A form of equilibrium in which short‐term changes are superimposed on a background state which is itself changing, which allows open systems to remain stable over long periods of time. …
The study of the relationships between motion and the forces that affect motion. …
The creation of low‐quality offspring, for example by harvesting the best individuals and leaving poorer ones to reproduce. Contrast eugenic. …
A shallow, acidic lake that contains a lot of organic matter, but has a low pH, few available nutrients and high oxygen demand. It is almost eutrophic, and supports many plants but few fish. …
The unweathered bedrock beneath the soil in a soil profile. Also known as the R‐horizon (rock). See also soil horizon. …
The technical term for taking steps to reduce air pollution by greenhouse gases before the start of the KyotoCommitment Period, by reducing emissions, investing in Clean Development Mechanism projects, Joint Implementation, or emissions trading. …
The community of plants and animals that develops first after the removal or destruction of vegetation in an area. An early stage in succession. Contrast late forest succession. …
The light‐coloured wood cells within the annual growth ring of a tree that are formed at the beginning of the growing season. Also known as springwood . Contrast latewood. …
Our home planet, the fifth largest of the nine planets within the solar system. It rotates around its axis (once every 24 hours), orbits around the Sun 150 million kilometres away (once a year), and the Moon orbits around it 385?000 kilometres away (once every 27 days 7 hours and 43 minutes). These rhythmic motions create night and day and the seasons of the year. Although we can't feel it, the Ea…
An international initiative that was formed in 1994 in response to the World Commission on Environment and Development, in order to ?establish a sound ethical foundation for the emerging global society and to help build a sustainable world based on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace?. …
An international non‐governmental organization that was created in September 1992 to promote and advance the implementation of the agreements reached at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. …
An event that was established in 1970 , is supported by the United Nations, and is held every year on 22 April in many countries in order to raise environmental awareness. …
A radical activist movement within the broader environmental movement, based on local or regional groups who take direct action to try to prevent activities (such as highway construction or airport developments), which would cause environmental damage and ecosystem changes. See also environmental activism, monkey‐wrenching. …
A rapid mass movement process in which soil and other loose sediment moves down a slope, often caused by water saturation from rainfall. …
A North American radical, underground environmental movement that has no leadership, membership, or official spokesperson but is a loose coalition of individuals and groups engaged in radical environmental activism. …
A remote sensing programme developed by NASA in 1998 , as part of Mission to Planet Earth, which uses a series of satellites to monitor long‐term global environmental change. …
Shaking and vibration of the surface of the Earth that is caused by the release of stress accumulated along a fault or by volcanic activity, usually associated with plate tectonics. As seismic energy accumulates in rocks subjected to strain, they bend slowly until they can no longer withstand the strain. They then split apart along a fault. The sudden failure and displacement produces an earthquak…
A satellite that was launched by NASA in 1972 and used for remote sensing of land resources on Earth. Now called Landsat. …
See United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. …
Popular name for a programme (United Nations System‐wide Earthwatch) that was established in 1973 as part of the United Nations Environment Programme, through which UN agencies work together on global environmental issues by exchanging and sharing environmental data and information. …
The disturbance of land by moving, loosening, depositing, shaping, compacting, and stabilizing soil and rock. …
A North American term for a voluntary binding agreement that allows the right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose, such as for a right‐of‐way or for a utility company to build a power line. See also conservation easement. …
Winds that blow from the east, for example in equatorial regions (trade wind region) and polar regions (polar easterlies). …
The tidal current that flows away from the shore, or down a tidal river or estuary. …
The part of the tide cycle between high water and the following low water, during which the water level is falling. Also known as falling tide . …
A measure of how much an ellipse or planetary orbit departs from a perfect circle, which has an eccentricity of zero. …
The moulting hormone of insects and arthropods, which causes them to moult. …
The ability of a plant or animal to become established in a new habitat. See also succession. …
An instrument that measures the depth of a body of water by emitting pulses of sound into it and measuring the time it takes them to return. …
The plane of the Earth's orbit about the Sun, which defines the apparent annual movement of the Sun among the stars. …
The emergence of an insect larva from the egg or an adult insect from the pupa. …
An ecological or environmental catastrophe, or a situation or event that causes major ecological or environmental change. …
Nature‐centred. Based on the belief that all living organisms are equally important, that the environment exists for the benefit of all of nature and not just people, and that nature has rights. Also known as biocentric . Contrast anthropocentric, technocentric. …
A worldview that sees all of nature as having inherent value, and is centred on nature rather than on humans. Also known as biocentrism . See anthropocentrism. …
