The hypothesis that isolated individuals of a given plant species will escape their specialist herbivores and thus survive better than individuals growing together in clumps. Also known as the escape hypothesis . …
The region of fastest wind flow within the jet stream. …
A narrow, meandering band of very fast wind high in the troposphere, where temperature gradients are particularly strong, and which generally flows from west to east over the mid‐latitudes. …
A small‐scale surface fracture or break within rocks which are subjected to compression pressure or tensional pressure beyond their plastic limit, without movement (unlike a fault). …
A legal standard for the cleanup of Superfund sites in the USA, which makes all owners or users of a site potentially liable for cleaning up a site that has become contaminated over a number of years. …
A mechanism, established under the Kyoto Protocol, which allows a developed country to acquire emission credits to assist in meeting their assigned amounts (emissions reduction unit) when it helps to finance projects that reduce net emissions in another developed country, including countries with economies in transition. This allows industrialized countries to meet their obligations for reducing t…
A destructive flood caused by the sudden release of glacial meltwater, often associated with a subglacialvolcanic eruption. …
A unit of energy; 1 joule is the work done when a force of 1 newton moves a point to which it was applied 1 metre in the direction in which the force is acting. …
A previous decision set by a court, which can be reversed only by a higher court. …
Non‐scientific name for impenetrable rainforest. …
The middle period of geological time in the Mesozoic era, between about 208 and 145 million years ago, named after the Jura Mountains between France and Switzerland. It is characterized by the existence of dinosaurs and the appearance of the earliest mammals and birds. …
The territory within which legal power can be exercised. …
A group of developed countries outside the European Union, which share information and discuss matters of common interest (including the Kyoto Protocol). It stands for Japan, the US, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand. Iceland, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and other invited countries may also attend meetings. …
Youthful, before reaching sexual maturity at the adult stage. …
Gas that comes to the surface of the Earth for the first time from deep inside. …
A natural hormone that enables an immature insect to develop normally into an adult. An immature insect will not develop properly if it is exposed to synthetic juvenile hormones applied as a pesticide. Also known as neotenin . …
A synthetic juvenile hormone that is used as a pesticide, which reduces the reproductive capacity of the insect population and results eventually in eradication. …
A growth curve that describes exponential growth in a population, so‐called because of its shape. Contrast S‐curve. …
A chemical that is emitted by an organism (such as a plant) and triggers a response in an individual of another species (such as an insect) which benefits the emitting organism. For example, a plant scent that makes it easier for an insect pest to identify and thus avoid the plant. …
An undulating mound of sand and gravel that has been deposited in an irregular pattern by meltwater adjacent to a glacier or ice sheet. Contrast esker. …
A ridge of sediment in the form of a steep, flat topped hill, that is deposited by meltwater in front of a retreating continental glacier. See also kame terrace. …
A continuous line of kame that stretches along much of a valley side. …
The first and oldest period of ice advance (glaciation) in North America during the Pleistoceneice age; equivalent to the Gunz in Europe. …
A mineral that is produced by chemical weathering of feldspar and consists of aluminium silicate; the main source of kaolin/china clay. …
A type of landscape that results from the chemical weathering and collapse of carbonate rocks (such as limestone and dolomite), which creates such features as sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage. See also doline. …
Cool dense air driven downslope by gravity beneath warmer lighter air. Examples include a land breeze, sea breeze, mountain breeze, or valley breeze. Also known as an air drainage wind or mountain breeze . They often have local names such as mistral, bora, or taku. Contrast anabatic wind. …
A weather front in the atmosphere in which warm air is given little opportunity to rise over cold air because of prevailing downward movement of air from a higher level. Contrast ana‐front. …
Any of a variety of brown seaweeds which contain trace minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients. They are used in Japanese cookery, and can be ground up and used to enrich poor soil. …
A marineecosystem that is dominated by large kelps. These forests are restricted to cold and temperate waters, and are most commonly found along the western coasts of continents. …
The SI unit of temperature which is equal in magnitude to a degree Celsius; temperature expressed in Kelvin is the temperature in ?C + 273.15. The temperature of absolute zero is 0 K. Note that degree symbols (?) are not used in the Kelvin scale. The Kelvin scale is used at extremely low temperatures, mostly by physicists but rarely by climatologists or meteorologists. …
