5. Glossary

Biocénose (or biote); biocenosis (or biota)

All living beings in an environment or ecosystem.

Hardness

Mineralization indicator based on the calcium and magnesium cation content of water.

Eutrophication; eutrophication

This term derives from the word "trophy", originally used in physiology to describe the mechanism by which nutrients and energy are supplied and metabolized to the body's organs and tissues. The parallel with aquatic environments led to the definition of eutrophication, a state of metabolism linked to an excess of phosphorus, leading to a proliferation of algal biomass.

Lotic; lotic

In ecology, an aquatic ecosystem specific to flowing water. In biology, an organism that lives preferentially in flowing...