< RETURN TO MENU < SEARCH Glossary a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z A Adaptation A particular part of the anatomy, a physiological process, or a behaviour pattern that improves an organism’s chances to survive and reproduce. Agroforestry A land management system enabling the production of trees and agriculture products from the same land unit. Arid Areas receiving less than 250 mm of annual rainfall in the south of Australia and 350 mm in the north. Back to top B Baseline Behaviour of a system that has not been affected by human influence (for example river flow with no dams). In most cases, the true baseline for natural systems cannot be defined or measured, so a particular condition at an agreed time is used as a substitute baseline. Baseline information Information relating to a specific time or defined area of land or water, from which trends or changes can be assessed. Benchmark The value for an indicator that has some defined environmental significance (or threshold) in the functioning of the natural system. An example is the concentration of pollutants that can be tolerated without damaging health. Biodiversity The variety of life forms including the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems they form. Biodiversity is usually considered at three levels: genetic, species and ecosystem. Biogeochemical Relating to the chemical relationships between the geology of an area and its plant and animal life. In land use planning, the term is often used for all of the naturally occurring objects, processes, and relationships in an area. Biomass The quantity of organic matter within an ecosystem (usually expressed as dry weight for unit area or volume). Biophysical Relating to biological and physical processes. Bioregion (IBRA) Based on an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia. A complex land area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosystems that are repeated in similar form. Region descriptions seek to describe the dominant landscape scale attributes of climate, lithology, geology, landforms and vegetation. Biogeographic regions vary in size with larger regions found where areas have more subdued terrain and arid and semi-arid climates. Biota The plant and animal life of a particular region. Back to top C Carbon sequestration The capture of carbon, particularly uptake and storage in woody biomass and soils. Carbon sinks Carbon reservoirs and conditions that take in and store more carbon (carbon sequestration) than they release. Carbon sinks can serve to partially offset greenhouse gas emissions. Catchment An area of land where run-off from rainfall goes into the one river system. Classification The systematic grouping of entities into categories based upon shared characteristics. Climate change A change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is, in addition to natural climate variability, observed over comparable time periods. Community A natural aggregate of different species of organisms existing in the same environment. While species within the community interact with each other, forming food chains and other ecological systems, they do not generally interact with species in other communities. Condition The current state of ecosystems compared to what would be considered pristine or as defined by a set benchmark. Connectivity The linkage of similar but separated vegetation stands by corridors of like vegetation. Conservation The protection, maintenance, management, sustainable use, restoration and enhancement of the natural environment. Contagion Used to described the spatial pattern of vegetation. Corridors Vegetation along road and rail reserves and verges, steep uncleared ridges, drain and canal sides, river and creek edges, lake and ocean foreshore reserves, travelling stock routes, and easements for utilities. Cover The cover produced by the foliage of any vegetation within a defined area. Back to top D Decomposition Decay of organic matter due to the action of bacteria or fungi. Also the separation of a substance into its component parts by chemical action. Dieback General name for a significant decline in tree health and numbers, especially native trees; caused by a variety of agents, including insect attack, disease, pollution and other human‑induced changes in the environment. Direct seeding Planting seed directly into the soil, usually by mechanical means, as opposed to planting seedlings. Discharge Water flowing out of an aquifer, catchment or from groundwater through the soil surface. Dryland salinity Where water balance has been altered due to changing land use (e.g. clearing of native vegetation for broadscale farming or grazing), excess water entering the watertable mobilises salt which then rises to the land surface. Movement of water drives salinisation processes and may move the stored salt towards the soil surface or into surface water bodies. Back to top E Ecological dominance The species making the greatest contribution to the overall biomass of the stratum, site and vegetation type. Ecological sustainability The capacity of ecosystems to maintain their essential processes and functions and to retain their biodiversity without impoverishment Ecological thresholds Turning points at which resource or ecosystem limitations determine species or ecosystem viability. Ecologically sustainable development (ESD) Using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased. Ecosystem Community of organisms (that may include people) interacting with one another. Incorporates the physical, chemical and biological processes inherent in that interaction and the environment in which they live. Ecosystem services