IPBES core glossary

Land use refers to the modification or management of natural environments into human dominated environments, such as settlements, semi-natural and agricultural areas.

See Land use.

Activities undertaken with the intention of enhancing the productivity or profitability per unit area of rural land use, including intensification of particular land uses as well as changes between land uses (Martin et al., 2018).

The human use of a specific area for a certain purpose (such as residential, agriculture, recreation, industrial, etc.). Influenced by, but not synonymous with, land cover. Land-use change refers to a change in the use or management of land by humans, which may lead to a change in land cover.

The human use of a specific area for a certain purpose (such as residential; agriculture; recreation; industrial, etc.). Influenced by, but not synonymous with, land cover. Land use change refers to a change in the use or management of land by humans, whi.

A breed that has largely developed through adaptation to the natural environment and traditional production system in which it has been raised (FAO, 2013).

The abundances of patch types represented within a landscape. Composition is not spatially explicit because it refers only to the variety and abundance of patch types, but not their placement or location (dispersion) in the landscape.

The distribution, size and abundances of patch types represented within a landscape. Configuration is spatially explicit because it refers not only to the variety and abundance of patch types, but also to their placement or location (dispersion) in the landscape.

The capacity or potential of landscapes to provide services (Bolliger & Kienast, 2010).

Landscape heterogeneity is a complex phenomenon involving the size, shape and composition of different landscape units and the spatial (and temporal) relations between them (G. Cale & J. Hobbs, 1994).

Landscape heterogeneity is a complex phenomenon involving the size, shape and composition of different landscape units and the spatial (and temporal) relations between them.

An activity concerned with reconciling competing land uses while protecting natural processes and significant cultural and natural resources.

The landscape scale approach incorporates the socio-ecological system, including natural and human-modified ecosystems, influenced by ecological, historical, economic, and socio-cultural processes. The landscape includes an array of stakeholders small enough to be manageable, but large enough to deliver multiple functions for stakeholders with differing interests.

A human-defined area ranging in size from c. 3 km2 to c. 3002 km. Landscape is spatially heterogeneous in at least one factor of interest and often consists of a mosaic of interacting ecosystems.

An area delineated by an actor for a specific set of objectives, constitutes an area in which entities, including humans, interact according to rules (physical, biological, and social) that determine their relationships; Place-based systems that result from interactions between people, land, institutions (laws, rules and regulations) and values. Interactive aspects that define a landscape are functional interactions, negotiated spaces and multiple scales.

An area of land that contains a mosaic of ecosystems, including human-dominated ecosystems.

The control (whether through ownership, lease, concession, contracts, quotas, or general power) of larger than locally-typical amounts of land by any persons or entities (public or private, foreign or domestic) via any means (‘legal’ or ‘illegal’) for purposes of speculation, extraction, resource control or commodification at the expense of agroecology, land stewardship, food sovereignty and human rights. It is sometimes also called land grabbing.

See ‘Grabbing (of wild species and space)’.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in force since 1994, defines the rights and obligations of nations (167 at present) with regard to the use of the world's oceans and their resources, and the protection of the marine and coastal environment. The UNCLOS also defines national marine jurisdiction on maritime territories and provides guidelines related to the use and management of marine environment and resources.

The dissolution and movement of dissolved substances by water.

The total area of green leaves per unit area of ground covered (FAO, 2018a).

An environmentally damaging activity that is relocated elsewhere after being stopped locally.

Phenomena whereby the reduction in emissions (relative to a baseline) in a jurisdiction/sector associated with the implementation of mitigation policy is offset to some degree by an increase outside the jurisdiction/sector through induced changes in consumption, production, prices, land use and/or trade across the jurisdictions/sectors. Leakage can occur at a number of levels, be it a project, state, province, nation or world region.

Learning refers to the process of knowledge and skills acquisition. Studies on learning have payed attention to the different ways people acquire knowledge, practices, and beliefs (i.e. imitation, copying, trial-and-error), but also to the dynamics of kn.

Learning refers to the process of knowledge and skills acquisition. Studies on learning have payed attention to the different ways people acquire knowledge, practices, and beliefs (i.e. imitation, copying, trial-and-error), but also to the dynamics of knowledge transmission, or the different sources from which knowledge, practices, and beliefs are passed from one individual to another (i.e. from parents, peers, teachers, prestigious peoples, media, etc.). Social learning is defined as the acquisition of new information by copying others, and it is a key human strategy that allows for the accumulation of culturally transmitted knowledge.

see “Policy instruments”.

Legal pluralism is a sensitizing concept for situations in which people draw upon several legal systems, irrespective of their status within the state legal system.

Degree of detail captured in an analysis. A high level of resolution implies a highly detailed analysis, usually associated with finer spatial and temporal scales. A low level of resolution implies a less detailed analysis, usually associated with coarser spatial and temporal scales.

Frames that illustrate the in which people conceptualise how nature matters. Life frames mediate between ways of being/living and the prioritization of different sets of broad and specific values. The four archetypes of living from, living in, living with and living as nature are not mutually exclusive. They offer a range of sources-of-concern for nature that can overlap or be emphasized in diverse contexts (section 2.2.6).

Referred to simply as karsts are sedimentary rock outcrops that consist primarily of calcium carbonate.

Imprecise meaning of words, including vagueness and ambiguity.

Livelihood diversification is defined as the process by which rural families construct a diverse portfolio of activities and social support capabilities in their struggle for survival and in order to improve their standards of living”.

The capacity of all people across generations to sustain and improve their livelihood opportunities and well-being despite environmental, economic, social and political disturbances.

Adequate and sustainable access to income and resources to meet basic needs (including adequate access to food, potable water, health facilities, educational opportunities, housing, time for community participation and social integration).

Within the context of the IPBES Conceptual Framework - a perspective on good quality of life based on the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and elements of nature. It implies that we should live peacefully alongside all other organisms even though we may need to exploit other organisms to some degree.

adj. Referring to places, people, things or events within a short distance of an identified locality.