Glossary definitions

The consumptive use of any natural resources.

See 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).

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).

The state of having no protection from something potential harmful.

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.

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.

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.

see spatial scale and temporal scale”.

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.

an economic concept of uncompensated environmental effects of production and consumption that affect consumer utility and enterprise cost outside the market mechanism

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

Hydrocarbons (oil and gas) and minerals.

Gathering is defined as the removal of terrestrial and aquatic algae, fungi, and plants (other than trees) or parts thereof from their habitats. Gathering may, but often does not, result in the death of the organism. Gathering includes whole plant harvest and removal of above and/or below ground plant parts, as well as the fruiting bodies of macrofungi. It also includes removal of non-woody portions of trees (leaves, propagules, and bark). Where removal of propagules or death of an individual plant occurs (e.g. whole plant and root removal) effects on population sustainability are contingent upon factors including timing, frequency, and intensity of harvest. The harvest of wood and woody parts of trees is encompassed by the definition of logging.

The term gender refers to the socially-constructed expectations about the characteristics, aptitudes and behaviors associated with being a woman or a man. Gender defines what is feminine and masculine. Gender shapes the social roles that mean and women play and the power relations between them, which can have a profound effect on the use and management of natural resources. Gender is not based on sex or the biological differences between women and men; rather, gender is shaped by culture and social norms. Thus, depending on values, norms, customs and laws, women and men in different parts of the world have adopted different gender roles and relations. Within the same society, gender roles also differ by race/ethnicity, class/caste, religion, ethnicity, age and economic circumstances. Gender and gender roles then affect the economic, political, social, and ecological opportunities and constraints faced by both women and men (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2017). The framing of sex and gender as binaries is in fact a cultural ideology. The empirical reality is that sex is a spectrum, manifesting in a wide array of sex variance. Some people don't neatly fit into the categories of man or woman, or “male” or “female.” For example, some people have a gender that blends elements of being a man or a woman, or a gender that is different than either male or female. Some people don't identify with any gender, or their gender changes over time.

The basic physical and functional unit of heredity. Genes are made up of DNA, and occupy a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing the synthesis of proteins.

The movement of individuals, and/or the genetic material they carry, from one population to another. Gene flow includes lots of different kinds of events, such as pollen being blown to a new destination or people moving to new cities or countries.

A numerical representation of the physical processes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and land surface based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of their components, their interactions and feedback processes, and accounting for all or some of its known properties.

A species able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and that can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a flower-visiting insect that lives on the floral resources provided by several to many different plants).

The composition in alleles of a population.

The variation at the level of individual genes, which provides a mechanism for populations to adapt to their ever-changing environment. The more variation, the better the chance that at least some of the individuals will have an allelic variant that is suited for the new environment, and will produce offspring with the variant that will in turn reproduce and continue the population into subsequent generations.

The artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination of DNA or other nucleic acid molecules in order to modify an organism or population of organisms.

The loss of genetic diversity, including the loss of individual genes or particular combinations of genes, and loss of varieties and crops.

Genetic material of actual or potential value.

Organism in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination (WHO, 2014). The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety defines 'living modified organism' as any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety defines 'living modified organism' as any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.

The genetic constitution of an individual or group.

A computer-based tool that analyses, stores, manipulates and visualizes geographic information on a map.

The geographic range of a species is the geographic boundary within which it occurs.

Living tissue from which new plants can be grown. It can be a seed or another plant part - a leaf, a piece of stem, pollen or even just a few cells that can be turned into a whole plant.

In economics, the Gini coefficient (sometimes expressed as a Gini ratio or a normalized Gini index) is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income or wealth distribution of a nation's residents and is the most commonly used measure of inequality.

The Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure or other variables) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.

adj. Pertaining to the whole world.

