –
The process of planting and maintaining plant species native to your
region and appropriate to your particular site conditions.
Shoreline - The line at which
the land and water meet.
Shoreline Zone - The area
that is seasonally flooded. Starting approximately at the water's
edge, this zone extends up the shore and includes an area under water
during the spring floods and after major rain events. Plants in
this zone tolerate 'wet feet' for short periods of time.
Shrub Layer - Woody bushes and tree saplings from 3 to 12 feet tall.
Site Type - Defined by soils and native vegetation, including ground
cover, shrubs, and trees that would naturally occur along a specific
area of shoreland.
Snag - Dead standing tree.
Upland Zone - The upland zone extends from the wet shoreline zone
farther into the upland area and is never flooded with water. This
zone supports upland forest species that are not tolerant of flooding.
View-shed - The view (usually of the water) from your house or yard.
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