Glossary definitions

Water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. Technically, brackish water contains between 0.5 and 30 grams of salt per litre—more often expressed as 0.5 to 30 parts per thousand (‰), which is a specific gravity of between 1.005 and 1.010. Thus, brackish covers a range of salinity regimes and is not considered a precisely defined condition.

refers to change across multiple spheres, with emerging consensus that transformation requires co-evolutionary change across different spheres of society, including personal, economic, political, institutional and technological ones.

offer a means to improve environmental management outcomes by spanning the science-policy interface to allow for the effective sharing of data, information, and knowledge. Bridging organizations are institutions that use specific mechanisms such as working groups to link and facilitate interactions among individual actors in a management setting.

They refer to life goals, general guiding principles and orientations towards the world that are informed by people’s beliefs and worldviews. Broad values include moral principles, such as justice, belonging, freedom, but also life goals, like enjoyment, health, prosperity. Broad values influence specific values and provide them with a general context and meaning.

Although no universal definition of buen vivir has been attained yet, it has four common constitutive elements: (a) the idea of harmony with nature (including its abiotic components); (b) vindication of the principles and values of marginalized/subordinated peoples; (c) the State as guarantor of the satisfaction of basic needs (such as education, health, food and water), social justice and equality; and (d) democracy. There are also two cross-cutting lines: buen vivir as a critical paradigm of Eurocentric (anthropocentric, capitalist, economistic and universalistic) modernity, and as a new intercultural political project.

An alternative to economic development-centered approaches, generally defined as forming part of the Andean indigenous cosmology, based on the belief that true wellbeing is only possible as part of a community in a broad sense, including people, nature and the Earth, linked by mutual responsibilities and obligations, and that the wellbeing of the community is above that of the individual.

A natural or anthropogenic feature which separates land uses.

Areas between core protected areas and the surrounding landscape or seascape which protect the network from potentially damaging external influences and which are essentially transitional areas.

Comprises urban design, land use and the transportation system, and encompasses patterns of human activity within the physical environment.

Members of the bee genus Bombus; they are social insects that form colonies with a single queen, or brood parasitic or cuckoo bumblebees (previously Psithyrus). Currently 262 species are known, which are found primarily in higher latitudes and at higher altitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, although they also occur in South America and New Zealand (where they were introduced).

The resulting negative impacts of ecosystem use and management on people and nature, including distant, diffuse and delayed impacts.

The IPBES Bureau is a subsidiary body established by the Plenary which carries out the governance functions of the Platform. It is made up of representatives nominated from each of the United Nations regions, and is chaired by the Chair of IPBES.

Within the context of IPBES - a subsidiary body established by the Plenary which carries out the administrative functions agreed upon by the Plenary, as articulated in the document on functions, operating principles and institutional arrangements of the Platform.

The IPBES Bureau is a subsidiary body established by the Plenary which carries out the governance functions of IPBES. It is made up of representatives nominated from each of the United Nations regions and is chaired by the Chair of IPBES.

The IPBES Bureau is a subsidiary body established by the Plenary which carries out the governance functions of IPBES. It is made up of representatives nominated from each of the United Nations regions, and is chaired by the Chair of IPBES.

An increase in density of shrubby or bushy tree vegetation in savannah or grassland systems.

Meat for human consumption derived from wild animals.

A form of subsistence hunting that entails the harvesting of wild animals for food and for non-food purposes, including for medicinal use.

Bushmeat (or wild meat) hunting is a form of hunting that entails the harvesting of wild animals for food and for non-food purposes, including for medicinal use.

Bushmeat (or wild meat) hunting is a form of subsistence hunting that entails the harvesting of wild animals for food and for non-food purposes, including for medicinal use.

See “wild meat”.

IPCC term case assumes that future developments follow those of the past and no changes in policies will take place.

The incidental capture of non-target species. The portion of a commercial fishing catch that consists of marine animals caught unintentionally.

The commercially undesirable species caught during a fishing process.

Articulation of narratives describing plausible futures based on or relating to measures of the quality of key compnents rather than their quantity (c.f. Quantitative approaches).

