Species and spaces glossary

Glossary

Aichi Biodiversity Targets

- a strategic plan drafted in 2011 consisting of 20 outcome orientated, time-bound targets to be
implemented at the national level according to national priorities and capacity

allele
- one of the different forms of a gene located on a particular position on a chromosome. Humans
have two alleles per gene, with one allele inherited from each parent

alternative (or sustainable) livelihood

- a more conservation friendly livelihood encouraging the reduction of destructive natural
resource use practices

biodiversity or biological diversity

- the variety of all forms of life, from genes to species, through to ecosystems

biodiversity footprint
- the measurable impact of an individual or company on biodiversity in an ecosystem assessed by
the change in species abundance and/or habitat quality linked to their activities

biodiversity hotspots
- areas of the world with significant amounts of biodiversity that are threatened, specifically
referring to 35 biologically rich areas around the world which have lost at least 70% of their
original habitat

biological community
- the species living and interacting in a particular geographic area

biological species concept

- a group of individuals that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring; it is one of the ways to
define a species

bottom-up (approach)
- changing socio-ecological systems on the ground; e.g., working directly with communities to
change their natural resource use practices

captive conservation breeding

- breeding of a species in captivity (i.e. zoos, aquariums, institutions, or a facility within range
country) to maintain genetic and population diversity when the wild population is currently
threatened or likely to become threatened, to prevent species extinction, and where
appropriate, for eventual reintroduction into the wild

captive conservation breeding programme

- a programme coordinated by various zoos, aquariums, associations and institutions to breed
species that are under threat in the wild

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Species and spaces glossary

cell nucleus
- structure within a cell where genetic material is stored

charismatic species
- species such as primates, carnivores, birds and butterflies that are believed to attract more
public interest and sympathy than others

chromosome
- a thread-like structure carrying genetic information. Humans have 46 chromosomes, 23 from
the mother and 23 from the father

Centres of Plant Diversity

- areas around the world identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that are plant species rich or contain a large
number of endemic plant species

citizen science
- the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general
public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists

climate
- the average weather conditions of a particular region over a period of time, with regard to
temperature, rainfall, air pressure, etc.

climate change
- a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to
late 20th century onwards, largely due to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide
produced by the use of fossil fuels

connected camera trap

- a camera triggered by movement of either an animal or human which captures and sends
images via a GSM or satellite network

conservation
- the act of conserving; the state of being conserved. The protection and preservation of the
environment, its wildlife and its natural resources

conservation triage
- a prioritisation approach in conservation for determining which species to save

conservationist
- someone who is trained or qualified to manage the environment and natural resources; one
who actively encourages or supports conservation, especially of the environment or natural
resources

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Species and spaces glossary

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

- a global legal framework for action on biodiversity where the three main objectives are to
conserve biological diversity, to use it more sustainably and to share the benefits from the use
of genetic resources fairly and equitably

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- an international agreement between governments whose aim is to ensure that international
trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival

corridor
- a strip of protected land joining two or more separate protected areas, connecting wildlife
populations that could otherwise be separated by human activities or structures

critically endangered (species)

- a species classified by the IUCN as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. See also
IUCN Red List

descent (evolutionary)
- the process whereby species evolve from their ancestors

disease
- a lack of health, a disorder or illness caused by infection rather than by an accident, which
include:
o infectious diseases - caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses,
parasites or fungi, which can be spread, directly or indirectly
o non-infectious diseases - caused by factors such as genetics, environment, toxins and
lifestyle, and not by disease-causing organisms
o emerging infectious diseases - infectious diseases whose incidence has increased in the
past 35 years and could increase in the near future

DNA double helix

- a coiled structure of double stranded DNA containing genetic material

ecosystem diversity
- the variety of ecosystems, biological communities and their associations

ecological footprint
- the impact human activity has on natural resources, measured in the amount of biologically
productive land required and the amount of waste produced that is absorbed back into the
environment

ecosystem
- an ecosystem is a dynamic complex of living things including animals, plants and micro-
organisms and their non-living environment including air, water and soils

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Species and spaces glossary

ecosystem services
- the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and
worth living. These are categorised into:
o provisioning services - ecosystem services that describe the material or energy outputs
from ecosystems. They include food, water and other resources
o regulating services - the services that ecosystems provide by acting as regulators, e.g.
regulating the quality of air and soil or by providing flood and disease control
o supporting services - the basic infrastructure to life, such as primary production,
nutrient recycling, and water cycling
o cultural services - non-material benefits which we receive from nature. These include
recreation and tourism, research and education and aesthetics

