Glossary definitions

a species, which cannot be reliably demonstrated as being either alien or native

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (Sarukhán & Whyte, 2005) defined cultural ecosystem services as the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences. Cultural ecosystem services have been included in many other typologies of ecosystem services and referred to variously as cultural services (Constanza, 1997), life-fulfilling functions (Daily, 1999), information functions (de Groot et al., 2002), amenities and fulfilment (Boyd & Banzhaf, 2007), cultural and amenity services (de Groot et al., 2010, Kumar 2010), or socio-cultural fulfilment (Wallace, 2007).

Cultural change is a continuous process in any society, which can vary from gradual to stochastic, resulting from interactions between processes that are internal (ex. needs, local changes, crisis, mobility, ideas, invention and innovation, conflicts, etc.) and external (ex. diffusion, external agents, political and economic forces, conflicts, etc.) (Berry, 2008; Redfield et al., 1936). Cultural change is interpreted differently depending on theoretical orientation, such as diffusionism, modernization theory, world system theory, neocolonialism, globalization, among others (see Peña, 2005; Rudmin, 2009; Santos-Granero, 2009). Culture change can be selective or systemic and most often involves resistance and conflicts but can also lead to adaptation and resilience in changing contexts and environments.

Cultural continuity has been conceptualized within Indigenous health research that builds on cultural connectedness to emphasize the importance of intergenerational cultural connectedness, which is maintained through intact families and the engagement of elders, who pass traditions to subsequent generations. Cultural continuity also situates culture as being dynamic through the maintenance of collective memory, which may change over time.

As stated in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, Culture takes diverse forms across time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations..Cultural diversity widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence.

A category of ecosystem services first developed in the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) to refer to the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experience, including, knowledge systems, social relations, and aesthetic values. In this assessment, cultural ecosystem services are included as part of both material and non-material Nature’s contributions to people.

A category of ecosystem services first developed in the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) to refer to the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experience, including, e.g. knowledge systems, social relations, and aesthetic values (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). In the Global Assessment, cultural ecosystem services are included as part of both material and non-material nature’s contributions to people.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment defined cultural ecosystem services as the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences. Cultural ecosystem services have been included in many other typologies of ecosystem services and referred to variously as cultural services, life-fulfilling functions, information functions, amenities and fulfillment, cultural and amenity services, or socio-cultural fulfillment.

Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to, as part of the self-conception and self-perception to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality and any kind of social group that have its own distinct culture. In this way that cultural identity is both characteristic of the individual but also to the culturally identical group that has its members sharing the same cultural identity.

The culturally salient species that shape in a major way the cultural identity of a people, as reflected in the fundamental roles these species have in diet, materials, medicine, and/or spiritual practices.

Culturally keystone species designate species whose existence and symbolic value shape in a major way and over time, the cultural identity of a people, as reflected in the fundamental roles these species have in diet, materials, medicine, and/or spiritual practices.

Cultural landscapes express the long-term co-evolution and relationships between people and nature, influenced by internal and external forces affecting the aesthetic and productive configuration of land management, water bodies, wildlife, property systems, infrastructure and human settlements, and which are both a source and a product of changing social, institutional, economic, and cultural systems.

Cultural values are shared social values and norms, which are learned and dynamic, and which underpin attitudes and behavior and how people respond to events and opportunities, and affects the hierarchy of values people assign to objects, knowledge, stories, feelings, other beings, forms of social expressions, and behaviors.

A commonly accepted definition of culture refers to the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning.

Culture is defined as a key determinant of, for example, what is defined as suitable food and preferred approaches to supporting human health.

An impact produced over a period of time.

The socially-embedded systems and institutions used within communities to regulate and manage land use and access, and which derive from the community itself rather than from the state.

Law consisting of customs that are accepted as legal requirements or obligatory rules of conduct; practices and beliefs that are so vital and intrinsic a part of a social and economic system that they are treated as if they were laws.

Customary law forms part of forms part of international and domestic law and stems from the customary norms of a particular group of peoples.

Law based on tradition in communities where the authority of traditional leadership is recognised. It exists where there is a commonly repeated practice which is accepted as law by the members of a community.

Law consisting of commonly repeated customs, practices and beliefs that are accepted as legal requirements or obligatory rules of conduct.

See Customary law.

Rights, such as land rights or political rights, that are granted by either customary or statutory law. Customary rights exist where there is a consensus of relevant actors considering them to be ‘law’.

Uses of biological resources in accordance with traditional cultural practices that are compatible with conservation or sustainable use requirements.