Services supplied when natural assets (soil, plants and animals, air and water) are transformed into things that humans value. Endangered A species which is in danger of becoming extinct and whose survival is unlikely if the causal factors continue. Included are species whose numbers have been reduced to a critical level or whose habitats have been so drastically reduced that the species are deemed to be in danger of extinction Endemic A species or vegetation type restricted to a specified region or site. Erosion The continuing process of landscape development as a smoothing or levelling of the earth’s surface by removal of weathered material. Natural erosion is due only to the forces of nature; accelerated erosion occurs as a result of human activities. In each case the same processes operate and the distinction is often only a matter of degree and rate. Exotic species A species occurring in an area outside its historically known natural range as a result of intentional or accidental dispersal by human activities. Extant Still in existence. Opposite of extinct. Extension The process of advising and providing information to land and water managers. Back to top F Fauna The entire animal life of a site or region. Flora The entire plant life of a site or region. Floristics A description of the plant species that occur in a defined area or vegetation type. Fractal An object having a fractional dimension; one which has variation that is self-similar at all scales, in which the final level of detail is never reached and never can be reached by increasing the scale at which observations are made. Fragmentation The result of broadscale clearing of native vegetation and the small parts of that vegetation that remain often only as isolated patches. Back to top G Geographic Information System (GIS) A computer information system for processing, managing and analysing map data. Geology Science of learning about the earth: its origin, structures, composition, historical changes and processes. Geophyte A perennial plant that propagates by underground bulbs, tubers or corms. Grassland Area dominated by grasses and with few or no trees. Greenhouse gas emissions Gases including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride emitted from particular land uses including land clearing, the energy sector, agricultural activities and forestry. Groundcover A vegetative layer of grasses and/or other low-growing plants or plant residues providing protection to the soil against erosive agents. Groundwater Water beneath the surface held in or moving through saturated layers of soil, sediment or rock. Back to top H Habitat The biophysical medium or media (a) occupied by an organism or group of organisms; or (b) once occupied by an organism or group of organisms, and into which organisms of that kind have the potential to be reintroduced. Herbaceous A plant with a non-woody stem. Hydrological cycle The movement of water from ocean, by evaporation, to atmosphere, to land and back, via river flow, to ocean. Back to top I Integrated catchment management A process through which people can develop a vision, agree on shared values management and behaviours, make informed decisions and act together to manage the natural resources of their catchment. Back to top L Land degradation Any change in the land that reduces its condition or quality and hence its productivity or productive potential. It occurs whenever the natural balances in the landscape are changed by human activity, through misuse or overuse. Land managers/holders Those who manage land, including farmers, graziers, irrigators, cultural and environmental landholders, councils and government agencies. Landscape A scale of study and understanding beyond the paddock or farm that includes the underlying geology and hydrogeology, landforms and soils, and plants and animals. Back to top M Macrophyte An aquatic plant that can be seen without the aid of a microscope. Metadata A written description for a dataset. Metadata should conform to the Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council Metadata Guidelines (1996). Metrics A system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic. Monitoring Routine counting, testing or measuring environmental factors or biota to estimate their status or condition. Back to top N Native regrowth Natural regrowth of native Australian plant species in an area that has previously been cleared. Native vegetation Any local indigenous plant community containing throughout its growth the complement of native species and habitats normally associated with that vegetation type or having the potential to develop these characteristics. It includes vegetation with these characteristics that has been regenerated with human assistance following disturbance. It excludes plantations and vegetation that has been established for commercial purposes. Natural resource management The management of natural resources (e.g. land, water and biodiversity) in an integrated fashion recognising the values of both conservation and productive use of natural resources and striving to achieve sustainability in all resource use. Back to top P Perennial plants Plants that live for more than one year. Pre-European/pre-clearing Vegetation types and extent before European settlement in Australia. Pressure Human activities or impacts that affect the environment. Production function The quantitative relationship among a set of physical inputs, human knowledge, skills and labour, technology and the physical quantity of an output. Provenance The geographic place of origin of a population of seed or plants. A provenance is adapted to a particular set of environmental