| snail shells |
Empty snail shells utilised by non-molluscan invertebrates. |
resource |
| snow bed |
An area of late-lying or near permanent snow and ice packs that cover the higher mountain slopes throughout the year. |
resource |
| soft rock cliff seepage |
Slumping cliff areas can sometimes expose groundwater sources which then form seepages down the cliff face. These vary from little more than constantly damp ground surfaces, to more significant streamlets with plant communities which can include Phragmites and Juncus. |
resource |
| soil & roots |
Species living deep within the soil. They may be free living, or directly associated with the roots of plants. |
resource |
| soil humidity |
Categorises species associated with different levels of soil humidity: dry, damp or wet (or variable). |
subheading |
| soil type |
Contains sand, windblown sand, clay, ball clay, calcareous, chalk and limestone clay soil types. |
subheading |
| solitary wasp nests |
Species that are associated with solitary wasp nests within dead wood (not including the solitary wasps themselves). The wasp nests are often within pre-existing beetle bore-holes. |
resource |
| Species Quality Indices |
A measure of the number of rare species in a sample, divided by the total number of species in the sample. |
general glossary |
| Spermatophytina |
A grouping of plants that includes all the seed-bearing species, as opposed to the 'cryptogams' such as mosses and ferns that reproduce via spores. |
general glossary |
| Sphagnum bog |
An assemblage type associated with Sphagnum bogs, usually in acidic conditions and largely restricted to rain-fed (ombrotrophic) or spring-fed (soligenous) mires. |
SAT |
| sphagnum/moss lawn |
Carpets of moss (often Sphagnum) found in permanently, often very acidic, wet habitats. These may be formed into hummocks, or semi-submerged at the edge of a waterbody. |
resource |
| springs & caves |
Fully subterranean and surface transition zones with flowing water. Species in this zone are often flushed out from the aquifer onto the surface near the source. |
resource |
| SQS |
Species quality score |
general glossary |
| stones, boulders, shingle and scree |
Larger sized boulders, rocks and bare stone screes, frequently associated with mountain slopes and strong erosive forces, but offering a sheltered matrix. |
resource |
| stored food products |
Synanthropic species associated with stored food products. |
label |
| stream & river margin |
The assemblage is found along rivers and streams passing though floodplains with sand as a major component, and appears to be restricted to the west and north of Britain. |
SAT |
| stumps |
Tree stumps left within the ground. |
resource |
| sub decay |
Species associated with subterranean tree roots that have been affected by some form of decay. |
resource |
| sub live |
Species associated with living subterranean tree roots. |
resource |
| sward/field layer |
The structural layer of grasses, herbs and dwarf shrubs in an open system. The architecture includes shoots, leaves and flowers. |
resource |
| synanthropic |
Associated with humans, either by feeding on resources provided by human activity, or living in structures built by humans. |
label |
