BSL Glossary -
Environmental Science curriculum terms

Themes

1 Ecosystems and Biodiversity

2 Physical Environments and Pollution

3 Energy resources and sustainability

4 Environmental impacts on humans

A to Z of Environmental Science Terms

A

Abiotic Factor Absorption Acidification (ocean) Acidophilic bacteria Acid precipitation Acoustic deterrent devices (FISHING) Acoustic fatigue Acoustic monitoring Activated carbon filter Active traffic management (ATM) Active transport Acute effects Adrenal gland Adrenaline Adsorption Aerobic process Aerodynamics Afforestation Albedo Anaerobic process Anthropogenic Aorta Aquaculture Aquifer Aquifer recharge Artificial insemination Artificial Pacemaker Atmosphere Atria/Atrium Average global temperature

B

Baffle mounds Barrage Bag filters Barrier crop Beating tray Bias Binomial system Bioaccumulation Biocapacity Biogeochemical cycle Bioleaching (with acidophilic bacteria) Biological control Biological corridor Biological productivity Biomagnification Biomass Biome Biomimetics Bioremediation Biosphere Biotic factor Biotic index Brain Bund walls Bycatch

C

Carbohydrase Carbon capture and storage (CCS) Carbon cycle Carbon footprint Carbon neutrality Carbon off-setting Carbon sequestration Carbon sink Carnivores Carrying capacity Catalytic converter Catch quota Captive breeding and release programmes (CBR) Cement Central nervous system (CNS) Cerebellum Cerebrum Cetaceans Chronic effects Cilia Class Classification of species Classify Climax community Cnidarians Colonisation media Combined heat and power (CHP) station Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) Concentrating solar power (CSP) with thermal storage Concentration gradient Concrete Community of species Companion crops Competition Conservation Constant descent angle Consumer Contact action (pesticide) Contamination Contour ploughing Cooling towers Coppicing Coronary artery Cradle to cradle design Cryosphere Crop Crop rotation Culling Cut-off ore grade Cyclone separators

D

DAFOR scale Debt for nature swaps Decomposers Deflected succession Deforestation Degradability Demersal (fishing) Dendrochronology Dendron Desalination - removal of water from seawater Desalination - distillation of seawater Desulfurisation Detritivores Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diarrhoea Diffuse reflection Directional drilling Distribution Gordon Dobson's original ozone spectrograph Dolphin pingers Dose Dose (drugs) Dry FGD Dual (DOUBLE) circulatory system Dynamic equilibrium

E

Ecological footprint Ecological niche Ecological succession Electrical impulse Electrostatic precipitators El Niño Encapsulation Embodied energy Embryo transfer Endemic species Endocrine gland Endocrine system Energy density Energy resources Environmental change Environmental DNA (eDNA) Eradication Eukaryotic cell Eutrophication Evolutionary, distinct and globally endangered species Exchange surface Exoskeleton Exposure Ex-situ conservation Extensive agriculture Extensive aquaculture

F

Family Field margins Flagship species Flue gas desulfurisation Food production capacity Fuel

G

Genetic variation Genome Genus Ghost fishing Global warming Glucagon Glycogen Gordon Dobson's original ozone spectrograph Gravimetry Grays (unit) Greenhouse gases

H

Haemoglobin Halophyte Hard release Hazard Herbivores High Thermal mass building materials Homeostasis Hormone Horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) Hydraulic fracturing Hydrodynamics Hydrogen economy Hydrology Hydrosphere Hydrothermal deposition

I

Incineration In-situ conservation Insolation In-stream turbines Insulin Intensive agriculture Intensive aquaculture Interbreeding Interdependence Ionising radiation Irradiation

J (empty)

K

K-selected species Keystone species Kick sampling Kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) Kingdom

L

Laser fusion Lasky's principle Latent heat Leachate LED (Light emitting diode) Light traps Lime (building material) Limecrete Limestone Lincoln index Lipase Liposolubility Lithosphere Long lining

M

Magnetometry Magnetosphere (of Earth) Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) Medulla Methane hydrate Mineral Mineral resources Model Motor neurone Mulching Multi cropping Myelin sheath

