A decline in land-based natural capital for a specific area of land (e.g., land unit) over a specified timeframe, measured as significant decline in SOC or NPP, or a negative land cover change (as defined by country, within agreed guidelines.5 See also gain. 5 See footnote 3 here
3 Or decline in any supplementary metric chosen by the country to be applied in the “one out-all out” approach for combining the indicators to evaluate LDN (chapter 7.3).
(Source: Orr et al. 2017. Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. A Report of the Science-Policy Interface. United
The stock of natural resources that provides flows of valuable goods and services (World Bank, 2012).
The condition wherein losses are no greater than gains. In the context of LDN, this refers to the condition where land-based natural capital is maintained or enhanced between the time the LDN framework is put in place (t0) and a future date when progress is monitored (t1).
(Source: Orr et al. 2017. Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. A Report of the Science-Policy Interface. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Bonn, Germany. http://www2.unccd.int/sites/default/files/documents/2017-08/LDN_CF_repo…)
A conservative approach to combining different indicators/metrics to assess status, which follows the precautionary principle (adapted from European Communities, 2013). The one-out, all-out approach is applied to LDN such that where any of the indicators shows significant negative change, it is considered a loss (and conversely, if at least one indicator shows a positive trend and none shows a negative trend it is considered a gain).
(Source: Orr et al. 2017. Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. A Report of the Science-Policy Interface. United Nations Convention to
Productivity in this document is used in biological terms. It refers to the rate of production of new biomass by an individual, population, or community (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.).
Actions undertaken with the aim of returning degraded land to a useful state. While not all reclamation projects enhance natural capital, those that are more ecologically-based can qualify as rehabilitation or even restoration (adapted from Society for Ecological Restoration International Science and Policy Working Group, 2004).
Actions undertaken with the aim of reinstating ecosystem functionality, where the focus is on provision of goods and services rather than restoration see Figure 8 (adapted from McDonald et al., 2016).
The ability of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganise itself so as to retain essentially the same function, structure, and feedbacks. Resilience is a neutral property, neither good nor bad (adapted from Walker et al., 2004).6
6 Whether or not resilience is beneficial in any situation depends on the specific circumstances – whether the system is in a desirable or undesirable state.
The set of prioritized actions/interventions that may be planned and then implemented in response to past or anticipated future land degradation.
(Source: Orr et al. 2017. Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. A Report of the Science-Policy Interface. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Bonn, Germany. http://www2.unccd.int/sites/default/files/documents/2017-08/LDN_CF_repo…)
The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded (Society for Ecological Restoration International Science and Policy Working Group, 2004 & McDonald et al., 2016). Restoration seeks to re-establish the pre-existing ecological structure and function, including biotic integrity. (see Figure 8).
Figure 8 Options for reversing land degradation
A change in an LDN metric that is (i) considered to be significant by experts, taking into consideration the precision of the method; or (ii) unlikely to have arisen by chance, according to statistical analysis.
An individual, group, or organization, who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome (adapted from PMI, 2013).
The process of developing an agreed common method, procedure or system for a specific purpose.7 In the context of LDN, this refers to developing a single agreed methodology for an indicator or metric. See also harmonization.
7 See footnote 3.
3 Or decline in any supplementary metric chosen by the country to be applied in the “one out-all out” approach for combining the indicators to evaluate LDN (chapter 7.3). (Source: Orr et al. 2017. Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. A Report of the Science-Policy Interface. United Nations Convention to Combat
The use of land resources – including soils, water, vegetation, and animals – to produce goods and provide services to meet changing human needs, while simultaneously ensuring the long-term productive potential of these resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions.
(Source: WOCAT glossary https://www.wocat.net/glossary) Target
A verbal, visual and/or mathematical representation of a system that describes the key elements and the linkages between them. A system model provides a basis for devising management strategies, planning monitoring, and interpreting the results of monitoring.
An Advance Market Commitment (AMC) is a promise or agreement to take some future action. For example, a promise by a buyer to purchase goods at a price set beforehand is an advance commitment. In financial markets, parties may make an advance commitment to sell an asset before they own it; the seller often buys a futures contract to offset the risk of a price increase at the time of purchase. In banking, a financial institution will make an advance commitment to a borrower to lend funds on a specified date on agreed-upon terms.
(Source: http://www.investopedia.com/)
Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.
(Source: OECD Development Assistance Committee (2002), Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/21/2754804.pdf)
The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.
(Source: IPCC, 2014: Annex II: Glossary. In: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 117-130.https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_Glossary
A geographic area that serves administrative and governmental functions. They are usually defined and established by legal action.
(Source: https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=4497)
Afforestation is planting of new forests on lands that historically have not contained forests.
(Source: IPCC, 2014: Annex II: Glossary. In: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 117-130.
(https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_Glossar…)
The combination of related categories, usually within a common branch of a hierarchy, to provide information at a broader level to that at which detailed observations are taken.
(Source: OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms. http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/index.htm)
A land resource mapping unit, defined in terms of climate, landform and soils, and/or land cover, and having a specific range of potentials and constraints for land use.
(Source: http://www.fao.org/faoterm/en/)
Integrates the use of woody perennials with agricultural crops and/ or animals for a variety of benefits and services, including better use of soil and water re-sources; multiple fuel, fodder, and food products; and habitat for associated species.
(Source: WOCAT glossary https://www.wocat.net/glossary)
Net Primary Productivity is the net amount of carbon assimilated after photosynthesis and autotrophic respiration over a given period of time. It is typically represented in units such as kg/ha/year (annual NPP or ANPP).
(Source: Clark, D.A., Brown, S., Kicklighter, D. W., Chambers, J. Q., Thomlinson, J. R. and Ni, J. (2001), measuring net primary production in forests: concepts and filed methods. Ecological Applications, 11: 356-370. Doi:10.1890/1051-0761 (2001)011[0356:MNPPIF]2.0.CO;2)