Within the context of the IPBES Conceptual Framework - good quality of life refers to the achievement of a fulfilled life, a notion which may vary significantly across societies and cultures. There is a common understanding that quality of life is composed of both shared common aspects across cultures (food security) and contextual aspects (e.g. self-determination), which can be assessed objectively (e.g. caloric intake) or subjectively (e.g. life satisfaction) applying quantitative and qualitative indicators. Good quality of life is generally portrayed through material conditions (e.g. level of food availability) as well as through individual aspirations (e.g. personal; professional; spiritual) and capabilities (e.g. education) for people to live in accordance to what they themselves consider to be “a good life”, which can differ across cultures, contexts and individuals. The role of nature in achieving a good quality of life is complex and heterogeneous, and depends on the social-ecological context, and on the way people portray themselves in relation to nature.

Statistical or other analytical descriptions of processes defined by quantities or metrics.

The measurement of the capacity of a gas or other forcing agents to affect that energy balance, thereby contributing to climate change. Put more simply, RF expresses the change in energy in the atmosphere due to GHG emissions.

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

A wetland site designated of international importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental environment treaty established in 1975 by UNESCO, coming into force in 1975. A wetland of international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology. Such site meets at least one of the criteria of Identifying Wetlands of International Importance set by Ramsar Convention and is designated by appropriate national authority to be added to Ramsar list.

A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated of international importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental environment treaty established in 1975 by UNESCO, coming into force in 1975. Ramsar site refers to wetland of international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology. Such a site meets at least one of the criteria of identifying Wetlands of International Importance set by Ramsar Convention and is designated by appropriate national authority to be added to Ramsar list.

A wetland site designated of international importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental environment treaty established in 1975 by UNESCO, coming into force in 1975. Ramsar site refers to wetland of international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology. Such a site meets at least one of the criteria of identifying wetlands of international importance set by Ramsar Convention and is designated by appropriate national authority to be added to Ramsar list.

A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated of international importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental environment treaty established in 1975 by UNESCO, coming into force in 1975. Ramsar site refers to a wetland of international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology. Such site meets at least one of the criteria of Identifying Wetlands of International Importance set by Ramsar Convention and is designated by appropriate national authority to be added to Ramsar list.

“the current limits of distribution of a species, accounting for all known, inferred or projected sites of occurrence”

A change in the distributional limits of the native geographical range of a species, most commonly driven human-related factors (e.g. climate change).

Natural grasslands used for livestock grazing.

The preservation of land with the goal of restoring natural ecosystem processes and reducing human control of landscapes (Gillson et al., 2011) to allow declining populations to rebound.

All biologically, photochemically, and/or radiatively active forms of nitrogen; a diverse pool of nitrogenous compounds that includes organic compounds (e.g. urea, amines, proteins, amides), mineral nitrogen forms, such as nitrates and ammonium, as well as gases that are chemically active in the troposphere (NOx, ammonia, nitrous oxide) and contribute to air pollution and the greenhouse effect.

Current state of biodiversity and ecosystem functions independent of human knowledge and perceptions and ecosystem services (Nature in IPBES conceptual framework). See also Perceptions; Concepts”; Worldviews”.

The pattern by which resource users tend to compensate for improved efficiency by shifting behaviour towards greater consumption, which undermines apparent gains. For example, an increased fuel saving of motor vehicle tends to be compensated by spending more money on other resources or by driving more.

The pattern by which resource users tend to compensate for improved efficiency by shifting behavior towards greater consumption, which undermines apparent gains. For example, an increased fuel saving of motor vehicle tends to be compensated by spending more money on other resources or by driving more.

The stabilization of the terrain, assurance of public safety, aesthetic improvement, and usually a return of the land to what, within the regional context, is considered to be a useful purpose.

In social-environmental justice, recognition is about the respect for (community) ways of life, local knowledge, and cultural difference.

Recreational uses are defined as uses of wild species in which enjoyment is considered a primary value.

Monetary or non-monetary worth given to the human recreational use of ecosystems, areas or other natural phenomena.

The influx of new members into a population by reproduction or immigration (IUCN, 2012a).

The influx of new members into a population by reproduction or immigration.

A global mechanism designed to offer positive incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and to promote the conservation, management and enhancement of forest stocks in developing countries (http://theredddesk. org/encyclopaedia/reducing-emissions- deforestation-and-forest-degradation-redd- and-role-conservation). REDD-plus stands for countries’ efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Mechanism developed by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands.