| Quaternary period |
| the second and last period of the Cenozoic era extending from 2.5 million years ago to the present. |
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| ratification |
| after signing the Convention, a country must ratify it, for which it often needs the approval of the parliament or other legislature. For the CBD the instrument of ratification is submitted to the UN Secretary-General in New York, who acts as the Depositary. At the date of submission the country becomes a Party to the Convention; 90 days later the Convention enters into force for that country. Presently the Convention has 190 parties. |
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| recombinant DNA (r-DNA) |
- any DNA molecule formed by joining DNA segments from different sources.
- a strand of DNA synthesised in the laboratory by splicing together selected parts of DNA strands from different organic species, or by adding a selected part to an existing DNA strand. [CUB] |
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| red tide |
| reddish-brown discoloring of surface water from blooming populations of dinoflagellate phytoplankton; since long associated with nutrient pollution. |
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| reef ball |
| a designed artificial reef used to restore ailing coral reefs and to create new fishing and scuba diving sites. |
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| resource |
| a substance or place required by an organism for its growth, maintenance and reproduction. |
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| restoration |
| the return of an ecosystem or habitat to its original community structure, natural complement of species, and natural functions. |
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| risk |
| the outcome of an action is said to involve risk where: the set of all possible outcomes of that action is known, and where the probability distribution of all possible outcomes is also known. [GBA] |
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| risk assessment |
- the use of scientific data to identify and characterize the nature and magnitude of hazards, if any, and the likelihood of hazards being realized. [BSWG/2/5: Report of Panel of Experts on Biosafety]
- the measure to estimate what harm might be caused, how likely it would be to occur and the scale of the estimated damage. [BSWG/2/5: UNEP International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology] |
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| risk management |
| the implementation of the most appropriate measures to minimize the identified risks and mitigate their effects while achieving the anticipated results. [BSWG/2/5: Report of Panel of Experts on Biosafety] |
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| RNA |
| a molecule with similar structure to DNA that is involved in a number of cell activities, especially protein synthesis. Some viruses have RNA as their genetic material. [CUB] |
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| safe or safety |
| the conditions determined with reasonable certainty to have acceptable or negligible risk to human health or to managed or natural ecosystems. |
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| secondary forest |
| natural forest growth after some major disturbance (e.g. logging, serious fire, or insect attack). (Opp.: primary forest.) |
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| seed bank |
| a facility designed for the ex-situ conservation of individual plant samples through seed preservation and storage. |
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| selection |
| natural selection is the differential contribution of offspring to the next generation by various genetic types belonging to the same populations. Artificial selection is the intentional manipulation by man of the fitness of individuals in a population to produce a desired evolutionary response. [GBA] |
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| self-pollinated |
| see in-bred. |
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| sibling species |
| species so similar to each other as to be difficult to distinguish by human observers. |
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| silviculture |
| the science of cultivating forest crops (usually timber), based on a knowledge of forest tree characteristics. |
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| sinks |
| growing vegetation tends to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Calculating the effect of sinks (by land-use change and forestry) is methodologically complex and still needs to be clarified. |
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| somatic cell |
| any cell other than a germ cell. |
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| speciation |
| separation of one population into two or more reproductively isolated, independent evolutionary units. |
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| species |
| a taxonomic rank of organisms below a genus, consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding. |
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| species diversity |
| the number and variety of species found in a given area in a region. |
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| species richness |
| the number of species within a region. (A term commonly used as a measure of species diversity, but technically only one aspect of diversity.) |
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| species selection |
| the differential multiplication and extinction of species as a result of differences in certain traits possessed by the organisms belonging to the various species, and causing a spread of the favouring traits through the fauna or flora as a whole. [GBA] |
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| stability |
| the ability of a given assemblage of organisms to withstand disturbance without a major change in the number of species or individuals. |
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| stochastic |
| referring to patterns or processes resulting from random factors. |
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| strain |
| a population of cells all descended from a single cell; also called a clone. A group of organisms within a species or variety distinguished by one or more minor characteristics; a variety of bacterium or fungus used for culturing. The term is mostly associated with cells, bacteria, fungi and viruses, but is sometimes applied to plants. [CUB]. |
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| subsidies |
| government grants to suppliers of goods or services. |
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| subspecies |
| groupings or populations within a species that are distinguishable by morphological characteristics or, sometimes, by physiological or behavioural traits. |
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| sustainable development |
| development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. [Earth Summit +5] |
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| symbiosis |
| the close relationship of two organisms in proximity, with one benefiting and the other either benefiting (mutualism), not being significantly affected (commensalism), or being harmed (parasitism). |
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| sympatric |
| occurring in the same place. (Opp.: allopatric.) |
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| sympatric speciation |
| speciation via populations with overlapping geographic ranges. |
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| systematics |
| the study of the historical evolutionary and genetic relationships among organisms and of their phenotypic similarities and differences. |
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