The collection of compostable or recyclable material and/or trash at individual homes and businesses, which is then taken to a waste processing facility. …
A recycling scheme that involves collecting, sorting, and processing solid waste material (such as glass, paper, aluminium, and some plastics) which households have left in special containers by the side of the road in front of their properties. …
The solid, bituminous, waxy substance in oil shales which can be extracted to produce shale oil. …
An enclosed depression that is created by the melting of a mass of ice trapped in glacial deposits, and which is often occupied by a lake. …
A term used in the USA to describe public facilities which tend to induce development and urban development. Examples include major airports, road interchanges and highways, recreational lands, and energy production facilities such as major power‐plants, transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, and refineries. …
In land or conservation management, the major plant or animal species that should be taken into account. …
A species that interacts with many other species in a community, and whose loss would cause a greater than average change in the populations of other species or in ecosystem processes. …
One of the world's most active volcanoes, located in Hawaii, whose quiet non‐explosive eruptions are increasing the size of the island as the lava descends to the sea. …
A unit of pressure equal to 1000 bars. See also millibar. …
A metric unit of distance equal to 1000 metres or 0.62 miles. …
A unit of electrical power equal to 1000 watts (roughly 1.341 horsepower). …
The work performed by 1 kilowatt of power applied for 1 hour. …
Energy which is possessed by a body because of its motion, such as a rock rolling down a hill, the wind blowing through the trees, or water flowing over a dam. …
The highest and broadest category in the scientific system of classification for organisms (taxonomy), a major division of living organisms. All organisms are classified into one of five kingdoms: Monera (bacteria or prokaryotes), Protoctista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. See also biological classification. …
A discontinuity in the long profile of a river, which usually develops where downcutting is inhibited by an outcrop of resistant rock, causing a step in the long profile which through time will move upstream as it erodes. …
1 A small natural hill. 2 A small reef within a lagoon. …
A measure of speed, usually applied to wind or a boat, which is equal to one nautical mile per hour, mph (0.51 metres per second, m s?1). …
Information, gathered from experience and reasoning, that has been interpreted and can be used. …
The systematic management and use of the knowledge (collective data, information, and body of experience) within an organization, to enhance the performance of the organization. …
The effective sharing of ideas, knowledge, or experience between people, companies, or organizations. …
A natural resource (such as a mineral deposit) that has been located but not yet fully mapped, but which is likely to become economically viable in the foreseeable future. …
A form of parasitism. Konobiont species parasitize earlier host stages, host activity continues following attack, and association of the host and parasite is prolonged. Contrast idiobiont. …
A system for classifying climates, and defining climate zones, that was developed by W. K?ppen and is based mainly on annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation. …
A small, steep, forested, uninhabited volcanic island in Indonesia, between Java and Sumatra, which erupted suddenly and violently in 1883 , throwing an estimated 17 cubic kilometres of rock, ash, and pumice high into the atmosphere (which shaded out the Sun in many places for months afterwards), and triggering a catastrophic tsunami that flooded coastal towns and villages on the nearby coasts an…
Small shrimp‐like planktoniccrustaceans that form an important part of the food chain in Antarctic waters. …
An inert, colourless, non‐toxic gas that occurs naturally in the Earth's atmosphere in trace quantities. It is one of the six inert gases, and is used for insulating windows. …
A bell‐shaped curve that shows the relationship between development and environmental degradation, which has per capita income as the horizontal axis (x), and per capita pollution as the vertical axis (y). As per capita income rises per capita pollution also increases, but as people gain the disposable income that is necessary to value such things as clean air and water, per capita pollution pea…
An international agreement that sets limits on the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in order to reduce the threat of global warming by air pollution. It was drawn up under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), drafted during the Berlin Mandate process and agreed in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 by the signatory countries to the UNFCCC. The prot…
Natural selection that favours species that are adapted to the maximum survival of individuals, at the expense of species with a high reproductive capacity. Contrast r‐selection. …
A life strategy in which species are best adapted to live in a stable habitat with a high level of competition between species, so they are larger, live longer, and produce small litters of large offspring compared with other species. Contrast r‐strategy. …