N

Nanometre (nm) Natural selection Negative feedback mechanism Neonicotinoids Nerve Nerve cell Nervous system Neurone Neurotoxin Nitrogen cycle Nitrogen oxides No-take zone (NTZ) Nuclear fission Nuclear fuel Nuclear fusion Nuclear model of the atom Nucleus (neurone)

O

Oil shales Omnivores Order Organochlorines Organophosphate pesticide Overburden Overfishing Oxyhaemoglobin Ozone depletion Ozone depleting substances (ODSs)

P

Pantograph Particle model Particulates Passive transport Peat bogs Pelagic (fishing) Permaculture Pheromone trap Phosphorus cycle Photoautotroph Photochemical smog Photothermal Photovoltaic (PV) Phylum Physical and biology sediments Physical environment Phyto mining Phytoremediation Pioneer species Pituitary gland Plagioclimax Platelets Ploughing Plum pudding model Plutonium reactors PM₁ PM₁₀ PM_2.5 PM₅ Polar vortex winds Pollarding Pollen analysis Pollutant Pollution Polyculture Positive feedback mechanism Potable Water Power to gas systems (P2G) Primary fuel Primary oil recovery Producer Prokaryotic cell Protease Proterozoic marine sediments Proxy data Purse seining Pyrethroids

Q (empty)

R

R-selected species Rammed earth Ramsar site Random Range of tolerance Regeneration Remote sensing Reflex action Reflex arc Relay/inter neurone Relative charge Resistivity Reverse osmosis Reverse thrusters Rewilding Risk Risk:benefit analysis Runoff

S

Sand (building material) Satellite imagery Secondary fuel Secondary oil recovery Secondary succession Sedimentation (rivers, reservoirs, coastal) Seismic survey Selective/Partially permeable membrane Self-supporting Sensory neurone Sere Shellfish Simpson's index of biodiversity Smart motorways/ Active traffic management (ATM) Smog Smoke Soft release Soil Sonograms Speciation Species Spectrum Spinal cord Stable community Sterile male techniques Stratosphere Strip cropping Subatomic particles Sublimate Subspecies Sulfur dioxide Surber sampler Sustainability Sustainable Sweep nets Synapse Synergism

T

Tar sands Target organ Taxon Temperature inversions Teratogen Terracing Tertiary oil recovery Thermal stratification Thermohaline circulation Thorium reactor Thyroid Thyroxine Tidal barrage Tidal lagoon Tied ridging Tipping point Toroidal reactor Toxicity (NO_x) Transgenics Tracer Troposphere Tüllgren funnel Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes

U

Urea sprays

V

Vaccination Vaccine Vegetative propagation Vegetative propagation (artificial) Vegetative propagation (natural)Vehicle to grid system (V2G) Vena cava Ventricles Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT)

W

Wavefront Wave power Wet FGD Windbreaks

X

X-Chromosome

Y

Y-Chromosome

Z (empty)

Sign Development Team

Administration and technical

• Abigail Sheridan – project admin
• Ben Glover – video editor
• Sue Barry – video editor assistant
• Claire Nowbavek and David Summersgill – BSL/English translators
• Sheila Mackenzie – SSC glossary web editor
• Joseph Sheridan – QC

Awards

Media coverage

"Video of the Week: Carbon Footprint " Nature Briefing newsletter, 14 November 2024.

"How we developed sign language for ten of the trickiest climate change terms" The Conversation, 11 November 2024.

"From jellyfish to basking shark, we're developing 100 new signs to deepen deaf people's connection with the ocean" The Conversation, 9 August 2024.

We were very excited to have this glossary covered by the media after our launch on Friday 11th August 2023, here is some of the coverage:

• BBC News
  • Video story
  • BBC Newsround
• The Guardian, 11th August 2023
• BBC Scotland: The Seven, 11th August 2023


• Expanding British Sign Language to include climate crisis terms TRT World Interview with Dr Audrey Cameron (5th September 2023)
• Nat Geo Kids Magazine Out from 14th September 2023