Glossary This glossary is compiled from citations in different
Ecosystem Assessment, Illinois Clean Coal Institute
chapters, and draws from glossaries and other
(United States), National Safety Council (United
resources available on the websites of the following
States), Natsource (United States), The Organisation for
organizations, networks and projects:
Economic Co-operation and Development, Professional
American Meteorological Society, Center for
Development for Livelihoods (United Kingdom),
Transportation Excellence (United States), Charles
SafariX eTextbooks Online, Redefining Progress
Darwin University (Australia), Consultative Group
(United States), The Edwards Aquifer Website (United
on International Agricultural Research, Convention
States), TheFreeDictionary.com, The World Bank, UN
on Wetlands of International Importance especially
Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries
as Waterfowl Habitat, Europe’s Information Society,
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification,
European Environment Agency, European Nuclear
Particularly in Africa, UN Development Programme,
Society, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN
United Nations, Foundation for Research, Science
Industrial Development Organization, UN Statistics
and Technology (New Zealand), Global Footprint
Division, US Department of Agriculture, US Department
Network, GreenFacts Glossary, Intergovernmental
of the Interior, US Department of Transportation, US
Panel on Climate Change, International Centre for
Energy Information Administration, US Environmental
Research in Agroforestry, International Comparison
Protection Agency, US Geological Survey, Water
Programme, International Research Institute for Climate
Quality Association (United States), Wikipedia and
and Society at Columbia University (United States),
World Health Organization.
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Lyme Disease Foundation (United States), Millennium
Term
Definition
Abundance
The number of individuals or related measure of quantity (such as biomass) in a population, community or spatial unit.
Acid deposition
Any form of deposition on water, land and other surfaces that increases their acidity by contamination with acid pollutants, such as sulphur oxides, sulphates, nitrogen oxides and nitrates, or ammonium compounds. The deposition can be either dry (as in the adsorption of acid pollutants to particles) or wet (as in acid precipitation).
Acidification
Change in environment’s natural chemical balance caused by an increase in the concentration of acidic elements.
Acidity
A measure of how acid a solution may be. A solution with a pH of less than 7.0 is considered acidic.
Adaptation
Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment, including anticipatory and reactive adaptation, private and public adaptation, and autonomous and planned adaptation.
Adaptive capacity
The potential or ability of a system, region or community to adapt to the effects or impacts of a particular set of changes. Enhancement of adaptive capacity represents a practical means of coping with changes and uncertainties, reducing vulnerabilities and promoting sustainable development.
Aerosols
A collection of airborne solid or liquid particles, with a typical size between 0.01 and 10 μm, that reside in the atmosphere for at least several hours. Aerosols may be of either natural or anthropogenic origin.
Afforestation
Establishment of forest plantations on land that is not classified as forest.
Algal beds
Reef top surface feature dominated by algae cover, usually brown algae (such as Sargassum or Turbinaria).
Alien species (also nonnative, non-indigenous, foreign, exotic)
Species introduced outside its normal distribution.
Aquaculture
The farming of aquatic organisms in inland and coastal areas, involving intervention in the rearing process to enhance production and the individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated.
Aquatic ecosystem
Basic ecological unit composed of living and non-living elements interacting in an aqueous milieu.
Aquifer
An underground geological formation or group of formations, containing usable amounts of groundwater that can supply wells and springs.
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