Resilience to unknown or unidentified pressures, disturbances or shocks.
The natural range (diversity) of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), geomorphological (landforms, topography, physical processes), and soil and hydrological features.
Geographical area within which a species can be found.
Elements of Earth’s geodiversity that are considered to have significant scientific, educational, cultural or aesthetic value. They include special places and objects (specimens in situ and in museums) that contribute to our understanding of the abiotic and biotic evolution of Earth (Crofts et al. 2015).
Scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.
One thousand million litres.
See greenhouse effect and climate change.
(Indigenous); the ability of Indigenous peoples to define and maintain clear mechanisms, processes and rules that guide decision-making and implementation of a self-determined vision of wellbeing that secures cultural continuity and the health of the ecosystems they depend on. This concept recognises longstanding customary governance mechanisms and how that intersects with modern forms of governance.
Where thermal energy (infrared radiation) that otherwise would have radiated into space is partially intercepted and reradiated (some of it downwards) by atmospheric greenhouse gases, resulting in warmer temperatures at the planet’s surface. This has supported the development of life on Earth; however, strengthening of the greenhouse effect through human activities is leading to climate change (also known as global warming).
See also climate change.
Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, the most important of which are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), short-lived tropospheric ozone (O3), water vapour, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
See also greenhouse effect.
The total market value of goods and services produced in a country in a given period, after deducting the cost of goods and services used in production but before deducting allowances for the consumption of fixed capital.
The value of output at basic prices minus the value of intermediate consumption at purchasers’ prices. The term is used to describe gross product by industry and sector. Using basic prices to value output removes the distortion caused by variations in the incidence of commodity taxes and subsidies across the output of individual industries.
The vegetation (living and dead), biological crusts and stone that is in contact with the soil surface. Nonwoody groundcover such as crops, grass forbs and chenopod-type shrubs may change monthly rather than annually, making this component a good indicator of land management performance. Groundcover is a subcomponent of land cover and can be used to infer land management practices. From a remote sensing perspective, it is the fractional cover of the nonwoody understorey.
(Indigenous); the ability of Indigenous peoples to act upon an inherent right and acceptance of responsibility to govern and manage collective territory using their own laws and values.