Common pool resources (CPR) that have a global nature, such as the atmosphere, the oceans, global species diversity, migratory species, global biogeochemical processes, among others. It does not refer to property rights, such as a common property system. In general, CPR include natural and human‐ constructed resources in which (i) exploitation by one user reduces resource availability for others, and (ii) exclusion of beneficiaries through physical and institutional means is especially costly. These two characteristics ‐ difficulty of exclusion and subtractability ‐ create potential CPR dilemmas in which people following their own short‐term interests produce outcomes that are not in anyone’s long‐term interest.

Global commons are resources at a planetary scale that are outside national jurisdictions. International law identifies four global commons: the high seas; the atmosphere; Antarctica; and outer space, which are recognized as the common heritage of humankind (UNEP Division of Environmental Law and Conventions).

The Global South and the Global North is a terminology that distinguishes not only between political systems or degrees of poverty, but between the victims and the benefactors of global capitalism.

The observed century-scale rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system and its related effects.

The process by which life forms, process, products or ideas become distributed worldwide.

see target- seeking scenarios.

The governance (as described above) which entails sound public sector management (efficiency, effectiveness and economy), accountability, exchange and free flow of information (transparency), and a legal framework for development (justice, respect for human rights and liberties). In the development literature, the term ‘good governance’ is frequently used to denote a necessary pre-condition for creating an enabling environment for poverty reduction and sustainable human development.

Within the context of the IPBES Conceptual Framework - the achievement of a fulfilled human life, a notion which may varies strongly across different societies and groups within societies. It is a context-dependent state of individuals and human groups, comprising aspects such as access to food, water, energy and livelihood security, and also health, good social relationships and equity, security, cultural identity, and freedom of choice and action. “Human wellbeing”, “inclusive wealth”, “living in harmony with nature”, “living-well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth” are examples of different perspectives on a “Good quality of life”.

Within the context of the IPBES Conceptual Framework - the achievement of a fulfilled human life, a notion which may varies strongly across different societies and groups within societies. It is a context-dependent state of individuals and human groups, comprising aspects such as access to food, water, energy and livelihood security, and also health, good social relationships and equity, security, cultural identity, and freedom of choice and action. “Living in harmony with nature”, “living-well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth” and “human well-being” are examples of different perspectives on a “Good quality of life”.

Within the context of the IPBES Conceptual Framework - the achievement of a fulfilled human life, a notion which may varies strongly across different societies and groups within societies. It is a context-dependent state of individuals and human groups, comprising aspects such as access to food, water, energy and livelihood security, and also health, good social relationships and equity, security, cultural identity, and freedom of choice and action. Living in harmony with nature, living-well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth and human well-being are examples of different perspectives on a Good quality of life.

Within the context of the IPBES Conceptual Framework - the achievement of a fulfilled human life, the criteria for which may vary greatly across different societies and groups within societies. It is a context-dependent state of individuals and human groups, comprising aspects such access to food, water, energy and livelihood security, and also health, good social relationships and equity, security, cultural identity, and freedom of choice and action. Living in harmony with nature, living-well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth and human well-being are examples of different perspectives on good quality of life.

Within the context of the IPBES conceptual framework - the achievement of a fulfilled human life, a notion which may vary strongly across different societies and groups within societies. It is a context-dependent state of individuals and human groups, comprising aspects such as access to food, water, energy and livelihood security, and also health, good social relationships and equity, security, cultural identity, and freedom of choice and action. Living in harmony with nature, living-well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth and human well-being are examples of different perspectives on a good quality of life.

The achievement of a fulfilled human life. IPCC does not define this term. The full IPBES definition is the achievement of a fulfilled human life, a notion which varies strongly across different societies and groups within societies. It is thus a context-dependent state of individuals and human groups, comprising aspects such as access to food, water, energy and livelihood security, and also health, good social relationships and equity, security, cultural identity, and freedom of choice and action. Living in harmony with nature”, living-well in balance and harmony with Mother Earth” and human well-being” are examples of different perspectives on a Good quality of life”. It is a phrase intended to be inclusive and deliberately not associated with a particular value, culture or epistemology.