In geology, the boundary between the rocks of the Cretaceous and the Tertiary periods 65 million years ago, which marks the time of a meteorite impact on Earth, which caused mass extinction of species including the dinosaurs. …
A large lens‐shaped mass of igneousintrusive rock that has pushed up the overlying rocks; similar in form to but much smaller than a batholith. …
Vegetation (including shrubs and small trees) that is located below the crown level of forest trees, which can spread fire from the forest floor to tree crowns. …
The period of time that elapses between the occurrence of an event and its resulting impact. Also known as lag time . …
A body of water that is cut off from a larger body (such as the ocean) by a coral reef or sandbar. …
A mudflow or lubricated landslide of volcanic debris, caused when melting snow, rain, or water from a volcanic steam or a crater lake mix with ash or volcanic fragments on the sides of a volcano. …
A body of (usually fresh) water that is entirely or nearly entirely surrounded by land. …
A wind that blows onshore from the surface of a large lake, which is caused by the difference in the rates of heating of water and land. A type of local convective wind. …
A lake in the volcanic crater Iwi at Nyos in Cameroon, where a sudden release of toxicvolcanic gas occurred on the night of 21 August 1986 . More than 1700 people and all animal life within 14 kilometres of the lake were killed, but plant life was mostly unaffected. Survivors suffered symptoms compatible with an asphyxiant gas like carbon dioxide. Two different explanations have been offered for …
A heavy localized snowstorm that can form on the downwind side of a large lake (such as the Great Lakes) in late autumn/fall and early winter, as cold, dry air picks up moisture and warmth from the unfrozen body of water. …
A French naturalist ( 1744 ? 1829 ) who proposed that the evolution of species is caused by the inheritance of acquired traits. …
A type of flow that involves smooth movement without any turbulence. Contrast turbulent flow. …
The solid, dry surface of the Earth, or any part of it. Contrast ocean. …
The discharge of wastewater onto the ground, for treatment or reuse. See also irrigation. …
The phasing out of disposal on land of most untreated hazardous wastes, as required by legislation. …
A coastal breeze that blows from land to sea, usually at night. A type of local convective wind. Also known as offshore breeze . Contrast sea breeze. …
A natural connection between two land masses (for example, between Alaska and Siberia across the Bering Strait, or between France and England across the English Channel) that has been removed by sea level rise, crustal warping, or the movement of crustal plates. …
The inherent ability of land to be used for agriculture without permanent damage (such as soil erosion). …
A way of grouping soils according to their suitability for intensive use (growing crops and pasture plants) on a sustainable basis. See also land evaluation. …
A map, produced from a land capability classification, which shows the distribution of land capability units. …
A group of soils that are very similar in their inherent suitability for intensive use and in their responses to soil management. …
A way of grouping areas of land on the basis of slope. For example, the US Forest Service uses three classes: 0?35%, 36?55%, and greater than 55%. …
A way of grouping areas of land on the basis of physical characteristics (including vegetation) without an explicit assessment of land capability. …
Converting land from one use to another (such as from grassland to cropland), or changing the condition within a particular land use (such as thinning the trees in a forest). …
The process of improving an area of land and making it more useful, by installing streets, sewers, utilities, and other infrastructure. …
The requirement that hazardous wastes must be treated before disposal on land, in order to prevent the contamination of soil and groundwater by hazardous materials. …
The principles and values that guide the sustainable use and treatment of land and other natural resources. See also environmental ethics, stewardship. …
The formal assessment of the suitability of land for different types of use (for example for agriculture, forestry, or recreation). Also known as terrain evaluation . …
A process of waste disposal and bioremediation in which hazardous wastes are deposited on or in soil and allowed to decompose naturally by the action of microbes. …
A place or a process for the disposal of non‐hazardous waste, based on burying it in depressions in the ground then compacting it to reduce the volume and finally covering it with soil and landscaping it to look like part of the surrounding land. See also sanitary landfill, secure landfill. …
A natural feature of the surface of the land that has been created by geological processes, which can vary in scale from the continental (for example the Andes mountain chain which runs through South America) to the local (for example a hillslope, river meander, or beach). See also geomorphology. …
In forest management, a place where cut timber is collected before being transported away from the forest. …
The number of fish that are landed (caught and brought back to the docks and marketed), either in a particular place or for an entire country. …
