ex-ante assessment |
The use of policy-screening scenarios to forecast the effects of alternative policy or management options (interventions) on environmental outcomes.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment |
ex-post assessment |
The use of policy- evaluation scenarios to assess the extent to which outcomes actually achieved by an implemented policy match those expected based on modelled projections,thereby informing policy review.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
ex-post assessment |
The use of policy-evaluation scenarios to assess the extent to which outcomes actually achieved by an implemented policy match those expected based on modelled projections, thereby informing policy review.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment |
exclusive economic zone |
A concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore. The Exclusive Economic Zone comprises an area which extends either from the coast, or in federal systems from the seaward boundaries of the constituent states (3 to 12 nautical miles, in most cases) to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast. Within this area, nations claim and exercise sovereign rights and exclusive fishery management authority over all fish and all Continental Shelf fishery resources.
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Americas assessment |
exclusive economic zone |
An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore. The Exclusive Economic Zone comprises an area which extends either from the coast or in federal systems from the seaward boundaries of the constituent states (3 to 12 nautical miles, in most cases) to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off the coast. Within this area, nations claim and exercise sovereign rights and exclusive fishery management authority over all fish and all Continental Shelf fishery resources.
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Sustainable use assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme) |
exclusive economic zone areas |
An Exclusive Economic Zone is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore. The Exclusive Economic Zone comprises an area which extends either from the coast, or in federal systems from the seaward boundaries of the constituent states (3 to 12 nautical miles, in most cases) to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast. Within this area, nations claim and exercise sovereign rights and exclusive fishery management authority over all fish and all Continental Shelf fishery resources.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
exclusive economic zone |
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore. The exclusive economic zone comprises an area which extends either from the coast, or in federal systems from the seaward boundaries of the constituent states (3 to 12 nautical miles, in most cases) to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast. Within this area, nations claim and exercise sovereign rights and exclusive fishery management authority over all fish and all continental shelf fishery resources.
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Europe and Central Asia assessment |
exclusive economic zone |
An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore. The Exclusive Economic Zone comprises an area which extends either from the coast, or in federal systems from the seaward boundaries of the constituent states (3 to 12 nautical miles, in most cases) to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast. Within this area, nations claim and exercise sovereign rights and exclusive fishery management authority over all fish and all Continental Shelf fishery resources.
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Africa assessment |
existence value |
The satisfaction obtained from knowing that nature endures.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
exogenous drivers |
Drivers that might affect the outcome of a given policy or decision-making process but are not amenable to influence by that process, and which typically operate at broader spatial scales.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
exotic pollinator |
A pollinator that is transported and introduced accidentally or deliberately by human beings outside its native distributional range.
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Pollination assessment |
exotics |
See Alien species.
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Americas assessment |
expert |
Anyone who has acquired good knowledge of a subject through her/his life experience, including local or indigenous knowledge holders in addition to scientists. It is assumed that the expert is a reliable source of information within a specific domain.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
expert-based model |
Models in which experience of experts and stakeholders is used to describe relationships between input and output variables.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
exploitation |
The consumptive use of any natural resources.
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Sustainable use assessment |
exploratory scenario |
See scenario.
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|
exploratory scenario |
Scenarios that examine a range of plausible futures, based on potential trajectories of drivers - either indirect (e.g. socio-political, economic and technological factors) or direct (e.g. habitat conversion, climate change).
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Scenarios and models assessment |
exploratory scenario |
Scenarios that examine a range of plausible futures, based on potential trajectories of drivers - either indirect (e.g. socio-political, economic and technological factors) or direct (e.g. habitat conversion, climate change).
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Sustainable use assessment |
exposure |
The state of having no protection from something potential harmful.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
extensive forest management |
Low or no input in regeneration or site amelioration is practiced in sparsely populated regions with large forest areas, such as boreal forests (Taiga) of Canada and Siberia, and across much of the world´s major tropical forest biomes.
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|
extensive grazing |
Extensive grazing is that in which livestock are raised on food that comes mainly from natural grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts. It differs from intensive grazing, where the animal feed comes mainly from artificial, seeded pastures.
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Asia-Pacific assessment, Americas assessment |
extensive grazing (lands) |
A form of grazing in which livestock are raised on food that comes mainly from natural grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands and deserts. It differs from intensive grazing, where the animal feed comes mainly from artificial, seeded pastures.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment |
extent (spatial or temporal) |
see spatial scale and temporal scale”.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
externality |
A positive or negative consequence (benefits or costs) of an action that affects someone other than the agent undertaking that action and for which the agent is neither compensated nor penalized through the markets.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment, Europe and Central Asia assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme), Asia-Pacific assessment, Sustainable use assessment, Americas assessment |
externality |
an economic concept of uncompensated environmental effects of production and consumption that affect consumer utility and enterprise cost outside the market mechanism
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Invasive alien species assessment |
extinction |
A population, species or more inclusive taxonomic group has gone extinct when all its individuals have died. A species may go extinct locally (population extinction), regionally ( extinction of all populations in a country, continent or ocean) or globally. Populations or species reduced to such low numbers that they are no longer of economic or functional importance may be said to have gone economically or functionally extinct, respectively. Species extinctions are typically not documented immediately: for example, the IUCN Red List categories and criteria require there to be no reasonable doubt that all individuals have died, before a species is formally listed as Extinct (see IUCN Red List).
