Glossary definitions

Scenarios that include time series of emissions and concentrations of the full suite of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols and chemically active gases, as well as land use/land cover. The word representative signifies that each RCP provides only one of many possible scenarios that would lead to the specific radiative forcing characteristics. The term pathway emphasizes that not only the long-term concentration levels are of interest, but also the trajectory taken over time to reach that outcome. RCPs usually refer to the portion of the concentration pathway extending up to 2100, for which Integrated Assessment Models produced corresponding emission scenarios.

The capacity of a socio- ecological system to absorb or withstand perturbations and other stressors such that the system remains within the same regime, essentially maintaining its structure and functions.

The level of disturbance that an ecosystem or society can undergo without crossing a threshold to a situation with different structure or outputs. Resilience depends on factors such as ecological dynamics as well as the organizational and institutional capacity to understand, manage and respond to these dynamics.

The level of disturbance that an ecosystem or society can undergo without crossing a threshold to a situation with different structure or outputs. Resilience depends on factors such as ecological dynamics as well as the organizational and institutional ca.

The level of disturbance that an ecosystem or society can undergo without crossing a threshold to a situation with different structure or outputs. Resilience depends on factors such as ecological dynamics as well as the organizational and institutional capacity to understand, manage, and respond to these dynamics.

for the purpose of this assessment, the ability of an ecosystem to adapt, withstand and respond to alien species invasions, recover rapidly from their impacts and continue to develop

See “scales”.

see spatial scale and temporal scale.

See scale.

This respect is expressed in/identified through ceremonies, rituals, actions in sacred sites whose purpose is to renew a sense of thankfulness and reverence/deep respect to the land or the sea (terrestrial or marine landscape) or to their components.

This is about integrity of ancestral territory leadership in caring for nature. Actions and behaviours that minimize or prohibit exploitative use of materials, no waste resources philosophies, awareness about sustainability for the future generations; and preservation of cultural knowledge (ancestor heritage). IPLCs and cultural identities are strongly connected to their lands (and seascapes). Their values often emerge in relation to their context and can become visible through issues related to the integrity of ancestral territory, leadership in caring for nature, actions and behaviours that minimize or prohibit exploitative use of materials within their lands or in other geographical terrains. A philosophy of zero waste of resources is enacted while thinking about the health and the future of the land (and sea), awareness about sustainability of the land (and sea) for the future generations; and preservation of cultural knowledge (ancestral heritage).

Any intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state. Active restoration includes a range of human interventions aimed at influencing and accelerating natural successional processes to recover biodiversity ecosystem service provision. Passive restoration includes reliance primarily on natural process of ecological succession to restore degraded ecosystems, but may include measures to protect a site from processes that currently prevent natural recovery (e.g. protection of degraded forests from overgrazing by livestock or unintentional human-induced fire).

Any intentional activities that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state.

any intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state (IPBES glossary). More specifically, in the context of invasive alien species management, it refers to the process of assisting the recovery of a degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystem, as a consequence of biological invasions, to reflect values regarded as inherent in the ecosystem and to provide goods and services that people value

vb. To put back into the previous condition.

Polluter pays principle, “Responsibility

Rewilding ensures natural processes and wild species play a much more prominent role in the land-and seascapes, meaning that after initial support, nature is allowed to take more care of itself. Rewilding helps landscapes become wilder, whilst also providing opportunities for modern society to reconnect with such wilder places for the benefits of all life.

The number of distinct biological entities (typically species, but also genotypes, taxonomic genera or families, etc.) within a given sample, community, or area (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005).

Ecological diversity of organisms and may be genetic to taxonomic (q.v. Biodiversity).

Ecological diversity of organisms, including genetic or taxonomic diversity (q.v. Biodiversity).

The number of biological entities (species, genotypes, etc.) within a given sample. Sometimes used as synonym of species diversity.

A group of people (a community and its individual members), with a common identity and a shared set of rules, who rightfully has title over their territory and the natural resources belonging to it. Being a right holder implies that the group’s wellbeing is promoted by the right, and that the group (and its individual members) have the capacity to exercise their self-determination related to the given territory. From an Indigenous perspective, Right holder refers to the collective rights and entitlements of Indigenous peoples, a group of people, and a community including all individual members, with a shared cosmovision/worldview, identity, beliefs, values, and ethics. They have inherent collective rights over their territories and natural resources. Implicit in having a right holder status implies that the holder of it promotes the group's well-being and can exercise their self-determination related to the given territory.

A conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and operationally directed to promoting and protecting human rights.

see “Policy instruments”.

Approaches that consider international human rights law as a coherent system of principles and rules in the field of development, and uses it as a broad guide to conducting the cooperation and aid process; social participation in that process; the obligations of donor and recipient governments; the method of evaluating aid; and the accountability mechanisms that need to be established at the local and international levels.