conditions. Back to top R Rangelands Areas of native grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and tropical savanna woodlands that cover a large proportion (75 per cent) of the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. Raster (GIS term) A gridded unit of information for display. Images that are represented by a sequence of pixels (picture elements) or points, which when taken together, describe the display of an image on an output device. Recharge Rainfall that moves through the soil, beyond the roots of plants, to replenish the aquifer. Regeneration The recovery of natural integrity following disturbance or degradation. Regional NRM plans The Australian and State/Territory Governments have agreed to support integrated natural resource management across Australia through the development of accredited NRM plans that identify regional priorities and establish a framework for investment in action. Remnant vegetation Native vegetation remaining after an area has been cleared. Restoration The restoration or reconstruction of native vegetation to its former species composition and condition. Revegetation The planting of native species in areas that have been cleared or highly modified. The mix of species may not be the same as originally occurring in that patch of vegetation. Riparian Land adjacent to perennial streams, lakes, and reservoirs and including other well developed riparian vegetation (primarily intermediate streams). This land is specifically delineated by the transition between the aquatic ecosystem and the adjacent terrestrial ecosystem and defined by soil characteristics and distinctive vegetation communities that require free and unbound water. Back to top S Salinisation The accumulation of salts via the actions of water in the soil to a level that causes degradation of the soil. Salinity The concentration of sodium chloride or dissolved salts in water, usually expressed in µS/cm or milligrams of total dissolved solids per litre (mg/L TDS). The conversion factor 0.6 mg/L TDS = 1µS/cm (EC) unit is used as an approximation. (See EC and TDS.) (Describes the total amount of water-soluble salts present in a soil horizon.) Salinity management Intervention needed to mitigate or control salinity. Can be biophysical (plants) or engineering works (for example, drains, pumping). Scale Map scale indicates the relation between the size of an object on a map and its size in the real world. Semi-arid Land where rainfall is too low and unreliable for crops to be grown with certainty. Soil acidification The process by which the soil pH decreases over time. Soil fertility The ability of a soil to provide nutrients for plant growth. Species A group of organisms that has a high degree of similarity and generally can interbreed only among themselves to produce fertile offspring, so that they maintain their ‘separateness’ from other such groups. Sustainability Managing our natural resources in a way that maintains their environmental, economic and cultural values, so that they continue to be available in the long-term. Back to top T Taxa Categories in the classification of living organisms. The taxa in the Linnaean system are commonly kingdom, phyllum, class, order, family, genus and species. Threat An action that has the potential to reduce the capacity of native species to reproduce successfully. Threatened A species or community that is considered as endangered or vulnerable in status. Back to top V Vascular Pertaining to fluid-conducting (xylem and phloem) tissues in plants. Non-vascular plants, such as mosses and liverworts, have poorly developed fluid-conducting tissues. Vegetation All plants within a specified area. It is usually considered generally and not taxonomically. Vegetation communities Vegetation of a similar habitat type. Vegetation groups Major structural formations (for example woodlands, grasslands) and floristic groups (e.g. acacias and eucalypts) that broadly group Australia’s native vegetation. Vegetation type A community that has a floristically uniform structure and composition, often described by its dominant species. Viability The likelihood of long-term survival of the example/population of a particular ecosystem or species. Vulnerable Species that may soon move into the endangered category if causal factors affecting their numbers continue. Included are species of which all, or most, populations are decreasing because of overexploitation, extensive destruction of habitat; species which are seriously depleted; under threat from severe adverse factors throughout their range; and species with low or localised populations and dependent on a limited habitat which would be vulnerable to further threats. Back to top W Water table The water table is the upper surface of groundwater. The soil profile is fully saturated below the water table and unsaturated above it. Waterlogging Waterlogging will occur when the water table is at or close to the surface. Soil pores are then filled with water, plant roots become starved of oxygen, and plant growth is inhibited or ceases. Wetland An area that is permanently, periodically or occasionally covered by fresh, brackish or saline water to a shallow depth. Wetlands support a unique range of plants and animals. Woodland An area with scattered trees where the portion of the land surface covered by the crowns is more than 30 per cent (open woodland) but less than 60 per cent (forest). Woodlot A small area devoted to growing trees, usually on a farm for firewood and posts. Woody weeds Shrubby plants (both native and exotic) that have increased in such numbers to be a problem for pastoralists in parts of the arid and semi-arid zones. Back to top