Glossary

‘A’ weighting dB(A)	The human ear does not respond uniformly to different frequencies. A-weighting is commonly used to simulate the frequency response of the ear.
Above Ordnance Datum (aOD)	The mean sea level at Newlyn (UK) used as a base measurement on Ordnance Survey Maps for contours.
Allocation	A proposal for land for housing, industry or other uses within a Local Plan that identifies a specific area of land to be developed within the time period of the plan.
Alluvium	Sediment deposited by a river.
Ambient Noise	The all encompassing sound at any point in time.
Amenity Value	Defined as the relative pleasantness of a journey and relates in particular to the exposure of pedestrians and others to traffic.
Ancient Woodland Inventory	Aims to list all probable ancient semi-natural woodlands on a county basis together with those woodlands in other ancient categories of lesser woodland nature conservation interest.
Appropriate Assessment	An assessment of likely impacts associated with a development on a European Protected Site. An Appropriate Assessment is required by law under Regulation 48 of the Habitats Regulations (1994), implementing Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).
Aquifer	A body of rock through which appreciable amounts of water can flow.
Assessment	An umbrella term for description, analysis and evaluation.
Attenuation	Increase in duration of flow hydrograph with a consequent reduction in peak flow.
Baseline	The existing conditions which form the basis or start point of the environmental assessment.
Bathymetric Surveys	The measurement and description of underwater depths taken from the water surface.
Bedrock	Hard rock that lies beneath a superficial cover of soils and sediments.
Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR)	An indicator, used in the formal discipline of cost-benefit analysis that attempts to summarize the overall value for money of a project or proposal. A BCR is the ratio of the benefits of a project or proposal, expressed in monetary terms, relative to its costs, also expressed in monetary terms.
Bing	A heap or pile of material typically amassed from the by-products of mining. Alternatively referred to as a slag heap.
Biodiversity	Biological diversity, or richness of living organisms present in representative communities and populations.
Brae	A slope or a hillside.
Broadleaved Woodland	An area of woodland with predominantly deciduous tree species (less than 10% coniferous trees in the canopy).
Brownfield	Industrial or commercial property or land that is abandoned or underused and often environmentally contaminated, especially one considered as a potential site for redevelopment.
Bund	An embankment, wall or dam that can be used to minimise noise or alternatively built around an oil tank to contain the contents in the event of spillage.
Calcareous	Refers to a sediment, sedimentary rock, or soil type which is formed from or contains a high proportion of calcium carbonate.
Cetacean	Refers to a group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO)	A legal document giving the government (Scottish Ministers) power to compulsorily purchase the areas of land necessary for the construction of the scheme.
Community Severance	Community severance is defined here as the separation of residents from facilities and services they use within their community caused by new or improved roads or by changes in traffic flows.
Coniferous Woodland	An area of woodland with predominantly coniferous tree species (less than 10% deciduous trees in the canopy).
Contaminated Land	The ‘Environment Protection Act 1990’ defines Contaminated Land as ‘any land which appears to the local authority as to be in such condition, by reason of substances, on or under the land, that significant harm is being caused or there is a significant possibility of such harm being caused; … or pollution of controlled water is being, or likely to be caused’.
Conservation Area	Area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Designated under section 61 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.
Controlled Activity Regulations (Scotland) 2005	Controls all engineering activity in or near watercourses.
Culvert	A metal, wooden, plastic, or concrete conduit through which surface water can flow under or across roads.
Cutting	Typically where part of a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a road or railway line.
Critical Load	The quantitative estimate of the level of exposure of natural systems to pollutants below which significant harmful effects on specified sensitive elements of the environment do not occur.
Curtilage	The enclosed area of land around a dwelling.
Cut-and-cover	This type of construction involves excavating a trench from the surface, building a tunnel and then backfilling and restoring the ground.
Decibel (dB)	The range of audible sound pressures is approximately 0.00002 Pa to 200 Pa. Using decibel notation presents this range in a more manageable form, 0 dB to 140 dB. Mathematically: Sound pressure Level (dB) = 20 log (p_t / p₀) where p₀ = 2 x 10^-5 Pa
Diverge	A link road departing the main carriageway to a subsidiary road or junction.
Do-minimum	Environmental Assessment: The base situation where there are no modifications to the existing road network. May also refer to the minimum modifications, which will necessarily take place in the absence of a proposed scheme. Economic Assessment: The continued operation of the existing road network with permanent closure of the Forth Road Bridge.
Drift Deposits	Drift geology overlying bedrock.
Effect	The result of change or changes on specific environmental resources or receptors.
Element	A component part of the landscape or environment (e.g. roods, hedges, woodlands).
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)	The process by which information about the environmental effects of a project is evaluated and mitigation measures are identified.
Environmental Statement (ES)	Document provided by the Developer to the Competent Authority, containing environmental information required under Article 5 of Directive 85/337/EEC as amended.
European Union (EU)	Union of European States.
Eutrophication	A process where water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth. This can lead to effects such as lack of oxygen and reductions in water quality, fish, and other animal populations.
Façade	Measurement made at 1m from façade (façade effect +2.5/3dB(A))
Fen	A wetland that, like a bog, has organic soil. In contrast with bogs, fens receive most of their water from the surrounding groundwater, and consequently can be either acidic or alkaline, depending on the surrounding earth. They support a greater variety of plants than bogs, but are often still dominated by peat.
Fill	Material deposited by man in ground depression or excavated area.
Flight Line	A route, usually along linear or habitat feature, which is used by bats for commuting between landscape features.
Floodplain	Land adjacent to a river, which is subject to regular flooding.
Fluvial Geomorphology	The study of landforms associated with river channels and the sediment processes which form them.
Foraging	Searching for food or provisions.
Fork	An arrangement whereby two roads merge into one or alternatively where a single road splits into two. Typically implemented within a large junction or interchange.
Fragmentation	Breaking up of an organism's habitat into smaller fragments that may vary in size.
Free Flow Junction	A junction allowing traffic to move unhindered between individual roads without formal traffic control (i.e traffic signals, stop lines).
General Traffic	General modes of traffic including private light goods vehicles, vans, lorries and buses.
Geomorphology	The branch of geology concerned with the structure, origin and development of topographical features of the earth’s crust.
Geophysical Survey	Geophysical survey is a non-intrusive pre-construction archaeological evaluation technique that exploits a variety of physical or chemical characteristics of rocks and soils etc, in an attempt to locate underground features of archaeological interest. Types of geophysical survey include magnetometer survey, magnetic susceptibility survey and resistivity survey.
Glaciofluvial	Pertaining to streams fed by melting glaciers, or to the deposits and landforms produced by such streams.
Glacial Till	Glacial till is that part of glacial drift which was deposited directly by the glacier. It may vary from clays to mixtures of clay, sand, gravel and boulders.
Grade Separated Junction	A junction arrangement that is separated by level from the through carriageway.
Ground Investigation	Exploratory investigation to determine the structure and characteristics of the ground influenced by a development. The collected information is used to establish or predict ground and groundwater behaviour during, and subsequent to, construction.
Groundwater	Water below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil.
Habitat	Term most accurately meaning the place in which a species lives, but also used to describe plant communities or agglomerations of plant communities, as used, for example in a Phase 1 Habitat Survey.
Habitats Directive	EC Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.
Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV)	Vehicles with 3 axles (articulated) or 4 or more axles (rigid and articulated).
HaHa	A boundary barrier that does not block the view e.g. where a retaining wall is built into a ditch.
Hard Shoulder Running	The use of the emergency lane sited to the nearside of the trafficked carriageway for the running of vehicles.
HB Rating/Loading	A loading arrangement defined within bridge design standards comprising a vehicle with 4 axles and 4 wheels per axle.
Hydrodynamic	Of, relating to, or operated by the force of liquid in motion.
Hydrogeology	The branch of geology that deals with the occurrence, distribution, and effect of ground water.
Hydrological	The exchange of water between the atmosphere, the land and the oceans.
Igneous Petrology	The study of igneous rocks, their occurrence, composition, and origin.
Impact	Any changes attributable to the proposed scheme that have the potential to have environmental effects (i.e. the causes of the effects).
Impermeable	Material that does not allow fluids to pass through it.
Incidental Sighting	Casual observation of a plant or animal of one or more species recorded whilst performing a non-relevant ecological survey.
Inter-bedded	Alternating layers of different materials in a section of bedded rocks.
Interchange Link	A connecting road, within a large junction carrying free flowing traffic between one road and another.
L_Aeq	Equivalent Continuous Sound Level. A notional steady sound level which would cause the same A-weighted sound energy to be received as that due to the actual, possibly fluctuating, sound level over a given period of time.
Landform	Combination of slope and elevation producing the shape and form of the land surface.
Landscape	Human perception of the land, conditioned by knowledge and identity with a place.
Landtake	Acquired land which is necessary to construct the scheme and associated infrastructure and to undertake the essential environmental mitigation measures.
Leveret	A young hare. They are born fully furred and with their eyes open. They are independent after approximately three weeks.
Listed Building	Building included on the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest and afforded statutory protection under the ‘Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997’ and other planning legislation. Classified categories A – C(s).
Littoral Sediment	Sediment moved by waves and currents of the littoral zone: the area between high and low water marks.
Local Road	An A, B or C classified road (non Trunk Road) typically operated by a local authority or council.
Loop	A connecting road, utilising a continuous curve in the connection of two roads within a junction.
Made Ground	Material deposited by man i.e. not natural.
Magnitude	Size, extent, scale and duration of an impact.
Mainline	The principle road being considered, namely the A90/M90 or the road proposed as its replacement.
Merge	A link road accessing the main carriageway from a subsidiary road or junction.
Mitigation	Term used to indicate avoidance, remediation or alleviation of adverse impacts.
Natal Range	The territory in which the young where born.
Native	A species occurring naturally, in its normal geographic range.
Net Present Value	The total present value of a time series of cash flows. It is a standard method for using the time value of money to appraise long-term projects.
Neutral Grassland	Grassland communities that grow on neutral soils (pH 5.5 – 7).
Non Prime Land	Agricultural land of Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA) classes 3.2 to 7.
Northern Route Corridor Options	The route corridor options considered north of the Firth of Forth connecting the proposed replacement bridge to existing roads infrastructure.
Northern Study Area	The area to the north of the Firth of Forth in which preliminary investigations have been undertaken as part of the Forth Replacement Crossing Project.
Open Space	Any land laid out as public parks or used for the purpose of public recreation, or land which is a disused burial ground.
Ornithological	The branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds.
Pedestrians and others	Pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.
Phase 1 Habitat Survey	This identifies the different habitats that are contained within or make up a site, and the key plant species for each of those habitat types.
Plantation Woodland	Woodland of any age that obviously originated from planting.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)	Any of a class of carcinogenic organic molecules that consist of three or more benzene rings and are commonly produced by fossil fuel combustion.
Prime Agricultural Land	Agricultural land of Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA) classes 1, 2 and 3.
Proposed Replacement Bridge	The cable stayed bridge structure proposed as a replacement to the Forth Road Bridge.
Ramsar Sites	Internationally important wetland identified for conservation under the Ramsar convention (1971).
Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS)	Sites designated by regional geological groups on locally developed criteria, currently the most important places for geology and geomorphology outside statutorily protected land such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Riffle	A shallow section of a river/stream where the water is fast-flowing over a gravel/cobble substrate.
Riparian Habitat	Natural home for plants and animals occurring in a thin strip of land bordering a stream or river.
Rockhead	The surface representing the top of the solid geological strata, i.e. below any drift deposits.
Roost	Any resting site used by bats including maternity roosts which are used by females and their young, hibernacula which are used during winter hibernation and transitional roosts which may be used at any time.
Runoff	Water that flows over the ground surface to the drainage system. This occurs if the ground is impermeable or if permeable ground is saturated.
Salmonid	Belonging to the salmon family.
Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM)	A monument which has been scheduled by the Scottish Ministers as being of national importance under the terms of the ‘Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979’.