EDGE
- Evolutionary Distinctiveness and Global Endangerment

EDGE of Existence
- a programme at the Zoological Society of London which identifies and conserves species that are
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE). These species are unique in their
physical appearances, traits and behaviour and represent millions of years of evolutionary
history

edge effect
- an effect where the edges of a protected habitat have different conditions to the inside of the
protected area, because they are exposed to different elements such as weather, light, pollution
or are more easily accessible by humans

EDGE zones
- spatial-based prioritisation of regions that hold the most threatened evolutionary history,
compiled by the EDGE of Existence programme

endangered (species)
- a species classified by the IUCN as facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. See also IUCN Red
List

endemic
- a plant or animal native to, or restricted to, a particular area

Endemic Bird Area (EBA)

- an area with large concentrations of endemic birds that can only be found in those regions

environment
- the surroundings or conditions within which something or someone exists
- the combination of external conditions that surround and influence a living organism

environmental impact assessment

- a review of current and potential ways in which an activity could be affecting the habitats and

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Species and spaces glossary

ecosystems in which it takes place

evolutionary history
- the number of millions of years of evolution represented by a single species, i.e. the time taken
for that species to evolve

evolutionarily distinct species

- certain species within particular groups (e.g. mammals) that represent the greatest amount of
unique evolutionary history, typically with few or no close relatives in the Tree of Life. Species
that are Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered are EDGE species and prioritised for
conservation by the EDGE of Existence programme

extinct
- no known individuals of that species remaining on Earth

fittest
- those individuals that individuals survive long enough to successfully reproduce due to particular
genetic traits they possess

fragmentation
- pieces of land or areas that are broken up or isolated, e.g. by different land uses or roads. This
reduces the habitat available to a species.

flagship species
- a species selected to act as an ambassador, icon or symbol for a defined habitat, issue, campaign
or environmental cause

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)

- membership organisation and certification scheme for sustainable forestry products such as
paper and timber

fortress conservation
- an approach that seeks to preserve wildlife and their habitats through forceful exclusion of local
people who have traditionally relied on environments in question for their livelihoods

gene
- a sequence of DNA located on a chromosome that determines something about who you are
e.g. eye colour

genetic diversity
- the variety, or differences, in the alleles within a species or between species

genetic drift
- random changes in the frequency of alleles and hence genetic variationin a population. Typically
occurring in small populations, certain alleles may be randomly lost which decreases the genetic
diversity of that population

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Species and spaces glossary

gene pool
- the entire set of different alleles and geneswithin a population

ghost fishing
- when used fishing nets that have been abandoned in the water continue to entangle and kill
marine life

Global 200
- a WWF project analysing the global patterns of biodiversity. It identifies Earth's terrestrial,
freshwater and marine eco-regions that harbour exceptional biodiversity and are representative
of its ecosystems

greenhouse gases
- gases that cause solar energy, or heat, to remain trapped beneath the Earth's atmosphere.
These include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone

habitat
- the natural home of an animal or plant

hashtag
- a word or phrase preceded by the hash (#) symbol, used in social networking and microblogging
services to identify messages by a particular topic

illegal wildlife trade

- illegal trade in wildlife or their parts that has been banned or controlled by the Convention for
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

inbreeding depression
- a phenomenon where the biological fitness of a population is reduced due to inbreeding of
related individuals because no other mates are available. This can reduce the individual’s ability
to survive and reproduce and is often the result of a population bottleneck. See also population
bottleneck

Instant Detect
- the first satellite-enabled camera trap system used for wildlife monitoring and protection that
sends images in near real time from anywhere in the world

intraspecific variation
- the genetic variation within a species

interspecific variation
- the genetic variation between species

invasive species
- an organism (plant, animal, fungus, or bacterium) that is not native and has negative effects on
our economy, our environment, or our health. Not all introduced species are invasive

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Species and spaces glossary

IUCN
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a world conservation union providing
knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature
conservation. It is one of the seven organisations in the United for Wildlife collaboration

IUCN Red list

- the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species
- species are classified by the IUCN Red List into:
o Extinct (EX): no known individuals remaining
o Extinct in the wild (EW): known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized population
outside its historic range
o Critically endangered (CR): extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
o Endangered (EN): high risk of extinction in the wild
o Vulnerable (VU): high risk of endangerment in the wild
o Near threatened (NT): likely to become endangered in the near future
o Least concern (LC): lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread
and abundant taxa are included in this category
o Data deficient (DD): not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction
o Not evaluated (NE): has not yet been evaluated against the criteria

IUCN Red List Index (RLI)

- The Red List Index (RLI), drawing on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, shows changes in
the overall extinction risk of sets of species over time

IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

- a tool to evaluate the conservation status and the risk of ecosystem collapse, classifying them
with similar categories to that used in the Red List of Threatened species.

