Glossary definitions

Approaches and techniques based on science and other knowledge systems that can inform, assist and enhance relevant decisions, policy making and implementation to protect nature, thereby promoting nature's benefits to people and a good quality of life.

Instruments used by governance bodies at all scales to implement their policies. Environmental policies, for example, could be implemented through tools such as legislation, economic incentives or dis-incentives, including taxes and tax exemptions, or tradable permits and fees.

The extent to which total seed and fruit production of an individual plant is limited by either the number or quality of the pollen grains deposited on flowers´ stigmas. In an agricultural context, pollen limitation is a synonym of pollination deficit.

The transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma. Pollination may occur within flowers of the same plant, between flowers of the same plant, or between flowers of different plants (or combinations thereof).

A measure of the accomplishments of a single visit of an individual animal in terms of pollen deposited, pollen removed, or seeds produced.

A measure of both the costs (flower damage, pollen eaten, etc.) and benefits (pollen deposited, pollen removed, seeds produced, etc.) of a single visit of an individual animal.

The western science perspective for the benefits derived from pollination.

see Plant-pollinator Network.

An agent that transports pollen. Such agents may be animals of many kinds or physical (wind or water), or both.

Decrease in abundance or diversity, or both, of pollinators.

The degree to which either seed or fruit production, or both, of a plant becomes reduced in the total absence of animal pollinators.

The commonly accepted practice that those who produce pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment. A polluter pays principle aims at preventing anybody from reaping the benefits at the expense of (or even considerable harm to) other members of the society.

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.

An organizational structure where multiple independent actors mutually order their relationships with one another under a general system of rules.

Refers the organisation of small-, medium-, and large-scale democratic units that each may exercise considerable independence to make and enforce rules within a circumscribed scope of authority for a specified geographical area. Some units may be general-purpose governments whereas others may be highly specialized.

The simultaneous cultivation or growth of two or more compatible agricultural products (intercropping, some crops and livestock, agroforestry, agriculture and aquaculture).

sometimes called molecular photocopying, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a fast and inexpensive technique used to amplify - copy - small segments of DNA. Because significant amounts of a sample of DNA are necessary for molecular and genetic analyses, studies of isolated pieces of DNA are nearly impossible without PCR amplification

A group composed of a collection of organisms in which the most recent common ancestor of all the included organisms is not included, usually because the common ancestor lacks the characteristics of the group. Polyphyletic taxa are considered unnatural, and usually are reclassified once they are discovered to be polyphyletic.

A decrease in the gene pool of the population due to an event that drastically reduces the size of that population, such as an environmental disaster, the hunting of a species to the point of extinction, or habitat destruction that results in the deaths of organisms. Due to the event, many alleles, or gene variants, that were present in the original population are lost and the remaining population has a very low level of genetic diversity.

The total genetic diversity and its distribution within and among a set of populations. It is shaped by many factors, including life history, population size, geographical or environmental barriers, gene flow, selection and population crashes or bottlenecks.

The pressure exerted by a fluid phase in a porous medium (soil or rock) composed of a solid framework and pores filled or partially filled with water or other fluid (Reid, 2013).

A level of personal or family income below which one is classified as poor according to governmental standards. It is also referred as poverty threshold.

A state of deprivation that is multidimensional in nature. Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.

Poverty is a state of economic deprivation. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services. Other corollaries of poverty are social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.

A state of economic deprivation. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services. Other corollaries of poverty are social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.

Power is the capacity of actors to mobilize agency, resources, and discourses, as well as to utilize or shape institutions to achieve a goal. Power can be both constraining and enabling, and the capacity of one actor can inhibit the capacity of another actor. Power in the context of human-nature relationships can be manifested in multiple and non-exclusive ways through discourses and social structures. Discursive power is the power to use discourses or knowledge production to shape worldviews, identities, and values. Related to discursive power is the power to frame how issues are understood, communicated, and discussed (framing power). Structural power is the result of historically-specific socio-cultural, political, and economic systems that reproduce social positions and/or hierarchies among social groups. Structural power relations determine, for example, who has the power to make rules regarding access, use, and responsibilities about nature/NCP, and who is excluded from this process (rule-making power); as well who has the formal or informal rights regarding nature/NCP which in turn determines the use of these assets and whose values are emphasized (operational power).

A customary action, habit, or behaviour; a manner or routine.

See “gathering”, “fishing”, “terrestrial animal harvesting”, “logging”, “non-extractive practices” and “non-lethal harvest”.

where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environment degradation (Principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration,

Pertains to risk management and states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is not harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking an action. The principle is used to justify discretionary decisions when the possibility of harm from making a certain decision (e.g. taking a particular course of action) is not, or has not been, established through extensive scientific knowledge. The principle implies that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to harm, when scientific investigation has found a plausible risk or if a potential plausible risk has been identified.

Pertains to risk management and states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is not harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking an action. The principle is used to justify discretionary decisions when the possibility of harm from making a certain decision ( taking a particular course of action) is not, or has not been, established through extensive scientific knowledge. The principle implies that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to harm, when scientific investigation has found a plausible risk or if a potential plausible risk has been identified.

When a projection is branded most likely it becomes a forecast or prediction, often obtained using deterministic models, outputs of which can enable some level of confidence to be attached to projections.

The use of statisitics or other analytical methods to make predictions into the future.

They denote stated or revealed choices of one or more alternatives over others and can be expressed in economic or sociocultural terms. Despite being considering synonyms for value in some disciplines (economics), preferences should be understood as rankings of possible outcomes in terms of their specific value to people (e.g. preferences related to health and good quality of life) (section 2.2.4.4).

any policy and/or action undertaken to prepare for the probable arrival of a potential invasive alien species including any preventative or adaptive response activity

see direct drivers.

for the purpose of this assessment, any policy and/or action/response undertaken to prevent the arrival and/or introduction of alien and invasive alien species, between and within countries and regions. Prevention is generally far more cost-effective and environmentally beneficial than measures taken following introduction and establishment of an invasive alien species

Conservation measures that maintain land and its environmental and productive functions.

Refer to conservation measures that maintain land and its environmental and productive functions.

The quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services.

The conversion of energy to organic substances by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophic organisms.

Primary production is the process whereby inorganic carbon is fixed in the sunlit (euphotic) zone of the upper ocean, and forms the base of the marine food pyramid.

Vegetation in a particular plant assemblage that has not been subject to human disturbance, or has been so little affected that its natural structure, functions and dynamics have not undergone any change that exceed the elastic capacity of the ecosystem.

This principle limits the level of restoration of polluted sites to the quality required for the next use that would have been planned by industrial companies, in accordance to land planning documents.

See “Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)”.

Before access to knowledge or genetic resources takes place(Prior), based on truthful information about the use that will be made of the knowledge or genetic resources that is adequate for the authority to understand the implications(Informed), the government, stakeholders or rights holders could be explicit consent(consent).

Consent given before access to knowledge or genetic resources takes place, based on truthful information about the use that will be made of the resources, which is adequate for the stakeholders or rights holders giving consent to understand the implications.

See 'Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)'.

Deforestation occurring on private lands.

see agenda setting.