Synergizing rights and norms for the conservation and protection of systems of Mother Earth can foster complementarity with human well-being. International and national human rights instruments whether binding or non-binding can be creatively interpreted to fit socio-ecological systems and foster resilience. Strengthening of collective rights, customary norms and institutions of indigenous peoples and local communities, can promote adaptive governance including the equitable and fair management of natural resources.

probability of the occurrence of a particular adverse event at a specific time and the magnitude of the consequent damage caused, depending on various factors such as exposure to the hazard, the frequency of exposure and the severity of any consequent damage done (FAO, 2011b). The term risk is regarded as a product of three factors: Exposure x Likelihood x Consequence (Kinney & Wiruth, 1976). Exposure results from the introductions, establishment and spread of an alien species, whereas Likelihood is the probability of an alien species affecting nature, nature’s contributions to people, good quality of life and/or the economy, and Consequence is the magnitude of impacts if an introduction event occurs

See “Ceremonial uses”.

A grazing scheme where animals are moved from one grazing unit (paddock) in the same group of grazing units to another without regard to specific graze: rest periods or levels of plant defoliation. cf. grazing system.

Industrial round wood is defined as all roundwood used for any purpose other than energy. It comprises pulpwood, sawlogs and veneer logs.

The geographic path over which a species is transported from the donor area (origin; may be defined as Last Port of Call) to the recipient area (destination or target), which may include one or more corridors.

Also known as the Neyman-Rubin causal model, is an approach to the statistical analysis of cause and effect based on the framework of potential outcomes, named after Donald Rubin.

Set of rules to govern the work and decision making of its formal settings.

Rural development is the process of improving the opportunities and well-being of rural people. It is a process of change in the characteristics of rural societies. In addition to agricultural development, it involves human development and social and environment objectives, as opposed to just economic ones. Therefore, rural development encompasses health, education, and other social services. It also uses a multisector approach for promoting agriculture, extracting minerals, tourism, recreation, and niche manufacturing.

Typically refers to checking model outputs for consistency with observations. However, since models cannot be validated in the formal sense of the term (i.e. proven to be true), some scientists prefer to use the words benchmarking or evaluation.

See models.

It is the process of documenting the existence of values, identifying when and where and by whom they are expressed, that in turn allows characterizing values. Valuation of nature can inform decision-making about numerous human-nature relationships; it can support decision processes about alternative projects or policies, inform the design of policy tools and instruments, for conservation and sustainable management of nature or to improve justice. Outside the formal policy space, valuation is also undertaken by academia, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and by indigenous and local communities (IPLC). IPLC undertake valuation not only to make decisions about nature, but also to assess their relationships with nature, to plan collectively, resolve conflicts, defend their territories, and as a means for strengthening and reciprocating their connections with nature.

Valuation approaches are higher level assumptions, ideas or beliefs that underpin methods. They translate key decisions on how a method is to be applied or how the information generated by methods is to be interpreted. For each approach there are often multiple accepted methods that adhere to the basic assumptions and ideas of the given approach. Valuation approaches can also be manifested as “traditions” or widely accepted and expected protocols for undertaking valuation. Valuation traditions are heavily informed and influenced by the cultural context and/or epistemological worldviews.

Are the specific techniques and accepted formal procedures that are applied to gather and analyse information from nature and society in order to and understand or make explicit the state of nature and its importance to people a) quantity, quality and status of nature including its spatial and temporal variations; b) the relevance or importance of nature to people and societies; and c) the nature of human-nature and nature-human relations in terms of how people and societies embed and live out their values of nature (as actions, principles, worldviews or philosophies).

A value can be the importance of something for itself or for others, now or in the future, close by or at a distance. This importance can be considered in three broad classes. 1. The importance that something has subjectively, and may be based on experience. 2. The importance that something has in meeting objective needs. 3. The intrinsic value of something.

A value can be the importance of something for itself or for others, now or in the future, close by or at a distance. This importance can be considered in three broad classes: The importance that something has subjectively, and may be based on experience. The importance that something has in meeting objective needs. The intrinsic value of something.

A value can be a measure. In the biophysical sciences, any quantified measure can be seen as a value.

A value can be the preference someone has for something or for a particular state of the world. Preference involves the act of making comparisons, either explicitly or implicitly. Preference refers to the importance attributed to one entity relative to another one.

A value can be a principle or core belief underpinning rules and moral judgments. Values as principles vary from one culture to another and also between individuals and groups.

a contact network, which provides opportunities for the transmission of contagious diseases within and between sectors. It follows that these chains (networks) can be understood and taken into account in planning risk management strategies for disease prevention and control” especially in relation with “risky parts of the value chain”

Value change refers to the modification of people’s values or of the prioritization of their values in particular contexts. Value change processes occur at different social scales, from large-scale cultural shifts (e.g. intergenerational shifts due to changing demography or changes to shared values) to small-scale personal shifts (e.g. values formation and change over an individual’s lifetime). Individual, social and social-ecological experiences and interactions influence value change; examples include formal and informal education, social practices, group conformation processes, personal experiences and shocks, and social-ecological events (e.g. natural disasters, pandemics).

Values can be expressed explicitly through language and implicitly through actions like choices, decisions made, everyday practices or rituals. Valuation methods are used to undertake explicit valuation. Methods and approaches to integrate and bridge values, provide knowledge about nature’s values as input to decision-making.

'Value formation' refers to how values develop in the first place. It can occur in individual-focused processes, trough socially-oriented processes or in social-ecological processes that do not separate humans and nature.

Indicators of value are quantitative and qualitative measures of the importance of nature to people. Indicators used to express the value of nature can be biophysical, economic and socio-cultural.

Derives from a utilitarian perspective on human-nature relationships which privileges some values of nature over others (usually monetary values).