anthropogenic  Caused by or relating to human intervention.

antithetical  Of, relating to, or marked by the direct or exact opposite.

arid  Lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody plants.

aridity  The state or quality of being arid or without moisture; dryness.

avifauna  The birds of a specific region or period.

biomass  The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area.

cryptic  Tending to conceal or camouflage.

ephemeral  Existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary.

filamentous algae  Algae suspended in water with a thread-like root system.

fledgling  A young bird that has recently acquired its flight feathers.

foraging  To wander in search of food or provisions.

geo-  Of or relating to the earth.

geomorphic  Of or relating to changes in the earth.

halophile  An organism that requires a salty environment.

halophyte  Any terrestrial plant that is adapted to grow in high concentrations of salt, such as in salt marshes.

hydrology  The scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere. 

inorganic  Involving neither organic life nor the products of organic life.

invertebrate  An animal, such as an insect or mollusk, that lacks a backbone or spinal column.

leeward  On or toward the side to which the wind is blowing.

limnology  The scientific study of bodies of water for their biological and physical and geological properties.

molt  To shed periodically part or all of a coat or an outer covering, such as feathers, cuticle, or skin, which is then replaced by a new growth.

obligate  Able to exist or survive only in a particular environment or by assuming a particular role.

organic  Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms.

paleoclimatic  Of or relating to ancient or prehistoric climate.

passerine  Of or relating to birds of the order Passeriformes, which includes perching birds and songbirds such as the jays, blackbirds, finches, warblers, and sparrows.

phylogenetic Of or pertaining to the evolutionary relationships among species.

piscivorous  Habitually feeding on fish; fish-eating.

playa  A nearly level area at the bottom of an undrained desert basin, sometimes temporarily covered with water.

pupae The nonfeeding stage between the larva and adult in the metamorphosis of holometabolous insects, during which the larva typically undergoes complete transformation within a protective cocoon or hardened case.

recurvirostrids Shorebird species within the family Recurvirostridae (i.e., stilts and avocets).

saline  Of, relating to, or containing salt; salty.

topography  Graphic representation of the surface features of a place or region on a map, indicating their relative positions and elevations.

transitory  Existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary.

ubiquitous  Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent.

vagrant  Moving in a random fashion; not fixed in place.

xeric  Of, characterized by, or adapted to an extremely dry habitat; being deficient in moisture.

Abbreviations

AC Area Count

AR Aerial Survey

ASL Above Sea Level

ATV All-terrain Vehicle

BCR Bird Conservation Region

BLM Bureau of Land Management

DNR Department of Natural Resources

GIS Geographic Information System

GPS Global Positioning System

GSL Great Salt Lake

GSLEP Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Project

ha Hectare

ISSR Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve

MBR Migratory Bird Refuge

ppt Parts per Thousand

PS Point Sample

TC Total Count

UDWR Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS United States Geologic Survey

WBS Waterbird Survey

WHA Wildlife Habitat Area

WMA Waterfowl/Wildlife Management Area

YBP Years Before Present