Pond and water garden online library

Aerobic bacteria	Nitrosomonas bacteria break down fish waste, decaying vegetation and uneaten food into nitrite; nitrobacter bacteria break down nitrite into nitrate, which fertilizes your pond plants.
Algae	Unicell and multicell microscopic size plants. Algae thrive when you pond's ecosystem is out of balance, and nitrate levels rise to the point where your pond plants can't consume the nitrate produced from fish waste, decaying plants and uneaten food.
Alkalinity	Alkalinity is the ability of water to resist changes in pH. Alkalinity is also known as Carbonate Hardness or KH. An alkalinity value of 100 to 300 ppm is good. These levels provide greater buffering and more stable pH. If alkalinity is less than 50 ppm then wide pH swings are common.
Ammonia	Ammonia is the first waste product of your fish. High protein foods left uneaten in the pond and decaying debris also add to the ammonia load. High Ammonia levels will burn fish gills and tissues. Ammonia is more toxic at pH levels above 8.0.
Amphibious	Can adapt to live in water or on land.
Anaerobic bacteria	Bacteria that consume excess nitrates and produce toxic gas and ammonia.
Anther	The part of the stamen that produces pollen.
Bacteria	Microscopic organisms. Nitrosomonas bacteria break down fish waste, decaying vegetation and uneaten food into nitrite; nitrobacter bacteria break down nitrite into nitrate, which fertilizes your pond plants. When excess nitrate exists, anerobic bacteria converts nitrate into toxic gas and ammonia.
Ball Valve	Valve used to regulate water flow. The most common uses are to restrict flow to a waterfall to achieve the desired flow, or to terminate a bottom drain in the waterfall or skimmer.
Barbel	The "whiskers" on the heads of fish.
Bioload	The capacity of a habitat to support plants and animals.
Biomass	The weight of organisms per unit area or volume.
Biological filter	The permeable medium where beneficial bacteria live and process ammonia into less toxic nitrites and nitrates.
Bog	Soil conditions that are constantly saturated or moist.
Check valve	A valve used to hold water in the flex tubing and/or waterfall when the pump is shut off. Typically mounted on the discharge of a submersible pump, or on the intake end of an exteranl pump to hold the pump's "prime". Check valves used in pond applications are usually not spring loaded to avoid adding to the pump head pressure.
Chlorosis	A nutrient or mineral deficiency, indicated by yellow foliage.
Clay	Sediment deposits formed from accumulated decay, rich in minerals.
Cordate	Heart shaped, referring to leaf shape.
Crenate	Notched or scalloped edge, as in tropical waterlily lilypads.
Crown	The growing point on a rhizome where roots, leaves and buds are formed.
Crustacean	Hard-shelled, gill-breathing arthropods such as shrimp, crabs, and daphnia.
Deadhead	Removal of faded flowers before they form seed.
Dentate	Toothed edge, used to describe leaf edges.
Dystrophic	Rich in accumulated peat; when organic decomposition is inhibited by lack of dissolved calcium and nutrients.

Ecosystem	An ecosystem is a natural system consisting of all plants, animals and microorganisms in an area functioning together with all the non-living physical factors of the environment.
Eutrophic	Nutrient rich, high in organic growth levels.
Emergent	Foliage that rises above the water from submerged rooted plants.
Fasciation	Abnormal cellular development, unusual distortion of shape.
Floater	Plant that lives and grows free floating on the surface of water, roots counter balance the foliage.
Gastropod	Molluscs, such as snails.
Genus	Closely related species with similar characteristics.
Habitat	Environment in which an organism exists.
Herbaceous	Perennial plants that are not woody, with top foliage that dies in winter.
Humus	Decomposed organic matter.

