BSL Glossary -
Environmental Science curriculum terms

Themes

1 Ecosystems and Biodiversity

2 Physical Environments and Pollution

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 Acute effects Adsorption Aerobic process Afforestation Albedo Anaerobic process Anthropogenic Artificial insemination Atmosphere

B

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

C

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) Carbon cycle Carbon footprint Carbon sequestration Carnivores Carrying capacity Catalytic converter Catch quota Captive breeding and release programmes (CBR) Cetaceans Chronic effects Class Classification of species Classify Climax community Cnidarians Colonisation media Community of species Companion crops Competition Conservation Consumer Contamination Contour ploughing Cooling towers Coppicing 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 Demersal (fishing) Dendrochronology Desulfurisation Detritivores Distribution Gordon Dobson's original ozone spectrograph Dolphin pingers Dry FGD Dynamic equilibrium

E

Ecological niche Ecological succession Electrostatic precipitators El Niño Embryo transfer Endemic species Environmental change Environmental DNA (eDNA) Eradication Eutrophication Evolutionary, distinct and globally endangered species Exoskeleton Exposure Ex-situ conservation Extensive agriculture Extensive aquaculture

F

Family Flagship species Flue gas desulfurisation

G

Genus Ghost fishing Gordon Dobson's original ozone spectrograph Gravimetry Grays (unit) Greenhouse gases

H

Halophyte Hard release Herbivores Hydrology Hydrosphere Hydrothermal deposition

I

Incineration In-situ conservation Intensive agriculture Intensive aquaculture Interbreeding Interdependence Ionising radiation

J (empty)

K

K-selected species Keystone species Kick sampling Kingdom

L

Lasky's principle Leachate Light traps Lincoln index Liposolubility Lithosphere

M

Magnetometry Methane hydrate Mineral Mineral resources Mulching Multi cropping

N

Natural selection Negative feedback mechanism Neonicotinoids Nitrogen cycle Nitrogen oxides No-take zone (NTZ)

O

Omnivores Order Overburden Ozone depletion Ozone depleting substances (ODSs)

P

Peat bogs Pelagic (fishing) Permaculture Pheromone trap Phosphorus cycle Photoautotroph Photochemical smog Phylum Physical and biology sediments Physical environment Phyto mining Phytoremediation Pioneer species Plagioclimax Ploughing PM₁ PM₁₀ PM_2.5 PM₅ Polar vortex winds Pollarding Pollen analysis Pollutant Pollution Polyculture Positive feedback mechanism Producer Proterozoic marine sediments Proxy data Purse seining Pyrethroids

Q (empty)

R

R-selected species Ramsar site Range of tolerance Regeneration Remote sensing Rewilding Resistivity Runoff

S

Satellite imagery Secondary succession Sedimentation (rivers, reservoirs, coastal) Seismic survey Self-supporting Sere Shellfish Simpson's index of biodiversity Smog Smoke Soft release Soil Speciation Species Stable community Sterile male techniques Stratosphere Strip cropping Subspecies Sulfur dioxide Surber sampler Sweep nets

T

Taxon Temperature inversions Terracing Thermal stratification Thermohaline circulation Tied ridging Tipping point Tipping point Toxicity (NO_x) Transgenics Troposphere Tüllgren funnel

U

Urea sprays

V

Vegetative propagation Vegetative propagation (artificial) Vegetative propagation (natural)

W

Wet FGD Windbreaks

X (empty)

Y (empty)

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

Media coverage

We were very excited to have this glossary covered by the media after our launch on Friday 11th August 2023:

• 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