A planned effort to eliminate all or part of an ecosystem. …
A gradient of gradual and continuous geographical change in the environmental conditions of an ecosystem or community. …
The use of non‐violence, civil disobedience, and direct action to prevent damage or destruction of ecological resources. A form of eco‐activism. …
An environment‐friendly approach to sustainable development that seeks to include social balance, ecological balance, economic efficiency, respect of cultural identity, and harmonious regional development. …
An ecological approach to farming that is designed to conservebiodiversity and natural resources, for example by using organic rather than chemical fertilizers and pesticides. See also alternative agriculture. …
The insistence by some extreme environmentalists that everyone should adopt environment‐friendly lifestyles, irrespective of their personal wishes, preferences, or needs. …
A philosophy of respect for nature that is based on feminist philosophies of justice, egalitarianism, cooperation, and non‐aggressive behaviour. It reflects a convergence of the radical ecology movement and feminism, and seeks to transform the traditional patriarchal socio‐economic system which is based on male domination and emphasizes competition, dominance, and individualism. …
A passive approach to forest management that is ecocentric and based on the values of deep ecology. …
A so‐called ?rule? (in reality a general statement), proposed by 19th‐century naturalists, that describes the association between climate and the morphology of warm‐blooded animals (mammals and birds). See also Allen's rule, Bergmann's rule, Golger's rule. …
An non‐governmental environmental organization that was established in Bulgaria in 1989 . …
An environment‐friendly house that is designed to be sustainable, and built and operated to reduce environmental impacts to a minimum. …
A species of bacteria ( Escherichia coli ) of the coliform type that are found in the intestine and indicate faecal contamination of water. See also coliform bacteria. …
Relating to the interrelationships between organisms and their environment. …
The range of one or more environmental conditions in which an organism or a process can function. See also tolerance. …
An approach to the management of natural resources that considers the relationships among all organisms (including humans) and their environment. …
An evaluation of how a chemical of concern does or might affect plants and animals other than people and domestic species. …
A state of dynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms, in which diversity (genetic, species, and ecosystem) remains relatively stable but can change gradually through natural succession. …
1 A gradual process of environmental modification by organisms. 2 An approach to development that takes into account ecological factors and the need to conserve biodiversity and protect ecological systems. See also sustainable development. …
A branch of economics that takes into account ecological principles and examines the economic values of non‐market ecological products and services. See also environmental economics. …
The ratio between the productivity at successive trophic levels within a food web, which is usually expressed as a percentage. …
The study of how energy is used within an ecosystem, particularly by tracing the movement of energy through a food web. …
Any particular part of an ecosystem, including a species, a group of species, an ecosystem function or characteristic, or a specific habitat or biome. …
Different species that occupy similar niches in similar ecosystems in different places. …
Determining the value of the functions of an ecosystem that are provided by natural ecosystems, in monetary or other terms, to guide the planning and management of nature conservation. …
The exposure of a non‐human organism to a chemical, radiological, or biological agent. …
The mistake of assuming that a relationship that is found between variables based on aggregate or grouped data will also be found or will apply between individuals. …
A measure of the amount of space or environment that is necessary in order to produce the goods and services that are required to support a particular lifestyle. Also known as footprint . See also carbon footprint. …
The effect that an activity (natural or otherwise) has on living organisms and their abiotic environment. …
A characteristic of the environment that can be measured and indicates the current state of ecological resources, or an ecological response to exposure to an agent. …
A North American term for an area of land that has a distinct combination of natural, physical, chemical, and biological properties, which cause it to respond in a predictable way to particular management practices. …
A North American term for land and water that retains most but not necessarily all of its natural character, which is significant for historical, scientific, palaeontological, or natural features. …
The use of a species or ecosystem within its natural ability for renewal or regeneration, or its carrying capacity. …
A North American term for an area of land that contains soils with similar characteristics, enabling it to be managed as a single body. …
The belief that economic development and environmental protection are compatible, that industrial economies can be reconciled with nature by means of markets, politics, and cultures, and that a sustainable balance can be achieved through environmental management, environmental policy, cleaner technologies, and the ?greening? of institutions. See also sustainable development. …
A diagram that shows the number of organisms (pyramid of numbers), total biomass (pyramid of biomass), and energy (pyramid of energy), at each trophic level within a food chain. …
The quality of an ecological system, in terms of biological, physical, and chemical conditions and of environmental integrity. …
The desired level of the ecological quality that is defined in a management plan or policy. …
The recovery of a damaged ecosystem, either naturally or as a result of management that is designed to re‐establish its structure and function. See also restoration, rehabilitation. …
A formal process that evaluates the likelihood of adverse ecological effects as a result of exposure to one or more agents. …
A process that evaluates the risk posed to a population or ecosystem by an agent, based on results from studies of exposure and resilience. …
A definition of species as a set of organisms that is adapted to a particular set of resources (niche) in the environment, which explains differences in form and behaviour between species as adaptations to resource availability. Compare biological species concept, cladistic species concept, phenetic species concept, recognition species concept. …
The maintenance or restoration of the composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems. See also sustainability, sustainable development. …
The study of the interrelationships between organisms and their environment, including all biotic and abiotic components. The term was first used in 1866 by the biologist Ernst Haeckel . More recently it is generally taken to mean the study of the structure and function of nature. Core themes in modern ecology include: the relationship between habitat stability, rate and direction of evolution,…
The application of mathematical and statistical models to economic theories and problems. …
Study of the economic effects of a particular activity or decision. …
The use of 80% or more of a non‐renewable resource. …
The process of raising the level of prosperity and material wealth in a society through increasing the productivity and efficiency of its economy, particularly through an increase in industrial production. See also ecological modernization, economic growth, sustainable development. …
Comparative analysis of alternative courses of action in terms of both their costs and consequences. See also contingent valuation method, cost?benefit analysis, hedonic pricing, travel cost method. …
An increase in the amount of economic activity in a country, often expressed in terms of gross national product. …
The impact or effect on an economy (of a place, region, or country) of a particular activity, project, or programme. …
The period of time over which an asset (such as a facility, structure, or source of resources) will have economic value and be usable. …
The study of the production, distribution, and consumption of resources, and the management of state income and expenditure. See also classical economics, ecological economics, environmental economics, macroeconomics, microeconomics. …
The shortage of a marketable good or service, for which the price will rise so long as there is demand for it. See also resource scarcity. …
How a particular society distributes its resources in order to produce goods and services. …
The Central European, Baltic, and former Soviet countries during their transition from centrally planned economies to market‐based economies, which involves both political and economic reform. …
The organized system for the production, distribution, and consumption or use of material goods and services. …
Part of an ecozone that has distinctive climate, physiography, vegetation, soil, water, and animals, and is defined by environmental, geological, and geographical factors. Contrast natural region. See also bioregion. …
A philosophy of ecological harmony or equilibrium that was proposed by Arne N?ss , who stressed the need to consider ethics and values as well as the physical symptoms of environmental change. …
Short for ecological system, meaning the natural interacting biotic and abiotic system in a given area, which includes all of the organisms (plants, animals, fungi, and micro‐organisms) that live in particular habitat, along with their immediate physical environment. Examples include a lake, forest, or drainage basin. The term was first used by British ecologist Arthur Tansley in 1935 , who v…
The variety of unique biological communities or ecosystems, in terms of species composition, physical structure, and processes. This is the highest level of biodiversity. Compare species diversity, genetic diversity. …
The processes and adjustments that take place within an ecosystem, including energy flow, nutrient cycling, and vegetation succession. …
The ability of an ecosystem to function healthily, continue to provide natural goods and services, and maintain biodiversity. Also known as ecological integrity . …
An integrated approach to the management of ecosystems and natural resources that seeks to balance ecological, economic, and social goals in a sustainable way, by respecting and protecting the natural integrity and processes of ecosystems, and through deliberate manipulation of ecosystem structure and/or function, and/or regulation of human uses of ecological systems. Natural resource management u…
The process of re‐establishing, to as near its natural condition as possible, the structure, function, and composition of an ecosystem. …
Processes or materials such as clean water, energy, climate regulation, and nutrient cycling that are naturally provided by ecosystems. Also known as ecological services . …
The biotic and abiotic elements of an ecosystem, and the relationships between them, particularly in terms of trophic levels. …
Ecological sabotage, in the form of direct action or sabotage in defence of nature. An aggressive form of eco‐activism. See also ecoterrorism, monkey‐wrenching. …
An aggressive or violent form of eco‐activism that involves the use of ecoterrorism. Also called bioterrorism . See also eco‐extremism, monkey‐wrenching. …
A transitional area between two adjacent communities, ecosystems, or habitats; the boundary or border zone which contains species from both ecological communities. Ecotones are far from fixed, and they can change location as the species in adjacent biomes adjust to environmental change. Ecologists believe that many of the ecotones we see today are still in the process of adjusting to post‐glacia…