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Sustainable use assessment |
extinction debt |
The future extinction of species due to events in the past, owing to a time lag between an effect such as habitat destruction or climate change, and the subsequent disappearance of species.
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Global assessment (1st work programme), Global assessment (1st work programme), Europe and Central Asia assessment, Asia-Pacific assessment, Land degradation and restoration assessment, Pollination assessment |
extinction |
A population, species or more inclusive taxonomic group has gone extinct when all its individuals have died. A species may go extinct locally (population extinction), regionally (e.g. extinction of all populations in a country, continent or ocean) or glo.
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|
extinction |
The evolutionary termination of a species caused by the failure to reproduce and the death of all remaining members of the species; the natural failure to adapt to environmental change.
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Americas assessment |
extractive practice |
Extractive practices are defined as the temporary or permanent removal of organisms, part of them or materials derived from them, and may result in mortality of the individual to be used (hunting or whole plant harvest), but does not necessarily do so (e.g. limited collection of plant propagules or shearing and releasing of vicuna).
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Sustainable use assessment |
extractives |
Hydrocarbons (oil and gas) and minerals.
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Americas assessment |
observing |
Observing is defined as a non-extractive practice that is based on the observation of wild species. The observation can imply some interaction with the wild species, such as the activities of wildlife tourism and whale watching or no interaction with the wild species, such as photography.
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Sustainable use assessment |
ocean acidification |
See acidification.
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Americas assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme), Europe and Central Asia assessment |
oceanic gyre |
Large system of rotating ocean currents. There are five major gyres: the North and South Pacific Subtropical Gyres, the North and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyres, and the Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre (NOAA, 2018c).
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
oceanic oxygen minimum zones |
Oxygen-deficient layers in the ocean water column. OMZs correspond to subsurface oceanic zones reaching ultra-low values of O2 concentration (Paulmier & Ruiz-Pino, 2008).
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
oil spill |
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
old-growth forest |
From an ecological point of view, old-growth forests are a stage of forest development characterized by large/old trees and structural complexity including live and dead trees, and vertical and horizontal heterogeneity (including a multi-layered canopy). The structural diversity of old growth forests often supports distinctive/specialist biodiversity; large/old trees are keystone components of the ecosystem (Lindenmayer et al., 2012). In addition, the long-period of forest development without stand replacement disturbance allows many poor-dispersing species to accumulate (IUFRO, 2018). Other definitions can be found based on economic and social perspectives (Hilbert & Wienscczyk, 2007).
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
oligotrophic |
Nutrient-poor environment (IUCN, 2012a).
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
oligotrophic |
Nutrient-poor environment.
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Sustainable use assessment |
one biosecurity |
interdisciplinary approach to biosecurity policy and research that builds on the interconnections between human, animal, plant, and environmental health to effectively prevent and mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species. It provides an integrated perspective to address the many biosecurity risks that transcend the traditional boundaries of health, agriculture, and the environment. Individual invasive alien plant and animal species often have multiple impacts across sectors: as hosts of zoonotic parasites, vectors of pathogens, pests of agriculture or forestry, as well as threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function
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Invasive alien species assessment |
one health |
The One Health Initiative is a movement to forge co-equal, all inclusive collaborations between physicians, osteopathic physicians, veterinarians, dentists, nurses and other scientific-health and environmentally related disciplines.
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Asia-Pacific assessment |
one health |
an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent (One Health High-Level Expert Panel
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Invasive alien species assessment |
ontology |
The philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations.
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Global assessment (1st work programme) |
ontology |
The study or concern about what kinds of things exist - what entities there are in the universe. It is a branch of metaphysics,.
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Pollination assessment |
open ocean pelagic systems |
Marine ecosystems in the light-flooded (euphotic) zone.
|
Global assessment (1st work programme) |
opportunity cost |
The added cost of using resources (as for production or speculative investment) that is the difference between the actual value resulting from such use and that of an alternative (such as another use of the same resources or an investment of equal risk but greater return).
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Land degradation and restoration assessment |
opportunity cost |
The foregone benefits of carrying out one activity in favor of another, or giving up their initial preferred land-use plan.
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Americas assessment |
option value |
The potential ability to use some of nature’s benefits in the future, although they are not currently used, or the likelihood for their future use is low. It represents the willingness to preserve an option for the future enjoyment of nature’s benefits.
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Scenarios and models assessment |
organic agriculture |
Any system that emphasizes the use of techniques such as crop rotation, compost or manure application, and biological pest control in preference to synthetic inputs. Most certified organic farming schemes prohibit all genetically modified organisms and almost all synthetic inputs. Its origins are in a holistic management system that avoids off-farm inputs, but some organic agriculture now uses relatively high levels of off-farm inputs.
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Land degradation and restoration assessment, Global assessment (1st work programme), Pollination assessment |
organic agriculture |
Any system that emphasises the use of techniques such as crop rotation, compost or manure application, and biological pest control in preference to synthetic inputs. Most certified organic farming schemes prohibit all genetically modified organisms and almost all synthetic inputs. Its origins are in a holistic management system that avoids off-farm inputs, but some organic agriculture now uses relatively high levels of off-farm inputs.
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Europe and Central Asia assessment, Americas assessment, Asia-Pacific assessment |