Glossary definitions

Advantage that contributes to wellbeing from the fulfilment of needs and wants. In the context of nature's contributions to people (see Nature's contributions to people), a benefit is a positive contribution. (There may also be negative contributions, dis-benefits, or costs, from Nature, such as diseases).

Occurring at the bottom of a body of water; related to benthos.

A group of organisms, including invertebrates, that live in or on the bottom in aquatic habitats.

A group of organisms, other invertebrates, that live in or on the bottom in aquatic habitats.

The satisfaction of preserving the option of future generations to enjoy nature’s benefits.

A method or technique that consistently shows results superior to those achieved by other means, and that can be used as a benchmark. Best practices evolve agro-ecosystem properties (soil health, water storage, pest and disease resistance) by incorporating benefits of with improvements. Best practices can be used to maintain quality as an alternative to mandatory legislated standards and may be based on self-assessment or benchmarking.

See annual.

Exploration of biodiversity for commercially, scientifically, or culturally valuable genetic and biochemical resources.

A method for mitigating land degradation using mechanical (structures) and biological elements to prevent severe erosion.

Some contaminants that enter biological systems are preferentially stored (usually in fat tissue) in organisms resulting in an accumulation over time. This process is called bioaccumulation.

The accumulation of environmental pollutants such as isotopes of elements, inorganic and organic compounds in organisms or the environment.

The definition that follows is for the purpose of this assessment only: Biocapacity has a variety of definitions, but is defined by the Global Footprint Network the as the ecosystems' capacity to produce biological materials used by people and to absorb waste material generated by humans, under current management schemes and extraction technologies. The ‘biocapacity' indicator used in this report is based on the Global Footprint Network unless otherwise specified.

The ecosystem's capacity to produce biological materials used by people and to absorb waste material generated by humans, under current management schemes and extraction technologies. The biocapacity indicator used in the present report is based on the Global Footprint Network, unless otherwise specified.

The capacity of a country, a region, or the world, to produce useful biological materials for its human population and to absorb waste materials.

Recognizing the importance of non- human life.

Ethical perspective holding that all life (including humans, fauna, flora and domestic animals) deserves equal moral consideration or has equal moral standing. It contrasts with worldviews characterized as anthropocentric, which places humans at the center.

See Ecocentrism.

Charcoal made from biomass via pyrolysis and used for soil enhancement.

Charcoal made from biomass via pyrolysis and used for soil improvement.

A measure of the amount of oxygen required or consumed for the microbiological decomposition (oxidation) of organic material in water. The purpose of this indicator is to assess the quality of water available to consumers in localities or communities for basic and commercial needs. It is also one of a group of indicators of ecosystem health.

Conservation actions made in the service of sustaining the biophysical and sociocultural components of dynamic, interacting, and interdependent social-ecological systems.

The diversity exhibited by interacting natural systems and human cultures. The concept rests on three propositions: firstly, that the diversity of life includes human cultures and languages; secondly, that links exist between biodiversity and human cultural diversity; and finally, that these links have developed over time through mutual adaptation and possibly co-evolution between humans, plants and animals.

The total sum of the world's differences, irrespective of their origin. The concept encompasses biological diversity at all its levels and cultural diversity in all its manifestations. It is derived from the myriad ways in which humans have interacted with their natural surroundings.

Biocultural diversity is considered as biological and cultural diversity and the links between them.

The total variety exhibited by the world's natural and cultural systems, explicitly considers the idea that culture and nature are mutually constituting, and denotes three concepts: first, diversity of life includes human cultures and languages; second, links exist between biodiversity and cultural diversity; and last, these links have developed over time through mutual adaptation and possibly co-evolution.

The diversity exhibited collectively by natural and cultural systems. It incorporates three concepts: firstly, that the diversity of life includes human cultures and languages; secondly, that links exist between biodiversity and human cultural diversity; and finally, that these links have developed over time through mutual adaptation and possibly co-evolution between humans, plants and animals.