A property boundary in the USA, for example for National Forest land. …
An area that is totally enclosed by land, with no direct access to the sea. …
The intentional process of planning and managing the activities that affect land use, in order to achieve stated objectives. …
Any readily identified structure or landform (such as a particular building or mountain) on land that can be used in determining a location or direction, or that commemorates a historic event or achievement (such as the Statue of Liberty in New York). …
A large continuous area of land, such as a continent or large island. …
A local phase of forest clearance by humans during prehistory, detected in pollen diagrams, and indicating brief agricultural use which was often followed by abandonment and then natural regeneration of secondary woodland. …
A primitive variety of crop (cultivar) or animal (breed) that through time has been genetically improved by traditional agriculturalists to make it better adapted to local environmental conditions, but has not been influenced by modern breeding practices. …
The process of creating new dry land (for example from the sea‐bed), or of restoring productivity to land that has been damaged (for example by erosion or mining activities). See also reclamation. …
The redistribution of land by the government, from rich land owners to the people who actually work the land, in order to improve the distribution of income and promote sustainablerural development. …
Land Remote‐Sensing Satellite, a US satellite used for remote sensing of natural resources on Earth, originally called Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS). It uses two sensors: the multispectral scanner (MSS) and the thematic mapper (TM). …
Scenery, either natural (natural landscape) or modified by human activities (cultural landscape); often used to refer to the expanse of scenery that can be seen from a single viewpoint. See also seascape, soundscape, townscape, wildscape, woodscape. …
Arranging and designing land and buildings, to optimize human benefit. …
Deliberately improved by gardening or by landscape architecture. …
Principles and theories for understanding the structure, functioning, and change of landscapes and ecosystems over time. …
An index or measurement of some aspect of the landscape of a particular place (such as extent of forest cover), based on mapped or remotely sensed data, that can be used to describe land use and monitor environmental change. …
Part of the land use planning process which seeks to balance decisions relating to large‐scale physical factors (such as ecosystems and drainage basins) and broader aesthetic and cultural values (such as historical importance and amenity value). …
Improving the appearance of an area of land by planting (including lawns, trees, and shrubs), adding decorative features (such as structures of buildings), and/or altering the level or shape of the ground. …
A sudden, rapid form of mass movement of material down a hillslope, often after heavy rain or as a result of an earthquake; slower than an avalanche, but often equally destructive. Also known as slide or landslip . …
A violently rotating column of air (like a small weak tornado but not formed by a storm‐scale rotation) which is sometimes seen beneath cumulonimbus or towering cumulus clouds; the land equivalent of a waterspout. …
The right to own land, or to occupy and use exclusively a particular piece of land. …
The purpose for which an area of land is being used, such as residential, agricultural, commercial, retail, or industrial. Also known as land cover, land utilization . …
Committing a particular area of land to one or more specific uses, for example for residential development or as a nature reserve. …
An assessment of the ability of a particular area of land to sustain a range of land uses. …
Converting an area of land from one land use to another, usually on purpose. …
A plan which outlines proposed future land uses and their distribution in a particular area. …
Local development of a plan, usually by a local government, for the use and development of land within its boundaries, taking into account existing land use, land capability, and local policies and strategic objectives. …
A systematic survey of land use in a particular area, usually shown both in map form and statistically. …
An assessment of the worth of a piece of land, expressed either in terms of money or more broadly in terms of factors such as environmental quality, or amenity or heritage interest. …
The opposite of El Ni?o, when a major cooling occurs in the equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean and causes shifts in normal weather patterns. La Ni?a means ?the little girl?. …
Cinders or small lumps of lava that are thrown up by a volcanic eruption. …
The rate at which air temperature decreases with altitude in a stationary parcel of air, because of adiabatic expansion. The normal lapse rate is about 6.5 degrees Centigrade per kilometre, although it varies from place to place and through time. See also dry adiabatic lapse rate, saturated adiabatic lapse rate. …
Part of a tree (either dead or alive), including branches and roots, usually longer than one metre, which rests in a stream or on a forest floor. …
A type of open space zoning which prohibits the subdivision of land into individual plots smaller than a defined size (usually an acre or more). …