An area that has uniform environmental conditions and characteristic plants and animals. Also known as a biotope . …
Nature‐based tourism that is ecologically sustainable, environmentally sensitive, and often involves adventure travel, environmental education, and cultural exploration. …
The ability of a substance to have a long‐term, toxic effect on living species and ecosystems. …
The application of toxicology to the natural environment. …
A local population of a widespread species, that has adapted to a particular set of environmental factors. …
Short for ecological warrior, someone engaged in extreme forms of eco‐activism. …
A large area in which there are distinctive climate patterns, ocean conditions, types of landscapes, and species of plants and animals. See also ecoregion. …
Direct action designed to raise awareness of, lobby against, or stop particular activities that damage the environment, often at a particular site (such as a planned new road site). See also Chipko Movement, ecodefence, eco‐extremism. …
A management process that is designed to reduce the environmental impact of producing goods and services, for example by increasing mineral recovery, using fewer inputs (such as energy and water), recycling more, and reducing emissions. …
Extreme and often aggressive forms of eco‐activism, including ecotage, ecoterrorism, and monkey‐wrenching. …
A label that is attached to products (such as paper products, textiles, detergents, paints, and electrical appliances such as refrigerators or dishwashers) that produce fewer environmental impacts than other competing products, to help consumers make informed choices. See also environmental labelling. …
A European Union regulation that came into force in 1995 and is designed to promote continuous improvement in the environmental performance of industrial activities by allowing companies and services to certify that they have an appropriate environmental management system (under ISO 14001). …
A parasite that lives on the outside of the host's body. Contrast endoparasite. …
All of the parts of the world that are inhabited or habitable by people. …
Any property of soil that influences the types of plants that grow in an area, such as lack of nutrients, presence of toxic contaminants, waterlogging, or moisture deficiency. …
A circular movement of water or air opposing the main direction of fluid flow. An eddy is formed, for example, where currents pass obstructions or between two currents that are flowing in opposite directions. See also mechanical turbulence. …
A border or boundary between two different ecosystems or communities of plants or animals. See also ecotone. …
The impact of a boundary between two different ecosystems or communities of plants or animals on species composition, physical conditions, or other ecological factors. …
Species that prefer the greater diversity of habitat factors that occurs at the boundary between adjacent ecosystems. …
An interglacial optimum period between about 125?000 and 130?000 years ago. Part of the Pleistocene, when temperatures were warmer than today. …
A measure of effectiveness, or the ability to achieve a desired effect. …
The ratio of the output to the input of any system, usually expressed as a percentage. …
An activity that is performed successfully with a minimum of waste or unnecessary effort, or that produces a high ratio of results to resources. …
A waste product (such as water that contains pollutants) that is released or discharged into the environment. Means literally ?flowing out?. Contrast influent. …
A standard that sets the amount of effluent that can be legally discharged into a waterbody. …
A fee or tax that is paid by a polluter in exchange for the right to discharge an agreed amount of noxious emissions into the air and water. …
A restriction on the quantity, rate, and concentration of a particular pollutant from a point source that can be legally discharged into a waterbody. Also known as effluent standard . …
US entomologist (born 1932 ) who is best known as a researcher and author on the subject of human overpopulation. He co‐wrote the book The Population Bomb in 1968 and was a co‐founder of the group Zero Population Growth in 1968 . …
See environmental impact statement, environmental information system. …
The change in wind direction with increasing height above the ground, or change in ocean currents with depth, that is determined by the Coriolis force. …
1 The ability of a material to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed. 2 In economics, a measure of responsiveness of the quantity of a good or service that is demanded or supplied, to changes in price. …
The maximum stress that a material can withstand without causing permanent strain or deformation. …
The energy that is produced by flow of electric charge in an electric field. …
A flow of electric charge through a wire or other material. …
A source of energy that is made available by the flow of electric charge (electrons) through a conductor. …
The process of producing electricity or transforming other forms of energy into electricity. See also power plant. …
The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit, which can effectively push electric charges to different locations. Usually expressed in volts. …
A method for desalination of water that involves passing an electric current through the saline water in a container, in order to remove minerals from water. …
A non‐metallic substance that conducts an electric current in solution, (such as many acids, bases, and salts) due to the presence of positive and negative ions. …
The energy that is transmitted through space in the form of electromagnetic waves, which include light, radio waves, X‐rays, and gamma rays. See also radiation. …