Scrub	Climax vegetation dominated by locally native shrubs, usually less than 5m tall.
Semi-improved grassland	Grassland that has been modified by fertilizers, drainage or intensive grazing. Contain less species diversity than unimproved grasslands.
Semi-natural woodland	Woodland that does not obviously originate from planting. The distribution of species will generally reflect the variations in the site and the soil. Planted trees must account for less than 30% of the canopy composition.
Sett	The burrow system of badgers comprising a series of underground tunnels and chambers. There are several categories of sett including a main sett, annexe sett, subsidiary sett and outlier sett.
Severance	The separation of communities from facilities and services they use within their community. Alternatively, in relation to agricultural land, the division of plots of land into separate land parcels, potentially affecting access or creating areas that may be impractical for agricultural use.
Sites of Biological Importance (SBIs)	A non-statutory designation used locally by some local authorities to protect locally valued sites of biological diversity. Also known as Local Wildlife Sites.
Site of Importance to Nature Conservation (SINC)	Non-statutory designation which seeks to protect areas of high wildlife value at a local level.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)	Areas of national importance. The aim of the SSSI network is to maintain an adequate representation of all natural and semi-natural habitats and native species across Britain. The site network is protected under the provisions of Sections 28 and 19 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as well as the Amendment Act 1985 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Slip Road	A connector road facilitating access between one road and another.
Souterrain	A late Prehistoric underground chamber usually curvilinear in plan and stone lined with a narrow entrance. The function of such structures is unknown but there are theories that they were used for either storage or ritual.
Southern Route Corridor Options	The route corridors options considered south of the Firth of Forth connecting the proposed replacement bridge to existing roads infrastructure.
Southern Study Area	The area to the south of the Firth of Forth in which preliminary investigations have been undertaken as part of the Forth Replacement Crossing Project.
Special Area of Conservation (SAC)	An area designated under the EC Habitats Directive to ensure that rare, endangered or vulnerable habitats or species of community interest are either maintained at or restored to a favourable conservation status.
Special Protection Area (SPA)	An area designated under the Wild Birds Directive (Directive74/409/EEC) to protect important bird habitats. Implemented under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under the Habitats Directive, all SPAs will be proposed Special Areas of Conservation.
Spoil Ground	An area within a body of water, especially in the sea, where dredged material is deposited.
Spraint	Otter faeces.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)	The process by which information about the environmental effects of proposed plans, policies and programmes are evaluated.
Strategic Transport Project Review (STPR)	A two year review of the Scottish transport network being undertaken by Transport Scotland. It aims to identify and prioritise road, rail and other interventions of national significance, which will be taken forward to improve the network. Through selecting which transport projects of national significance should be progressed, the STPR would also affect regional and local transport networks.
Superficial Deposits	The youngest geological deposits formed during the most recent period of geological time, the Quaternary, which extends back 1.8 million years from the present.
Surface Water Hydrology and Flood Risk	The study of water on or near the land surface.
Susceptibility	The ability to accommodate change arising from the proposed road without adverse effect.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS)	A sequence of management practices and control structures designed to drain surface water in a more sustainable fashion than some conventional techniques.
Threshold	The minimum intensity or value of a signal etc that will produce a response or specified effect.
Turbid	High concentrations of suspended sediment and particulates in the water column.
Vernacular	Refers to a type of architecture which is indigenous to a specific time or place.
Visual envelope	The visual envelope illustrates the extent of potential visibility to or from a specific area.
Vulnerable groups	Children, elderly and disabled.
Water Framework Directive (WFD)	Wide-ranging European environmental legislation (2000/60/EC). Addresses inland surface waters, estuarine and coastal waters and groundwater. The fundamental objective of the WFD is to maintain "high status" of waters where it exists, preventing any deterioration in the existing status of waters and achieving at least "good status" in relation to all waters by 2015.
Water Quality	The chemical and biological status of various parameters within the water column and their interactions, for example dissolved oxygen, indicator metals such as dissolved copper, or suspended solids (the movement of which is determined by hydrological process and forms geomorphological landforms).
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981	Principal mechanism for wildlife protection in the UK.