IPBES core glossary

the intentional introduction of an alien species, usually co-evolved, as a biological control agent for permanent establishment and long-term control

Defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, allows a country with an emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex B Party) to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries. Such projects can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tone of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting Kyoto targets.

Climate is the average weather, or more rigorously, its statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. The classical period for averaging these variables is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization. The relevant quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation and wind. Climate in a wider sense is the state, including a statistical description, of the climate system. In the ocean, climate change is manifested as altered hydrologic conditions including temperature, oxygen, sea level, the carbonate system, and related changes in productivity, mixing and circulation.

As defined in Article 1 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a 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.

Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

A set of actions to limit the magnitude or rate of long-term climate change. Climate change mitigation generally involves reductions in human (anthropogenic) emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Mitigation may also be achieved by increasing the capacity of carbon sinks, e.g. through reforestation. Mitigation policies can substantially reduce the risks associated with human-induced global warming.

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time (i.e. decades to millions of years). Climate change may refer to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather within the context of longer- term average conditions. Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain human activities have been identified as primary causes of ongoing climate change, often referred to as global warming.

Refers to a change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.

As defined in Article 1 of the UNFCCC, a 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.

A change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g. by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings such as modulations of the solar cycles, volcanic eruptions and persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use. Note that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in its Article 1, defines climate change as: ‘a 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’. The UNFCCC thus makes a distinction between climate change attributable to human activities altering the atmospheric composition and climate variability attributable to natural causes.

A subset of the more general family of species distribution models that correlate species occurrence or abundance with climate variables to make spatially-explicit predictions of potential distribution.

The influence of land cover and biological mediated processes that regulate atmospheric processes and weather patterns which in turn create the microclimate in which different plants and animals (including humans) live and function.

Aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.

Agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/ removes GHGs (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals.

Is defined as variations in the mean state and other statistics of the climate on all temporal and spatial scale, beyond individual weather events.

A changing aspect of the climate system that influences a component of a human or natural system.

in the context of management of biological invasions, bodies of water that do not directly or indirectly drain with continuous and intensive flow into an ocean or river, recognizing that no natural systems may be entirely closed (e.g., some inland surface waters and water bodies/freshwater)

Practices in response to problems that provide added benefits, above and beyond the direct benefits. They are referred to as multiple benefits or synergies”.

Refers to benefits of development plans or sectoral policies and measures.

Process of management in which government shares power with resource users, with each given specific rights and responsibilities relating to information and decision-making.

In the context of the IPBES conceptual framework, this is the joint contribution by nature and anthropogenic assets in generating nature’s contributions to people.

Essentially a relationship between service provider and service user that draws on the knowledge, ability and resources of both to develop solutions to issues that are claimed to be successful, sustainable and cost-effective, changing the balance of power from the professional towards the service user. The approach is used in work with both individuals and communities.

In the context of the IPBES conceptual framework, this is the joint contribution by nature and anthropogenic assets in generating nature's contributions to people.

It refers to intertidal habitat loss which arises due to the high water mark being fixed by a defense, and the low water mark migrating landwards in response to sea level rise.

Area of the seafloor where gases and fluids are released without incurring a significant temperature rise in the surrounding environment.

Governing arrangement where one or more public agencies directly engage non-state stakeholders in a collective decision-making process that is formal, consensus-oriented, and deliberative and that aims to make or implement public policy or manage public programs or assets.

The rapid and durable loss of a defined socio-ecological system as such, resulting in substantial loss of social-ecological capital (e.g. biomass).

See “Gathering”.

action taken together by a group of people whose goal is to achieve a common objective. It is a term that is used in many areas of the social sciences including psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science and economics

the number of species introduced or released to a single location, some of which will go on to establish a self-sustaining population and some of which will not

The action of reducing a material, especially a mineral ore, to minute particles or fragments.

Resources for which the exclusion of users is difficult (referred to as excludability), and the use of such a resource by one user decreases resource benefits for other users (referred to as subtractability). Common CPR examples include fisheries, forests, irrigation systems, and pastures. Global CPR examples include the earth’s oceans and atmosphere. Difficulty in excluding users, combined with a CPR’s subtractability, create management vulnerabilities that can result in resource degradation, often referred to as the tragedy of the commons. See also Tragedy of commons” and Commons”.

Common property theory (CPT) refers to a body of cross-disciplinary literature that deals with the historical and contemporary institutional governance and management of valued resources ranging from fisheries and forests to atmospheric sinks, oceans, and genetic materials. CPT was originally developed to understand the problems of managing what are termed common-pool resources.

A concept whereby some forms of wealth belong to all, and that these community resources must be actively protected and managed for the good of all. It consists of land and services of common property (forests, rivers, fields and arable land) used and managed by a given community (mainly traditional, local or indigenous). The commons also consist of gifts of nature such as air, oceans and wildlife (global commons) as well as shared social creations such as libraries, public spaces, scientific research and creative works. See also Common Pool Resources” and Tragedy of the commons”.

“A two-way process aimed at mutual understanding, sharing of values and action”.

An assemblage of populations of at least two different species which coexist, and to various degrees interact directly and indirectly within a defined local geographic area and in a particular time; it is characterized in terms of taxonomic and functional.