The range of electromagnetic radiation, characterized by frequency or wavelength, that extends from very short wavelengths (including ultraviolet, X‐rays, and gamma rays), through visible light, to long wavelengths (infrared). Different wavelengths have different properties and they affect people and environmental systems in different ways. Long wavelengths have a low frequency and thus a relati…
A wave that is partly electric and partly magnetic, is emitted by vibrating electric charges, carries energy, and can travel through a vacuum (such as light waves, radio waves, and microwaves). …
A negatively charged subatomic particle that orbits around the nucleus of an atom. See also proton, neutron. …
The process of coating base metal with a thin layer of another metal by passing an electric current through it. …
An electrical device used in air cleaning, that removes fly ash from flue gas before it is released into the atmosphere from the stack/chimney in a power plant. See also advanced air emission control device. …
The movement of liquid in a porous medium that is caused by differences in electric potential. …
One of more than a hundred known substances (92 of which occur naturally) that cannot be chemically changed or broken down, and that singly or in combination make up all matter. See also macroelement, microelement. …
The criteria that must be met by an emissions reduction project, under the Kyoto Protocol, in order to produce reductions which can be banked, traded, or offset against emissions. …
A climatic phenomenon that occurs roughly every three to seven years, lasts between six and 18 months, and peaks around Christmas time (El Ni?o means ?boy child?) in the surface oceans of the south‐east Pacific. It is believed to be associated with a southward migration in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). It involves weakening of easterly trade winds and major warming of the equatoria…
A horizon in a soil profile from which material has been removed, either in solution or suspension. …
A soil‐forming process that involves the removal of fine particles of material in solution or suspension, usually from the A‐horizon. The material is usually deposited in an illuvial horizon below. …
See Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. …
1 An unborn or unhatched organism, the earliest stages of development until hatching or birth. 2 In cloud physics, a tiny ice crystal that grows in size and becomes an ice nucleus. …
The act of emerging or coming out, such as the appearance of a plant above ground after germination in the soil. …
A crisis that develops suddenly and unexpectedly, that usually involves danger, and that requires immediate action to prevent loss of life. Examples include hurricanes, tornados, storms, floods, tidal waves, tsunamis,earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, fires, and nuclear accidents. See also chemical emergency, disaster. …
A federal law (also known as SARA) that was enacted in the USA in 1986 , requiring federal, state, and local governments and industry that are involved in either emergency planning and/or reporting of hazardous chemicals to allow public access to information about the presence of hazardous chemicals in the community and releases of such substances into the environment. …
Actions that are taken during and immediately following a disaster, in order to minimize serious harm to people or the environment. Examples include search and rescue, relief services, and restoration of power, water, and telephone services. See also disaster management. …
Aquatic plants that grow with their roots under water but their leaves and stems above the surface of the water. …
A type of wetland (such as a marsh) that is dominated by grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs, and other rooted, water‐loving herbaceous plants that emerge from the surface of water or soil. …
US writer, leading exponent of Transcendentalism ( 1803 ? 82 ), and one of America's most influential thinkers and writers. Many of his core ideas are contained in the essay Nature. He inspired many other writers, including Henry David Thoreau . …
The movement of individuals out of a country or area; the opposite of immigration. …
The conservation of species in their natural habitat. Contrast ex situ conservation. …
The treatment of a particular waste material on site, where it is generated, rather than transporting it elsewhere for treatment. …
The release or discharge into the environment of a substance, particularly an air pollutant. …
The relationship between the amount of raw material that is processed or burned and the amount of pollution it produces, which is used in preparing an emissions inventory. …
A non‐transferable, non‐tradable permission that is granted by a government to an individual firm, which allows it to emit a defined amount of a pollutant in a given period of time. See also permit. …
The amount of a particular pollutant that is discharged or emitted within a defined period of time. …
An approach to the control of greenhouse gas emissions, under the Kyoto Protocol, that is based on allocating permits to an emissions source (such as a company with net emissions) by a regulatory body during a specific Commitment Period. Permits are allocated mainly through grandfathering or auctioning. Also known as emissions target . …
An approach to the control of greenhouse gas emissions, under the Kyoto Protocol, that divides the total permitted quantity of emissions of a particular gas into allowances that grant the holder the right to emit a specified amount of pollution over a given period of time (for example 1 tonne a year). Allowances can be traded but the overall amount remains controlled. At the end of each Commitment…
An approach to the control of greenhouse gas emissions, under the Kyoto Protocol, that is based on the trading of emissions allowances by allowing emission permits to be issued to polluters within a country, based on their willingness to pay for the permits. It may be combined with grandfathering. …