Imago	The final adult phase of an insect.
Internode	The plant section that joins between two nodes or joints.
Invertebrate	Animals without a backbone.
Indigenous	Species native to the area.
Invasive	Spreads aggressively, by seed or vegetative growth. Some species of invasive plants, such as water lettuce, are restricted by law in certain states.
KH	Carbonate Hardness, or the ability of water to resist changes in pH. It is also known as alkalinity. A KH value of 100 to 300 ppm is good. These levels provide greater buffering and more stable pH. If alkalinity is less than 50 ppm then wide pH swings are common.
Lateral line	Sensory organs on the sides of fish which are sensitive to vibration.
Loam	Fertile soil with a high proportion of well decomposed organic matter.

Marginal	The shallow area of a pond and plants that grow there, with roots fully immersed and foliage at or above the surface.
Mesotrophic	Intermediate zone between eutrophic (nutrient rich) and oligotrophic (low nutrient) conditions.
Mucus	"Slime" coating which acts as a bacteria resistant barrier.
Mulm	Decomposed organic material that settles in ponds. Over time, it forms a mineral rich sedimentary clay.
Native	Originating at a specific location, region, country or continent.
Nelumbo	Lotus genus.
Nuphar	Waterlily genus.
Nymphaea	Waterlily genus.
Odorata	A slender, fast-spreading waterlily rhisome type.
Oligotrophic	Water that is low in nutrients, with corresponding low organic production.
Palmate	Leaf shape resembling a hand.
Parasite	Relationship between species where the parasite benefits from the other species acting as their "host".
Peat	Partially decayed plant remains which are high in organic matter, low in nutrients, with an acidic pH.
Petiole	Leaf stalk.
pH	Fourteen point scale, measuring the levels of acid or alkaline balance in water. On this scale, 0 to 7 is called "soft", 7 is called "neutral", and 7 to 14 is called "hard".
Phytofiltration	Using plants to extract surplus nitrate fertility from water.
Protozoa	Microscopic single celled organism with plant and animal features.
Pupae	Intermediary phase of insect metamorphosis, e.g. cocoon.

Quadrat	Frame within which organisms and plants are sampled.
Rhizome	Tree-like stem that forms under water, from which roots go down and leaves and buds float up as it develops.
Rootstock	Bare root rhizome from which roots and shoots develop.
Salinity	Amount of salt in water; measured in parts per thousand.
Saturation	Solution which has maximum dissolved compounds.
Skimmer	The filter that collects surface debris from you pond. It can also be used to house (and hide) a submersible pump, and may also contain filter pads to host beneficial bacteria and provide biological as well as mechanical filtration.
Spathe	Large leaf like part that encloses a cluster of berry forming flowers.
Species	Same constant distinctive character, resemble and breed together.
Stigma	Female reproductive part of a flower, becomes sticky to attract pollen.
Stolon	Vegetative growth, when a new plant forms at the end of a runner.
Symbiosis	A beneficial relationship between two species.
Tadpole	Young aquatic stage of newts, salamanders, frogs and toads.
Trifoliate	Leaves formed in groups of three.

Tuber	A short, thick, underground fleshy stem from which roots and foliage develop.
Tuberosa	A slender waterlily rhisome type which easily breaks apart.

Umbel	Clusters of flowers on stems that join to a main stem.
UV light	Ultraviolet light, used to kill free floating algae.
Variegation	Plant foliage that has more than one color.
Venturi	A short tube with a constricted throat used in conjunction with an air pump for oxygenation.
Viviparous	Plant reproduction, new plant forms attached to the parent plant.
Waterlily	Distinctive specimen plant of water gardens, nine genera: Barclaya, Brasenia, Cabomba, Euryale, Nelumbo, Nuphar, Nymphaea, Ondinea, and Victoria.
Waterfall vault	The pre-formed container used at the head of the waterfall. The vault usually contains media to house beneficial bacteria, such as filter pads and/or lava rock.
Winter Turbidity	Degree of water cloudiness due to matter in suspension.
Weir	A dam across stream or river to raise the water level upstream. The "lip" of a waterfall vault where the spillway begins.
Zooplankton	Microscopic marine animals that when present can help coontrol algae.

Pond And Water Garden Online Library - Glossary