Land normally used for production and left to recover for part or all of a growing season (more in the case of swidden agriculture).

Family forestry is forest tenure and activities by persons with ownership or tenure rights to forest land. Persons owning or managing forests often include the whole family in the activities and the forest land goes from one generation to the next.

An area of land, a holding of any size from a small plot or garden (fractions of a hectare) to several thousand hectares that is devoted primarily to agriculture to produce food, fibre, or fuel. A farm may be owned and operated by an individual, family, community, corporation or a company, and may produce one to many types of produce or animal.

The modification or control of a process or system by its results or effects.

processes that either amplify (positive feedback loop) or diminish (negative feedback loop) the effects of a biological invasion. Feedback loops may make the impacts of biological invasions stronger or weaker, starting a chain reaction that repeats again and again. Negative feedback loop: A human-natural feedback that continually stabilizes or reduces ongoing or future biological invasions (also known as a ‘balancing’ feedback loop). Positive feedback loop: A human-natural feedback that continually increases ongoing or future biological invasions (also known as ‘exacerbating’ or ‘reinforcing’ feedback loops)

Species are considered to be feral if they or their ancestors were formerly domesticated, but they are now living independently of humans.

In agriculture, it is a defined area of cleared enclosed land used for cultivation or pasture.

A term used to describe the characteristics of fires that occur in a particular ecosystem over a period of time. Fire regimes are characterized based on a combination of factors including the frequency, intensity, size, pattern, season and severity of fires.

The practice of indigenous Australians to use fire to burn vegetation to facilitate hunting and to change the composition of the plant and animal species of an area. It was coined by Australian archaeologist Rhys Jones.

A unit determined by an authority or other entity that is engaged in raising and/or harvesting fish. Typically, the unit is defined in terms of some or all of the following: people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats and purpose of the activities.

Generally, a fishery is an activity leading to harvesting of fish. It may involve capture of wild fish or raising of fish through aquaculture. Note that in this definition, the term fish includes all types of marine animals, fish, but also crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms etc.

Fishing is defined as the removal from their habitats of aquatic animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) that spend their full life cycle in water (fish, some marine mammals, shellfish, shrimps, squids, corals). Fishing most often results in the death of the aquatic animal, but it may not in some cases. To reflect both situations, fishing has been sub-divided into a lethal and a “non-lethal” category. Lethal fishing is defined as the general and more usual meaning of fishing that leads to the killing of the animal, such as in traditional commercial fisheries. “Non-lethal fishing is defined as the temporary or permanent capture of live animals from their habitat without intended mortality, such as in aquarium fish trade or catch and release. However, unintended mortality may occur in “non-lethal” fishing and the term “non-lethal” is therefore put in quotes. The killing of species that spend part of their life cycle in terrestrial environments (e.g. walrus, sea turtles) is encompassed by the definition of hunting.

Fitness involves the ability of organisms- or populations or species- to survive and reproduce in the environment in which they find themselves, and thus contribute genes to the next generation (Orr, 2009).

Fitness involves the ability of organisms- or populations or species- to survive and reproduce in the environment in which they find themselves, and thus contribute genes to the next generation.

Species that, by being charismatic or famous, can attract funding which will help conservation of other species at the same time (ex.Giant Panda).

Linear areas of land within or at the edges of fields, farms, or other areas (rights of way, riparian areas, etc.) where flowering plants are seeded and encouraged to grow, often for the benefit of pollinators and other wildlife (q.v. insectory strips).

An animal that visits flowers (a.k.a. anthophile) but is not necessarily a pollinator.

Plants that are characterized by producing flowers, even if inconspicuous. They are collectively called Angiosperms and include most plants grown for food and fibre.

People's everyday understanding of the biological world-how they perceive, categorize, and reason about living kinds (Medin & Atran, 1999).

The units of meaning into which a language breaks up the universe for example, folk plant and animal taxa (Berlin, 1973).

Folk medicine is defined as the mixture of traditional healing practices and beliefs that involve use of algae, animals, fungi, and plants, spirituality and manual therapies or exercises in order to diagnose, treat or prevent an ailment or illness.

When all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

The ability of a region or country to produce enough food (especially staple crops) without needing to buy or import additional food.

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.

The right to define own policies and strategies for the sustainable production, distribution and consumption of food that guarantee the right to food for the entire population, on the basis of small and medium-sized production, respecting their own cultures and the diversity of peasant, fishing and indigenous forms of agricultural production, marketing and management of rural areas, in which women play a fundamental role.