Languages:
The establishment of a forest through tree planting or seeding on land that has lacked forest cover for a very long time or has never been forested. (Source: GreenFacts)
A system of land use in which harvestable trees or shrubs are grown among or
around crops or on pastureland in order to increase production, generate
short-term income, and benefit the environment (for example, by erosion
control).
(Source: Murray-Darling Basin Commission, The River Glossary
Biodiversity is a contraction of biological diversity. Biodiversity reflects the number, variety and variability of living organisms.
It includes diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity), and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity). (Source: GreenFacts)
Biofuels are non-fossil fuels. They are energy carriers that store the energy derived from organic materials (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste.
They may be solid, such as fuelwood, charcoal and wood pellets; liquid, such as ethanol, biodiesel and pyrolysis oils; or gaseous, such as biogas. (Source: GreenFacts)
The long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind, and all other aspects of the Earth's climate.
It is also defined by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change as
“change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity
that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to
natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”
(Source:
CoRIS
glossary
The conversion of forested land to non-forested land as a direct result of
human activities.
(Source: Forest Carbon Accounting
Definitions
Land degradation in drylands resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.
Land degradation in drylands resulting from various factors,
including climatic variations and human activities.
(Source:
MA 
Effects in the developing offspring due to exposure before conception (either
parent), prenatally, or postnatally to the time of sexual maturation.
Developmental effects may be expressed at any time in the life span of the
organism. Developmental effects are a subset of reproductive effects.
(Source:
CSIRO
CSIRO biological effects and safety of EMR
Glossary
The benefits people obtain from ecosystems.
These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating
services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual,
recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient
cycling that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.
(Source:
MA
The complex system of plant, animal, fungal, and microorganism communities and their associated non-living environment interacting as an ecological unit.
Ecosystems have no fixed boundaries; instead their parameters are set to the
scientific, management, or policy question being examined. Depending upon the
purpose of analysis, a single lake, a
watershed, or an entire region could be
considered an ecosystem.
(Source:
US EPA
Glossary of Climate Change Terms
A natural process in which elements are continuously cycled in various forms between different compartments of the environment (e.g., air, water, soil, organisms).
Examples include the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles (nutrient cycles) and the water cycle. (Source: GreenFacts)
"The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Since our founding in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. FAO's activities comprise four main areas:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines “forest” as a portion of land bigger than half a hectare (5 000m2) with trees higher than 5 meters and a tree canopy cover of more than 10 %, or with trees that will be able to meet these criteria.
It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.
Percentage of land within a specific area covered by forests.
(Source:
FAO
The location and environmental conditions in which a particular organism normally lives.
(Source:
MA
The human use of a piece of land for a certain purpose (such as irrigated agriculture or recreation). Influenced by, but not synonymous with, land cover.
(Source:
MA
An area of land that contains a mosaic of ecosystems, including human-dominated ecosystems.
The term cultural landscape is often used when referring to
landscapes containing significant human populations or in which there has been
significant human influence on the land.
(Source:
MA
Countries that are both poor and net importers of food. (Source: GreenFacts)
Instruments of environmental policies in which a change in technology,
behaviour or products is encouraged through financial incentives (either
subsidies, taxes, price differentiation or market creation).
(Source: Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin
Glossary
The pronounced deprivation of well-being.
Income poverty refers to a particular formulation expressed solely in terms of
per capita or household income.
(Source:
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Refers to the amount of disturbance or stress that an ecosystem can absorb and
still remain capable of returning to its pre- disturbance state.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Individuals or groups that are affected by a decision and have an interest in
its outcome.
(Source:
TDM Encyclopedia
Glossary
A characteristic or state whereby the needs of the present and local population can be met without compromising the ability of future generations or populations in other locations to meet their needs.
The part of the Earth's surface between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of
Cancer or between the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn;
characterized by temperate climate [i.e. mild, moderate temperature; neither hot
nor cold].
(Source: WordNet Temperate
zone
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