The young, immature stage in the life cycle of some animals, such as fish and amphibians. Larvae develop into the adult form by metamorphosis; for example caterpillar larvae turn into butterflies. …
The last prolonged period of cold climate and glacier development before the present day, around 18?000 years ago. …
The stage of succession in a forest in which most of the trees are mature, for example in old growth forest. Contrast early forest succession. …
The period of time between first exposure to an agent (such as something that causes a disease) and the appearance of a health effect. …
The heat energy that is transferred when water changes state between gas (water vapour), liquid (water droplets), and solid (ice). Also known as heat of transformation . …
The transfer of latent heat energy via the global circulation of air and water, and through the processes of evaporation and condensation. …
Deposition by a river on the inside corner of meander bends, which creates point bars and helps to build the floodplain. …
A type of moraine that is deposited at the side of a valley glacier, often composed of rock particles that have fallen off the sidewalls of the valley as a result of frost wedging. …
A hard subsurface deposit (hardpan) of oxides of aluminium and iron that is found in tropical soils where the water table fluctuates with seasonal changes in precipitation. …
A soil‐forming process that involves the deposition of a hardpan made of metallic oxides (laterite) in the A‐horizon, which most commonly occurs in humid tropical and subtropical areas, where precipitation is high. …
North American name for an old growth forest or old clearcut that has been set aside as a wildlife habitat, in which logging is only permitted if it will help the reserve to reach old growth characteristics more quickly. …
The portion of the annual growth ring of a tree that is formed when growth slows down (during summer and autumn, or during the dry season), after the earlywood formation has ceased. It is usually denser, darker, and stronger than earlywood. …
A white, milky fluid that is derived from the rubber tree and is used in a wide variety of consumer products, including rubber gloves, tubing, and rubber bands. Also known as rubber . …
The final part of the last glacial stage, between about 16?000 and 11?500 years ago. …
The name for a species of plant or animal that is used around the world. The naming system, developed in the mid‐1700s by Linnaeus , uses Latin and has two parts; the first part, which is capitalized, is the genus or family name, and the second part is the name of the species or variety. Both parts are always written in italics. For example, the beech tree is the Fagus sylvatica . Also known …
Distance on the Earth, measured in degrees, north or south of the equator (0?); the poles are 90?N and 90?S. …
A zonal order of soil that develops under forested, tropical, humid conditions. It is usually red in colour, contains a hardpan of laterite, and has a deeply weathered profile and relatively low mineral content, and thus low fertility. …
A large former continent in the northern hemisphere, believed to be part of the fragmentation of the Pangaea supercontinent which broke apart by plate tectonics. It is thought to have comprised modern‐day North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia. See also Gondwanaland. …
The term given to magma when it reaches the Earth's surface through volcanic vents and fissures, which then cools and solidifies into hard igneous rock. …
A stream of molten lava that flows from a volcanic vent. …
1 A collection of rules, imposed by government, which govern a particular type of activity and apply over a certain territory (such as a country). See also common law. 2 A general principle or description of how a natural phenomenon will occur under certain circumstances. …
A patch of grass that has been cultivated and is regularly mowed. …
Four so‐called laws (which are really general principles) proposed by Barry Commoner in the book The Closing Circle: Nature, Man, and Technology ( 1971 ). They are: everything is connected to everything else; everything must go somewhere; nature knows best; there is no such thing as a free lunch. …
The concentration of a given substance in air that will kill 50% of a group of test animals with a single exposure (usually 1?4 hours). Also known as lethal concentration fifty . See also LD50. …
The size of the single dose of a given substance that causes the death of 50% of an animal population from exposure by any route other than inhalation, with a given period of time; the lower the LD50, the more toxic the substance. Also known as lethal dose fifty, median lethal dose . …
To remove soluble components from a solid by infiltration of a solvent. For example, to leach salts from soil by dissolving them in water, which percolates through soil. …
A system that gathers leachate (usually from landfill) and pumps it to the surface for treatment, in order to prevent the spread of contamination. …
The process by which solubleminerals (humus and inorganicnutrients) in soil are dissolved in percolating water, and can be washed out from the A‐horizon and transferred within the soil. See also hardpan. …
The agency that is identified as having primary responsibility for responding to a particular disaster. …
Petrol to which lead has been added in order to raise the octane level. Contrast unleaded fuel. …
