| ecological or ecosystem resilience |
| a measure of resistance to disturbance and the speed of return to the equilibrium state of a disturbed ecosystem. |
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| ecological or ecosystem services |
| ecological or ecosystem processes or functions which have value to individuals or to society. [JVG] |
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| ecology |
| the scientific study of the interactions of living organisms and their environment. |
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| ecosystem |
- a dynamic complex of plant, animal, fungal, and micro-organism communities and their associated non-living environment interacting as a functional unit; the organisms living in a given environment, such as a tropical forest, a coral reef or a lake, and the physical part of the environment that impinges on them. [GBA modified by JVG]
- a complex of organisms and their environment, interacting as a defined ecological unit (natural or modified by human activity, e.g. agroecosystem), irrespective of political boundaries. [FAO bis]
- a community of organisms in their physical environment. |
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| ecosystem diversity |
| the diversity among biological communities and their physical settings, characterised by differences in species composition, physical structure, and function. It is the highest level of biological diversity. |
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| ecosystem restoration |
| the return of an ecosystem to its original community structure, natural complement of species, and natural functions. |
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| ecotourism |
| travel undertaken to witness sites or regions of unique natural or ecologic quality, or the provision of services to facilitate such travel. [GBA] |
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| edge effect |
| processes that characterize habitat fragmentation and the concomitant creation of edges. |
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| El Nino event |
| a regional or global oceanic-atmospheric perturbation whose manifestations range from increased sea surface temperatures in the tropical East Pacific to aberrant rainfall patterns. |
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| endangered |
| a species or breed within a defined degree of high likelihood of becoming extinct |
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| endemic |
| native to and restricted to a specific geographic area. |
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| environmental impact assessment (EIA) |
| process by which the consequences of proposed projects or programs are evaluated as an integral part of planning the project, alternatives are analysed, and the general public has ample opportunity to comment. |
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| equilibrium theory |
| theory that suggests that under natural circumstances, species addition and loss for a given area are balanced, and furthermore, that displacement from the equilibrium value results in changes in speciation or extinction rate that tend to restore the system to its equilibrium state. [GBA] |
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| ethnobiology |
| study of the way plants, animals and micro-organisms are used by humans. |
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| eutrophication |
- nutrient enrichment, typically in the form of nitrates and phosphates, often from human sources such as agriculture, sewage, and urban runoff.
- process by which a lake, a river, part of a sea, etc. is enriched with nitrates, phosphates and other nutrients which favour the growth of algae and often kill other organisms by lack of oxygen. [JVG] |
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| evaluation |
| measurement of the characteristics that are important for production and adaptation, either of individual animals or of populations, most commonly in the context of comparative evaluation of the traits of animals or of populations. [FAO] |
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| ex-situ |
| out of the original location. In conservation, often in a laboratory, collection, botanical garden, zoo, or aquarium. (Opposite: in-situ) |
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| ex-situ conservation |
- the conservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats. [CBD]
- keeping components of biodiversity alive away from their original habitat or natural environment. [GBA] |
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| exotic |
| not native to a given area; either intentionally transplanted from another region or introduced accidentally. |
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| exotic species |
| see: alien species. |
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| extant |
| still living at the present time. (Opposite: extinct) |
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| external costs/externalities |
| external costs/benefits exist when an activity by one person causes a gain/loss of welfare to another person that is uncompensated within the market. [GBA] |
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| extinct |
| no longer surviving. (Opposite: extant) |
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| extinction |
| the death of any lineages of organisms. Extinction can be local, (when it is known as extirpation) in which one population of a given species vanishes while others survive elsewhere, or total, in which all its populations vanish. [GBA] |
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| fauna |
| all of the animals found in a given area. |
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| fecundity |
| rate at which females produce offspring. |
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| fitness |
| the genetic capacity to contribute to future generations; the average number of descendants. |
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| flagship species |
| popular, charismatic species that serve as symbols and rallying points to stimulate conservation awareness and action. |
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| flora |
| all of the plants found in a given area. |
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| food web |
| an abstract representation of the feeding relationships of organisms within a community or an ecosystem. [JVG] |
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| founder effect |
| the loss of genetic diversity when a new colony is formed (e.g. on an oceanic island) by a very small number of individuals from a larger population elsewhere. [JVG] |
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| fragmentation |
| the breaking up of extensive landscape features into disjunct, isolated, or semi-isolated patches as a result of land-use changes. |
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