IUCN Living Planet Index (LPI)

- an indicator of the state of global biodiversity, measuring population trends across thousands of
vertebrate species around the world

keystone species
- a species that provide a unique and necessary function to the ecosystem they live in

Livestock to Markets
- a project by The Nature Conservancy and the Northern Rangelands Trust where pastoralists are
given access to fairly priced cattle markets in return for sustainably grazing their cattle,
improving livelihoods for traditional pastoralist communities and expanding healthy rangelands
for wildlife

Marine Reserves Coalition (MRC)

- a group of five UK-based, non-governmental organisations consisting of the Blue Marine
Foundation, Greenpeace, Marine Conservation Society, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the
Zoological Society of London working together to influence national and international
conservation policy to achieve marine reserves

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Species and spaces glossary

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

- membership organisation and certification scheme for sustainable seafood

Mataki
- an advanced, open source wildlife tracking system that is wirelessly enabled, low cost and
readily programmable

megadiverse (country)
- a country that is rich in biodiversity. There are 17 megadiverse countries in the world out of a
total of almost 200 and together they contain more than 70% of global biodiversity

morphological species concept

- a group of individuals that are morphologically or physiologically similar; it is one of the ways to
define a species

multilateral environmental agreement (MEA)

- a legally-binding agreement between states relating to the environment which provides
international guidance to national and regional environmental laws and legislation

national park
a large area that is protected to preserve the plants, animals and the ecosystems in which they
live in

natural capital
- the world’s stocks of assets derived from nature including geology, soil, air, water and all living
things

natural selection
Charles Darwin defined this as the process where the fittest individuals are those that survive
long enough to successfully reproduce

net gain (of biodiversity)

- positive results, often from taking conservation action, that compensate for the negative
impacts on biodiversity, leading to an increase in biodiversity

Net-Works
- a project by the Zoological Society of London and Interface working with coastal communities in
the Philippines to collect discarded fishing nets and sell them into a supply chain which are
made into carpet tiles

no net loss (of biodiversity)

- when businesses and organisations have zero negative impact on biodiversity where their
actions do not result in the loss of species or ecosystem services

non-governmental organisation (NGO)

- a not-for-profit, voluntary sector citizens' group, which is organized on a local, national or

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Species and spaces glossary

international level to address issues in support of the public good

overexploitation
- harvesting species from the wild at rates faster than natural populations can recover

paradeisoi
- lush walled gardens created by the Persians; the derivative of the word “paradise”

Party (of the CBD)

- a country that has made a formal declaration to incorporate the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) into its national legislation

phylogeny
- the history of organismal lineages as they change through time

phylogenetic species concept

- a group of individuals that share a common ancestor and unique characteristics in their DNA; it
is one of the ways to define a species

phylogenetic tree
- a branching diagram or “tree” representing the evolutionary relationships, descent and
evolutionary history of different species

population bottleneck
- an event that drastically declines a species’ population due to natural or human-induced causes,
lowering the genetic diversity and overall fitness of the individuals in that population.

Project Ocean
- a project by the Zoological Society of London and Selfridges to tackle overfishing and pollution
and protect the ocean through the creation of marine reserves

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

- membership organisation and certification scheme for sustainable palm oil

slacktivism
- a blend of slacker and activism, this refers to an action performed via the internet in support of
an organization, such as signing an online petition or joining an online campaign via social media

species diversity
- the variety of species in an ecological community, taking into account species richness and the
variation of abundance in individuals

species richness
- the number of species in an area

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Species and spaces glossary

state-pressure-response
- a framework for choosing environmental indicators and indicators of sustainable development
o state: the condition of the environment or species
o pressure: the identified threats
o response: the activities being undertaken to mitigate those threats

sustainable development
- development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT)

- a website by the Zoological Society of London assessing the world’s largest oil palm growing
companies based on publicly available information

threatened (species)
- a species that fall into one of these three IUCN categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered,
and Vulnerable. See also IUCN Red List

top-down (approach)
- conservation interventions at a higher level, e.g. working with governments or corporations that
have the ability to make change on a large scale

Tree of Life
- an evolutionary tree representing the genealogical relationship of all living organisms on Earth

trophic cascade
- occurs when the removal (or addition) of keystone species in an ecosystem changes the
ecological community and typically results in biodiversity losses, e.g. the removal of top
predators results in increased numbers of herbivores and decreases in habitat quality.

unique selling point (USP)

- a special feature, factor or consideration proposed as the reason that one product or service is
different from and better than that of the competition

vulnerable (species)
- a species classed by the IUCN as facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild. See also IUCN
Red List

wilderness area
- an area that is not densely populated and unlikely to be developed in the near future

wildlife trade
- the sale or exchange of wild animal and/or plant parts by people to meet a range of human
wants and needs including for food, medicine, pets, for fashion, timber and/or various socio-
economic or cultural reasons

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