A naturally occurring, grey‐white metal that is soft, malleable, ductile, and resistant to corrosion. It was used in gasoline, is still used in paints and plumbing compounds, and is both a criteria air pollutant and a toxic air contaminant. Human exposure to it can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in children. See also lead poisoning. …
Damage to the body (specifically the brain) that is caused by breathing or swallowing substances that contain lead, or by absorbing lead through the skin. …
The period of time between the start and end of an activity, such as the interval between introducing pollution control legislation and a reduction in pollution being observed. …
The flat, green structure that grows from the stem or stalk of a plant, in which photosynthesis and transpiration take place. …
The area of leaf that is exposed over a unit area of land surface. …
The accumulation of dead leaves and vegetation on a soil surface or forest floor. …
A US‐based non‐profit lobby group that was founded in 1970 by leaders of the environmental movement following the first Earth Day, and which is devoted to making the Congress and the White House more pro‐environmental. It holds Congress and the Administration accountable for their actions on the environment through the National Environmental Scorecard. …
A US term for any underground container that is used to store chemicals (such as gasoline, diesel fuel, or home heating oil) and which is damaged and leaking its contents into the ground; these may contaminategroundwater. …
When an external force is applied to a system in equilibrium, the system will undergo adjustment in order to minimize the effect of the force. …
A complex molecule that is made by both plants and animals, which has both protein and sugars and is able to bind to the outside of a cell and cause biochemical changes within it. …
In a downstream or downwind direction, or the side of something that is sheltered from the wind or water. Also known as lee . Contrast windward. …
An air wave that occurs in the lee of a mountain range when rapidly flowing air is lifted up the steep front of the range. Also known as mountain wave . …
Something that is passed down in a will, or left behind from the past. See also inherit. …
A type of bacterium that thrives in central heating and air conditioning systems and can cause legionnaires' disease. …
To make laws, or bring into effect by legislation. …
A plant (such as peas, beans, alfalfa, soybeans, and clover) that has pods containing one or more seeds as fruit. It also has nitrogen‐fixingbacteria in its roots. These increase the nitrogen content of soil and thus increase soil fertility, which is why legumes are a common component of crop rotation. Also known as a pulse . …
A standing or non‐flowing body of water, such as a lake, reservoir, pond, or swamp. …
US ecologist, forester, and environmentalist ( 1887 ? 1948 ) who many people regard as the father of wildlife ecology. He was a gifted writer, and is best known as author of the book A Sand County Almanac ( 1948 ), in which he outlined his philosophy (land ethic) of living in harmony with the land and with nature. …
A cancer of the blood‐forming cells in bone marrow, which causes excessive production of white blood cells and weakens the body's immune system. …
1 A ridge of fine alluvium that is deposited on a floodplain close to the channel by a river under flood conditions. 2 An artificial embankment constructed alongside a river (such as much of the lower Mississippi) designed to contain flood flows and reduce flooding. …
The threshold concentration in air of an extremely hazardous substance, above which even a single short exposure can kill or seriously injure humans. See also vulnerable zone. …
An area of temporary grassland that is sown with grass and/or herbs to produce grazing and hay or silage, usually for a period of up to ten years, before being ploughed and cropped as part of a crop rotation. …
A woody‐stemmed vine‐like climbing plant which roots in the ground and grows by supporting itself on trees or shrubs. …
A composite plant that is made up of an alga or a cyanobacterium and a fungus growing together in a symbiotic relationship. Lichen grows in patches on tree trunks, bare ground, rocks, and walls, and can be a sensitive indicator of pollution. …
1 The stages through which an organism passes during its existence, from birth to death. See also life history. 2 Stages in the total life of a product, from raw materials, design, and manufacture to use, disposal, or recycling. …
A process for evaluating and reducing the inputs and outputs of material and energy at each stage in the life cycle of a product, from raw material to final disposal. …
The total cost of a good or service over its entire life cycle, including the cost of disposal. …
Part of the LIFE Programme that is sponsored by the European Union, which includes actions designed to implement EU environmental policy and legislation, and to demonstrate and develop new methods for the protection and the enhancement of the environment. …
The length of time that an individual organism (such as a person) is expected to live. See also lifespan. …
The characteristic structure of a plant or animal in a particular environment. Contrast growth form. …
A European Union (EU) fund that has been established to assist the development and implementation of the EU's environmental policies. …