The diversity exhibited by interacting natural systems and cultural (human) systems. The concept rests on three propositions: firstly, that the diversity of life includes human cultures and languages; secondly, that links exist between biodiversity and human cultural diversity; and finally, that these links have developed over time through mutual adaptation and possibly co-evolution between humans, plants and animals.

Places where relict (formerly more widespread or abundant) species have found shelter during periods of stress, and that also contain a diversity of human knowledge and experiences, value and belief systems.

Physical and chemical breakdown of a substance by living organisms, mainly bacteria and/or fungi.

A fuel that is similar to diesel fuel and is derived from usually vegetable sources (such as soybean oil).

The variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. This includes variation in genetic, phenotypic, phylogenetic, and functional attributes, as well as changes in abundance and distribution over time and space within and among species, biological communities and ecosystems.

The management of human interactions with genes, species, and ecosystems so as to provide the maximum benefit to the present generation while maintaining their potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations; encompasses elements of saving, studying, and using biodiversity.

A high number of species present in defined areas protects humans from infection from pathogens with an animal reservoir.

Biodiversity threat hotspots driven by global consumption of goods and services.

A generic term for an area high in such biodiversity attributes as species richness or endemism. It may also be used in assessments as a precise term applied to geographic areas defined according to two criteria (Myers et al 2000): (i) containing at least 1,500 species of the world's 300,000 vascular plant species as endemics; and (ii) having lost 70% of its primary vegetation.

A generic term for an area high in such biodiversity attributes as species richness or endemism. It may also be used in assessments as a precise term applied to geographic areas defined according to two criteria: (i) containing at least 1,500 species of the world's 300,000 vascular plant species as endemics, and (ii) having lost 70 per cent of its primary vegetation.

A generic term for an area high in such biodiversity attributes as species richness or endemism. It may also be used in assessments as a precise term applied to geographic areas defined according to two criteria: (i) containing at least 1,500 species of the world's 300,000 vascular plant species as endemics, and (ii) being under threat, in having lost 70% of its primary vegetation.

An indicator of the average abundance of a large and diverse set of organisms in a given geographical area, relative to their reference populations.

The reduction of any aspect of biological diversity (i.e. diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels) is lost in a particular area through death (including extinction), destruction or manual removal; it can refer to many scales, from global extinctions to population extinctions, resulting in decreased total diversity at the same scale.

The reduction of any aspect of biological diversity (i.e. diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels) that results from loss in a particular area through death (including extinction), destruction or manual removal; it can refer to many scales, from global extinctions to population extinctions, resulting in decreased total diversity at the same scale, adversely affecting human-environment connections and disrupting the flow of Nature’s contribution to people.

A tool proposed by developers and planners for compensating for the loss of biodiversity in one place by biodiversity gains in another.

A biodiversity offset is a tool proposed by developers and planners for compensating for the loss of biodiversity in one place by biodiversity gains in another.

Short for Biological diversity which is the variety of life on Earth. The variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, among species and of ecosystems.

The variability among living organisms from all sources including, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

The variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

A holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food, and nutrition. Biodynamic agriculture has been practiced for nearly a century, on every continent on Earth. Biodynamic principles and practices are based on the spiritual insights and practical suggestions of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, and have been developed through the collaboration of many farmers and researchers since the early 1920s. See also Conservation Agriculture.

The bioeconomy is the production, utilization, conservation, and regeneration of biological resources, including related knowledge, science, technology, and innovation, to provide sustainable solutions (information, products, processes and services) within and across all economic sectors and enable a transformation to a sustainable economy.

Land-based climate change mitigation strategy involving the planting of bioenergy crops or trees, which are burned in power stations or converted to biofuels, and the released CO2 being captured for long-term underground storage in geological reservoirs.

A future greenhouse gas mitigation technology which produces negative carbon dioxide emissions by combining bioenergy (energy from biomass) use with geologic carbon capture and storage.

Energy for industrial or commercial use that is derived from biological sources (such as plant matter or animal waste).