Part of the emissions trading procedures for greenhouse gases that were agreed under the Kyoto Protocol, in which emissions allowances for future consumption or trading can be saved by holding reductions within a Commitment Period, applying reductions earned from one period to another, or applying reductions earned before the first Compliance Period via the Clean Development Mechanism. See also fu…
An approach to the control of greenhouse gas emissions, under the Kyoto Protocol, that is based on borrowing from the future, by using emissions reductions from future Commitment Periods in order to meet current emissions targets. …
An approach to the control of greenhouse gas emissions, under the Kyoto Protocol, that treats two or more emission sources as if they were one single source (the bubble). This allows flexibility in applying pollution control technologies to whichever source within the bubble offers the most cost‐effective pollution control options, while ensuring that the total amount of emissions within the bub…
In greenhouse gasemissions trading, under the Kyoto Protocol, a legally recognized entity (individual, corporation, not‐for‐profit organization, or government) that acquires credits, reductions, or allowances from another legally recognized entity, through a purchase, lease, trade, or other forms of transfer. …
A regulatory device that defines the maximum amount of emissions of greenhouse gases that can be released into the atmosphere within a given period of time, under the Kyoto Protocol. A cap is a national emissions allowance. …
A list of the amounts of air pollutants that are emitted by each particular source within a given area, which is used to establish emission standards. The need for such inventories became obvious at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and during debate leading to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. An emissions inventory would usually include information on the chemical or physical identity of the pollutants inclu…
The offsetting of emission reductions in one location (such as an Annex I country) by an increase in emissions in another location (such as a non‐Annex I country), under the Kyoto Protocol. …
The place from which a particular pollutant is released or emitted into the environment. See also area source, non‐point source, point source. …
Any decrease in the release of a pollutant into the environment. Usually used to refer to a decrease in emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in order to control climate change and global warming. …
A specified amount of emissions reduction of greenhouse gas that has been achieved and is used for Joint Implementation, under the Kyoto Protocol. See also credit, certified emissions reduction. …
The maximum amount of air pollutant (such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, or particulates) that can be legally discharged from a single mobile or stationary emission source. …
A general term for the flexibility mechanisms that were agreed under the Kyoto Protocol and are designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. It is a market‐based system that allows polluters the flexibility to select cost‐effective solutions to achieve the agreed emission goals, in which polluters that produce fewer emissions than they are allowed can sell or trade their excess capacity t…
A tax or surcharge (such as a carbon tax) that is imposed on emission sources, to provide incentives to firms and households to reduce their emissions, in order to control pollution. …
The ability of a surface to emit heat by radiation, compared with that which a black body would emit under the same conditions. …
The amount of radiant energy that a surface emits. …
A result based on experience, experiment, or observation, rather than on theory. Contrast theoretical. …
To increase the ability of an individual or community to do things for itself. …
A colloid in which very small droplets of one liquid are suspended in another (such as oil in water), although the two liquids do not actually combine. …
The process in which nutrients are wrapped in a membrane to turn them into small pellets, for example to feed some larvae. …
Inflammation of the brain. See also sleeping sickness. …
A species that is in danger of extinction if existing pressures on it (such as over‐harvesting or habitat change) continue, and which is therefore likely to disappear if it is not offered adequate protection. A threatened category defined by the IUCNRed Data Book. Contrast extinct, extirpatation, threatened, vulnerable species. …
US legislation that established a federal programme for the protection and conservation of threatened and endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants. …
A list of species that are considered to be in imminent danger of extinction, and are protected under the US Endangered Species Act. …
A study that is designed to determine the nature and extent of contamination at a site on the National Priorities List in the USA, under Cercla or RCRA, and the risks that contamination poses for public health or the environment. …
A species whose distribution is restricted to a certain area. A native species found only within a given area. …
A moraine in the form of a ridge of till that is deposited at or near the edge of an active glacier. Also known as recessional moraine or terminal moraine . …
Any gland that introduces hormones directly into the blood. …
A chemical (such as DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds) that disrupts the natural hormones and thus disturbs the endocrine system of an animal. Also known as environmental hormone . …
Internal, arising from within. Contrast exogenous. …
A parasite that lives inside the body of its host. Contrast ectoparasite. …
An organism that lives at least part of its life cycle within a host plant, in a parasitic or symbiotic relationship. …
An insect whose larvae are physically different from the adults and lack wings. Wings then develop internally. Contrast exopterygota. …
A skeleton or support structure that is inside the body of the organism. Contrast exoskeleton. …
