Glossary definitions

Initiatives or other efforts to provide means by which organizations or individuals with a global region (such as the Asia-Pacific) can work together towards a common or mutual aim, or for common or mutual benefit. Examples include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Rehabilitation refers to restoration activities that move a site towards a natural state baseline in a limited number of components (i.e. soil, water, and/or biodiversity), including natural regeneration, conservation agriculture, and emergent ecosystems.

Restoration activities that may fall short of fully restoring a biotic community to its pre-degradation state, including natural regeneration and emergent ecosystems.

Restoration activities that move a site towards a natural state baseline in a limited number of components (i.e. soil, water, and/or biodiversity), including natural regeneration, conservation agriculture, and emergent ecosystems.

See “Values”.

The values that contribute to desirable relationships, such as those among people and between people and nature, as in Living in harmony with nature.

The values that contribute to desirable relationships, such as those among people or societies, and between people and nature, as in Living in harmony with nature.

See values.

Relational values refer to the importance of desirable, meaningful, and often reciprocal relationships - beyond means to an end - between humans and nature, and among humans (including across generations) through nature (e.g. sense of place, spirituality, responsibility, care, reciprocity, stewardship) (section 2.2.4.3).

Any action taken to rehabilitate ecosystems.

Methods for gathering data on a large or landscape scale which do not involve on-the ground measurement, especially satellite photographs and aerial photographs; often used in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems.

Methods for gathering data on a large or landscape scale which do not involve on-the ground measurement, especially satellite photographs and aerial photographs; often used in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (IUCN, 2012a).

Remote sensing is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance from the targeted area. Special cameras collect remotely sensed imagesof the Earth, which help researchers sense things about the Earth.

Energy derived from natural processes (e.g. sunlight and wind) that are replenished at a faster rate than they are consumed. Solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and some forms of biomass are common sources of renewable energy.

Rapid and complex change.

Reports shall mean the main deliverables of the Platform, including assessment reports and synthesis reports, their summaries for policymakers and technical summaries, technical papers and technical guidelines.

Scenarios that include time series of emissions and concentrations of the full suite of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols and chemically active gases, as well as land use/land cover. (IPCC, 2014).

Scenarios that include time series of emissions and concentrations of the full suite of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols and chemically active gases, as well as land use/land cover. The word representative signifies that each RCP provides only one of many possible scenarios that would lead to the specific radiative forcing characteristics. The term pathway emphasizes that not only the long-term concentration levels are of interest, but also the trajectory taken over time to reach that outcome. RCPs usually refer to the portion of the concentration pathway extending up to 2100, for which Integrated Assessment Models produced corresponding emission scenarios.

The capacity of a socio- ecological system to absorb or withstand perturbations and other stressors such that the system remains within the same regime, essentially maintaining its structure and functions.

The level of disturbance that an ecosystem or society can undergo without crossing a threshold to a situation with different structure or outputs. Resilience depends on factors such as ecological dynamics as well as the organizational and institutional capacity to understand, manage and respond to these dynamics.

The level of disturbance that an ecosystem or society can undergo without crossing a threshold to a situation with different structure or outputs. Resilience depends on factors such as ecological dynamics as well as the organizational and institutional ca.

The level of disturbance that an ecosystem or society can undergo without crossing a threshold to a situation with different structure or outputs. Resilience depends on factors such as ecological dynamics as well as the organizational and institutional capacity to understand, manage, and respond to these dynamics.

for the purpose of this assessment, the ability of an ecosystem to adapt, withstand and respond to alien species invasions, recover rapidly from their impacts and continue to develop

See “scales”.

see spatial scale and temporal scale.

See scale.

This respect is expressed in/identified through ceremonies, rituals, actions in sacred sites whose purpose is to renew a sense of thankfulness and reverence/deep respect to the land or the sea (terrestrial or marine landscape) or to their components.

This is about integrity of ancestral territory leadership in caring for nature. Actions and behaviours that minimize or prohibit exploitative use of materials, no waste resources philosophies, awareness about sustainability for the future generations; and preservation of cultural knowledge (ancestor heritage). IPLCs and cultural identities are strongly connected to their lands (and seascapes). Their values often emerge in relation to their context and can become visible through issues related to the integrity of ancestral territory, leadership in caring for nature, actions and behaviours that minimize or prohibit exploitative use of materials within their lands or in other geographical terrains. A philosophy of zero waste of resources is enacted while thinking about the health and the future of the land (and sea), awareness about sustainability of the land (and sea) for the future generations; and preservation of cultural knowledge (ancestral heritage).

