IPBES core glossary

Pollination (q.v.) without the agency of animal pollinators (q.v.), i.e. by wind, water or gravity.

The size of a population of a particular life form in a given area.

The size of a population of a particular life form.

see Abundance (ecological).

An extensive level area of the deep ocean floor typically situated between the foot of the continental rise or mid-ocean ridge and an oceanic trench and covered with fine sediments.

A substance that kills mites and ticks (Acari). Acaricides may be synthetic chemicals, natural chemicals, or biological agents.

Acceptance of the Platform’s outputs at a session of the Plenary signifies that the material has not been subjected to line-by-line discussion and agreement, but nevertheless presents a comprehensive and balanced view of the subject matter.

Acceptance of IPBES outputs at a session of its Plenary signifies that the material has not been subjected to line-by-line discussion and agreement, but nevertheless presents a comprehensive and balanced view of the subject matter.

Access and benefit-sharing (ABS) refers to the way in which genetic resources may be accessed, and how the benefits that result from their use are shared between the people or countries using the resources (users) and the people or countries that provide them (providers). In some cases, this also includes valuable traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources that comes from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The benefits to be shared can be monetary, such as sharing royalties when the resources are used to create a commercial product, or non-monetary, such as the development of research skills and knowledge.

One of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as set out in its Article 1, is the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding. The CBD also has several articles (especially Article 15) regarding international aspects of access to genetic resources.

A change in functional or morphological traits occurring once or repeatedly (e.g. seasonally) during the lifetime of an individual organism in its natural environment. Through acclimatization the individual maintains performance across a range of environmental conditions. For a clear differentiation between findings in laboratory and field studies, the term acclimation is used in ecophysiology for the respective phenomena when observed in well-defined experimental settings. The term (adaptive) plasticity characterises the generally limited scope of changes in phenotype that an individual can reach through the process of acclimatization.

Is an assurance that an individual or an organization will be evaluated on their performance or behaviour related to something for which they are responsible.

Precipitation with a low pH (acid) caused by atmospheric pollutants.

Common name for soils that contain metal sulphides.

Ongoing decrease in pH away from neutral value of 7. Often used in reference to oceans, freshwater or soils, as a result of uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Ongoing decrease in pH away from neutral value of 7. Often used in reference to oceans, freshwater or soils, in response to uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

See restoration.

Individual person or group representative that is involved in a specific decision- making context.

Actors may be understood as individuals operating certain roles or functions in society.  Hence, the same individual may for instance (i) serve as a political actor, (ii) operate as an economic actor, and (iii) act as a community member/citizen. They may therefore emphasise different goals and values when dealing with particular issues. For this reason, the values assessment uses a typology that includes these actors recognizing the fuzzy relationships that exist among them. See Affected actors, Key players, Influence.

Active stakeholders influencing a policy or decision-making process.

The capacity to adjust responses to changing external drivers and internal processes, and thereby channel development along the preferred trajectory in what is called a stability domain.

Responsive outcome from adaptations, either antropogenic (such as adaptations to environmental change) or natural (such as species adaptations, possibly arising from selective pressures).

Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment, whether through genetic or behavioural change.

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

The general ability of institutions, systems, and individuals to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences.

The resilience of an ecological, social or social-ecological system to unexpected or unpredictable shocks.

An extension of Co-management. A means of sustaining socio-ecological systems by building their resilience and adaptive capacity and establishing sustainable pathways as well as providing a novel institutional arrangement to generate adaptive responses.

A formal procedure for learning by doing, that is particularly amenable to sequential decision problems.

A systematic process for continually improving management policies and practices by learning from the outcomes of previously employed policies and practices.

A systematic process for continually improving management policies and practices by learning from the outcomes of previously employed policies and practices. In active adaptive management, management is treated as a deliberate experiment for purposes of learning.

The evolution of a number of divergent species from a common ancestor, each species becoming adapted to occupy a different ecological niche.

Adoption of an IPBES report is a process of section-by-section (and not line-by-line) endorsement, as described in section 3.9, at a session of the Plenary.

A condition in which molecular oxygen is freely available.

A collection of solid or liquid particles suspended in a gas. They include dust, smoke, mist, fog, haze, clouds, and smog.

People and organizations who are directly involved in (and dependent on) the implementation of biodiversity related decisions and have their own stakes and interests.

Converting grasslands or shrublands into tree plantations. Afforestation is sometimes suggested as a tool to sequester carbon, but it can have negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function.