A descriptive account of the complete life cycle of an organism. …
Part of the LIFE Programme sponsored by the European Union. It includes actions which are aimed at the conservation of natural habitats and the wild fauna and flora of EU interest, and supports implementation of the EU nature conservation policy and the Natura 2000 network. …
A major initiative (L'instrument Financier pour l'Environnement) which is part of European Unionenvironmental policy and finances project in three areas: LIFE Nature, LIFE Environment, and LIFE Third Countries. …
The theoretical maximum number of years that the most healthy individuals within a species can be expected to live. Life expectancy in humans is lower than this because it reflects the real‐life conditions within a population, which includes stresses such as disease, malnutrition, environmental risk, and social tension. See also longevity. …
The mode or pattern of living that is adopted by an individual, which is reflected in their activities, interests, and opinions. …
A statistical table that summarizes the mortality and survivorship characteristics of a given population, broken down by age class. …
Part of the LIFE Programme sponsored by the European Union, which includes actions that provide technical assistance for promoting sustainable development in third countries. …
The period of time during which something is functional, such as between birth and death in a person, plant, or animal. See also residence time. …
The total amount of exposure to a particular substance that a human is likely to receive in a lifetime (usually taken as 70 years). …
A region or belt that is defined by climate, altitude, or latitude, in which plants and animals are well adapted to the environment and across which the species composition and biodiversity are relatively uniform. …
The level to which a parcel of dry air must be lifted before it cools adiabatically and becomes saturated because of condensation. Also known as condensation level . …
A type of radiant energy with a wavelength of 0.39 to 0.77 micrometres within the electromagnetic spectrum, which is visible to humans. …
An electrical discharge from a thunderstorm that causes a flash of light to run between clouds or from a cloud to the ground, and is often accompanied by thunder. The lightning is seen before the thunder is heard because light travels faster than sound. …
Undissolved chemicals, such as petroleum products (hydrocarbon fuels and lubricating oils), which float on the surface of groundwater and do not mix with it. …
High levels of artificial light that prevent viewing of the night sky. …
Radiation in the middle part of the electromagnetic spectrum, between shortwave (X‐rays) and longwave (radio waves). This includes ultraviolet (4 to 400 nanometres), visible light (400 to 750 nanometres), and infrared (750 to 1 million nanometres). …
A type of nuclear power plant that uses ordinary water as the cooling medium and slightly enriched uranium as a fuel. The boiling water reactor and the pressurized water reactor, the most common types of commercial reactor used in the USA, are light‐water reactors. …
Made hard like wood as lignin is deposited in the cell walls. …
A naturally occurring organic chemical in the cell walls of plants, that give strength and rigidity to the plant. …
A soft, brownish, low‐grade coal that is formed during the middle stages of the coal cycle. …
1 A main branch that grows from the trunk or a bough of a tree. 2 A jointed appendage of an animal (such as an arm, leg, or flipper), that is used for locomotion or grasping. 3 The tilted beds of a fold in rock that extend outwards from the axis. …
1 A small, green, tart citrus fruit, and the tree on which it grows. 2 A common name for calcium oxide (quicklime); it is made from heating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and is used to make calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) for neutralizing acidic soil. …
The hard, white, chalky deposit that is often found in kettle, hot water boiler, and old pipes where hard water has evaporated. …
A carbonatesedimentary rock, composed mainly of calcium carbonate and smaller amounts of magnesium carbonate, usually in the form of the mineral calcite. Commonly used as a building stone. …
A flat, bare area of limestone that has been smoothed by glacial action, and has deep fissures crossing the surface in both directions. …
An air pollution control process in which sulphur gases are passed through a solution of limestone and water, before being released into the atmosphere through a smokestack, in order to reduce the sulphur content. Also known as scrubbing . …
An environmental factor (such as the availability of the nutrientnitrogen in a particular soil) that limits the growth and survival of a species. See also principle of limiting factors, tolerance limit. …
The level below which a test (or assay) cannot measure the presence of a substance. …
A report written on behalf of the Club of Rome by Dennis and Donella Meadows in 1971 . Using dynamic computer models of various possible future scenarios for world growth it predicted that serious natural resource scarcity would follow if world population and resource use continued to grow. It had a significant impact on attitudes towards the environment, and on the development of modern env…