Any intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state. Active restoration includes a range of human interventions aimed at influencing and accelerating natural successional processes to recover biodiversity ecosystem service provision. Passive restoration includes reliance primarily on natural process of ecological succession to restore degraded ecosystems, but may include measures to protect a site from processes that currently prevent natural recovery (e.g. protection of degraded forests from overgrazing by livestock or unintentional human-induced fire).

Any intentional activities that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state.

any intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state (IPBES glossary). More specifically, in the context of invasive alien species management, it refers to the process of assisting the recovery of a degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystem, as a consequence of biological invasions, to reflect values regarded as inherent in the ecosystem and to provide goods and services that people value

vb. To put back into the previous condition.

Polluter pays principle, “Responsibility

Rewilding ensures natural processes and wild species play a much more prominent role in the land-and seascapes, meaning that after initial support, nature is allowed to take more care of itself. Rewilding helps landscapes become wilder, whilst also providing opportunities for modern society to reconnect with such wilder places for the benefits of all life.

The number of distinct biological entities (typically species, but also genotypes, taxonomic genera or families, etc.) within a given sample, community, or area (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005).

Ecological diversity of organisms and may be genetic to taxonomic (q.v. Biodiversity).

Ecological diversity of organisms, including genetic or taxonomic diversity (q.v. Biodiversity).

The number of biological entities (species, genotypes, etc.) within a given sample. Sometimes used as synonym of species diversity.

A group of people (a community and its individual members), with a common identity and a shared set of rules, who rightfully has title over their territory and the natural resources belonging to it. Being a right holder implies that the group’s wellbeing is promoted by the right, and that the group (and its individual members) have the capacity to exercise their self-determination related to the given territory. From an Indigenous perspective, Right holder refers to the collective rights and entitlements of Indigenous peoples, a group of people, and a community including all individual members, with a shared cosmovision/worldview, identity, beliefs, values, and ethics. They have inherent collective rights over their territories and natural resources. Implicit in having a right holder status implies that the holder of it promotes the group's well-being and can exercise their self-determination related to the given territory.

A conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and operationally directed to promoting and protecting human rights.

see “Policy instruments”.

Approaches that consider international human rights law as a coherent system of principles and rules in the field of development, and uses it as a broad guide to conducting the cooperation and aid process; social participation in that process; the obligations of donor and recipient governments; the method of evaluating aid; and the accountability mechanisms that need to be established at the local and international levels.

Synergizing rights and norms for the conservation and protection of systems of Mother Earth can foster complementarity with human well-being. International and national human rights instruments whether binding or non-binding can be creatively interpreted to fit socio-ecological systems and foster resilience. Strengthening of collective rights, customary norms and institutions of indigenous peoples and local communities, can promote adaptive governance including the equitable and fair management of natural resources.

probability of the occurrence of a particular adverse event at a specific time and the magnitude of the consequent damage caused, depending on various factors such as exposure to the hazard, the frequency of exposure and the severity of any consequent damage done (FAO, 2011b). The term risk is regarded as a product of three factors: Exposure x Likelihood x Consequence (Kinney & Wiruth, 1976). Exposure results from the introductions, establishment and spread of an alien species, whereas Likelihood is the probability of an alien species affecting nature, nature’s contributions to people, good quality of life and/or the economy, and Consequence is the magnitude of impacts if an introduction event occurs

See “Ceremonial uses”.

A grazing scheme where animals are moved from one grazing unit (paddock) in the same group of grazing units to another without regard to specific graze: rest periods or levels of plant defoliation. cf. grazing system.

Industrial round wood is defined as all roundwood used for any purpose other than energy. It comprises pulpwood, sawlogs and veneer logs.

The geographic path over which a species is transported from the donor area (origin; may be defined as Last Port of Call) to the recipient area (destination or target), which may include one or more corridors.

Also known as the Neyman-Rubin causal model, is an approach to the statistical analysis of cause and effect based on the framework of potential outcomes, named after Donald Rubin.

Set of rules to govern the work and decision making of its formal settings.