Indicator - An event, entity, or condition that typically characterizes a prescribed environment or situation; 

 indicators determine or aid in determining whether or not certain stated circumstances exist or criteria are 

 satisfied. 



Inundation - A condition in which water temporarily or permanendy covers a land surface. 



Levee - A natural or manmade feature of the landscape that restricts movement of water into or through an 

 area. 



Litter - The undecomposed plant and animal material found above the duff layer on the forest floor. 



Long duration (flooding) - A duration class in which inundation for a single event ranges from 7 days to 1 

 month. 



Macrophyte - Any plant species that can be readily observed without the aid of optical magnification, in- 

 cluding all vascular plant species and bryophytes (e.g., Sphagnum spp.), as well as large algae (e.g. Cha- 

 ra spp., and Fucus spp.). 



Manmade wetland - Any wetland area that has been purposely or accidentally created by some activity of 

 man; also called artificial wetlands. 



Map unit - A portion of a map that depicts an area having some common characteristic. 



Matrix - The natural soil material composed of both mineral and organic matter, matrix color refers to the 

 predominant color of the soil in a particular horizon. 



Microbial - Pertaining to work by microorganisms too small to be seen with the naked eye. 



Mineral soil - Any soil consisting primarily of mineral (sand, silt, and clay) material, rather than organic 

 matter. 



Mollisols - Grassland soils of steppes and prairies characterized by deep topsoil (mollic epipedon); com- 

 mon in the Great Plains of the West. 



Morphological adaptation - A structural feature that aids in fitting a species to its panicular environment 

 (e.g., buttressed bases, adventitious roots, and aerenchymous tissue). 



Morphological features - Properties related to the external structure of soil (such as color and texture) or of 

 plants. 



Moss-lichen wetland - A wetland dominated by mosses (mainly peat mosses) and lichens with litde taller 

 vegetation. 



Motties - Spots or blotches of different color or shades of color interspersed within the dominant matrix 

 color in a soil layer, distinct mottles are readily seen and easily distinguished from the color of the matrix; 

 prominent motdes are obvious and motding is one of the outstanding features of die horizon. 



Nonhydric soil - A soil that has developed under predominandy aerobic soil conditions. 



Nonpersistent vegetation - Plants that break down readily after the growing season; no evidence of previ- 

 ous year's growth at beginning of next growing season. 



Nontidal - Not influenced by tides. 



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