GEMET Concepts Submitted None Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary abandoned industrial site Site that cannot be used for any purpose, being contaminated by pollutants, not necessarily radioactive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts abandoned vehicle A vehicle that has been discarded in the environment, urban or otherwise, often found wrecked, destroyed, damaged or with a major component part stolen or missing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts abiotic factor Physical, chemical and other non-living environmental factors. They are essential for living plants and animals of an ecosystem, providing the essential elements and nutrients that are necessary for growth. The abiotic elements also include the climatic and pedologic components of the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts absorption (exposure) The taking in of fluids or other substances by cells or tissues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acceptable risk level Level of risk judged to be outweighed by corresponding benefits or one that is of such a degree that it is considered to pose minimal potential for adverse effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agreement (administrative) A coming together of minds; a coming together in opinion or determination; the coming together in accord of two minds on a given proposition. In law, a concord of understanding and intention between two or more parties with respect to the effect upon their relative rights and duties, of certain past or future facts or performances. The consent of two or more persons concerning respecting the transmission of some property, right, or benefits, with the view of contracting an obligation, a mutual obligation. The union of two or more minds in a thing done or to be done; a mutual assent to do a thing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts access road Any street or narrow stretch of paved surface that leads to a specific destination, such as a main highway. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts access to culture The ability, right and permission to approach and use, or the general availability of resources that transmit the beliefs, customs, artistic activity and knowledge of a people. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts access to the sea Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accident An unexpected occurrence, failure or loss with the potential for harming human life, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accidental release of organisms Genetically engineered organisms that are released in the environment by mistake; once released they may exhibit some previously unknown pathogenicity, might take over from some naturally occurring bacteria (possibly having other positive functions which thus are lost) or pass on some unwanted trait to such indigenous bacteria. There is also concern that an uncontrolled genetic mutation could produce a form with hazardous consequences for the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accident source The cause or origin of an unexpected occurrence, failure or loss with the potential for harming human life, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accumulation in body tissues Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accumulator A rechargeable device for storing electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, consisting of one or more separate secondary cells. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acid deposition A type of pollution which washes out of the atmosphere as dilute sulphuric and nitric acids. It tends to be a regional rather than a global phenomenon, linked to particular industrial activities and meteorological conditions. It includes rain, more than normally acidic snow, mist, sleet, fog, gas and dry particles. It upsets the balance of nature, disrupting ecosystems, and destroys forests and woodlands, plants and crops; kills aquatic life by altering the chemical balance of lakes and rivers and corrodes building materials and fabrics. The pollutants are caused principally by discharges from power station chimneys of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released by burning fossil fuels, coal and oil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acidification Addition of an acid to a solution until the pH falls below 7. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acidity The state of being acid that is of being capable of transferring a hydrogen ion in solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acidity degree The amount of acid present in a solution, often expressed in terms of pH. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acid rain Rain having a pH less than 5.6. The acidity results from chemical reactions occurring when water, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, generally released by industrial processes, are chemically transformed into sulphuric and nitric acids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acid A compound capable of transferring a hydrogen ion in solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustic filter A device employed to reject sound in a particular range of frequencies while passing sound in another range of frequencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustic insulation The process of preventing the transmission of sound by surrounding with a nonconducting material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustic level Physical quantity of sound measured, usually expressed in decibels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustic property The characteristics found within a structure that determine the quality of sound in its relevance to hearing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustics The science of the production, transmission and effects of sound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts actinide A group of 15 radioactive elements some of which occur naturally while others are produced in nuclear reactions. They include plutonium, americium and neptunium. The health hazard presented by the actinides, if they are released into the environment, comes from the potency of their radioactive characteristics. They are alpha-emitters, and therefore can cause intense localized damage in tissues if absorbed into the body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts actinium A radioactive element of the actinide series, occurring as a decay product of uranium. It is used as an alpha particle source and in neutron production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts action group A collection of persons united to address specific sociopolitical or socioeconomic concerns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts activated carbon A powdered, granular or pelleted form of amorphous carbon characterized by a very large surface area per unit volume because of an enormous number of fine pores. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts activated sludge Sludge that has been aerated and subjected to bacterial action; used to speed breakdown of organism matter in raw sewage during secondary waste treatment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts active participation The involvement, either by an individual or a group of individuals, in their own governance or other activities, with the purpose of exerting influence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intervention on land Stepping in or participating in problem solving efforts for troublesome or perplexing situations involving ground areas or the earth's surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts act 1) Something done voluntarily by a person, and of such a nature that certain legal consequences attach to it. 2) Documents, decrees, edicts, laws, judgments, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adaptable species Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adaptation period Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical addition Chemical reaction in which one or more of the double bonds or triple bonds in an unsaturated compound is converted to a single bond by the addition of other atoms or groups. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts additional packaging Additional packaging around the normal sales packaging. For example as protection against theft or for the purpose of advertising; the customer may leave the additional packaging in the shop for waste collection. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts addition polymer A polymer formed by the chain addition of unsaturated monomer molecules, such as olefins, with one another without the formation of a by-product, as water; examples are polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts additive Substances mixed in small quantities with another product to modify its chemical or physical state. Additives are used to make food look visually more attractive, in the case of colouring agents, as well as to preserve and extend the life of the product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adhesive Substance used for sticking objects together, such as glue, cement, or paste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acceptable daily intake The measurement of the amount of any chemical substance that can be safely consumed by a human being in a day. Calculations are usually based on the maximum level of a substance that can be fed to animals without producing any harmful effects. This is divided by a "safety factor" to allow for the differences between animals and humans and to take account of the variation in human diets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administration The management or direction of the affairs of a public or private office, business or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative body Any governmental agency or organization charged with managing and implementing regulations, laws and government policies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative competence The skill, knowledge, qualification, capacity or authority to manage or direct the affairs of a public or private office, business or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative fiat An authoritative decree, sanction or order issued from an office with executive or managerial authority, without necessarily having the force of law or its equivalent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative jurisdiction The extent, power or territory in which an office with executive or managerial authority administers justice or declares judgments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative law Body of law created by administrative agencies in the form of rules, regulations, orders and decisions to carry out regulatory powers and duties of such agencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative procedure Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative sanction Generally, any formal official imposition of penalty or fine; destruction, taking, seizure, or withholding of property; assessment of damages, reimbursement, restitution, compensation, costs, charges or fees; requirement, revocation or suspension of license; and taking other compulsory or restrictive action by organization, agency or its representative. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adsorption The physical or chemical bonding of molecules of gas, liquid or a dissolved substance to the external surface of a solid or the internal surface, if the material is porous, in a very thin layer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adult A person who is fully grown, developed or of a specified age. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adult education Any instruction or training, informal or formal, which is geared to persons of mature age, regardless of previous education, and typically offered by university extension programs, employers, correspondence courses or community groups. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts advertisement The action of drawing public attention to goods, services or events, often through paid announcements in newspapers, magazines, television or radio. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product advertising The creation and dissemination of paid announcements or public notices to draw attention to goods, services or events offered by some entity, usually for purchase. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts advice An official notice, opinion, counsel or recommendation that is optional or at the receiver's discretion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aeration Exposition to the action of air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerial photograph An image of the ground surface made on a light-sensitive material and taken at a high altitude from an aircraft, spacecraft or rocket. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerobic condition Life common to the majority of animal and plants species requiring the presence of oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerobic process A process requiring the presence of oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerobiology The study of the atmospheric dispersal of airborne fungus spores, pollen grains, and microorganisms; and, more broadly, of airborne propagules of algae and protozoans, minute insects such as aphids, and pollution gases and particles which exert specific biologic effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerodynamic noise Acoustic noise caused by turbulent airflow over the surface of a body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerosol A gaseous suspension of ultramicroscopic particles of a liquid or a solid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aesthetics Considerations, values, and judgements pertaining to the quality of the human perceptual experience (including sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and movement) evoked by phenomena or components of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts afforestation 1) Establishment of a new forest by seeding or planting of nonforested land. 2) The planting of trees on land which was previously used for other uses than forestry. 3) The planting of trees in an area, or the management of an area to allow trees to regenerate or colonize naturally, in order to produce a forest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Africa The second largest of the continents, on the Mediterranean in the north, the Atlantic in the west, and the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean in the east. The Sahara desert divides the continent unequally into North Africa and Africa south of Sahara. The largest lake is Lake Victoria and the chief rivers are the Nile, Niger, Congo, and Zambezi. The hottest continent, Africa has vast mineral resources, many of which are still undeveloped. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts afterburning An afterburner is a gadget fitted to the exhaust flues of furnaces and also to the exhaust systems of motor vehicles. They remove polluting gases and particles, which are the result of incompletely combusted fuel, by incineration and break down other chemical molecules associated with combustion into inert chemicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts age The period of time that a person, animal or plant has lived or is expected to live. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agreement (legal) The coming together in accord of two minds on a given proposition. In law, a concord of understanding and intention between two or more parties with respect to the effect upon their relative rights and duties, of certain past or future facts or performances. The consent of two or more persons concerning respecting the transmission of some property, right, or benefits, with the view of contracting an obligation, a mutual obligation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agreement (contract) An agreement, convention, or promise of two or more parties, by deed in writing, signed, and delivered, by which either of the parties pledges himself to the other that something is either done, or shall be done, or shall not be done, or stipulates for the truth of certain facts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural biotechnology Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural building The buildings and adjacent service areas of a farm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural ecology Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural economics An applied social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of agricultural or farming goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural effluent Any solid, liquid or gas that enters the environment as a by-product of agricultural activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural engineering A discipline concerned with developing and improving the means for providing food and fiber for mankind's needs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural equipment Machines utilized for tillage, planting, cultivation, and harvesting of crops. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural exploitation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural land Land used primarily for the production of plant or animal crops, including arable agriculture, dairying, pasturage, apiaries, horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, animal husbandry and the necessary lands and structures needed for packing, processing, treating, or storing the produce. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural landscape No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural legislation Agricultural law is a blend of traditional fields of law including the law of contracts, bailments, torts, criminal, environmental, property, nuisance, wills and estates, and tax law. As such, it is a gathering of statutory and common law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural machinery Machines utilized for tillage, planting, cultivation and harvesting of crops. Despite its benefits in increasing yields, mechanisation has clearly had some adverse environmental effects: deep ploughing exposes more soil to wind and water erosion; crop residues can be removed as opposed to ploughing back into the soil; removal of residues can lead to a serious loss of organic content in the soil, which may increase the risk of soil erosion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural management The administration or handling of soil, crops and livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural method Practices and techniques employed in agriculture to improve yields and productivity. Over the last few decades they have undergone big changes: tilling, sowing and harvesting have become increasingly mechanised, and the methods of applying fertilisers and pesticides have become more sophisticated. Many changes within the agricultural system can be summed up by "intensification". The result and aim of intensification has been to achieve increases in production, yields and labour productivity in agriculture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural pest Insects and mites that damage crops, weeds that compete with field crops for nutrients and water, plants that choke irrigation channels or drainage systems, rodents that eat young plants and grain, and birds that eat seedlings or stored foodstuffs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural planning The development of plans and measures to achieve greater and more efficient output from agriculture; a sound agricultural policy should be able to reconcile three basic needs: the production of food and agricultural products, the protection of the environment and the maintenance of the socio-economic structure of rural areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural policy A course of action adopted by government or some other organization that determines how to deal with matters involving the cultivation of land; raising crops; feeding, breeding and raising livestock or poultry; and other farming issues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural pollution The liquid or solid wastes from farming, including: runoff from pesticides, fertilizers, and feedlots; erosion and dust from plowing; animal manure and carcasses, crop residues, and debris. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural production Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural product The output of the cultivation of the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural storage Any deposit or holdings of farm products, fertilizers, grains, feed and other related supplies in facilities or containers, often to prevent contamination or for times when production cannot meet demand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural waste Unusable materials, liquid or solid, that result from agricultural practices, such as fertilizers, pesticides, crop residue (such as orchard prunings) and cattle manure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agriculture The production of plants and animals useful to man, involving soil cultivation and the breeding and management of crops and livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agriculture and cattle industry Large scale growing of crops and livestock grazing for profit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agriculture framework plan A formulated or systematic method for the management of soil, crops and livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agrochemical Any substance or mixture of substances used or intended to be used for preventing, destroying, repelling, attracting, inhibiting, or controlling any insects, rodents, birds, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, weeds or other forms of plant, animal or microbial life regarded as pests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agroforestry The interplanting of farm crops and trees, especially leguminous species. In semiarid regions and on denuded hillsides, agroforestry helps control erosion and restores soil fertility, as well as supplying valuable food and commodities at the same time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agroindustry Industry dealing with the supply, processing and distribution of farm products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agrometeorology The study of the interaction between meteorological and hydrological factors, on the one hand, and agriculture in the widest sense, including horticulture, animal husbandry and forestry, on the other. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts AIDS The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is caused by HIV-virus manifested by opportunistic infections and/or malignancies, and the mortality rate is very high. The syndrome results from a breakdown of the body's disease-fighting mechanism that leaves it defenceless against infections, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia, certain blood infections, candidiasis, invasive cervical cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma or any of over 20 other indicator diseases. No effective treatment is available. A striking feature of AIDS is the wide spectrum and frequency of infections with life-threatening pathogens seldom seen in normal hosts. The illness may begin with insidious signs and symptoms, and the process may be more diffuse than when the same conditions are seen in other immune-compromised patients. Four patterns of disease occur in AIDS patients. The pulmonary pattern, the central nervous system pattern, the gastrointestinal pattern, and the pattern of fever of unknown origin. Most patients who recover from a given opportunistic infection subsequently either have a relapse or develop a new type of infection. Many patients continue to have a wasting syndrome and experience such infections as oral thrush. Feelings of depression and isolation are common among AIDS patients and can be intensified if health care workers display fear of the syndrome. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air A predominantly mechanical mixture of a variety of individual gases forming the earth's enveloping atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air conditioning A system or process for controlling the temperature and sometimes the humidity and purity of the air in a house, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aircraft Any structure, machine, or contrivance, especially a vehicle, designed to be supported by the air, either by the dynamic action of the air upon the surfaces of the structure or object or by its own buoyancy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aircraft engine emission The formation and discharge of gaseous and particulate pollutants into the environment, especially the stratosphere, chiefly from airplanes, helicopters and other high-altitude aircrafts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aircraft noise Effective sound output of the various sources of noise associated with aircraft operation, such as propeller and engine exhaust, jet noise, and sonic boom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air movement Air movements within the Earth's atmospheric circulation; also called planetary winds. Two main components are recognized: first, the latitudinal meridional component due to the Coriolis force (a deflecting motion or force discussed by G.G. de Coriolis in 1835. The rotation of the Earth causes a body moving across its surface to be deflected to the right in the N hemisphere and to the left in the S hemisphere); and secondly, the longitudinal component and the vertical movement, resulting largely from varying pressure distributions due to differential heating and cooling of the Earth's surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air pollutant Any pollutant agent or combination of such agents, including any physical, chemical, biological, radioactive substance or matter which is emitted into or otherwise enters the ambient air and can, in high enough concentrations, harm humans, animals, vegetation or material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air pollution Presence in the atmosphere of large quantities of gases, solids and radiation produced by the burning of natural and artificial fuels, chemical and other industrial processes and nuclear explosions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts airport A landing and taking-off area for civil aircraft, usually with surfaced runways and aircraft maintenance and passenger facilities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air quality The degree to which air is polluted; the type and maximum concentration of man-produced pollutants that should be permitted in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air quality control The measurement of ambient air-pollution concentrations in order to determine whether there is a problem in a given region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air quality management Regulate and plan and work toward the accomplishment of completion of stated goals, objectives and mission pertaining to air quality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air safety Any measure, technique or design intended to reduce the risk of harm posed by either moving vehicles or projectiles above the earth's surface or pollutants to the earth's atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts airspace planning The activity of organizing or preparing for transportation through the atmosphere above earth's surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air temperature The temperature of the atmosphere which represents the average kinetic energy of the molecular motion in a small region and is defined in terms of a standard or calibrated thermometer in thermal equilibrium with the air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air traffic Aircraft moving in flight or on airport runways. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air traffic law International rules and conventions relating to air transportation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air traffic regulation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air transportation The use of aircraft, predominantly airplanes, to move passengers and cargo. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air-water interaction The physical processes at the air-water interface: momentum, heat and mass transfer across the air-water interface, mixing of surface water by wind stress and wave breaking, directional wave spectra and wave forces on offshore structures. The air-water interaction is measured by the turbulence and gas exchanges resulting from the mixing of the water column by wind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alarm Signalling an impending danger in order to call attention to some event or condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alcohol A group of organic chemical compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The molecules in the series vary in chain length and are composed of a hydrocarbon plus a hydroxyl group. Alcohol includes methanol and ethanol. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alga Simple, green, aquatic plants without stems, roots or leaves. They are among the microscopic organisms that form the start of the food chain. Algae are found floating in the sea and fresh water, but they also grow on the surface of damp walls, rocks, the bark of trees and on soil. They contain chlorophyll and other pigments that let them grow by photosynthesis. On land, algae can be useful in improving the fertility of soil by nitrogen fixation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts algal bloom Excessive and rapid growth of algae and other aquatic plants when they are stimulated to grow too quickly by pollution. It takes place when there are too many nutrients in the water and is aggravated when accompanied by a rise in temperature. Although the algae grow quickly they soon die because they have swallowed up all the water's nutrients. As they decompose they tend to rise to the surface and form a green slime. Algal bloom have increased because higher levels of nitrogen and phosphates from agricultural areas have leached from the fields into water courses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts algicide Any substance or chemical applied to kill or control algal growth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alicyclic compound Any substance composed of two or more unlike atoms held together by chemical bonds characterized by straight-chained, branched or cyclic properties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alicyclic hydrocarbon A class of organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms joined to form one or more rings and having the properties of both aliphatic and cyclic substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aliphatic compound Any organic compound of hydrogen and carbon characterized by a straight chain of the carbon atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aliphatic hydrocarbon Hydrocarbons having an open chain of carbon atoms, whether normal or forked, saturated or unsaturated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alkali land Any geomorphic area, often a level lake-like plain, with soil containing a high percentage of mineral salts, located especially in arid regions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alkali soil Soil that contains sufficient exchangeable sodium to interfere with water penetration and crop growth, either with or without appreciable quantities of soluble salts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alkane Paraffins. A homologous series of saturated hydrocarbons having the general formula CnH2n+2. Their systematic names end in -ane. They are chemically inert, stable, and flammable. The first four members of the series (methane, ethane, propane, butane) are gases at ordinary temperatures; the next eleven are liquids, and form the main constituents of paraffin oil; the higher members are solids. Paraffin waxs consists mainly of higher alkanes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alkyl compound Compound containing one or more alkyl radicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts allergen Any antigen, such as pollen, a drug, or food, that induces an allergic state in humans or animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts allergy A condition of abnormal sensitivity in certain individuals to contact with substances such as proteins, pollens, bacteria, and certain foods. This contact may result in exaggerated physiologic responses such as hay fever, asthma, and in severe enough situations, anaphylactic shock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts allocation The assignment or allotment of resources to various uses in accord with a stated goal or policy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts allocation plan The formulation and application of such measures as laws, economic plans, urbanism, etc., to ensure a balance between the population's needs and the country's resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alloy Any of a large number of substances having metallic properties and consisting of two or more elements; with few exceptions, the components are usually metallic elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alluvion An overflowing; an inundation or flood, especially when the water is charged with much suspended material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alpha radiation A stream of alpha particles which are ejected from many radioactive substances having a penetrating power of a few cm in air but can be stopped by a thin piece of paper. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alternative material Materials employed in the place of others which are more dangerous for the environment, such as phosphate substitutes in detergents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alternative technology Technology that, as an alternative to resource-intensive and wasteful industry, aims to utilize resources sparingly, with minimum damage to the environment, at affordable cost and with a possible degree of control over the processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alumina A natural or synthetic oxide of aluminum widely distributed in nature, often found as a constituent part of clays, feldspars, micas and other minerals, and as a major component of bauxite. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aluminium A light white metal, ductile and malleable, and a good conductor of electricity. It occurs widely in nature in clays and is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is extracted mainly from bauxite by electrolysis of a molten mixture of purified bauxite and cryolite. The metal and its alloys are used for aircraft, cooking utensils, electrical apparatus, and for many other purposes where its light weight is an advantage. Aluminium became implicated as an environmental health hazard in the 1980s on two counts. Biomedical scientists looking for possible causes of Alzheimer's disease, the premature senility indicated by loss of memory and confusion, found a circumstantial link with aluminium. The theory is a controversial one. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aluminium container A can or box made of aluminium in which material is held or carried. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aluminium content Amount of aluminium contained in a solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aluminium industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the mining and processing of aluminum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alveolus A tiny, thin-walled, capillary-rich sac in the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. Also called air sac. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts amalgam A solution of a metal in mercury. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Americas The landmasses and islands of North America, South America, Mexico, and Central America included in the Western Hemisphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Ames test A bioassay developed by Bruce N. Ames in 1974, performed on bacteria to assess the capability of environmental chemicals to cause mutations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts amine One of a class of organic compounds which can be considered to be derived from ammonia by replacement of one or more hydrogens by organic radicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts amino acid Organic compounds containing a carboxyl group (-COOH) and an amino group (-NH2). About 30 amino acids are known. They are fundamental constituents of living matter because protein molecules are made up of many amino acid molecules combined together. Amino acids are synthesized by green plants and some bacteria, but some (arginine, histidine, lysine. threonine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine, tryptophane) cannot be synthesized by animals and therefore are essential constituents of their diet. Proteins from specific plants may lack certain amino acids, so a vegetarian diet must include a wide range of plant products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ammonia A colorless gaseous alkaline compound that is very soluble in water, has a characteristic pungent odour, is lighter than air, and is formed as a result of the decomposition of most nitrogenous organic material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ammonification Addition of ammonia or ammonia compounds, especially to the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ammonium The radical NH4+. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts amphibian A class of vertebrate animals characterized by a moist, glandular skin, gills at some stage of development, and no amnion during the embryonic stage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts amusement park An open-air entertainment area consisting of stalls, side shows etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anaerobic condition A mode of life carried on in the absence of molecular oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anaerobic process A process from which air or oxygen not in chemical combination is excluded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts analysis Examination or determination. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts analysis programme No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts analytical chemistry The branch of chemistry dealing with techniques which yield any type of information about chemical systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts analytical equipment Equipment employed in analytical techniques. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts analytical method No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts swans, geese and ducks A family of waterfowl, including ducks, gees, mergansers, pochards and swans, in the order Anseriformes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anatomy The science concerned with the physical structure of animals and plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts angiosperm The class of seed plants that includes all the flowering plants, characterized by the possession of flowers. The ovules, which become seeds after fertilization, are enclosed in ovaries. The xylem contains true vessels. The angiospermae are divided into two subclasses: Monocotyledoneae and Dycotiledoneae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts angling The art or sport of catching fish with a rod and line and a baited hook or other lure, such as a fly. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal behaviour Behaviour of animals in their normal environment, including all the processes, both internal and external, by which they respond to changes in their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal disease Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal dung as fuel Excrement from animals that may be dried and burned to generate energy or converted to liquid or gaseous fuels, such as methane, through chemical processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal ecology A study of the relationships of animals to their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal experiment Investigation carried out in animals for research purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal foodstuff Any crops or other food substances for animal consumption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal genetics The scientific study of the hereditary material of animals for theoretical and practical applications such as increased population, conservation and disease research. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal housing Any kind of shelter, refuge affording protection to animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal husbandry A branch of agriculture concerned with the breeding and feeding of domestic animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal manure Animal excreta collected from stables and barnyards with or without litter; used to enrich the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal noise Noise caused by animals such as dogs kept in kennels or in private homes as pets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal nutrition Ingestion, digestion and/or assimilation of food by animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal physiology Study of the normal processes and metabolic functions of animal organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal production No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal protection Precautionary actions or procedures taken to prevent or reduce the harm to sentient, non-human species, posed, in most cases, by humans. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal resource No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal for slaughter Animals bred and killed for the production of food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal shelter A protection providing housing for animals in bad weather. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal Any living organism characterized by voluntary movement, the possession of cells with noncellulose cell walls and specialized sense organs enabling rapid response to stimuli, and the ingestion of complex organic substances such as plants and other animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal textile fibre A filament or threadlike strand derived from animals that manufacturers use to produce clothes or other goods that require weaving, knitting or felting, which include silk, wool, mohair and other forms of animal hair. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal trade The process or act of exchanging, buying or selling animals, especially livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal waste Discarded material from industries directly associated with the raising of animals, such as those wastes produced by livestock farming (manure, milk, etc.), meat production and animal testing (animal bodies, animal parts, feathers, etc.) and fur breeding (fur, blood, etc.). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anion An ion that is negatively charged. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts annelid Any worms of the phylum Anellida, in which the body is divided into segments both internally and externally. The group includes the earthworms, lugworm, ragworm, and leeches. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antagonism The situation in which two chemicals upon interaction interfere in such a way that the action of one partially or completely inhibits the effects of the other. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antagonistic effect of toxic substances Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Antarctica A continent lying chiefly within the Antarctic Circle and asymmetrically centered on the South Pole: it consists of an ice-covered plateau (some 95 percent of Antarctica is covered by an icecap averaging 1,6 km in thickness), 1800-3000 m above sea level, and mountains ranges rising to 4500 m with some volcanic peaks; average temperatures all below freezing and human settlement is confined to research station. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Antarctic ecosystem Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Antarctic Ocean The waters, including ice shelves, that surround the continent of Antarctica, which comprise the southernmost parts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, and also the Ross, Amundsen, Bellingshausen and Weddell seas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Antarctic region An area within the Antarctic Circle that includes the fifth largest continent and its surrounding waters, consisting mostly of thick ice shelves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anthropic activity Action resulting from or influenced by human activity or intervention. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anthropogenic factor Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anthropologic reserve Area of protection of the life style of societies where traditional human activities are still maintained and the exploitation of natural resources is still carried out without compromising the future availability. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antibiotic A chemical substance, produced by microorganisms and synthetically, that has the capacity to inhibit the growth of, and even to destroy, bacteria and other microorganisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antibody A complex protein that is produced in response to the introduction of a specific antigen into an animal. Antibodies belong to a class of proteins called immunoglobins, which are formed by plasma cells in the blood as a defence mechanism against invasion by parasites, notably bacteria and viruses, either by killing them or rendering them harmless. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anticipation of danger The act of foreseeing, expecting and taking measures against possible future exposure to harm, death or a thing that causes these. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antifouling agent Agent that inhibits the growth of barnacles and other marine organisms on a ship's bottom (an antifouling paint or other coating). Organo-tin compounds have been the most often used agents in this application since they are effective against both soft and hard fouling organisms. However, in spite of their performance, they have a negative impact on the marine environment and their long half life in the environment, has prompted marine paint manufacturers to look for a nonpersistent alternative. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antipollution incentive Financial reward or penalty used to incite action towards greater responsibility in reducing the presence of pollution or substances in the environment deemed harmful to human health or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts AOX value Organic halogens subject to absorption. This is a measure of the amount of chlorine (and other halogens) combined with organic compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts apartment block An apartment building in which each apartment is individually wholly owned and the common areas are jointly owned. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts apiculture Large-scale commercial beekeeping. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts appeal Resort to a superior court to review the decision of an inferior court or administrative agency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts appeal procedure Procedure through which it is possible to resort to a superior court to review the decision of an inferior court. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts applied ecology The application of ecological principles to the solution of human problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts applied nutrition Putting to use general principles of the science of human nourishment to address or solve specific problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts applied science Science whose results are employed in technical applications. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts appropriate technology 1) A flexible and participatory approach to developing economically viable, regionally applicable and sustainable technology. 2) Technology designed to be used in developing countries. Typical requirements are that it should: be easy to use by the unskilled; have no difficult-to-get parts; be easily repaired on the spot. Typical example: a simple windmill to pump water rather than a diesel-driven pump. The terms `alternative', `intermediate' and `appropriate' are often used interchangeably. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts approval of installations Authorization or permission for setting up or making adjustments to a building or to a mechanical or electrical system or apparatus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquaculture 1) The cultivation and harvest of freshwater or marine animals and plants, in ponds, tanks, cages or on protected beds. This is usually done in inland waters, estuaries or coastal waters. It is estimated that commercial fish farming accounts for more than 10% of the world's fish needs. Fish farming usually concentrates on molluscs, including oysters, mussels and clams, because they are usually immobile and fetch high prices. Shrimps and salmon are also farmed, but the stock have to be caught in the wild first, so that they can be brought up to commercial standards in pens. Aquaculture in not new. In Asia freshwater fish have been farmed for some 4.000 years, usually on small farms. 2) The use of artificial means to increase the production of aquatic organisms in fresh or salt water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic animal Animal having a water habitat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic ecology The study of the relationships among aquatic living organisms and between those organisms and their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic ecosystem Any watery environment, from small to large, from pond to ocean, in which plants and animals interact with the chemical and physical features of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic mammal Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic micro-organism Microorganisms having a water habitat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic organism Organisms which live in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic plant Plants adapted for a partially or completely submerged life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic recreational amenity No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aqueduct A channel for supplying water; often underground, but treated architecturally on high arches when crossing valleys or low ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquifer Layers of rock, sand or gravel that can absorb water and allow it to flow. An aquifer acts as a groundwater reservoir when the underlying rock is impermeable. This may be tapped by wells for domestic, agricultural or industrial use. A serious environmental problem arises when the aquifer is contaminated by the seepage of sewage or toxins from waste dumps. If the groundwater in coastal areas is over-used salt water can seep into the aquifer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arable farming Growing crops as opposed to dairy farming, cattle farming, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arboriculture The planting and care of woody plants, especially trees. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts archaeological site Any location containing significant relics and artifacts of past culture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts archaeology The scientific study of the material remains of the cultures of historical or prehistorical peoples. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts archipelago A chain of many islands including the waters that surround them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts architecture The art and science of designing and building structures, or large groups of structures, in keeping with aesthetic and functional criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Arctic ecosystem Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Arctic Ocean The smallest and most poorly studied of the oceans on earth. It covers an area of 14 million square km that is divided by three submarine ridges, i.e. the Alpha Ridge, the Lomonosov Ridge, and an extension of the mid-Atlantic ridge. It is also nearly landlocked, covered year-round by pack ice, and the third of its area is continental shelf. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Arctic region The northernmost area of the earth, centered on the North Pole, that includes the Arctic Ocean, the northern reaches of Canada, Alaska, Russia, Norway and most of Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts distribution area 1) The overall geographical distribution of a talon. 2) The range occupied by a community or other group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts area of potential pollution Area which is supposedly causing dangers to human health and environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arid land ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in a climatic region where the annual precipitation averages less than 10 inches per year. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arid land Lands characterized by low annual rainfall of less than 250 mm, by evaporation exceeding precipitation and a sparse vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts armament The weapons, ammunition and equipment, or the total force held by a military unit or state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts armament conversion Change in character, form or function of the arms and equipment with which a military unit is supplied. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts armed forces The military units of a state, typically divided by their differing contexts of operations, such as the army, navy, air force and marines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aromatic compound Compounds characterized by the presence of at least one benzene ring. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aromatic hydrocarbon Hydrocarbons having an unsaturated ring containing alternating double and single bonds, especially containing a benzene ring. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aromatic substance Substance having a distinctive, usually fragrant smell. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arrangement for a deposit on packaging Agreement to provide refunds or payments in exchange for used bottles or packaging materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arsenic A toxic metalloid element, existing in several allotropic forms, that occurs principally in realgar and orpiment and as the free element. It is used in transistors, lead-based alloys, and high temperature brasses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts art The creation of works of beauty or other special significance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arthropod The largest phylum in the animal kingdom; adults typically have segmented body, a sclerotized integument, and many-jointed segmental limbs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Articulata Animals characterized by the repetition of similar segments (metameres), exhibited especially by arthropods, annelids, and vertebrates in early embryonic stages and in certain specialized adult structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts artificial lake Lakes created behind manmade barriers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts artificial satellite Any man-made object placed in a near-periodic orbit in which it moves mainly under the gravitational influence of one celestial body, such as the earth, sun, another planet, or a planet's moon. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts asbestos Generic name for a group of fibrous mineral silicates. It includes blue asbestos (crocidolite), white asbestos (chrysotile) and brown asbestos (amosite). After they are mined the asbestos fibres are separated from the rock and are spun into a cloth. When inhaled the fibres penetrate the lungs and the tissues of the bronchial tubes, resulting in asbestosis, a crippling lung disease. Asbestos also causes cancer of the lung and the gastro-intestinal tract, and mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the inner lining of the chest. However, because it is a poor conductor of electricity and highly resistant to heat it has been widely used over the years in fire-fighting suits, and building and insulating materials. The fibrous form of several silicate minerals, at one time widely used for electrical and thermal insulation; the use of all forms of asbestos is now either banned or strictly controlled in many countries since it causes cancer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts asbestos cement A hardened mixture of asbestos fibers, Portland cement and water used in relatively thin slabs for shingles, wallboard and siding. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ash The incombustible matter remaining after a substance has been incinerated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Asia The world's largest continent. It occupies the eastern part of the Eurasian landmass and its adjacent islands and is separated from Europe by the Ural Mountains. Asia borders on the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean and Red Seas in the west. It includes the largest peninsulas of Asia Minor, India, Arabia, and Indochina and the island groups of Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Ceylon; contains the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Pamirs, Tian Shan, Urals, and Caucasus, the great plateaus of India, Iran and Tibet, vast plains and deserts, and the valleys of many large rivers including the Mekong, Irrawaddy, Indus, Ganges, Tigris and Euphrates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts assimilation Conversion of nutritive material to living tissue. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts association A body of persons associated for the regulation of a common economic activity by means of a special organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts astronautics The science of space flight. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts astronomy The science concerned with celestial bodies and the observation and interpretation of the radiation received in the vicinity of the earth from the component parts of the universe. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atlas A bound collection of maps or charts, plates, engravings or tables illustrating any subject. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmosphere The gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth in a several kilometers-thick layer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric chemistry The study of the production, transport, modification, and removal of atmospheric constituents in the troposphere and stratosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric circulation The general movement and circulation of air, which transfers energy between different levels of the atmosphere. The mechanisms of circulation are very complicated. They involve the transfer of energy between the oceans and the atmosphere, the land and the atmosphere, as well as the different levels of the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric component The Earth's atmosphere consists by volume of nitrogen (79,1%), oxygen (20,9%), carbon dioxide (about 0,03%) and traces of the noble gases (argon, krypton, xenon, helium) plus water vapour, traces of ammonia, organic matter, ozone, various salts and suspended solid particles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric composition The chemical abundance in the earth's atmosphere of its constituents including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapour, ozone, neon, helium, krypton, methane, hydrogen and nitrous oxide. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric emission Suspended pollutants -- solid particles, liquid aerosols, etc. -- or toxic gases released into the atmosphere from a polluting source, or type of source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric humidity A measurable quantity of the moisture content found in the earth's atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric layering Any one of a number of strata or layers of the earth's atmosphere; temperature distribution is the most common criterion used for denoting the various shell. Also known as atmospheric shell; atmospheric region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric model A simulation, pattern or plan designed to demonstrate the structure or workings of the atmosphere surrounding any object, including the Earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric monitoring A practice of continuous atmospheric sampling by various levels of government or particular industries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric ozone A triatomic molecule of oxygen; a natural constituent of the atmosphere, with the highest concentrations in the ozone layer or stratosphere; it is found at a level between 15 and 30 km above the Earth, which prevents harmful ultraviolet B radiation, which causes skin cancer and threatens plant life, from reaching the ground. The fragile shield is being damaged by chemicals released on Earth. The main chemicals that are depleting stratospheric ozone are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used in refrigerators, aerosols and as cleaners in many industries and halons, which are used in fire extinguishers. The damage is caused when these chemicals release highly reactive forms of chlorine and bromine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric particulate A concentration of fine liquid or solid particles, such as dust, smoke, mist, fumes or smog, found in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric physics The study of the physical phenomena of the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric pollution The presence in the air of one or more contaminants in such a concentration and of such duration as to cause a nuisance or to be injurious to human life, animal life or vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric precipitation The settling out of water from cloud in the form of dew, rain, hail, snow, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric process Atmospheric processes are distinguished in physical and chemical processes and both types may be operating simultaneously in complicated and interdependent ways. The physical processes of transport by atmospheric winds and the formation of clouds and precipitation strongly influence the patterns and rates of acidic deposition, while chemical reactions govern the forms of the compounds deposited. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric science The atmospheric sciences study the dynamics, physics and chemistry of atmospheric phenomena and processes, including the interactions of the atmosphere with soil physics, hydrology and oceanic circulation. The research focuses on the following areas: turbulence and convection, atmospheric radiation and remote sensing, aerosol and cloud physics and chemistry, planetary atmospheres, air-sea interactions, climate, and statistical meteorology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric structure The gaseous area surrounding the planet is divided into several concentric spherical strata (layers, like shells) separated by narrow transition zones. The boundaries are know as "pause". More than 99% of the total atmospheric mass is concentrated in the first 40 km from the Earth's surface. Atmospheric layers are characterized by differences in chemical composition that produce variations in temperature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts attribution Under certain circumstances, the tax law applies attribution rules to assign to one taxpayer the ownership interest of another taxpayer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts audiovisual media Any means of communication transmitted to both the sense of hearing and the sense of sight, especially technologies directed to large audiences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts authority body An organized assemblage of authorized persons or officials empowered to implement and enforce laws, oversee jurisdictions, settle disputes, adjudicate or make some other legal determination. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts authorisation An official certification of competence or a transfer of the right and power to act, including permission from government to use state funds for a particular program or project. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts autoecology That part of ecology which deals with individual species and their reactions to environmental factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts automatic detection The processing, discovery and identification of data elements by automated means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts automobile industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts avalanche A fall or slide of a large mass, as of snow or rock, down a mountainside. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts avalanche protection The total of measures and devices implemented to protect people, property or natural resources from avalanche conditions, including avalanche forecasting and warning, avalanche zoning, ski testing and the use of explosives and other equipment to stabilize an avalanche area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aviation law International rules regulating air transportation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts avifauna All the birds in a particular region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts background level Term used in a variety of situations, always as the constant or natural amount of a given substance, radiation, noise, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts background radiation Radiation resulting from natural sources, as opposed to man-made sources, and to which people are exposed in everyday, normal life; for example from rocks and soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bacterium Group of single-cell micro-organisms, the smallest of the living organisms. Some are vital to sustain life, while others are responsible for causing highly dangerous human diseases, such as anthrax, tetanus and tuberculosis. Bacteria are found everywhere, in the soil, water and air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bacterial bed A device that removes some suspended solids from sewage. Air and bacteria decompose additional wastes filtering through the sand so that cleaner water drains from the bed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bactericide An agent that destroys bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bacteriology The science and study of bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts balance (economic) An equality between the sums total of the two sides of an account, or the excess on either side. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts balancing of interests Considering, weighing or counterbalancing the competing political or financial concerns of different parts of society, including industries, consumers, trade unions and other groups or organizations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts banking Transactional business between any bank, an institution for safeguarding, exchanging, receiving and lending money, and that bank's clients or customers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewage spreading prohibition Prohibition of spreading sewage sludge on land to prevent accumulation of toxic heavy metals in excessive quantities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts barium A soft silvery-white metallic element of the alkaline earth group. It is used in bearing alloys and compounds are used as pigments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts baseline monitoring Monitoring of long-term changes in atmospheric compositions of particular significance to the weather and the climate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts base (chemical) Any chemical species, ionic or molecular, capable of accepting or receiving a proton (hydrogen ion) from another substance; the other substance acts as an acid in giving of the proton; the other ion is a base. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts basic food requirement The minimum nutriments deemed necessary for a person of a particular age, gender, physiological condition and activity level to sustain life, health and growth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts basicity The state of a solution of containing an excess of hydroxyl ions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts basidiomycete Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts batch process A process that is not in continuous or mass production; operations are carried out with discrete quantities of material or a limited number of items. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bathing water All waters, inland or coastal, except those intended for therapeutic purposes or used in swimming pools, an area either in which bathing is explicitly authorised or in which bathing is not prohibited and is traditionally practised by a large number of bathers. Water in such areas must meet specified quality standards relating to chemical, microbiological and physical parameters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts battery A series of cells, each containing the essentials for producing voltaic electricity, connected together. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts battery disposal Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bay An open, curving indentation made by the sea or a lake into a coastline. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beach The unconsolidated material that covers a gently sloping zone, typically with a concave profile, extending landward from the low-water line to the place where there is a definite change in material or physiographic from (such as a cliff), or to the line of permanent vegetation (usually the effective limit of the highest storm waves); a shore of body of water, formed and washed by waves or tides, usually covered by sand or gravel, and lacking a bare rocky surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beaching The washing ashore of whales or other cetaceans that have died for natural causes, or because of highly polluted sea water or after being trapped in drift nets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bee conservation The care, preservation and husbandry of hymenopterous insects valued for their ability to pollinate crops and other flora or for their production of honey. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beef cattle Cattle bred for the production of meat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bee Any of the membranous-winged insects which compose the superfamily Apoidea in the order Hymenoptera characterized by a hairy body and by sucking and chewing mouthparts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beetle Any insect of the order Coleoptera, having biting mouthparts and forewings modified to form shell-like protective elytra. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts behaviour Any observable action or response of an organism, group or species to environmental factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts behaviour of substances Reactivity of a compound depending on the structure of the molecules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts behaviour pattern A relatively uniform series of overt activities that can be observed with some regularity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beneficial organism Any pollinating insect, or any pest predator, parasite, pathogen or other biological control agent which functions naturally or as part of an integrated pest management program to control another pest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts benthic division The bottom of a body of water often occupied by benthos. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts benthic ecosystem The interacting system of the biological communities located at the bottom of bodies of freshwater and saltwater and their non-living environmental surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts benthos Those organisms attached to, living on, in or near the sea bed, river bed or lake floor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts benzene A colorless, liquid, flammable, aromatic hydrocarbon used to manufacture styrene and phenol. Also known as benzol. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts benzopyrene A five-ring aromatic hydrocarbon found in coal tar, in cigarette smoke, and as a product of incomplete combustion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beryllium A corrosion-resistant, toxic silvery-white metallic element that occurs chiefly in beryl and is used mainly in x-ray windows and in the manufacture of alloys. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beta radiation Name given to the ionizing radiation which is produced as a stream of high speed electrons emitted by certain types of radioactive substance when they decay. The intensity of radiation energy produced in human tissue by a beta particle is a hundred times less than that produced by an alpha radiation particle, but it travels slightly deeper into tissue. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beverage industry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beverage Any one of various liquids for drinking, usually excluding water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bibliography A complete or selective listing of documents by a given subject, author or publisher, often including the description and identification of the editions, dates of issue, titles, authorship, publishers or other written materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bicycle A vehicle with two wheels in tandem, pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain, handlebars for steering, and a saddlelike seat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bilateral convention An international agreement, especially one dealing with a specific matter, involving two or both sides, factions, or the like. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bilge oil Waste oil that accumulates, usually in small quantities, inside the lower spaces of a ship, just inside the shell plating, and usually mixed with larger quantities of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bilge water Water that builds up in the bottom of a ship's bilge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioaccumulation 1) The accumulation of pollutants in living organisms by direct adsorption or through food chains. 2) Accumulation by an organism of materials that are not an essential component or nutrient of that organism. Usually it refers to the accumulation of metals, but it can apply to bioaccumulation of persistent synthetic substances such as organochlorine compounds. Many organisms, such as plants, fungi and bacteria, will accumulate metals when grown in solutions containing them. The process can be employed usefully as a purification process to remove toxic heavy metals from waste water and contaminated land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioaccumulative pollutant Pollutants that become concentrated in living organisms through the consumption of food or water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bio-availability The extent to which a drug or other substance is taken up by a specific tissue or organ after administration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biochemical method Method based on the utilisation of a biochemical mechanism, e.g. any chemical reaction or series of reactions, usually enzyme catalysed, which produces a given physiological effect in a living organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biochemical process Chemical processes occurring in living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biochemical substance Chemical substances that occur in animals, microorganisms, and plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biochemistry The study of chemical substances occurring in living organisms and the reactions and methods for identifying these substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biocide A diverse group of poisonous substance including preservatives, insecticides, disinfectants and pesticides used for the control of organisms that are harmful to human or animal health or that cause damage to natural or manufactured products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioclimatology The study of climate in relation to fauna and flora. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biocoenosis A community or natural assemblage of organisms; often used as an alternative to ecosystem but strictly is the fauna/flora association excluding physical aspects of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioconcentration factor The quotient of the concentration of a chemical in aquatic organisms at a specific time or during a discrete time period of exposure, divided by the concentration in the surrounding water at the same time or during the same period. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biodegradability The extent to which a substance can be decomposed - or rotted - by bacteria and fungi. Implies that residues from degradation are nontoxic. One of the most misleading claims in business, because shoppers often assume a biodegradable product to be harmless. Some harmful compounds take much longer to degrade than others and the product can harm the environment while it is rotting. Biodegradation may also be incomplete, sometimes leaving residues in the environment which are more harmful than the original substance. Accumulation in the environment of nonbiodegradable (or poorly biodegradable) substances, such as some biocides, can cause serious problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biodegradable pollutant A pollutant which can be converted by biological processes into simple inorganic molecules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biodegradation Breaking down of a substance by microorganisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biodiversity 1) Genetic diversity: the variation between individuals and between populations within a species; species diversity: the different types of plants, animals and other life forms within a region; community or ecosystem diversity: the variety of habitats found within an area (grassland, marsh, and woodland for instance. 2) An umbrella term to describe collectively the variety and variability of nature. It encompasses three basic levels of organisation in living systems: the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. Plant and animal species are the most commonly recognized units of biological diversity, thus public concern has been mainly devoted to conserving species diversity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioethics The study of ethical problems arising from biological research and its applications in such fields as organ transplantation, genetic engineering, or artificial insemination. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biogas Gas, rich in methane, which is produced by the fermentation of animal dung, human sewage or crop residues in an air-tight container. It is used as a fuel, to heat stoves, lamps, run small machines and to generate electricity. The residues of biogas production are used as a low-grade organic fertilizer. Biogas fuels do not usually cause any pollution to the atmosphere, and because they come from renewable energy resources they have great potential for future use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biogeochemical cycle Movement of chemical elements in a circular pathway, from organisms to physical environment, back to organisms. The process is termed a nutrient cycle if the elements concerned are trace elements, which are essential to life. A biogeochemical cycle occurs when vegetation decomposes and minerals are incorporated naturally in the humus for future plant growth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biogeochemistry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biogeographical region Area of the Earth's surface defined by the species of fauna and flora it contains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biogeography The science concerned with the geographical distribution of animal and plant life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological activity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological analysis The analysis of a substance in order to ascertain its influence on living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological attribute Properties or features belonging to living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological development The action of growing of living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological effect Biological effects include allergic reactions, respiratory disorders, hypersensitivity diseases and infectious diseases and can be caused by a variety of contaminants and pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological engineering The application of engineering principles and techniques to living organisms. It is largely concerned with the design of replacement body parts, such as limbs, heart valves, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological indicator A species or organism that is used to grade environmental quality or change. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological monitoring The direct measurement of changes in the biological status of a habitat, based on evaluations of the number and distribution of individuals or species before and after a change. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological nitrogen fixation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological pest control Any living organism applied to or introduced into the environment that is intended to function as a pesticide against another organism declared to be a pest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological pollutant Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and mammal and bird antigens that may be present in the environment and cause many health effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological pollution Disturbance of the ecological balance by the accidental or deliberate introduction of a foreign organism, animal or plant species into an environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological process Processes concerning living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological production 1) The amount and rate of production which occur in a given ecosystem over a given time period. It may apply to a single organism, a population, or entire communities and ecosystems. 2) The quantity of organic matter or its equivalent in dry matter, carbon, or energy content which is accumulated during a given period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological resource Wild organisms harvested for subsistence, commerce, or recreation (such as fish, game, timber or furbearers); domesticated organisms raised by agriculture, aquaculture, and silviculture; and ecosystems cropped by livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological waste gas purification Processes for removing impurities from waste gas based on the employing of microorganisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological waste treatment A generic term applied to processes that use microorganisms to decompose organic wastes either into water, carbon dioxide, and simple inorganic substances, such as aldehydes and acids. The purpose of biological waste treatment is to control either the environment for microorganisms so that their growth and activity are enhanced, and to provide a means for maintaining high concentrations of the microorganisms in contact with the wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological weapon Living organisms (or infective material derived from them) which are intended to cause disease or death in animals, plants, or man, and which depend for their effects on their ability to multiply in the person, animal or plant attacked. Various living organisms (for example, rickettsiae, viruses and fungi), as well as bacteria, can be used as weapons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biology A division of the natural sciences concerned with the study of life and living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioluminescence The production of light of various colors by living organisms (e.g. some bacteria and fungi, glow-worms and many marine animals). Luminescence is produced by a biochemical reaction, which is catalyzed by an enzyme. In some animals the light is used as a mating signal; in others it may be a protective device. In deep-sea forms luminous organs may serve as lanterns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biomass Biomass refers strictly speaking to the total weight of all the living things in an ecosystem. However, it has come to refer to the amount of plant and crop material that could be produced in an ecosystem for making biofuels and other raw materials used in industry, for example. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biomass energy A renewable energy source that makes use of such biofuels as methane (biogas) generated by sewage, farm, industrial, or household organic waste materials. Other biofuels include trees grown in so-called "energy forests" or other plants, such as sugar cane, grown for their energy potential. Biomass energy relies on combustion and therefore produces carbon dioxide; its use would not, therefore, alleviate the greenhouse effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biophysics The hybrid science involving the application of physical principles and methods to study and explain the structures of living organisms and the mechanics of life processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bioreactor A container, such as a large fermentation chamber, for growing living organisms that are used in the industrial production of substances such as pharmaceuticals, antibodies, or vaccines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biorhythm A cyclically recurring pattern of physiological states in an organism or organ, such as alpha rhythm or circadian rhythm; believed by some to affect physical and mental states and behaviour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biosafety The combination of knowledge, techniques and equipment used to manage or contain potentially infectious materials or biohazards in the laboratory environment, to reduce or prevent harm to laboratory workers, other persons and the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biosphere That part of the Earth and atmosphere capable of supporting living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biosphere reserve Protected land and coastal areas that are approved under the Man and Biosphere programme (MAB) in conjunction with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Each reserve has to have an ecosystem that is recognized for its diversity and usefulness as a conservation unit. The reserves have at least one core area where there can be no interference with the natural ecosystem. A transition zone surrounds this and within it scientific research is allowed. Beyond this is a buffer zone which protects the whole reserve from agricultural, industrial and urban development. Biosphere reserves and buffer zones were regarded as examples of a new generation of conservation techniques. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biosynthesis Production, by synthesis or degradation, of a chemical compound by a living organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotechnology A combination of biology and technology. It is used to describe developments in the application of biological organisms for commercial and scientific purposes. So "bio" stands for biology and the science of life, and "tech" stands for technology, or the tools and techniques that the biotechnologists have in their workbox. Those tools and techniques include microorganisms and a range of methods for manipulating them, such as genetic engineering. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotic factor The influence upon the environment of organisms owing to the presence and activities of other organisms, as distinct from a physical, abiotic, environmental factor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotope A region of relatively uniform environmental conditions, occupied by a given plant community and its associated animal community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotope network Intersection of corridors connecting patchy ecological communities. Species survival tends to be higher in patches that have higher connectivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotope protection Measures taken to ensure that the biological and physical components of a biotope are in equilibrium by maintaining constant their relative numbers and features. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bird Any of the warm-blooded vertebrates which make up the class Aves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bird sanctuary Special area where birds are protected. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bird of prey Any of various carnivorous bird of the orders Falconiformes and Strigiformes which feed on meat taken by hunting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bird species Any species of the warm-blooded vertebrates which make up the class Aves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts birth control Limitation of the number of children born by preventing or reducing the frequency of impregnation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bitumen A generic term applied to natural inflammable substances of variable colour, hardness, and volatility, composed principally of a mixture of hydrocarbons substantially free from oxygenated bodies. Bitumens are sometimes associated with mineral matter, the nonmineral constituents being fusible and largely soluble in carbon disulfide, yielding water-insoluble sulfonation products. Petroleum, asphalts, natural mineral waxes, and asphaltites are all considered bitumens. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts black coal A natural black graphitelike material used as a fuel, formed from fossilized plants and consisting of amorphous carbon with various organic and some inorganic compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts blast furnace A tall, cylindrical smelting furnace for reducing iron ore to pig iron; the blast of air blown through solid fuel increases the combustion rate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bleaching agent 1) A chemical, such as an aromatic acyl peroxide or monoperoxiphthalic acid, used to bleach flour, fats, oils and other edibles. 2) An oxidizing or reducing chemical such as sodium hypochlorite, sulfur dioxide, sodium acid sulfite, or hydrogen peroxide. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bleaching clay Clay capable of chemically adsorbing oils, insecticides, alkaloids, vitamins, carbohydrates and other materials; it is used for refining and decolorizing mineral and vegetable oils. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bleaching process 1) Removing colored components from a textile. Common bleaches are hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochloride, and sodium chlorite. 2) The brightening and delignification of pulp by the addition of oxidizing chemicals such as chlorine or reducing chemicals such as sodium hypochloride. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts blood (tissue) A fluid connective tissue consisting of the plasma and cells that circulate in the blood vessels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts blue-green alga Microorganisms, formerly classified as algae but now regarded as bacteria, including nostoc, which contain a blue pigment in addition to chlorophyll. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts boating To travel or go in a boat as a form of recreation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biochemical oxygen demand The amount of oxygen used for biochemical oxidation by a unit volume of water at a given temperature and for a given time. BOD is an index of the degree of organic pollution in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts boiler An enclosed vessel in which water is heated and circulated, either as hot water or as steam, for heating or power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts boiling point The temperature at which the transition from the liquid to the gaseous phase occurs in a pure substance at fixed pressure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts book A collection of leaves of paper, parchment or other material, usually bound or fastened together within covers, containing writing of any type or blank pages for future inscription. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bookkeeping The art or science of recording business accounts and transactions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts border The dividing line or frontier between political or geographic regions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts boron A very hard almost colourless crystalline metalloid element that in impure form exists as a brown amorphous powder. It occurs principally in borax and is used in hardening steel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts botanical garden A place in which plants are grown, studied and exhibited. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts botany A branch of the biological sciences which embraces the study of plants and plant life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts boundary crossing Crossing of a state border. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts boundary layer The layer of fluid adjacent to a physical boundary in which the fluid motion is significantly affected by the boundary and has a mean velocity less than the free stream value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bovid Any animal belonging to the Bovidae family. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts brackish water Water, salty between the concentrations of fresh water and sea water; usually 5-10 parts x thousand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bradyseism A long-continued, extremely slow vertical instability of the crust, as in the volcanic district west of Naples, Italy, where the Phlegraean bradyseism has involved up-and-down movements between 6 m below sea level and 6 m above over a period of more than 2.000 years. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts breast milk Milk from the breast for feeding babies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts breeding The application of genetic principles to the improvement of farm animals and cultivated plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts breeding bird The individuals in a bird population that are involved in reproduction during a particular period in a given place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts brewing industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of beverages made from malt and hops by steeping, boiling and fermentation, such as beer, ale and other related beverages. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts brick A building material usually made from clay, molded as a rectangular block, and baked or burned in a kiln. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bridge A structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, river, or some other obstacle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bromine A pungent dark red volatile liquid element of the halogen series that occurs in brine and is used in the production of chemicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts brooding To incubate eggs or cover the young for warmth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts brook A small stream or rivulet, commonly swiftly flowing in rugged terrain, of lesser length and volume than a creek; especially a stream that issues directly from the ground, as from a spring or seep, or that is produced by heavy rainfall or melting snow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts brushwood Woody vegetation including shrubs and scrub trees of non-commercial height and form, often seen in the initial stages of succession following a disturbance. Brush often grows in very dense thickets that are impenetrable to wild animals and serve to suppress the growth of more desirable crop trees. However, brush can also serve an important function as desirable habitat for a range or bird, animal, and invertebrate species, and often provides a good source of browse and cover for larger wildlife. It adds structural diversity within the forest and is important in riparian zones. It is also termed scrub. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bryophyte Any plant of the division Bryophyta, having stems and leaves but lacking true vascular tissue and roots and reproducing by spores: includes the mosses and liverworts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bubble policy (emissions trading) EPA policy that allows a plant complex with several facilities to decrease pollution from some facilities while increasing it from others, so long as total results are equal to or better than previous limits. Facilities where this is done are treated as if they exist in a bubble in which total emissions are averaged out. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts budget A balance sheet or statement of estimated receipts and expenditures. A plan for the coordination of resource and expenditures. The amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bug Any of the suborder Heteroctera, having piercing and sucking mouthparts, specialized as a beak. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building Something built with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building area Land and other places on, under, in or through which the temporary and permanent works are to be executed and any other lands or places needed for the purposes of construction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building component A building element which uses industrial products that are manufactured as independent until capable of being joined with other elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building industry The art and technique of building houses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building land Area of land suitable for building on. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building material Any material used in construction, such as steel, concrete, brick, masonry, glass, wood, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building materials industry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building planning The activity of designing, organizing or preparing for future construction or reconstruction of edifices and facilities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building regulation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building site A piece of land on which a house or other building is being built. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building site preparation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building technology No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building waste Masonry and rubble wastes arising from the demolition or reconstruction of buildings or other civil engineering structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts built drainage system Collection of open and/or closed drains, together with structures and pumps used to collect and dispose of excess surface or subsurface water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts built environment That part of the physical surroundings which are people-made or people-organized, such as buildings and other major structures, roads, bridges and the like, down to lesser objects such as traffic lights, telephone and pillar boxes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts built structure Any structure made of stone, bricks, wood, concrete, or steel, built with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts built-up area Area which is full of houses, shops, offices and other buildings, with very little open space. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bulb cultivation The cultivation of flower bulb is divided into two sectors: for forcing (flower bulbs used by professional growers for the production of cut flowers and potted plants) and for dry sales (flower bulbs for garden planting, flower pots, landscaping and parks). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bureaucratisation The multiplication of or concentration of power in administrators and administrative offices in an organization, usually resulting in an extension into and regimentation of certain areas of social life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bus A large, long-bodied motor vehicle equipped with seating for passengers, usually operating as part of a scheduled service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts business The activity, position or site associated with commerce or the earning of a livelihood. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts butterfly Any diurnal insect of the order Lepidoptera that has a slender body with clubbed antennae and typically rests with the wings (which are often brightly coloured) closed over the back. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts button-cell battery A tiny, circular battery made for a watch or for other microelectric applications. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts by-catch Incidental taking of non-commercial species in drift nets, trawling operations and long line fishing; it is responsible for the death of large marine animals and one factor in the threatened extinction of some species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts by-product A product from a manufacturing process that is not considered the principal material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cable Strands of insulated electrical conductors laid together, usually around a central core, and wrapped in a heavy insulation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cadmium One of the toxic heavy metal which has caused deaths and permanent illnesses in a series of major pollution incidents around the world. Cadmium has no useful biological purpose. However, it has wide industrial applications. It has been used for decades in metal plating to prevent corrosion, in rechargeable batteries and as a pigment in certain plastics and paints. Special care is taken in the industrial smelting of ores and subsequent handling of cadmium, because occupational exposure is known to have caused heart, chest and kidney disorders. Environmental health problems have come from exposure to various sources of pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cadmium contamination The release and presence in the air, water and soil of cadmium, a toxic, metallic element, from sources such as the burning of coal and tobacco and improper disposal of cadmium-containing waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts caesium A soft silvery-white and highly reactive metal belonging to the alkali group of metals. It is a radiation hazard, because it can occur in two radioactive forms. Caesium-134 is produced in nuclear reactors, not directly by fission, but by the reaction. It emits beta- and gamma-radiation and has a half-life of 2.06 years. Caesium-137 is a fission product of uranium and occurs in the fallout from nuclear weapons. It emits beta- and gamma-rays and has a half-life of 30 years. Caesium-137 was the principal product released into the atmosphere, and hence the food chain, from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons and from the Windscale fire and Chernobyl nuclear accidents. After the Chernobyl accident, which spread a radiation cloud across Europe, the European Commission proposed new and more restrictive limits on levels of caesium in food and drinking water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts calcium A malleable silvery-white metallic element of the alkaline hearth group; the fifth most abundant element in the earth crust, occurring especially as forms of calcium carbonate. It is an essential constituent of bones and teeth and is used as a deoxidizer in steel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts calcium content Amount of calcium contained in a solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts calculation method No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts calibration To mark the scale of a measuring instrument so that readings can be made in appropriate units. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts calibration of measuring equipment The determination or rectification of, according to an accepted standard, the graduation of any instrument giving quantitative measurements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts camping Guarded area equipped with sanitary facilities where holiday-makers may pitch a tent and camp by paying a daily rate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts camping site A piece of land where people on holiday can stay in tents, usually with toilets and places for washing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts canal An artificial open waterway used for transportation, waterpower, or irrigation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cancer Any malignant cellular tumour including carcinoma and sarcoma. It encompasses a group of neoplastic diseases in which there is a transformation of normal body cells into malignant ones, probably involving some change in the genetic material of the cells, possibly as a result of faulty repair of damage to the cell caused by carcinogenic agents or ionizing radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cancer risk The probability that exposure to some agent or substance will adversely transform cells to replicate and form a malignant tumor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts canid Carnivorous mammal in the superfamily Canoidea, including dogs and their allies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts car A four-wheeled motor vehicle used for land transport, usually propelled by a gasoline or diesel internal combustion engine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbohydrate Any of the group of organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, including sugars, starches and celluloses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbon A nonmetallic element existing in the three crystalline forms: graphite, diamond and buckminsterfullerene: occurring in carbon dioxide, coal, oil and all organic compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbonate A salt or ester of carbonic acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbon cycle The cycle of carbon in the biosphere, in which plants convert carbon dioxide to organic compounds that are consumed by plants and animals, and the carbon is returned to the biosphere in inorganic form by processes of respiration and decay. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbon dioxide A colourless gas with a faint tingling smell and taste. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is the source of carbon for plants. As carbon dioxide is heavier than air and does not support combustion, it is used in fire extinguishers. It is a normal constituent of the atmosphere, relatively innocuous in itself but playing an important role in the greenhouse effect. It is produced during the combustion of fossil fuels when the carbon content of the fuels reacts with the oxygen during combustion. It is also produced when living organisms respire. It is essential for plant nutrition and in the ocean phytoplankton is capable of absorbing and releasing large quantities of the gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbon dioxide tax Compulsory charges levied on fuels to reduce the output of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a colourless and odourless gas substance that is incombustible. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carbon monoxide Colorless, odourless, tasteless, non-corrosive, highly poisonous gas of about the same density as that of air. Very flammable, burning in air with bright blue flame. Although each molecule of CO has one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, it has a shape similar to that of an oxygen molecule (two atoms of oxygen), which is important with regard to it's lethality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carcass disposal The disposal of slaughtered animals, other dead animal bodies and animal body parts after removal of the offal products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carcinogenicity The ability or tendency of a substance or physical agent to cause or produce cancer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carcinogenicity test Test for assessing if a chemical or physical agent increases the risk of cancer. The three major ways of testing for carcinogens are animals tests, epidemiological studies and bacterial tests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carcinogen A substance that causes cancer in humans and animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cardiology The study of the heart. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cardiovascular disease Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Caribbean Area A geographical region bordered on the south by South America and Panama, and on the west by Central America, and consisting of the West Indian, and nearby, islands and the Caribbean Sea, a part of the western Atlantic Ocean. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carnivore An animal that eats meat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological carrying capacity 1) The maximum number of species an area can support during the harshest part of the year, or the maximum biomass it can support indefinitely. 2) The maximum number of grazing animals an area can support without deterioration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts carry-over effect Effect caused by the successive passages of polluting substances through the different organisms of a food chain. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cartography The making of maps and charts for the purpose of visualizing spatial distributions over various areas of the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts car tyre A rubber ring placed over the rim of a wheel of a road vehicle to provide traction and reduce road shocks, especially a hollow inflated ring consisting of a reinforced outer casing enclosing an inner tube. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cash crop Crops that are grown for sale in the town markets or for export. They include coffee, cocoa, sugar, vegetables, peanuts and non-foods, like tobacco and cotton. Huge areas of countries in the developing world have been turned over to cash crops. Those countries with no mineral or oil resources depend on cash crops for foreign money, so that they can import materials do develop roads, for construction, or to buy Western consumer goods and, indeed, food. However, critics argue that cash crops are planted on land that would otherwise be used to grow food for the local community and say this is a cause of world famine. Cash crops, such as peanuts, can ruin the land if it is not left fallow after six years of harvests. Moreover, if the best agricultural land is used for cash crops, local farmers are forced to use marginal land to grow food for local consumption, and this has a further dramatic effect on the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catalysis A phenomenon in which a relatively small amount of substance augments the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being consumed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catalyst A substance whose presence alters the rate at which a chemical reaction proceeds, but whose own composition remains unchanged by the reaction. Catalysts are usually employed to accelerate reactions(positive catalyst), but retarding (negative) catalysts are also used. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catalytic converter Catalytic converters are designed to clean up the exhaust fumes from petrol-driven vehicles, which are otherwise the major threat to air quality standards in congested urban streets and on motorways. Converters remove carbon monoxide, the unburned hydrocarbons and the oxides of nitrogen. These compounds are damaging to human health and the environment in a variety of ways. The converter is attached to the vehicle' s exhaust near the engine. Exhaust gases pass through the cellular ceramic substrate, a honeycomb-like filter. While compact, the intricate honeycomb structure provides a surface area of 23.000 square metres. This is coated with a thin layer of platinum, palladium and rhodium metals, which act as catalysts that simulate a reaction to changes in the chemical composition of the gases. Platinum and palladium convert hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and water vapour. Rhodium changes nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons into nitrogen and water, which are harmless. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catastrophe A sudden, widespread disaster or calamity that greatly exceeds the resources of an area or region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catchment area 1) An area from which surface runoff is carried away by a single drainage system. 2) The area of land bounded by watersheds draining into a river, basin or reservoir. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catch yield The yield obtained from a given fishery; fishery catches should be strictly controlled so that the fish population can have a sufficient breeding mass and thus give a sustained yield for future generations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts category of endangered species Those of the planet's flora and fauna which are threatened with extinction. Hunting and poaching to fuel the trade in ivory, horn, skins, fur and feathers have long been a threat to already endangered species. Pollution, agricultural expansion, loss of wetlands, deforestation and other erosion of habitats have been added to the hazards. Human activity was responsible for most of the animals and plants known to have been lost in the past two centuries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cation A positively charged atom or group of atoms, or a radical which moves to the negative pole (cathode) during electrolysis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cattle Domesticated bovine animals, including cows, steers and bulls, raised and bred on a ranch or farm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cause for concern principle Principle connected with the precautionary principle: it means that, if there are strong reasons for expecting serious or irreversible damage to the environment following a given project, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. Critics of this approach are concerned about large commitments of resources to deal with vaguely defined problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cave 1) An underground hollow with access from the ground surface or from the sea, often found in limestone areas and on rocky coastlines. 2) A natural cavity, chamber or recess which leads beneath the surface of the earth, generally in a horizontal or obliquely inclined direction. It may be in the form of a passage or a gallery, its shape depending in part on the joint pattern or structure of the rock and partly on the type of process involved in its excavation. Thus, caves worn by subterranean rivers may be different in character from, and of considerably greater extent than, a sea-cave eroded by marine waves. 3) A natural underground open space, generally with a connection to the surface and large enough for a person to enter. The most common type of cave is formed in a limestone by dissolution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cell (biology) The microscopic functional and structural unit of all living organisms, consisting of a nucleus, cytoplasm, and a limiting membrane. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cell (energy) The basic building block of a battery. It is an electrochemical device consisting of an anode and a cathode in a common electrolyte kept apart with a separator. This assembly may be used in its own container as a single cell battery or be combined and interconnected with other cells in a container to form a multicelled battery. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cellulose The main polysaccharide in living plants, forming the skeletal structure of the plant cell wall; a polymer of beta-D-glucose linked together with the elimination of water to form chains of 2000-4000 units. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cellulose industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cement A dry powder made from silica, alumina, lime, iron oxide, and magnesia which hardens when mixed with water; used as an ingredient in concrete. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cement industry Industry for the production of cement. The emissions of most relevance from this sector are atmospheric: dust, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides are the most important. Cement is essential for the construction sector, either directly or mixed with sand or gravel to form concrete. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cement manufacture Cement is produced by heating a mixture of clay or shale plus chalk or lime in a rotary kiln up to 250 m long per 8 m diameter rotating at 1 rpm. The process can be wet, semi-dry or dry and the fuel can be pulverized coal, oil or gas. As the coal ash is similar in composition to the clay or shale, it can stay in the cement clinker. As one of the kiln operator's major costs is fuel and even a modest sized kiln can consume 8-10 tons of coal per hour, the cement kiln could, therefore, solve a disposal problem and also benefit the cement manufacturer by reducing fuel costs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Central Africa A geographic region of the African continent close to the equator that includes Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Central America A narrow continental region of the Western hemisphere, existing as a bridge between North and South America, often considered to be the southern portion of North America, and including countries such as Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Central Asia A geographic region of the Asian continent between the Caspian Sea on the west and China on the east, extending northward into the central region of Russia and southward to the northern borders of Iran and Afghanistan, and comprised of independent former republics of the Soviet Union, including Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts central government A system in which a governing or administrative body has a certain degree of power or authority to prevail in the management of local, national and international matters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts centralisation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts centrifugation Separation of particles from a suspension in a centrifuge: balanced tubes containing the suspension are attached to the opposite ends of arms rotating rapidly about a central point; the suspended particles are forced outwards, and collect at the bottoms of the tubes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cephalopod Exclusively marine animals constituting the most advanced class of the Mollusca, including squid, octopuses, and Nautilus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ceramics The art and techniques of producing articles of clay, porcelain, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ceramics industry Manufacturing plant producing ceramic items. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cetacean Aquatic mammals, including the whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Chagas' disease A form of trypanosomiasis found in South America, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, characterized by fever and often inflammation of the hearth muscle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chain management The administration, organization and planning for the flow of materials or merchandise through various stages of production and distribution, involving a network of vendors, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and other trading partners. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts change in value Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts channelling Any system of distribution canals or conduits for water, gas, electricity, or steam. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts charcoal A porous solid product containing 85-98% carbon and produced by heating carbonaceous materials such as cellulose, wood or peat at 500-600 C° in the absence of air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts negotiable charge Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts map chart A map, generally designed for navigation or other particular purposes, in which essential map information is combined with various other data critical to the intended use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chelicerate A subphylum of the phylum Artrophoda; chelicerae are characteristically modified as pincers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical analysis The complex of operations aiming to determine the kinds of constituents of a given substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical composition The nature and proportions of the elements comprising a chemical compound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical decontamination Removal of chemical substances from a building, a watercourse, a person's clothes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical engineering The branch of engineering concerned with industrial manufacture of chemical products. It is a discipline in which the principles of mathematical, physical and natural sciences are used to solve problems in applied chemistry. Chemical engineers design, develop, and optimise processes and plants, operate them, manage personnel and capital, and conduct research necessary for new developments. Through their efforts, new petroleum products, plastics, agricultural chemicals, house-hold products, pharmaceuticals, electronic and advanced materials, photographic materials, chemical and biological compounds, various food and other products evolve. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical fallout The sedimentation of chemical substances accumulated in the atmosphere as a result of industrial emissions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical fertiliser Fertilizer manufactured from chemicals; excessive use of them can cause pollution, when all the chemicals are not taken up by the plants and the excess is leached out of the soil into rivers and may cause algal bloom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical industry Industry related with the production of chemical compounds. The chemical processing industry has a variety of special pollution problems due to the vast number of products manufactured. The treatment processes combine processing, concentration, separation, extraction, by-product recovery, destruction, and reduction in concentration. The wastes may originate from solvent extraction, acid and caustic wastes, overflows, spills, mechanical loss, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical installation Building where chemicals are manufactured. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical oceanography Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical pest control Control of plants and animals classified as pests by means of chemical compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical plant Plants where basic raw materials are chemically converted into a variety of products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical pollutant Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical pollution Pollution caused by substances of chemical nature, including chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical process The particular method of manufacturing or making a chemical usually involving a number of steps or operations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical property Properties of a substance depending on the arrangement of the atoms in the molecule, e.g. bio-availability, degradability, persistence, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical reaction A change in which a substance is transformed into one or more new substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical risk Probability of harm to human health, property or the environment posed by contact with any substance of a defined molecular composition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical Any substance used in or resulting from a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemicals act Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical in the environment The presence in the environment of any solid, liquid or gaseous material discharged from a process and that may pose substantial hazard to human health and the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts testing of chemicals The determination of the efficacy and the toxicity of chemical products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical structure The arrangement of atoms in a molecule of a chemical compound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical treatment Processes that alter the chemical structure of the constituents of the waste to produce either an innocuous or a less hazardous material. Chemical processes are attractive because they produce minimal air emissions, they can often be carried out on the site of the waste generator, and some processes can be designed and constructed as mobile units. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical treatment of waste Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical waste Any by-product of a chemical process, including manufacturing processes. Often this by-product is considered a toxic or polluting substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical weapon Chemical agents of warfare include all gaseous, liquid or solid chemical substances which might be employed because of their direct toxic effects on man and animals. Chemical weapons also include the chemical's precursors, the munitions and devices designed to deliver them, and any equipment specifically designed for their use in warfare. Nerve agents (chemicals of the same family as organophosphorous insecticides) are the most lethal of the classical chemical warfare agents, killing by poisoning the nervous system and disrupting bodily functions. Other chemical weapons include blister agents, vesicants, choking agents, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemisorption The process of chemical adsorption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemistry The scientific study of the properties, composition, and structure of matter, the changes in structure and composition of matter, and accompanying energy changes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts child A person below the age of puberty. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chimney A vertical structure of brick, masonry, or steel that carries smoke or steam away from a fire, engine, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chimney height The appropriate height for chimneys serving industrial combustion plants in order to avoid unacceptable pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chiropteran Order of placental mammals comprising the bats having the front limbs modified as wings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chloride A compound which is derived from hydrochloric acid and contains the chlorine atom in the -1 oxidation state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorinated hydrocarbon A class of persistent, broad-spectrum insecticides that linger in the environment and accumulate in the food chain. Among them are DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, chlordane, lindane, endrin, mirex, hexachloride, and toxaphene. In insects and other animals these compounds act primarily on the central nervous system. They also become concentrated in the fats of organisms and thus tend to produce fatty infiltration of the heart and fatty degeneration of the liver in vertebrates. In fishes they have the effect of preventing oxygen uptake, causing suffocation. They are also known to slow the rate of photosynthesis in plants. Their danger to the ecosystem resides in their rate stability and the fact that they are broad-spectrum poisons which are very mobile because of their propensity to stick to dust particles and evaporate with water into the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorination The application of chlorine to water, sewage or industrial wastes for disinfection or other biological or chemical purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorine A very reactive and highly toxic green, gaseous element, belonging to the halogen family of substances. It is one of the most widespread elements, as it occurs naturally in sea-water, salt lakes and underground deposits, but usually occurs in a safe form as common salt (NaCl). Commercially it is used in large quantities by the chemical industry both as an element to produce chlorinated organic solvents, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and for the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride plastics, thermoplastic and hypochlorite bleaches. Chlorine was the basis for the organochlorine pesticides, like DDT and other agricultural chemicals that have killed wildlife. The reactivity of chlorine has proved disastrous for the ozone layer and has been the cause of the creation of the ozone hole, which was first detected in the Southern Hemisphere over Antarctica and then over the Northern Hemisphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chloroethylene A flammable, explosive gas with an ethereal aroma; soluble in alcohol and ether, slightly soluble in water; boils at -14° C; an important monomer for polyvinyl chloride and its copolymers; used in organic synthesis and in adhesives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorofluorocarbon Gases formed of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon whose molecules normally do not react with other substances; they are therefore used as spray can propellants because they do not alter the material being sprayed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts CFC and halons prohibition An interdiction on the manufacture or use of products that discharge chlorofluorocarbons and bromine-containing compounds into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts partially halogenated chlorofluorohydrocarbon Hydrocarbons whose hydrogen atoms have been partially substituted with chlorine and fluorine. They are used in refrigeration, air conditioning, packaging, insulation, or as solvents and aerosol propellants. Because they are not destroyed in the lower atmosphere they drift into the upper atmosphere where their chlorine components destroy ozone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorophenol Major group of chlorinated hydrocarbons, pesticides and biocides which account for a very high percentage of the non-agricultural pesticide use, such as anti-rotting agents in non-woollen textiles and wood preservatives. The chlorophenols act as biocides by inhibiting the respiration and energy-conversion processes of the microorganisms. They are toxic to man above 40 parts per million, to fish above 1 ppm, whilst concentrations as low as one part per thousand million can taint water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorophyll A green pigment, present in algae and higher plants, that absorbs light energy and thus plays a vital role in photosynthesis. Except in Cyanophyta (blue-green algae), chlorophyll is confined to chloroplasts. There are several types of chlorophyll, but all contain magnesium and iron. Some plants (e.g., brown algae, red algae, copper beech trees) contain additional pigments that masks the green of their chlorophyll. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chlorosis A disease condition of green plants seen as yellowing of green parts of the plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chromatographic analysis The analysis of chemical substances that are poured into a vertical glass tube containing an adsorbent where the various components of the substance move through the adsorbent at different rates of speed according to their degree of attraction to it, thereby producing bands of color at different levels of the adsorption column. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chromatography A method of separating and analyzing mixtures of chemical substances by selective adsorption in a column of powder or on a strip of paper. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chromium A hard grey metallic element that takes a high polish, occurring principally in chromite: used in steel alloys and electroplating to increase hardness and corrosion-resistance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chrysophyta The golden-brown and orange-yellow algae; a diverse group of microscopically small algae which inhabit fresh and salt water, many being planktonic. They contain carotenoid pigments and may be unicellular, colonial, filamentous or amoeboid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts church A building for religious activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts citizen awareness State of citizens of being aware of their civic obligations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts city Term used generically today to denote any urban form but applied particularly to large urban settlements. There are, however, no agreed definitions to separate a city from the large metropolis or the smaller town. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts city centre The central part of a city. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal dumping Place where a town's refuse is disposed of after it has been collected. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts civil air traffic Air traffic pertaining to or serving the general public, as distinguished from military air traffic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts civil engineering The planning, design, construction, and maintenance of fixed structures and ground facilities for industry, transportation, use and control of water or occupancy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts civilian protection The organization and measures, usually under governmental or other authority depending on the country, aimed at preventing, abating or fighting major emergencies for the protection of the civilian population and property, particularly in wartime. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts civil law Law inspired by old Roman Law, the primary feature of which was that laws were written into a collection; codified, and not determined, as is common law, by judges. The principle of civil law is to provide all citizens with an accessible and written collection of the laws which apply to them and which judges must follow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts claim for restitution A legal remedy in which a person or party may demand or assert the right to be restored to a former or original position prior to loss, damage or injury. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts class action suits law Legal action initiated by a single person or a few people on behalf of a group with similar claim or claims. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts classification An arrangement or organization of persons, items or data elements into groups by reason of common attributes, characteristics, qualities or traits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clay A loose, earthy, extremely fine-grained, natural sediment or soft rock composed primarily of clay-size or colloidal particles and characterized by high plasticity and by a considerable content of clay mineral and subordinate amounts of finely divided quartz, decomposed feldspar, carbonates, ferruginous matter, and other impurities; it forms a plastic, moldable mass when finely ground and mixed with water, retains its shape on drying, and becomes firm, rocklike and permanently hard on heating or firing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cleaning up The process of bringing desert, marsh, sea coast or other waste or unproductive land into use or cultivation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cleansing department A division, usually within municipal government, responsible for providing services that remove dirt, litter or other unsightly materials from city or town property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cleansing product Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clean technology Industrial process which causes little or no pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climate The average weather condition in a region of the world. Many aspects of the Earth's geography affect the climate. Equatorial, or low, latitudes are hotter than the polar latitudes because of the angle at which the rays of sunlight arrive at the Earth's surface. The difference in temperature at the equator and at the poles has an influence on the global circulation of huge masses of air. Cool air at the poles sinks and spreads along the surface of the Earth towards the equator. Cool air forces its way under the lower density warmer air in the lower regions, pushing the lighter air up and toward the poles, where it will cool and descend. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatic effect Climate has a central influence on many human needs and activities, such as agriculture, housing, human health, water resources, and energy use. The influence of climate on vegetation and soil type is so strong that the earliest climate classification schemes where often based more on these factors than on the meteorological variables. While technology can be used to mitigate the effects of unfavorable climatic conditions, climate fluctuations that result in significant departures from normal cause serious problems for modern industrialized societies as much as for primitive ones. The goals of climatology are to provide a comprehensive description of the Earth's climate, to understand its features in terms of fundamental physical principles, and to develop models of the Earth's climate that will allow the prediction of future changes that may result from natural and human causes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climate protection Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken to prevent or reduce harm from pollution to natural weather conditions or patterns, including the prevailing temperature, atmospheric composition and precipitation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climate resource No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climate type Weather conditions typical of areas roughly corresponding to lines of latitude. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatic alteration The slow variation of climatic characteristics over time at a given place. This may be indicated by the geological record in the long term, by changes in the landforms in the intermediate term, and by vegetation changes in the short term. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatic change The long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind, and all other aspects of the Earth's climate. External processes, such as solar-irradiance variations, variations of the Earth's orbital parameters (eccentricity, precession, and inclination), lithosphere motions, and volcanic activity, are factors in climatic variation. Internal variations of the climate system, e.g., changes in the abundance of greenhouse gases, also may produce fluctuations of sufficient magnitude and variability to explain observed climate change through the feedback processes interrelating the components of the climate system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatic experiment Experiments conducted to estimate future climatic conditions employing modelling of the physical processes underlying climatic change and variability; also, assessments are required of uncertain future man-made inputs such as increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and other green-house gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatic factor Physical conditions that determine the climate in a given area, e.g. latitude, altitude, ocean streams, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatic zone A belt of the earth's surface within which the climate is generally homogeneous in some respect; an elemental region of a simple climatic classification. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climatology That branch of meteorology concerned with the mean physical state of the atmosphere together with its statistical variations in both space and time as reflected in the weather behaviour over a period of many years. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climax A botanical term referring to the terminal community said to be achieved when a sere (a sequential development of a plant community or group of plant communities on the same site over a period of time) achieves dynamic equilibrium with its environment and in particular with its prevailing climate. Each of the world's major vegetation climaxes is equivalent to a biome. Many botanists believe that climate is the master factor in a plant environment and that even if several types of plant succession occur in an area they will all tend to converge towards a climax form of vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts climbing plant (wall) A plant that lacks rigidity and grows upwards by twining, scrambling, or clinging with tendrils and suckers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clinical symptom Any objective evidence of disease or of a patient's condition founded on clinical observation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cloning The production of genetically identical individuals from a single parent. Cloning plants usually involves plant cell culture. Cloning animals is more difficult and relays on some manipulation of their normal reproductive cycle. A clone is a group of organisms of identical genetic constitution, unless mutation occurs, produced from a single individual by asexual reproduction, parthenogenesis or apomixis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts closing down The cessation, discontinuation or breaking-off of a business transaction, lease, contract or employment arrangement, usually before its anticipated or stipulated end. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts closing down of firm The termination or shutdown, temporary or permanent, of a corporation, factory or some other business organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clothing Clothes considered as a group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clothing industry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cloud Suspensions of minute water droplets or ice crystals produced by the condensation of water vapour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coagulation A separation or precipitation from a dispersed state of suspensoid particles resulting from their growth; may result from prolonged heating, addition of an electrolyte, or from a condensation reaction between solute and solvent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal The natural, rocklike, brown to black derivative of forest-type plant material, usually accumulated in peat beds and progressively compressed and indurated until it is finally altered in to graphite-like material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal-based energy Power generated by the steam raised by burning coal in fire-tube or water-tube boilers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal-fired power plant Power plant which is fuelled by coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal gasification Process of conversion of coal to a gaseous product which is used as fuel in electric power stations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal liquefaction The process of preparing a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons by destructive distillation of coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal mining The technical and mechanical job of removing coal from the earth and preparing it for market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal refining The processing of coal to remove impurities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal technology The processing of coal to make gaseous and liquid fuels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coast A line or zone where the land meets the sea or some other large expanse of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal area The areas of land and sea bordering the shoreline and extending seaward through the breaker zone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal development Concentration of human settlements, infrastructures and economical activities along the coasts, being these areas very favourable for trade, communication and marine resources exploitation; the impact of the accelerated population growth and of the industrial and touristic development in these areas has caused the disruption of the ecological integrity of the coastal zones. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal ecosystem Marine environments bounded by the coastal land margin (seashore) and the continental shelf 100-200 m below sea level. Ecologically, the coastal and nearshore zones grade from shallow water depths, influenced by the adjacent landmass and input from coastal rivers and estuaries, to the continental shelf break, where oceanic processes predominate. Among the unique marine ecosystems associated with coastal and nearshore waterbodies are seaweed-dominated communities, coral reefs and upwellings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal environment The areas where the land masses meet the seas. Coastal environments include tidal wetlands, estuaries, bays, shallow near-shore waters, mangrove swamps, and in-shore reef systems. The critical habitats of these zones are: feeding, breeding, nursery, and resting areas. Coastal areas throughout the world are under enormous environmental stress, which is caused by a wide range of factors, including pollution and the destruction and deterioration of marine habitats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal erosion The gradual wearing away of material from a coast by the action of sea water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal fishing Fishing in an area of the sea next to the shoreline. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal pollution The presence, release or introduction of polluting substances in or onto the seashore or the land near it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal water Coastal waters are typically characterized by a shallow continental shelf, gently sloping seaward to a continental slope, which drops relatively abruptly to the deep ocean. The proximity of coastal water to land also influences the water circulation. In the vicinity of freshwater inflows, the nearshore circulation is altered by the presence of density-driven motions. Coastal waters are under enormous environmental stress, caused by a wide range of factors including pollution and the destruction and deterioration of marine habitats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal zone planning The objective of coastal management and planning is the preservation of coastal resources whilst simultaneously satisfying the sometimes conflicting interests and requirements of protection, development, usage and conservation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastguard A maritime force which aids shipping, saves lives at sea, prevents smuggling, etc. It also responds to emergencies involving oil spills and other discharges at sea and takes the lead in enforcing the law, including assessing penalties for environmental violations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coating A material applied onto or impregnated into a substrate for protective, decorative, or functional purposes. Such materials include, but are not limited to, paints, varnishes, sealers, adhesives, thinners, diluents, and inks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cobalt A metallic element used chiefly in alloys. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cockroach The most primitive of the living winged insects. It is thought they have been unchanged for more than 300 million years, and are among the oldest fossil insects. Cockroaches are usually found in tropical climates, but a few species, out of the total 3.500 known species, have become pests. They are common household pests in many countries, imported by ship and carried home in grocery bags. Cockroaches eat plant and animal products, including food, paper, clothing and soiled hospital waste, fouling everything they touch with their droppings and unpleasant odour, to which many people are allergic. They are a major health hazard and carry harmful bacteria, protozoan parasites and faunal pathogens, including those that cause typhoid, leprosy and salmonella. Conventional insecticides make little or no impact on the cockroaches population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical oxygen demand The quantity of oxygen used in biological and non-biological oxidation of materials in water; a measure of water quality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts code of practice A systematic collection of procedures outlining the established method of application of all relevant laws, rules or regulations to a specific endeavor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts code A systematic collection, compendium or revision of laws, rules, or regulations. A private or official compilation of all permanent laws in force consolidated and classified according to subject matter. Many states have published official codes of all laws in force, including the common law and statutes as judicially interpreted, which have been compiled by code commissions and enacted by the legislatures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coelenterate Animals that have a single body cavity (the coelenteron). The name was formerly given to a phylum comprising the Cnidaria and Ctenophora, but these are now regarded as phyla in their own right, and the name Coelenterata has fallen from use, although it is sometimes used as a synonym for Cnidaria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cogeneration Usually the generation of heat in the form of steam, and the generation of power in the form of electricity. Combined heat and power plants are able to convert a much higher proportion of the energy in fuel into final output. The steam produced may be used through heat exchangers in a district heating scheme, while the electricity provides lighting and power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts co-incineration Joint incineration of hazardous waste, in any form, with refuse and/or sludge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coke A coherent, cellular, solid residue remaining from the dry distillation of a coking coal or of pitch, petroleum, petroleum residue, or other carbonaceous materials; contains carbon as its principal constituent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cold No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cold zone ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings located in climatic regions where the air temperature is below 10° Celsius for eight to eleven months of the year. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coliform bacterium A group of bacteria that are normally abundant in the intestinal tracts of human and other warm-blooded animals and are used as indicators (being measured as the number of individuals found per millilitre of water) when testing the sanitary quality of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colloid An intimate mixture of two substances, one of which, called the dispersed phase, is uniformly distributed in a finely divided state through the second substance, called the dispersion medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colloidal state A system of particles in a dispersion medium, with properties distinct from those of a true solution because of the larger size of the particles. The presence of these particles can often be detected by means of the ultramicroscope. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colonisation The successful invasion of a new habitat by a species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colourimetry Any technique by which an unknown colour is evaluated in terms of standard colours; the technique may be visual, photoelectric or indirect by means of spectrophotometry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colour An attribute of things that results from the light they reflect, transmit, or emit in so far as this light causes a visual sensation that depends on its wavelengths. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combination effect A combined effect of two or more substances or organisms which is greater than the sum of the individual effect of each. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combined cycle-power station This type of plant is flexible in response and can be built in the 100-600 MW capacity range. It produces electrical power from both a gas turbine (ca. 1300°C gas inlet temperature), fuelled by natural gas or oil plus a steam turbine supplied with the steam generated by the 500°C exhaust gases from the gas turbine. The thermal efficiency of these stations is ca. 50 per cent compared with a maximum of 40 per cent from steam turbine coal fired power stations. This type of plant can be built in two years compared with six years for a coal-fired station and 10-15 years for nuclear. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combined waste water A mixture of domestic or industrial wastewater and surface runoff. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combustibility The property of a substance of being capable of igniting and burning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combustion engine An engine that operates by the energy of combustion of a fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combustion gas The exhaust gas from a combustion process. It may contain nitrogen oxides, carbon oxides, water vapour, sulfur oxides, particles and many chemical pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combustion residue A residual layer of ash on the heat-exchange surfaces of a combustion chamber, resulting from the burning of fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercialisation Holding or displaying for sale, offering for sale, selling, delivering or placing on the market in any other form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercial law The whole body of substantive jurisprudence applicable to the rights, intercourse and relations of persons engaged in commerce, trade or mercantile pursuits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercial noise Noise emitted from commercial activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercial traffic The operations and movements related to the transportation and exchange of goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercial vehicle Vehicle designed and equipped for the transportation of goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade waste All types of waste generated by offices, restaurants, shops, warehouses and other such non-manufacturing sources, and non-processing waste generated at manufacturing facilities such as office and packaging waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts common agricultural policy The set of regulations and practices adopted by member countries of the European Community that consolidates efforts in promoting or ensuring reasonable pricing, fair standards of living, stable markets, increased farm productivity and methods for dealing with food supply or surplus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts common agreement A system of law established by following earlier judicial decisions and customs, rather than statutory or legislatively enacted law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts communications The concept, science, technique and process of transmitting, receiving or otherwise exchanging information and data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological community 1) All of the plants and animals in an area or volume; a complex association usually containing both animals and plants. 2) Any naturally occurring group of organisms that occupy a common environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Community law The law of European Community (as opposed to the national laws of the member states.) It consists of the treaties establishing the EC (together with subsequent amending treaties) community legislation, and decisions of the court of justice of the European Communities. Any provision of the treaties or of community legislation that is directly applicable or directly effective in a member state forms part of the law of that state and prevails over its national law in the event of any inconsistency between the two. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts community participation Involvement in public or private actions, as members or as a member of a particular ethnic, political or social group, with the purpose of exerting influence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts community-pays principle A tenet of environmental policy, according to which the costs of ecological challenges, environmental quality improvements and the removal of environmental hazards are allotted to community groups or local corporations and, thereby, to the general public. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commuter traffic Traffic caused by people travelling regularly over some distance, as between a suburb and a city and back, between their place of residence and their place of work. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commuting Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compaction Reduction of the bulk of solid waste by rolling and tamping. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts company policy Official guidelines or set of guidelines adopted by a company for the management of its activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts comparative law The study of the principles of legal science by the comparison of various systems of law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts comparative test Tests conducted to determine whether one procedure is better than another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts comparison The placing together or juxtaposing of two or more items to ascertain, bring into relief, or establish their similarities and dissimilarities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compensation Equivalent in money for a loss sustained; equivalent given for property taken or for an injury done to another; recompense or reward for some loss, injury or service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compensatory measure Any administrative or legislative action, procedure or enactment designed to redress disruptions of ecological integrity or damage to the supply of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compensatory tax Compulsory charge levied by a government for the purpose of redressing or countervailing economic disparity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts competition (biological) The simultaneous demand by two or more organisms or species for an essential common resource that is actually or potentially in limited supply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic competition The market condition where an individual or firm that wants to buy or sell a commodity or service has a choice of possible suppliers or customers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts competitiveness The ability of a firm to strive in the market with rivals in the production and sale of commodities or services and, analogously, the ability of a country to maintain a relatively high standard of living for its citizens through trade in international markets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts complex formation Formation of a complex compound. Also known as complexing or complexation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts complexing agent A substance capable of forming a complex compound with another material in solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts composite pollution Emissions of ozone-degrading gases (CFCs, halons); emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, CFCs, nitrous oxides, halons); emissions of acidifying gases (sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides); emissions of substances that contribute to eutrophication (phosphate and nitrogen-containing materials); emissions of toxic materials (pesticides, radioactive substances, priority toxic substances); solid wastes returned to the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compost A mixture of decaying organic matter used to fertilize and condition the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compostable waste Waste consisting largely of biodegradable organic matter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts composting The natural biological decomposition of organic material in the presence of air to form a humus-like material. Controlled methods of composting include mechanical mixing and aerating, ventilating the materials by dropping them through a vertical series of aerated chambers, or placing the compost in piles out in the open air and mixing it or turning it periodically. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts composting by producer No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compression Reduction in the volume of a substance due to pressure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compressor A mechanical device a) to provide the desired pressure for chemical and physical reactions, b) to control boiling points of fluids, as in gas separation, refrigeration, and evaporation, c) to evacuate enclosed volumes, d) to transport gases or vapors, e) to store compressible fluids as gases or liquids under pressure and assist in recovering them from storage or tank cars, and f) to convert mechanical energy to fluid energy for operating instruments, air agitation, fluidization, solid transport, blowcases, air tools, and motors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compulsory use Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Communities The collective body that resulted in 1967 from the merger of the administrative networks of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and the European Economic Community (EEC). The singular term has also been widely used. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts concentration (value) In solutions, the mass, volume, or number of moles of solute present in proportion to the amount of solvent or total solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts concentration (process) The process of increasing the quantity of a component in a solution. The opposite of dilution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts concrete A mixture of aggregate, water, and a binder, usually Portland cement; it hardens to stonelike condition when dry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts concrete products industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts condensation (process) Transformation from a gas to a liquid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conductivity The ratio of the electric current density to the electric field in a material. Also known as electrical conductivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conflicting use Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conflict of aims Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conflict of interests Clash between public interest and the private pecuniary interest of the individual concerned. A situation in which regard for one duty tends to lead to disregard of another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts congress A formal meeting, often consisting of representatives of various organizations, that is assembled to promote, discuss or make arrangements regarding a particular subject or some matter of common interest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conifer An order of conebearing plants which includes nearly all the present day Gymnospermae. Most are tall evergreen trees with needle-like (e.g., pines), linear (e.g. firs) or scale-like (e.g., cedars) leaves. They are characteristic of temperate zones and the main forest trees of colder regions. They provide timber, resins, tars, turpentine and pulp for paper. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coniferous forest A forest type characterized by cone-bearing, needle-leaved trees. They are generally, but not necessarily, evergreen and relatively shallow-rooted. Since they grow more rapidly than most broad-leaved trees, conifers are extensively planted as a source of softwood timber and pulp. They are tolerant of wide-ranging climatic conditions, of many different types of soil and of considerable differences in terrain. Thus, they are found from the polar latitudes to the tropics, on most types of soils (especially, thin acid soils) and from mountain summits to coastal environments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conservation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater conservation Controlled utilization, protection or improvement of a natural body of water that does not contain significant amounts of dissolved salts and minerals, such as a lake or river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conservation of genetic resources Controlled utilization, protection and development of the gene pool of natural and cultivated organisms to ensure variety and variability and for current and potential value to human welfare. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conservation of monuments Measures adopted for the protection and the maintenance of hystorical and art monuments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts constitutional law That branch of the public law of a nation or state which treats of the organization, powers and frame of government, the distribution of political and governmental authorities and functions, the fundamental principles which are to regulate the relations of government and citizen and which prescribes generally the plan and method according to which the public affairs of the nation or state are to be administered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction equipment Heavy power machines which perform specific construction or demolition functions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction noise Noise resulting from construction activities such as site preparation, site clearance, demolition of existing buildings, piling, concreting, erection of structures, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction of installations No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction technology No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction with recycled material Construction with waste product used as raw material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction work The construction, rehabilitation, alteration, conversion, extension, demolition or repair of buildings, highways, or other changes or improvement to real property, including facilities providing utility services. The term also includes the supervision, inspection, and other on-site functions incidental to the actual construction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consultation Any meeting or inquiry of concerned persons or advisors for the purpose of deliberation, discussion or decision on some matter or action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer behaviour An observable pattern of activity concerned with the purchase of goods and services and susceptible to the influence of marketing and advertising strategies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer goods Manufactured products intended primarily for personal use by individuals or families and classified as either durables or non-durables, depending on length of use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer group A collection of persons united to address concerns regarding the purchase and use of specific commodities or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer information Factual, circumstantial and, often, comparative knowledge concerning various goods, services or events, their quality and the entities producing them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer protection Information disseminated or measures and programs established to prevent and reduce damage, injury or loss to users of specific commodities and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer waste Materials purchased, used and discarded by the buyer, or consumer, as opposed to those discarded in a manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumption Spending for survival or enjoyment in contrast to providing for future use or production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumption pattern The combination of qualities, quantities, acts and tendencies characterizing a community or human group's use of resources for survival, comfort and enjoyment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts container A large case that can be transported by truck and than easily loaded on a ship. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts containment (nuclear industry) The reinforced steel or concrete vessel that encloses a nuclear reactor. It is designed to withstand minor explosions in the core, to keep radionuclides from escaping into the environment, and to be safe against terrorist attack. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts contaminated soil Soil which because of its previous or current use has substances under, on or in it which, depending upon their concentration and/or quantity, may represent a direct potential or indirect hazard to man or to the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts contamination Introduction into or onto water, air, soil or other media of microorganisms, chemicals, toxic substances, wastes, wastewater or other pollutants in a concentration that makes the medium unfit for its next intended use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts continental shelf The gently sloping seabed of the shallow water nearest to a continent, covering about 45 miles from the shore and deepening over the sloping sea floor to an average depth of 400 ft. It continues until it reaches the continental slope. The continental shelf contains most of the important fishing grounds and a range of resources, including gas and oil, sand and gravel. However, the shelf is, in general, a structural extension of the continent, and so may also be a source of minerals found in that region, such as tin, gold and platinum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts continuous load The amount or quantity of polluting material found in a transporting agent that flows at a steady rate, in contrast to a sudden or dramatic influx. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts contour farming The performing of cultivations along lines connecting points of equal elevation so reducing the loss of top soil by erosion, increasing the capacity of the soil to retain water and reducing the pollution of water by soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts contract An agreement between two or more persons which creates an obligation to do or not to do a particular thing. Its essential are competent parties, subject matter, a legal consideration, mutuality of agreement, and mutuality of obligation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts contract cleaner A commercial service provider, usually bound by a written agreement, responsible for the removal of dirt, litter or other unsightly materials from any property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts controlled burning The planned use of carefully controlled fire to accomplish predetermined management goals. The burn is set under a combination of weather, fuel moisture, soil moisture, and fuel arrangement conditions that allow the management objectives to be attained, and yet confine the fire to the planned area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts controlled hunting zone An administered geographic area in which the pursuit, capture and killing of wild animals for food or sport, is allowed, often with certain restrictions or regulations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts controlling authority The power of a person or an organized assemblage of persons to manage, direct, superintend, restrict, regulate, govern, administer or oversee. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts control measure Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conurbation 1) A large densely populated urban sprawl formed by the growth and coalescence of individual towns or cities. 2) Large area covered with buildings (houses or factories or public building, etc.) 3) A large area occupied by urban development, which may contain isolated rural areas, and formed by the merging together of expanding towns that formerly were separate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts convention International agreement on a specific topic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conventional energy Power provided by traditional means such as coal, wood, gas, etc., as opposed to alternative energy sources such as solar power, tidal power, wind power, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cooling Setting aside a highly radioactive material until the radioactivity has diminished to a desired level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cooling oil Oil used as a cooling agent, either with forced circulation or with natural circulation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cooling tower A device that aids in heat removal from water used as a coolant in electric power generating plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cooling water Water used to make something less hot, such as the irradiated elements from a nuclear reactor or the engine of a machine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts co-operation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts co-operation principle Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts co-ordination Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts copper A chemical element; one of the most important nonferrous metals; a ductile and malleable metal found in various ores and used in industry, engineering, and the arts in both pure and alloyed form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coppice A growth of small trees that are repeatedly cut down at short intervals; the new shoots are produced by the old stumps. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coral The skeleton of certain solitary and colonial anthozoan coelenterates; composed chiefly of calcium carbonate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coral reef Coral reefs have been built up from the skeletons of reef-building coral a small primitive marine animal, and other marine animals and algae over thousands of years. They occur in clear, shallow and sunlit seas. Coral reefs are one of the most productive and diverse ecosystems and are estimated to yield about 12% of the world's fish catch. They are very vulnerable to any change in their environment, especially pollution, because it makes the water opaque. They must have light in order that photosyntesis by the algae can take place. Like trees, corals reflect the environmental conditions in which they grow, indicating marine pollution, sea-surface temperature and other aquatic conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chordate The highest phylum in the animal kingdom, characterized by a notochord, nerve cord, and gill slits; includes the urochordate, lancelets and vertebrates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts core meltdown An accidental overheating of the part of the nuclear reactor where fission takes place, causing fuel elements and other parts of the reactor to melt, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences in which dangerous levels of radioactive materials would be released into the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cork The thick light porous outer bark of the cork oak, used widely as an insulator and for stoppers for bottles, casks, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts corridor A physical linkage, connecting two areas of habitat and differing from the habitat on either side. Corridors are used by organisms to move around without having to leave the preferred habitat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts corrosion A process in which a solid, especially a metal, is eaten away and changed by a chemical action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts corrosion inhibitor A chemical agent which slows down or prohibits a corrosion reaction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cosmetic industry Industry for the production of substances for improving the appearance of the body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cosmic radiation Radiations consisting of atomic nuclei, especially protons, of very high energy that reach the earth from outer space. Some cosmic radiations are very energetic and are able to penetrate a mile or more into the Earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cost-benefit Relation between costs of a certain activity and its benefits to a certain community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cost-benefit analysis The attempt to assess, compare and frequently justify the total price or loss represented by a certain activity or expenditure with the advantage or service it provides. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cost increase The augmentation or rise in the amount of money incurred or asked for in the exchange of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cost recovery basis A standard used to provide reimbursement to individuals or organizations for any incurred expense or provided service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cost reduction The lessening or lowering in the amount of money incurred or asked for in the exchange of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cost In economics, the value of the factors of production used by a firm in producing or distributing goods and services or engaging in both activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution cost The amount of money incurred as a result of human-made or human-induced alteration of the physical, biological, chemical, and radiological integrity of air, water, and other media. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national economic costs The amount of money incurred as a result of the financial management of a nation's financial resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cotton The most economical natural fiber, obtained from plants of the genus Gossypium, used in making fabrics, cordage, and padding and for producing artificial fibers and cellulose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts county An area comprising more than one city and whose boundaries have been designed according to some biological, political, administrative, economic, demographic criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts court of justice A tribunal having jurisdiction of appeal and review, including the ability to overturn decisions of lower courts or courts of first instance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts covering No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts craft An occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or skilled artistry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts credit assistance The help and support from banks and other financial institutions in providing money or goods without requiring present payment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts criminality A violation of the law, punishable by the State in criminal proceedings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts criminal law That body of the law that deals with conduct considered so harmful to society as a whole that it is prohibited by statute, prosecuted and punished by the government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts critical level General term referring to the concentration limit beyond which a substance can cause dangerous effects to living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts critical load The maximum load that a given system can tolerate before failing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crocodile Any large tropical reptile of the family Crocodylidae: order Crocodylia. They have a broad head, tapering snout, massive jaws, and a thick outer covering of bony plates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crop protection The problem of crop protection has changed dramatically since 1945. There is now a whole arsenal of chemicals with which to combat agricultural pests and diseases, but this development has itself many drawbacks. Such sophisticated techniques are available only to a minority of farmers; in most parts of the world the standard of crop protection remains abysmally low. In addition, modern crop protection methods have been criticized for relying too heavily on chemical control. Biological controls, both natural and contrived, have been neglected. In some cases involving misuse of agricultural chemicals, crops must be protected from the very measures intended for their protection. Meanwhile previously localized pests and diseases continue to spread worldwide. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crop rotation An agricultural technique in which, season after season, each field is sown with crop plants in a regular rotation, each crop being repeated at intervals of several years. Crop rotation minimizes the risks of depleting the soil of particular nutrients. In rotation systems, a grain crop is often grown the first year, followed by a leafy-vegetable crop in the second year, and a pasture crop in the third. The last usually contains legumes; such plants can restore nitrogen to the soil. Notwithstanding, high yields tend to depend upon the continued addition of chemical fertilizers to the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crop waste Any unusable portion of plant matter left in a field after harvest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crossing place A place, often shown by markings, lights, or poles, where a street, railway, etc. may be crossed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crossing place for animals Bridges and tunnels provided for animals for crossing roads and railways. Railway and road infrastructures represent an hindrance to wildlife migration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crude oil A comparatively volatile liquid bitumen composed principally of hydrocarbon, with traces of sulphur, nitrogen or oxygen compounds; can be removed from the earth in a liquid state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cruising Travelling by sea in a liner for pleasure, usually calling at a number of ports. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crustacean A class of arthropod animals having jointed feet and mandibles, two pairs of antennae, and segmented, chitin-encased bodies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cryptogam A large group of plants, comprising the Thallophyta, Bryophyta and Pteridophyta, the last of which are cryptogams. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crystallisation The formation of crystalline substances from solutions or melts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crystallography The branch of science that deals with the geometric description of crystals and their internal arrangement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultivated plant Plants specially bred or improved by cultivation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultivation The practice of growing and nurturing plants outside of their wild habitat (i.e., in gardens, nurseries, arboreta). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultivation method Any procedure or approach used to prepare land or soil for the growth of new crops, or to promote or improve the growth of existing crops. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultural development The process whereby the capabilities or possibilities inherent in a people's beliefs, customs, artistic activity and knowledge are brought out or made more effective. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultural facility Any building or structure used for programs or activities involving the arts or other endeavors that encourage refinement or development of the mind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultural heritage The inherited body of beliefs, customs, artistic activity and knowledge that has been transmitted by ancestors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultural indicator Cultural indicators give information about societies, which may be interesting even when one is not trying to evaluate the cultures of these societies from any normative point of view. Cultural indicators may also have an evaluative purpose involving explicit or implicit normative criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultural policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts culture (society) The body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits constituting a distinct complex of tradition of a racial or social group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts curriculum The aggregate of courses of study provided in a particular school, college, university, adult education program, technical institution or some other educational program. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts custom and usage A group pattern of habitual activity usually transmitted across generations and, in some instances, having the force of law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts customs Duties charged upon commodities on their importation into, or exportation out of, a country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cutting (forestry) The act or process of felling or uprooting standing trees, in order to produce timber products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cyanate A salt or ester of cyanic acid containing the radical OCN. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cyanide Any of a group of compounds containing the CN group and derived from hydrogen cyanide, HCN. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cyclone A storm characterized by the converging and rising giratory movement of the wind around a zone of low pressure (the eye) towards which it is violently pulled from a zone of high pressure. Its circulation is counterclockwise round the center in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cytology A branch of the biological sciences which deals with the structure, behaviour, growth, and reproduction of cells and the functions and chemistry of cell components. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cytotoxicity The degree to which an agent possesses a specific destructive action on certain cells or the possession of such action; used particularly in referring to the lysis of cells by immune phenomena and to antineoplastic drugs that selectively kill dividing cells. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dairy farm A commercial establishment for processing or selling milk and milk products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dairy industry Production of food made from milk or milk products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dairy product Products derived from milk, such as butter, cheese, lactose, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dam Structure constructed across a watercourse or stream channel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts damage An injury or harm impairing the function or condition of a person or thing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts damage from military manoeuvres Injury or harm resulting from the planned movement of armed forces or from the tactical exercises simulating war operations that is carried out for training and evaluation purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts damage prevention The aggregate of approaches and measures to ensure that human action or natural phenomena do not cause damage. It implies the formulation and implementation of long-range policies and programmes to eliminate or prevent the damages caused by disasters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazardous chemical export Transporting substances capable of producing adverse health effects, fires or explosions to other countries or areas for the conduct of foreign trade. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dangerous goods Goods or products that are full of hazards or risks when used, transported, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dangerous goods law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dangerous goods regulation Rules on the handling of articles or substances capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety, or property, and that ordinarily require special attention when being transported. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data acquisition The act of collecting and gathering individual facts, statistics or other items of information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data analysis The evaluation of digital data, i.e. data represented by a sequence of code characters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data base A computerized compilation of data, facts and records that is organized for convenient access, management and updating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data carrier A medium on which data can be recorded, and which is usually easily transportable, such as cards, tape, paper, or disks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data exchange A reciprocal transfer of individual facts, statistics or items of information between two or more parties for the purpose of enhancing knowledge of the participants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data processing Any operation or combination of operations on data, including everything that happens to data from the time they are observed or collected to the time they are destroyed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data protection Policies, procedures or devices designed to maintain the integrity or security of informational elements in storage or in transmission. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data recording technique The body of specialized procedures and methods used for the preservation, collocation or registration of individual elements of information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dating Any of several techniques such as radioactive dating, dendrochronology, or varve dating, for establishing the age of rocks, palaeontological or archaeological specimens, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decay product An isotope formed by the radioactive decay of some other isotope. This newly formed isotope possesses physical and chemical properties that are different from those of its parent isotope, and may also be radioactive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts DDT A persistent organochlorine insecticide, also known as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, that was introduced in the 1940s and used widely because of its persistence (meaning repeated applications were unnecessary), its low toxicity to mammals and its simplicity and cheapness of manufacture. It became dispersed all over the world and, with other organochlorines, had a disruptive effect on species high in food chains, especially on the breeding success of certain predatory birds. DDT is very stable, relatively insoluble in water, but highly soluble in fats. Health effects on humans are not clear, but it is less toxic than related compounds. It is poisonous to other vertebrates, especially fish, and is stored in the fatty tissue of animals as sublethal amounts of the less toxic DDE. Because of its effects on wildlife its use in most countries is now forbidden or strictly limited. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts debt Something owed to someone else. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts debt service The fees or amount of money necessary to pay interest on an outstanding debt, the principal of maturing serial bonds, and the required contributions to an amortization or sinking fund for term bonds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts racking The mechanical dewatering of a wet solid by pouring off the liquid without disturbing the underlying sediment or precipitate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decentralisation Basic organizational leadership concept and process of shifting and delegating power and authority from a higher level to subordinate levels within the administrative/managerial hierarchy in order to promote independence, responsibility, and quicker decision-making in applying or interpreting policies and procedures to the needs of these levels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deciduous forest The temperate forests comprised of trees that seasonally shed their leaves, located in the east of the USA, in Western Europe from the Alps to Scandinavia, and in the eastern Asia. The hardwood of these forests have been exploited since the 16th century. The trees of deciduous forests usually produce nuts and winged seeds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deciduous tree Tree losing its leaves in autumn and growing new ones in the spring. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decision Means the exercise of agency authority at any stage of an undertaking where alterations might be made in the undertaking to modify its impact upon historic and cultural properties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decision process Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decomposition The more or less permanent breakdown of a molecule into simpler molecules or atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decontamination The removing of chemical, biological, or radiological contamination from, or the neutralizing of it on a person, object, or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decree A declaration of the court announcing the legal consequences of the facts found. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deep sea Region of open ocean beyond the continental shelf. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deep sea deposit Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deep-sea disposal The disposal of solid waste or sludge by carrying the wastes out to sea, usually in a barge, and dumping into deep water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deep sea fishing Fishing in the deepest parts of the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deer The common name for 41 species of even-toed ungulates that compose the family Cervidae in the order Artiodactyla; males have antlers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts defence The act or process of protecting citizens or any geographical area by preparing for or by using military means to resist the attack of an enemy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts defoliation 1) The drop of foliage from plants caused by herbicides such as Agent Orange, diuron, triazines, all of which interfere with photosynthesis. The use of defoliants, as in Vietnam or in jungle clearance for agriculture, can permanently destroy tropical forests. Once the tree cover is removed, the soil is subjected to erosion and precious nutrients are rapidly leached away. 2) Destroying (an area of jungle, forest, etc.) as by chemical sprays or incendiary bombs, in order to give enemy troops or guerilla forces no place of concealment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deforestation The removal of forest and undergrowth to increase the surface of arable land or to use the timber for construction or industrial purposes. Forest and its undergrowth possess a very high water-retaining capacity, inhibiting runoff of rainwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts degradability The capacity of being decomposed chemically or biologically. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts degradation A type of organic chemical reaction in which a compound is converted into a simpler compound in stages. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts degradation of natural resources The result of the cumulative activities of farmers, households, and industries, all trying to improve their socio-economic well being. These activities tend to be counterproductive for several reasons. People may not completely understand the long-term consequences of their activities on the natural resource base. The most important ways in which human activity is interfering with the global ecosystem are: a) fossil fuel burning which may double the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by the middle of the next century, as well as further increasing the emissions of sulphur and nitrogen very significantly; b) expanding agriculture and forestry and the associated use of fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorous) are significantly altering the natural circulation of these nutrients; c) increased exploitation of the freshwater system both for irrigation in agriculture and industry and for waste disposal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts degradation product Those chemicals resulting from partial decomposition or chemical breakdown of substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts degreasing 1) Removing grease from wool with chemicals. 2) Removing grease from hides or skins in tanning by tumbling them in solvents. 3) Removing grease, oil, or fatty material from a metal surface with fumes from a hot solvent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts de-inking Series of processes by which various types of printing inks are removed from paper fibre pulp during the pre-processing and recycling of recovered paper products. Particularly necessary where high quality and whiteness of the finished product are required. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts delinquency Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts delta A delta is a vast, fan-shaped creation of land, or low-lying plain, formed from successive layers of sediment washed from uplands to the mouth of some rivers, such as the Nile, the Mississippi and the Ganges. The nutrient-rich sediment is deposited by rivers at the point where, or before which, the river flows into the sea. Deltas are formed when rivers supply and deposit sediments more quickly that they can be removed by waves of ocean currents. The importance of deltas was first discovered by prehistoric man, who was attracted to them because of their abundant animal and plant life. Connecting waterways through the deltas later provided natural routes for navigation and trade, and opened up access to the interior. Deltas are highly fertile and often highly populated areas. They would be under serious threat of flooding from any sea-level rise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demand The desire, ability and willingness of an individual to purchase a good or service. The consumer must have the funds or the ability to obtain funds in order to convert the desire into demand. The demand of a buyer for a certain good is a schedule of the quantities of that good which the individual would buy at possible alternative prices at a given moment in time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts democracy A system of governance in which ultimate authority power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their freely elected agents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demographic development Growth in the number of individuals of a population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demographic evolution The gradual pattern of change in the growth of human populations in a particular region or country, from a rapid increase in the birth and death rates to a leveling off in the growth rate due to reduced fertility and other factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demography The statistical study of human vital statistics and population dynamics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demolition business The activity of reducing buildings or other structures to rubble. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demolition waste Masonry or rubble wastes arising from the demolition of buildings or other civil engineering structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demonstrability No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dendrochronology The science of dating the age of a tree by studying annual growth rings. It is also employed to interpret previous environments and climatic variations by examining certain kinds of trees. It is based on the theory that the width of the growth ring reflects the amount of rainfall and the temperature of the year in which it was formed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dendrometry The measuring of the diameter of standing trees from the ground with a dendrometer that can also be used to measure tree heights. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts denitrification 1) The loss of nitrogen from soil by biological or chemical means. It is a gaseous loss, unrelated to loss by physical processes such as through leachates. 2) The breakdown of nitrates by soil bacteria, resulting in the release of free nitrogen. This process takes place under anaerobic conditions, such as are found in water-logged soil, and it reduces soil fertility. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts denitrification of waste gas Current methods for controlling NOx emissions in motor vehicles include retardation of spark timing, increasing the air/fuel ratio, injecting water into the cylinders, decreasing the compression ratio, and recirculating exhaust gas. For stationary sources, one abatement method is to use a lower NOx producing fuel or to modify the combustion process by injecting steam into the combustion chamber. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deposited particulate matter Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deposition The process by which polluting material is precipitated from the atmosphere and accumulates in ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deregulation The removal or relaxation of government control over the economic activities of some commercial entity, industry or economic sector. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dermapteran Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desalination Removal of salt, as from water or soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desalination plant 1) Plants for the extraction of fresh water from saltwater by the removal of salts, usually by distilling. 2) Parts of the world with severe water shortages are looking to desalination plants to solve their problems. Desalination of water is still nearly four times more expensive than obtaining water from conventional sources. However technology is improving and costs are likely to decrease slightly in the future. There is now more interest in building distillation plants beside electric installations so that the waste heat from power generation can be used to drive the desalination process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desert A wide, open, comparatively barren tract of land with few forms of life and little rainfall. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desertification 1) The development of desert conditions as a result of human activity or climatic changes. 2) The process of land damage which allows the soil to spread like a desert in arid and semi-arid regions. There is a loss of vegetative cover and the soil deteriorates in texture, nutrient content and fertility. Desertification affects the lives of three-quarters of the world's population, 70% of all drylands and one quarter of the total land area of the planet. There are many reasons for desertification, but the majority are caused by human activities, overgrazing, deforestation, poor land management and over-exploitation. Agenda 21 states that the priority in combating desertification should be establishing preventive measures for lands that are not yet, or are only slightly, degraded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desertification control Remedial and preventive actions adopted against desertification include irrigation, planting of trees and grasses, the erection of fences to secure sand dunes, and a careful management of water resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desert locust Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts design (project) A graphic representation, especially a detailed plan for construction or manufacture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desk study No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desorption The process of removing a sorbed substance by the reverse of adsorption or absorption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desulphurisation The removal of sulphur, as from molten metals or petroleum oil. Sulphur residues in fuels end up as sulphur dioxide when the fuel is burned causing acid rain. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desulphurisation of fuel Removal of sulfur from fossil fuels (or removal of sulfur dioxide from combustion fuel gases) to reduce pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts detection The act or process of discovering evidence or proof of governmental, legal or ethical violations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts detector A mechanical, electrical, or chemical device that automatically identifies and records or registers a stimulus, such as an environmental change in pressure or temperature, an electrical signal, or radiation from a radioactive material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts detergent A surface-active agent used for removing dirt and grease from a variety of surfaces and materials. Early detergents contained alkyl sulphonates, which proved resistant to bacterial decomposition, causing foaming in rivers and difficulties in sewage treatment plants. These hard detergents were replaced during the 1960s with soft biodegradable detergents. Apprehension continues to be expressed about the use of phosphates in detergents, helping to promote the process of eutrophication. No satisfactory substitute has yet emerged. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts determination method Method employed in the assessment or in the evaluation of a quantity, a quality, a fact, an event, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deterrent Any measure, implement or policy designed to discourage or restrain the actions or advance of another agent, organization or state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts detoxification The act or process of removing a poison or the toxic properties of a substance in the body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts developed country A nation possessing a relatively high degree of industrialization, infrastructure and other capital investment, sophisticated technology, widespread literacy and advanced living standards among its populations as a whole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts developing countries debt Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts developing country A country whose people are beginning to utilize available resources in order to bring about a sustained increase in per capita production of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development aid The economic assistance or other types of support provided to developing countries to promote or encourage advancement in living standards, institutions, infrastructure, agricultural practices and other aspects of an economy, and to resolve problems typically associated with developing countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development area Area which has been given special help from a government to encourage business and factories to be set up there. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development co-operation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development model A description, representation, or conception of the economic advancement process of a region or people. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development pattern The combination of qualities, structures, acts and tendencies characterizing the economic and social growth of a community or human group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development planning The act or process of formulating a course of action that promotes the economic advancement of a region or people, particularly in countries known to have low levels of economic productivity and technological sophistication. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts development plan The statement of local planning policies that each local planning authority is required by statute to maintain, and which can only be made or altered by following the procedures prescribed for that purpose, which include obligations to consult widely and to hold a public local inquiry into objections. The development plan includes: 1) the structure plan for the area (normally prepared by the country council); 2) an area-wide development plan for each district council area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dialysis A process of selective diffusion through a membrane; usually used to separate low-molecular-weight solutes which diffuse through the membrane from the colloidal and high-molecular-weight solutes which do not. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diatom Unicellular algae, some of which are colonial, green or brownish in colour (but all contain chlorophyll) and with siliceous and often highly sculptured cell walls. Diatoms make up much of the producer level in marine and freshwater food chains, and they have contributed to the formation of oil reserves. Deposits of diatomaceous earths were formed by the accumulation of diatom cell walls. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dictionary A reference book containing an explanatory alphabetical list of words, as a book listing a comprehensive or restricted selection of the words of a language; identifying usually, the phonetic, grammatical, and semantic value of each word, often with etymology, citations, and usage guidance and other information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts didactics The art or science of teaching. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diesel engine An internal combustion engine operating on a thermodynamic cycle in which the ratio of compression of the air charge is sufficiently high to ignite the fuel subsequently injected into the combustion chamber. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diesel fuel Heavy oil residue used as fuel for certain types of diesel engines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts differentiation The development of cells so that they are capable of performing specialized functions in the organs and tissues of the organisms to which they belong. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diffuse source Pollution which arises from various activities with no discrete source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diffusion The spontaneous movement and scattering of particles (atoms and molecules), of liquid, gases, and solids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts digested sludge Sludge or thickened mixture of sewage solids with water that has been decomposed by anaerobic bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts digester Machine which takes refuse and produces gas such as methane from it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts digestion (sewage) The reduction in volume and the decomposition of highly putrescible organic matter to relatively stable or inert organic and inorganic compounds. Sludge digestion is usually done by aerobic organisms in the absence of free oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts digital land model A representation of a surface's topography stored in a numerical format. Each pixel has been assigned coordinates and an altitude. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts digitising The process of converting data to a form used in computers, transmitted or stored with digital technology and expressed as a string of 0's and 1's. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diluted acid A less concentrated acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dioxin A by-product formed during the preparation of the herbicide 2, 4, 5-T, and sometimes produced by the incineration of chlorinated organic compounds. It may also occur naturally and is distributed widely in the environment, except locally in extremely low concentrations. Substantial amounts were released by the industrial accident of Seveso in 1976. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts direct discharger Factories and industrial concerns which do not discharge their sewage directly into public sewers, but directly into a waterway. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts directive The second rank of administrative acts (inferior to regulations, superior to decisions) made by the council or commission of the European Communities on order to carry out their tasks in accordance with the Treaties. They must be addressed to states, not individuals, but many create rights for individuals or allow the directive to be pleaded before municipal court. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disabled person Person lacking one or more physical power, such as the ability to walk or to coordinate one's movements, as from the effects of a disease or accident, or through mental impairment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster The result of a vast ecological breakdown in the relations between man and his environment, a serious and sudden event (or slow, as in drought) on such a scale that the stricken community needs extraordinary efforts to cope with it, often with outside help or international aid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster cleanup operation A course or procedure of activity designed to clear the debris or remove harmful substances left by an ecological calamity, natural or human in origin, in a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster contingency plan An anticipatory emergency plan to be followed in an expected or eventual disaster, based on risk assessment, availability of human and material resources, community preparedness, local and international response capability, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster control service Work done or agency established to analyze, plan, assign and coordinate available resources in order to prepare for, respond to, mitigate and recover from damage caused by an ecological calamity, natural or human in origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster preparedness The aggregate of measures to be taken in view of disasters, consisting of plans and action programmes designed to minimize loss of life and damage, to organize and facilitate effective rescue and relief, and to rehabilitate after disaster. Preparedness requires the necessary legislation and means to cope with disaster or similar emergency situations. It is also concerned with forecasting and warning, the education and training of the public, organization and management, including plans, training of personnel, the stockpiling of supplies and ensuring the needed funds and other resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster prevention The aggregate of approaches and measures to ensure that human action or natural phenomena do not cause or result in disaster or similar emergency. It implies the formulation and implementation of long-range policies and programmes to eliminate or prevent the occurrence of disasters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster relief Money, food or other assistance provided for those surviving a sudden, calamitous event causing loss of life, damage or hardship. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts discharge legislation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts discharge regime The rate of flow of a river at a particular moment in time, related to its volume and its velocity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disease A definite pathological process having a characteristic set of signs and symptoms which are detrimental to the well-being of the individual. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disease cause Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disinfectant An agent, such as heat, radiation, or a chemical, that disinfects by destroying, neutralizing, or inhibiting the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disinfection The complex of physical, chemical or mechanical operations undertaken to destroy pathogenic germs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dispatch note Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dispersion A distribution of finely divided particles in a medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dispersion calculation The calculation of pollutant dispersion is based on the use of air dispersion models that mathematically simulate atmospheric conditions and behaviour. Dispersion models can provide concentration or deposition estimates and can be used to evaluate both existing and hypothetical emissions scenarios. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts displaced person Persons who, for different reasons or circumstances, have been compelled to leave their homes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disposal of the dead Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disposal of warfare materials Disposal of the material remnants of war, which can seriously impede development and cause injuries and the loss of lives and property. The disposal of warfare waste is problematic because it can be highly dangerous, toxic, long-living and requires the utilization of specific and sophisticated technologies, particularly in the case of mines and unexploded bombs which have been left on the war territories. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dissolution Dissolving of a material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dissolved organic carbon The fraction of total organic carbon (all carbon atoms covalently bonded in organic molecules) in water that passes through a 0.45 micron pore-diameter filter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts distillation The process of producing a gas or vapour from a liquid by heating the liquid in a vessel and collecting and condensing the vapours into liquids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts distilling industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of alcoholic beverages made by a distillation process of vaporization and condensation, such as vodka, rum, whiskey and other related beverages. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts distortion of competition Article 85(1) of the EEC Treaty prohibits all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade between member states and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market. All such arrangements are automatically null and void under Article 85(2), unless exempted by the Commission pursuant to Article 85(3). The text of Article 85 is as follows: "1. The following shall be prohibited as incompatible with the common market: all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade between member states and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market, and in particular those which: (a) directly or indirectly fix purchase or selling prices or any other trading conditions; (b) limit or control production, markets, technical development, or investment; (c) share markets or sources of supply; (d) apply dissimilar conditions to equivalent transactions with other trading parties, thereby placing them at a competitive disadvantage; (e) make the conclusion of contracts subject to acceptance by the other parties of supplementary obligations which, by their nature or according to commercial usage, have no connection with the subject of such contracts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts distribution In an environmental context, the term refers to the dispersion of air pollutants and depends on the type of pollution source (point source, line source, diffuse source), the wind velocity and the wind direction. Distribution can be active or passive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts district heating The supply of heat, either in the form of steam or hot water, from a central source to a group of buildings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts district heating plant Plant for heating all houses in a district; it consists of a large, efficient, centralized boiler plant or "waste" steam from a power station. The heat is distributed by means of low-pressure steam or high-temperature water to the consumers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disused military site Military site where all activity has ceased. Such areas, being extremely well sheltered against outside disturbances and in many ways less affected by human landuse than many other open landscapes, can contain significant natural habitats and rare or endangered wildlife. Abandoned military territories constitute an important source of natural landscapes to be managed and restored in an environmentally sound way. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ditch A long, narrow excavation artificially dug in the ground; especially an open and usually unpaved waterway, channel, or trench for conveying water for drainage or irrigation, and usually smaller than a canal. Some ditches may be natural watercourses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts DNA The principal material of inheritance. It is found in chromosomes and consists of molecules that are long unbranched chains made up of many nucleotides. Each nucleotide is a combination of phosphoric acid, the monosaccharide deoxyribose and one of four nitrogenous bases: thymine, cytosine, adenine or guanine. The number of possible arrangements of nucleotides along the DNA chain is immense. Usually two DNA strands are linked together in parallel by specific base-pairing and are helically coiled. Replication of DNA molecules is accomplished by separation of the two strands, followed by the building up of matching strands by means of base-pairing, using the two halves as templates. By a mechanism involving RNA, the structure of DNA is translated into the structure of proteins during their synthesis from amino acids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts document Material of any kind, regardless of physical form, which furnishes information, evidence or ideas, including items such as contracts, bills of sale, letters, audio and video recordings, and machine readable data files. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts documentation The process of accumulating, classifying and disseminating information, often to support the claim or data given in a book or article. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts documentation centre Centre for assembling, coding, and disseminating recorded knowledge comprehensively treated as an integral procedure, utilizing various techniques for giving documentary information maximum accessibility and usability. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts document type Any one of a number of diverse classes of written, printed or digitized items furnishing information or evidence, and distinguished by content, form or function. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dog A common four-legged animal, especially kept by people as a pet or to hunt or guard things. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic appliance A machine or device, especially an electrical one used domestically. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domesticated animal 1) Wild animal which has been trained to live near a house and not be frightened of human beings; 2) species which was formerly wild, now selectively bred to fill human needs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic fuel Fuels obtained from different sources that are used for domestic heating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic fuel oil Liquid petroleum product used in domestic heaters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic noise Noise caused by domestic facilities and activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic trade Trade wholly carried on at home; as distinguished from foreign commerce. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic waste Waste generated by residential households and comprised of any material no longer wanted or needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic waste landfill Site for the disposal of wastes arising from domestic activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic waste water Wastewater principally derived from households, business buildings, institutions, etc., which may or may not contain surface runoff, groundwater or storm water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dosage The amount of a substance required to produce an effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dose The amount of test substance administered. Dose is expressed as weight of test substance (g, mg) per unit weight of test animal (e.g., mg/kg), or as weight of food or drinking water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dose-effect relationship The relation between the quantity of a given substance and a measurable or observable effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts draft legislation An initial unsigned agreement, treaty, or piece of legislation which is not yet in force. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dragonfly Any of the insects composing six families of the suborder Anisoptera and having four large, membranous wings and compound eyes that provide keen vision. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drainage 1) Removal of groundwater or surface water, or of water from structures, by gravity or pumping. 2) The discharge of water from a soil by percolation (the process by which surface water moves downwards through cracks, joints and pores in soil and rocks). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drainage water Incidental surface waters from diverse sources such as rainfall, snow melt or permafrost melt. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts draught animal Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dredged material Unconsolidated material removed from rivers, streams, and shallow seas with machines such as the bucket-ladder dredge, dragline dredge, or suction dredge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dredging Removing solid matter from the bottom of a water area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts olive oil mill wastewater Aqueous residue deriving from the process of oil extraction from olives; it is composed of the olive-combined water and of the water used in the extraction and washing processes. It also contains a certain percentage of mineral compounds and of organic substances that are only partially biodegradable. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drift net fishing The use of fishing nets of great length and depth, aptly described as "walls of death" because of the huge numbers of marine mammals, birds, and turtles that became ensnared in them. The Tarawa Declaration of 1989 formulated at the 20th South Pacific Forum, aimed at banning drift netting in the South Pacific. In June 1992 the UN banned drift netting in all the world's oceans. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drilling The act of boring holes in the earth for finding water or oil, for geologic surveys, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drilling installation The structural base upon which the drill rig and associated equipment is mounted during the drilling operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drinking water Water that is agreeable to drink, does not present health hazards and whose quality is normally regulated by legislation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drinking water protection area Area surrounding a water recovery plant in which certain forms of soil utilization are restricted or prohibited in order to protect the groundwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drinking water supply The provision and storage of potable water, or the amount of potable water stored, for the use of a municipality, or other potable water user. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drinking water treatment The Directive on the Quality of Surface Water Intended for Drinking Water defines three categories of water treatment (A1, A2, A3) from simple physical treatment and disinfection to intensive physical and chemical treatment. The treatment to be used depends on the quality of the water abstracted. The Directive uses imperative values for parameters known to have an adverse effect on health and also guide values for those which are less adverse. There is also a directive which complements the "surface water abstraction" Directive by indicating the methods of measurement and the frequency of sampling and analysis required. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drought A period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged so that the lack of water causes a serious hydrologic imbalance (such as crop damage, water supply shortage) in the affected area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drought control Measures taken to prevent, mitigate or eliminate damage caused to the ecosystem, especially crops, by a sustained period of dry weather. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drug abuse Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drug (medicine) A chemical substance used internally or externally as a medicine for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment or cure of disease, for the relief of pain or to control or enhance physical or mental well-being. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dry cleaning To clean fabrics etc. with a solvent other than water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dry deposition The accumulation of both particles and gases as they come into contact with soil, water or vegetation on the earth's surfaces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dry farming A system of extensive agriculture allowing the production of crops without irrigation in areas of limited rainfall. Dry farming involves conserving soil moisture through mulching, frequent fallowing, maintenance of a fine tilth by cross-ploughing, repeated working of the soil after rainfall and removal of any weeds that would take up some of the moisture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drying The process of partially or totally removing water or other liquids from a solid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drying out Removal of water from any substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dual economy An economy based upon two separate/distinct economic systems which co-exist in the same geographical space. Dualism is characteristic of many developing countries in which some parts of a country resemble advanced economies while other parts resemble traditional economies, i.e. there are circuits of production and exchange. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dual waste management To reduce the quantity of packaging waste, and thereby of overall MSW, Germany introduced a far-reaching legislation to reduce waste, based on the producer's responsibility principle. Industry was given the option to set up a third party organization which would carry out the collection and sorting of sales packaging for care of manufacturers and retailers. Thus, Some 600 companies created "Duales System Deutschland" in 1990 ("Dual" because it meant creating a second collection system in parallel to the existing waste collection system of the local authorities). Duales System Deutschland (DSD), now has overall responsibility for the separate collection and recycling of packaging. At present, the Dual System is the only nationwide system for the collection and sorting of sales packaging. Packaging participating in this collection system is marked with the Green Dot. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dumping The discarding of waste in any manner, often without regard to environmental control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land disposal The discharge, deposit or injection of any waste onto or into the soil or other land surfaces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dune A low mound, ridge, bank, or hill of loose, windblown granular material (generally sand, sometimes volcanic ash), either bare or covered with vegetation, capable of movement from place but always retaining its characteristic shape. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts duration of sunshine Period of the day during which the sun is shining. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dust Any kind of solid material divided in particles of very small size. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dust immission Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dust removal The removal of dust from air by ventilation or exhaust systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts registration obligation The duty to formally enroll with a government agency or an authority in order to be granted certain rights, particularly trademark or copyright privileges, or the permission to sell and distribute a product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dwelling Any enclosed space wholly or partially used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dye A coloring material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dyke An artificial wall, embankment, ridge, or mound, usually of earth or rock fill, built around a relatively flat, low-lying area to protect it from flooding; a levee. A dyke may be also be constructed on the shore or border of a lake to prevent inflow of undesirable water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dyke reinforcement The addition of material to strengthen the structure of the dykes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts early warning system Any series of procedures and devices designed to detect sudden or potential threats to persons, property or the environment at the first sign of danger; especially a system utilizing radar technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts earth's crust The outer layers of the Earth's structure, varying between 6 and 48 km in thickness, and comprising all the material above the Mohorovicic Discontinuity (a seismic discontinuity occurring between the crust of the earth and the underlying mantle; the discontinuity occurs at an average depth of 35 km below the continents and at about 10 km below the oceans). The earlier idea of a cool solid skin overlaying a hot molten interior has now been replaced by a concept of a crust composed of two shells: an inner basic unit composed of sima (oceanic crust) and an outer granitic unit composed of sial (continental crust). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts earthquake The violent shaking of the ground produced by deep seismic waves, beneath the epicentre, generated by a sudden decrease or release in a volume of rock of elastic strain accumulated over a long time in regions of seismic activity (tectonic earthquake). The magnitude of an earthquake is represented by the Richter scale; the intensity by the Mercalli scale. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts earth science The science that deals with the earth or any part thereof; includes the disciplines of geology, geography, oceanography and meteorology, among others. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Earth-Sun relationship The Earth depends on the sun for its existence as a planet hospitable to life, and solar energy is the major factor determining the climate. Hence, conditions on the sun and conditions on Earth are inextricably linked. Although the sun's rays may appear unchanging, its radiation does vary. Many scientists suspect that sunspot activity has a greater influence on climatic change than variations attributed to the greenhouse effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts earthworm Any of numerous oligochaete worms of the genera Lumbricus, Allolobophora, Eisenia, etc., which burrow in the soil and help aerate and break up the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts earwig Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera, especially Forficula auricularia, which typically have an elongated body with small leathery forewings, semicircular membranous hindwings, and curved forceps at the tip of the abdomen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts East Africa A geographic region of the African continent that includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia, and also Mt. Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Eastern Asia A geographic region of the Asian continent bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the east that includes China, Japan, Korea, Macao, Taiwan and Siberia. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Eastern Europe A geographic region of the European continent west of Asia and east of Germany and the Adriatic Sea, traditionally consisting of countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts East-West relations Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts East-West trade Trade between countries and companies of the Western hemisphere with those of the Eastern hemisphere (usually referring to former Communist countries of Eastern Europe). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC Council of Ministers The organ of the EU that is primarily concerned with the formulation of policy and the adoption of Community legislation. The Council consists of one member of government of each of the member states of the Community, and its presidency is held by each state in turn for periods of six months. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC directive A type of legislation issued by the European Union which is binding on Member States in terms of the results to be achieved but which leaves to Member States the choice of methods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC directive on biocides Directive regulating the placing of biocidal products on the market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC directive on packaging EC Directive proposed on 15 July 1992 aiming at harmonizing national measures concerning the management of packaging and packaging waste; the directive covers all packaging placed on the market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC directive on waste disposal EC Directive whose main object concerns waste prevention, recycling and transformation into alternative energy sources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC directive on water protection Directive concerning the use and management of water resources for a rational economical and social development and the protection of the related environmental features. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC ecolabel The European Community (EC) initiative to encourage the promotion of environmentally friendly products. The scheme came into operation in late 1992 and was designed to identify products which are less harmful to the environment than equivalent brands. For example, eco-labels will be awarded to products that do not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which damage ozone layer, to those products that can be, or are, recycled, and to those that are energy efficient. The labels are awarded on environmental criteria set by the EC. These cover the whole life cycle of a product, from the extraction of raw materials, through manufacture, distribution, use and disposal of the product. The first products to carry the EC eco-labels were washing machines, paper towels, writing paper, light bulbs and hairsprays. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts echinoderm Marine coelomate animals distinguished from all others by an internal skeleton composed of calcite plates, and a water-vascular system to serve the needs of locomotion, respiration, nutrition or perception. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecodevelopment 1) Conservative development based on long term optimization of biosphere resources. 2)An approach to development through rational use of natural resources by means of appropriate technology and system of production which take into account and provide for the conservation of nature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecolabelling The European Community's initiative to encourage the promotion of environmentally friendly products. The scheme came into operation in late 1992 and was designed to identify products which are less harmful to the environment than equivalent brands. It was hoped that by buying labelled goods, consumers would be able to put pressure on manufacturers and retailers both to make and to stock "greener" products. This includes the effects they have on the environment at all stages. The labels are awarded on environmental criteria set by the EC. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological abundance Number of individual specimens of an animal or plant seen over a certain period of time in a certain place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological adaptation Change in an organism so that it is better able to survive or reproduce, thereby contributing to its fitness. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological assessment Ecological assessment consists in monitoring the current and changing conditions of ecological resources from which success or failure of the ecosystem can be judged without bias; understanding more fully the structure and function of ecosystems in order to develop improved management options; developing models to predict the response of ecosystems to changes resulting from human-induced stress from which possible ecosystem management strategies can be assessed and assessing the ecological consequences of management actions so that decisionmakers can best understand the outcomes of choosing a particular management strategy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological balance The condition of equilibrium among the components of a natural community such that their relative numbers remain fairly constant and their ecosystem is stable. Gradual readjustments to the composition of a balanced community take place continually in response to natural ecological succession and to alterations in climatic and other influences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological bookkeeping The systematic accounting or recordkeeping of a company's impact on the environment or its progress towards environmentally sound business practices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological factor An environmental factor that, under some definite conditions, can exert appreciable influence on organisms or their communities, causing the increase or decrease in the number of organisms and/or changes in the communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological niche 1) The space occupied by a species, which includes both the physical space as well as the functional role of the species. 2) Ecological niche refers to the characteristics of an environment that provides all the essential food and protection for the continued survival of a particular species of flora or fauna. In addition to food and shelter, there is no long-term threat to existence in that place from potential predators, parasites and competitors. The concept of the ecological niche goes a long way beyond the idea of the species habitat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological parameter A variable, measurable property whose value is a determinant of the characteristics of an ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecologically sensitive area Area where it is likely that a change in some parts of the system will produce a recognizable response. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological stocktaking Taking stock of, evaluating, or inventorying a company's impact on the environment or its progress towards environmentally sound business practices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecologist movement Grouping of individuals and organizations dedicated to the protection of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecology The study of the interrelationships between living organisms and their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trophic ecology The study of the feeding relationships of organisms in communities and ecosystems. Trophic links between populations represent flows of organisms, organic energy and nutrients. Trophic transfers are important in population dynamics, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem energetics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic activity Any effort, work, function or sphere of action pertaining to the production of goods, services or any other resource with exchange value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economical-ecological efficiency The competency in performance in business matters involving the relation between financial and environmental principles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic analysis The quantitative and qualitative identification, study, and evaluation of the nature of an economy or a system of organization or operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic development The state of nations and the historical processes of change experienced by them, the extent to which the resources of a nation are brought into productive use; the concept of development subsumes associated social, cultural and political changes as well as welfare measures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic growth An increase over successive periods in the productivity and wealth of a household, country or region, as measured by one of several possible variables, such as the gross domestic product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic instrument Any tool or method used by an organization to achieve general developmental goals in the production of, or in the regulation of, material resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic management instrument A tool or method used by any organization in the management of developmental processes used in the production of, or in the regulation of, material resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic planning An economy in which prices, incomes etc. are determined centrally by government rather than through the operation of the free market, and in which industrial production is governed by an overall national plan. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic policy A definite course of action adopted and pursued by a government, political party or enterprise pertaining to the production, distribution and use of income, wealth and commodities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economics The social study of the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic situation The complex of elements which, in a given period, characterize the condition or state of a country or region's ability to produce goods, services and other resources with exchange value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic system Organized sets of procedures used within or between communities to govern the production and distribution of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic theory The study of relationships in the economy. Its purpose is to analyze and explain the behaviour of the various economic elements. The body of economic theory can be divided into two broad categories, positive theory and welfare theory. Positive theory is an attempt to analyze the operation of the economy without considering the desirability of its results in terms of ultimate goals. Welfare theory is concerned primarily with an evaluation of the economic system in terms of ethical goals which are not themselves derived from economic analysis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic trend Changes of variables and parameters of an economic system, analysed in statistical calculations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic viability Capability of developing and surviving as a relatively independent social, economic or political unit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic zoning A land-use planning design or control where specific types of businesses or private sector investment are encouraged within designated boundaries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economy The system of activities and administration through which a society uses its resources to produce wealth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts eco-paediatrics Branch of medical science concerning the study and the therapy of children diseases caused by environmental factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecophysiology The study of biophysical, biochemical and physiological processes used by animals to cope with factors of their physical environment, or employed during ecological interactions with other organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecosystem A community of organisms and their physical environment interacting as an ecological unit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecosystem analysis Detailed study of an ecosystem carried out to ascertain its features from the point of view of its soil composition, energy flux, biogeochemical cycles, biomass, organisms and their relationship with the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecosystem degradation Degradation or destruction of large natural environments. When one ecosystem is under attack as a result of natural or man-made disaster it is extremely difficult to calculate the ripple effects throughout nature. When two or more ecosystems are being degraded the probabilities of synergistic destructiveness multiply. Ecosystems in many regions are threatened, despite their biological richness and their promise of material benefits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecosystem research Study of the ways in which plants, animals, and microbes interact with each other and with their physical environment and of the processes involving the circulation, transformation and accumulation of both matter, especially nutrient materials, and energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecosystem type Ecosystems can be classified according to various criteria: from the point of view of energy source, two major types of ecosystems can be distinguished. Autotrophic ecosystems have primary producers as a principal component and sunlight has the major initial energy source; etherotrophic ecosystems depend upon preformed organic matter that is imported from autotrophic ecosystems elsewhere. Ecosystems can also be classified in terrestrial, marine and freshwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecotourism Excursions to relatively untouched lands, which for the tourist promise the chance to observe unusual wildlife and indigenous inhabitants. The travel industry, in an attempt to market adventure and authenticity to those travellers weary of "civilisation" promote travel to environments free of modern technology. Ecotourism's inherent contradiction is the promotion of untouched lands, which immediately become touched by the hands of tourism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecotoxicity Quality of some substances or preparations which present or may present immediate or delayed risks for one or more sectors of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecotoxicological evaluation Evaluation of the adverse effects of chemicals, physical agents, and natural products on population and communities and plants, animals and human beings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecotoxicology The science dealing with the adverse effects of chemical, physical agents, and natural products on populations and communities of plants, animals and human beings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecotype Species that has special characteristics which allow it to live in a certain habitat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC regulation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC regulation on eco-management and audit Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC regulation on existing chemicals Regulation designed to identify and control of risks deriving from existing chemicals. According to this program the main goal is the collection of basic information about existing chemicals including their uses and characteristics, environmental fate and pathways, toxicity and ecotoxicity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts edaphology The study of the relationships between soil and organisms, including the use made of land by mankind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts edible fat An oil that can be eaten as a food or food accessory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts education The act or process of imparting or acquiring knowledge or skills. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts educational institution An organization or establishment devoted to the act or process of imparting or acquiring knowledge or skills. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts educational planning The process of making arrangements or preparations to facilitate the training, instruction or study that leads to the acquisition of skills or knowledge, or the development of reasoning and judgment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts education policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government or some other organization, which promotes or determines the goals, methods and programs to be used for training, instruction or study that leads to the acquisition of skills or knowledge, or the development of reasoning and judgment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts educational system Any formulated, regular or special organization of instruction, training or knowledge disclosure, especially the institutional structures supporting that endeavor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts effect Effects include: a) direct effects, which are caused by the action and occur at the same time and place, b) indirect effects, which are caused by the action and are later in time or farther removed in distance, that are still reasonably foreseeable. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts effect on health Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts effect on man No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts effect on the environment Resultant of natural or manmade perturbations of the physical, chemical or biological components making up the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts research of the effects Investigation carried out to assess the results deriving from an action or condition; general term applying to many different fields. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts efficiency criterion Parameter or rule for assessing the competency in performance of production relative to the input of resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts efficiency level The ratio of output to input, usually given as a percentage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts effluent The waste liquid from domestic sewage, industrial sites or from agricultural processes. Effluents are harmful when they enter the environment, especially in freshwater, because of their polluting chemical composition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts egg A large, female sex cell enclosed in a porous, calcareous or leathery shell, produced by birds and reptiles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EIA directive Council Directive of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (85/337/EEC). The Directive applies to projects which are likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of their nature, size or location. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EIA law Law concerning the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, based on the EC Directive n. 85/337. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EIA (local) The identification, evaluation and appraisal of the ecological consequences of a proposed project or development in a city, town or region, and the measures needed to minimize adverse effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts elasticity Ability of a material to return to original dimensions after deformation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts elderly person Someone who has reached the later stage of life or who has attained a specified age within that stage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrical engineering Engineering that deals with practical applications of electricity; generally restricted to applications involving current flow through conductors, as in motors and generators. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrical industry Industry for the production of electric energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrical storage device No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electricity A general term used for all phenomena caused by electric charge whether static or in motion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electricity company Company which is responsible for the supply and distribution of electric energy to a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electricity consumption Amount of electricity consumed by an apparatus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electricity generation The act or process of transforming other forms of energy into electric energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electricity generation cost The value or amount of money exchanged for the production and sustained supply of charged ion current used as a power source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electricity supply industry Industry for the supply and distribution of electric power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electric line Wires conducting electric power from one location to another; also known as electric power line. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electric power The rate at which electric energy is converted to other forms of energy, equal to the product of the current and the voltage drop. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electric power plant A stationary plant containing apparatus for large-scale conversion of some form of energy (such as hydraulic, steam, chemical, or nuclear energy) into electrical energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electric power supply Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electric vehicle Vehicle driven by an electric motor and characterized by being silent and less polluting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrokinetics The study of the motion of electric charges, especially of steady currents in electric circuits, and of the motion of electrified particles in electric or magnetic fields. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrolysis The production of a chemical reaction by passing an electric current through an electrolyte. In electrolysis, positive ions migrate to the cathode and negative ions to the anode. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electronic material No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electronics Study, control, and application of the conduction of electricity through gases or vacuum or through semiconducting or conducting materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electronic scrap Any material from electronic devices and systems, generated as a waste stream in a processing operation or discarded after service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electronic scrap regulation Government or management prescribed rule for the disposal and recycling of electric parts, circuits and systems, especially computer devices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrosmog Pollution caused by electric and magnetic fields generated by power lines, electrical equipment, mobile and cordless phones, radar, electrical household appliances, microwave ovens, radios, computers, electric clocks, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrotechnical equipment All the equipment connected with the technological use of electric power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrotechnical industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of machinery, apparatus and supplies for the generation, storage and utilization of electrical energy, such as household appliances, radio and television receiving equipment, and lighting and wiring equipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group 0 A group of monatomic gaseous elements forming group 18 (formerly group 0) of the periodic table: helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group I (alkaline) Any of the monovalent metals lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, and francium, belonging to group 1A of the periodic table. They are all very reactive and electropositive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group II (alkaline earth metals) Any of the divalent electropositive metals beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium, belonging to group 2A of the periodic table. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group III Group III consists of two subgroups: group IIIb and group IIIa. Group IIIa consists of scandium, yttrium, and lanthanium, which is generally considered with the lanthanoids, and actinium, which is classified with the actinoids. Group IIIb, the main group, comprises boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, and thallium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group IV Group IV consists of two subgroups: group IVb, main group, and group IVa. Group IVa consists of titanium, zirconium, and hafnium which are generally classified as transition metals. The main group consists of carbonium, silicium, germanium, tin, and lead. The main valency of the elements is IV, and the members of the group show a variation from nonmetallic to metallic behaviour in moving down the group. The reactivity of the elements increases down the group from carbon to lead. All react with oxygen on heating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group V Group V consists of two subgroups: group Vb, the main group, and group Va. Group Va consists of vanadium, niobium, and tantalum, which are generally considered with the transition elements. The main group consists of nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group VI Group VI consists of two subgroups: group VIb, the main group, and group VIa. Group VIa consists of chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten. The main group consists of oxygen, sulphur, selenium, tellurium, and polonium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts element of group VII Any of the elements of the halogen family, consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical element A substance made up of atoms with the same atomic number; common examples are hydrogen, gold, and iron. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emancipation The state of being free from social or political restraint or from the inhibition of moral or social conventions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts embryo An early stage of development in multicellular organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts embryogenesis The formation and development of an embryo from an egg. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emergency law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emergency plan Program of procedures to be undertaken in the event of a sudden, urgent and usually unexpected occurrence requiring immediate action, especially an incident of potential harm to human life, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emergency relief Money, food or other assistance provided for those surviving a sudden and usually unexpected occurrence requiring immediate action, especially an incident of potential harm to human life, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emergency relief measure Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emergency shelter Shelter given to persons who are deprived of the essential needs of life following a disaster. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission A discharge of particulate gaseous, or soluble waste material/pollution into the air from a polluting source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission control Procedures aiming at reducing or preventing the harm caused by atmospheric emissions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission data Data concerning pollutants released into the environment from a permanent or mobile installation or from products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission factor The relationship between the amount of pollutants produced to the amount of raw materials processed, or fuel consumed, in any polluting process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission forecast The final step in a clean air plan is to predict future air quality to demonstrate that we can (if we can) meet the health standards by implementing the measures proposed in the plan. This is done by first projecting the emission inventory into the future, taking into account changes in population, housing, employment in specific business sectors, and vehicle miles traveled. These data are obtained from various sources and the resulting emissions are adjusted to account for regulations and control measures scheduled for implementation during the same time period. Additional adjustments are made to reflect large facilities that are expected to start up, modify, or shut down. The resulting inventory is an emission forecast, and is usually expressed in tons per day of particular pollutants for a given year. Additional steps may be required to determine how the forecasted quantities of air pollution will affect the overall air quality. One way to accomplish this is through computer modeling. A computer model simulates how pollutants disperse, react, and move in the air. The inputs to such a computer model are complex. They include weather patterns, terrain, and the chemical nature of air pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission reduction The act or process of limiting or restricting the discharge of pollutants or contaminants, such as by setting emission limits or by modifying the emission source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission reduction banking A system for recording qualified air emission reductions for later use in bubble, offset, or netting transactions. Plant complexes that reduce emissions substantially may "bank" their "credits" or sell them to other industries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission register A listing, by source, of the amounts of air pollutants discharged in the atmosphere of a community daily. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission situation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission source A chemical process, building, furnace, plant or other entity responsible for the discharge of pollutants or contaminants into the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission standard The maximum amount of discharge legally allowed from a single source, mobile or stationary. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emission to water The discharge of solid, liquid or gaseous pollutants or contaminants into a body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts employment The work or occupation in which a person is employed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts employment and environment Issues or initiatives pertaining to the inter-relationship between ecological concerns and the economics of employment, including sustained, environmentally safe development; the effect of environmental activism on jobs; and the creation of environmental occupations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts employment level effect The result or impact of a specific policy, action or event upon the number of working-age persons holding jobs in a specific region, nation or sector of the economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emulsification The process of dispersing one liquid in a second immiscible liquid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emulsion A stable dispersion of one liquid in a second immiscible liquid, such as milk (oil dispersed in water). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts encapsulation The enclosure of any polluting product with a material that prevents its release in the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts encyclopaedia A comprehensive, often multivolume, reference work containing articles on a wide rage of subjects or on various aspects of a particular field, usually, alphabetically arranged. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts endangered animal species Animals, birds, fish or other living organisms threatened with extinction by natural or human-induced changes in their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts endangered plant species The plants threatened with extinction by human or natural changes in the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts endangered species (IUCN) One of the three degrees of "rarity" drawn up by the International Union for the Conservation of Natural Resources. All plants and animals in these categories need special protection. Endangered species are those species in danger of extinction unless steps are taken to change the cause of threat and decline. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts groundwater endangering Threat to the quality and quantity of groundwater by activities related to the use of land. As some activities (e.g. landfill) present a particular risk of pollution, the closer an activity is to a well or borehole, the greater the risk of the pumped water being polluted. The type of soil, the geology, the rainfall and the amount of water pumped out of the ground must all be taken into consideration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts endocrine system The chemical coordinating system in animals, that is, the endocrine glands that produce hormones. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts endocrinology The study of the endocrine glands and the hormones that they synthesize and secrete. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts end-of-pipe technology An approach to pollution control which concentrates upon effluent treatment or filtration prior to discharge into the environment, as opposed to making changes in the process giving rise to the wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy The capacity to do work; involving thermal energy (heat), radiant energy (light), kinetic energy (motion) or chemical energy; measured in joules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy balance The energetic state of a system at any given time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy conservation The strategy for reducing energy requirements per unit of industrial output or individual well-being without affecting the progress of socio-economic development or causing disruption in life style. In temperate developed countries most energy is used in heating and lighting industrial and domestic buildings. Industrial processes, transport and agriculture are the other main users. During the 1970s it was demonstrated that substantial savings could be achieved through appropriate building technologies and the use of energy-efficient equipment for heating, air-conditioning and lighting. Most goods could and should be both manufactured and made to work more efficiently. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy consumption Amount of energy consumed by a person or an apparatus shown as a unit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy conversion The process of changing energy from one form to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy demand Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy dissipation Any loss of energy, generally by conversion into heat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy distribution system Any publicly or privately organized setup in which usable power such as electricity is delivered to homes and businesses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy economics The production, distribution, and consumption of usable power such as fossil fuel, electricity, or solar radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy efficiency Refers to actions to save fuels by better building design, the modification of production processes, better selection of road vehicles and transport policies, the adoption of district heating schemes in conjunction with electrical power generation, and the use of domestic insulation and double glazing in homes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy legislation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy management The administration or handling of power derived from sources such as fossil fuel, electricity and solar radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy market The trade or traffic of energy sources treated as a commodity (such as fossil fuel, electricity, or solar radiation). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy policy A statement of a country's intentions in the energy sector. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy process Any natural phenomenon or series of actions by which energy is converted or made more usable. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy production Generation of energy in a coal fired power station, in an oil fired power station, in a nuclear power station, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy recovery A form of resource recovery in which the organic fraction of waste is converted to some form of usable energy. Recovery may be achieved through the combustion of processed or raw refuse to produce steam through the pyrolysis of refuse to produce oil or gas; and through the anaerobic digestion of organic wastes to produce methane gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy resource Potential supplies of energy which have not yet been used (such as coal lying in the ground, solar heat, wind power, geothermal power, etc.). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy saving Avoiding wasting energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy source Potential supplies of energy including fossil and nuclear fuels as well as solar, water, wind, tidal and geothermal power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy source material Sources from which energy can be obtained to provide heat, light, and power. Energy resources, including fossil and nuclear fuels as well as solar, water, tidal and geothermal energy, may be captured or recovered and converted into other energy forms for a variety of household, commercial, transportation, and industrial applications. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy storage Amount of energy reserves; often refers to the stocks of non-renewable fuel, such as oil, which a nation, for example, possesses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy supply The provision and storage of energy (the capacity to do work or produce a change), or the amount of energy stored, for the use of a municipality, or other energy user. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy technology Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy type According to the source, energy can be classified as hydroenergy, solar energy, tidal energy, wind energy, waves energy, geothermal energy, etc.. According to the type of fuel used for its production, energy can be classified as nuclear energy, coal derived energy, petroleum derived energy, biomass derived energy, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy utilisation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy utilisation pattern Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enforcement The execution, carrying out or putting into effect an order, regulation, law or official decree. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts engine A machine in which power is applied to do work by the conversion of various forms of energy into mechanical force and motion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enlargement policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enlargement programme Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enriched uranium Uranium whose concentration of uranium-235, which is able to sustain a nuclear chain reaction, is increased by removing uranium-238. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enrichment The process of increasing the abundance of a specified isotope in a mixture of isotopes. It is usually applied to an increase in the proportion of U-235, or the addition of Pu-239 to natural uranium for use in a nuclear reactor or weapon. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts adequate food supply A quantity of nutriments that meets fundamental nutritional requirements and is provided to a person, group or community on a continuing basis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental accident An unexpected occurrence, failure or loss, with the potential for harming the ecosystem or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental accounting Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection advice Consultations or recommendations given as a guide of action regarding the preservation of ecological integrity and the defense or shelter of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental anxiety Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental sustainable architecture Environmentally friendly architecture is based on the following five principles: 1) healthful interior environment; 2) energy efficiency; 3) ecologically benign materials; 4) environmental form; 5) good design. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental aspect of human settlements Human settlements have an adverse impact on many ecosystems and on themselves by the addition of toxic or harmful substances to the outer lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The major types of environmental pollutants are sewage, trace metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, synthetic organic compounds, and gaseous emissions. Most, if not all, of the additions of potentially harmful substances to the environment are result of the population growth and the technological advances of industrial societies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental assessment The evaluation or appraisal of ecological or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental assessment criterion Principle or standard for the evaluation or appraisal of ecological or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental auditing An assessment of the nature and extent of any harm or detriment, or any possible harm or detriment, that may be inflicted on any aspect of the environment by any activity process, development programme, or any product, chemical, or waste substance. Audits may be designed to: verify or otherwise comply with environmental requirements; evaluate the effectiveness of existing environmental management systems; assess risks generally; or assist in planning for future improvements in environment protection and pollution control Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental awareness The growth and development of awareness, understanding and consciousness toward the biophysical environment and its problems, including human interactions and effects. Thinking "ecologically" or in terms of an ecological consciousness. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental balance Final part of the environmental impact study and assessment which compares environmental costs and benefits on the basis of homogeneous criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental change Changes that may take place in ecosystems, climate, soil, habitats, etc. due to pressures of various origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental chemicals legislation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental chemistry Science dealing with the physical, chemical and biochemical processes that polluting substances undergo when introduced in the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental compatibility Condition of products or projects of having a reduced impact or burden on the natural environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental consequence Resultant of natural or man-made perturbations of the physical, chemical or biological components making up the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental conservation Efforts and activities to maintain and sustain those attributes in natural and urban environments which are essential both to human physical and mental health and to enjoyment of life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental contingency planning The production of an organized, programmatic and coordinated course of action to be followed in the case of some accident, disaster or occurrence threatening an ecosystem and the human health or natural resources within it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental control Protection of the environment through policies concerning the control of wastes, the improvement of the human-made environment, the protection of heritage values, the institution of national parks and reserves, the protection of fauna and flora, the conservation of forests and landscapes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental cost Expenses incurred as a result of some violation of ecological integrity either by an enterprise that implements a program to rectify the situation, or by society or the ecosystem as a whole when no person or enterprise is held liable. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental crime Unlawful acts against the environment, such as water contamination, hazardous waste disposal, air contamination, unpermitted installation of plants, oil spills, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental criminal law The aggregate of statutory enactments pertaining to actions or instances of ecological negligence deemed injurious to public welfare or government interests and legally prohibited. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental criterion Standards of physical, chemical or biological (but sometimes including social, aesthetic, etc.) components that define a given quality of an environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental culture The total of learned behavior, attitudes, practices and knowledge that a society has with respect to maintaining or protecting its natural resources, the ecosystem and all other external conditions affecting human life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental damage Harm done to the environment, e.g. loss of wetlands, pollution of rivers, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental data Information concerning the state or condition of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental development The growth, progress or advancement in matters of ecological concern. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental economy issue A matter of public importance involving both a community's or a country's management of financial resources and its protection of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental economics A recognized field of specialization in the discipline of Economics that embraces the issues of pollution control and environment protection, in which costs and benefits are difficult or impossible to estimate, much of the subject matter falling outside the competitive market system. Yet, it is an area in which immense common property resources need to be allocated sensibly to the overall public good. The subject is also very much concerned with ways and means to achieve this sensible allocation such as emission and effluent charges, user charges for the treatment or disposal of waste, environmental taxes, product charges, deposit refunds, tradeable pollution rights, performance bonds, natural resource accounting, and the economic implications of sustainable development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental education The educational process that deals with the human interrelationships with the environment and that utilizes an interdisciplinary problem-solving approach with value clarification. Concerned with education progress of knowledge, understanding, attitudes, skills, and commitment for environmental problems and considerations. The need for environmental education is continuous, because each new generation needs to learn conservation for itself. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental enterprise Organisations that are specialized in providing advice on environmental matters, for example investigation and remediation of potentially polluted land, water and air, and in the evaluation of environmental impacts; they employ professionals with the qualifications of engineering, geology, chemistry, hydrogeology, landscaping, environmental economics, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental ethics An ecological conscience or moral that reflects a commitment and responsibility toward the environment, including plants and animals as well as present and future generations of people. Oriented toward human societies living in harmony with the natural world on which they depend for survival and well being. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental fund Financial resources set aside for measures involving ecological maintenance or the protection, defense, or shelter of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental hazard A physical or chemical agent capable of causing harm to the ecosystem or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental health The art and science of the protection of good health, the prevention of disease and injury through the control of positive environmental factors, and the reduction of potential physical, biological, chemical and radiological hazards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental health hazard Any physical, chemical or other agent capable of causing harm to the interrelationship between humans and the surrounding external conditions, threatening both human well-being and ecological integrity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental health impact assessment Assessment of impacts caused by an action on the health conditions of a population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental health protection Measures or devices designed to reduce the risk of harm to human health posed by pollutants or other threatening conditions in the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental history A systematic and chronological account of past events and conditions relating to the ecosystem, its natural resources or, more generally, the external factors surrounding and affecting human life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact Any alteration of environmental conditions or creation of a new set of environmental conditions, adverse or beneficial, caused or induced by the action or set of actions under consideration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact assessment Analysis and judgement of the effects upon the environment, both temporary and permanent, of a significant development or project. It must also consider the social consequences and alternative actions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of agriculture Agricultural activities have significant impacts on water quality, including increases in stream sedimentation from erosion, and increases in nutrients, pesticides, and salt concentrations in runoff. In certain regions, the misuse of pesticides has led to the development of pesticide-resistant strains of pests, destroyed natural predators, killed local wildlife, and contaminated human water supplies. Improper application of fertilizers has changed the types of vegetation and fish types inhabiting nearby waterways and rivers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of aquaculture Fish farming pollutes the water with nutrients, methane and hydrogen sulphide which threaten both farmed fish and other marine life. Dangerous pesticides have been used to treat infestations of sea lice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of energy Energy and environmental problems are closely related, since it is nearly impossible to produce, transport, or consume energy without significant environmental impact. The environmental problems directly related to energy production and consumption include air pollution, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste disposal. The emission of air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion is the major cause of urban air pollution. Diverse water pollution problems are associated with energy usage. One major problem is oil spills. In all petroleum-handling operations, there is a finite probability of spilling oil either on the earth or in a body of water. Coal mining can also pollute water. Changes in groundwater flow produced by mining operations often bring otherwise unpolluted waters into contact with certain mineral materials which are leached from the soil and produce an acid mine drainage. Solid waste is also a by-product of some forms of energy usage. Coal mining requires the removal of large quantities of earth as well as coal. In general, environmental problems increase with energy use and this combined with the limited energy resource base is the crux of the energy crisis. An energy impact assessment should compare these costs with the benefits to be derived from energy use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of fishing Fishing may have various negative effects on the environment: effluent and waste from fish farms may damage wild fish, seals, and shellfish. Fish farmers use tiny quantities of highly toxic chemicals to kill lice: one overdose could be devastating. So-called by-catches, or the incidental taking of non-commercial species in drift nets, trawling operations and long line fishing is responsible for the death of large marine animals and one factor in the threatened extinction of some species. Some fishing techniques, like the drift nets, yield not only tons of fish but kill millions of birds, whales and seals and catch millions of fish not intended. Small net holes often capture juvenile fish who never have a chance to reproduce. Some forms of equipment destroy natural habitats, for example bottom trawling may destroy natural reefs. Other destructive techniques are illegal dynamite and cyanide fishing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of forestry The world's forestry resources are shrinking at an alarming rate. The need for foreign exchange encourages many developing countries to cut timber faster than forests can be regenerated. This overcutting not only depletes the resource that underpins the world timber trade, it causes loss of forest-based livelihoods, increases soil erosion and downstream flooding, and accelerates the loss of species and genetic resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of households Household impacts on the environment include domestic heating emissions (hot air, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapour and oxide of nitrogen, sulphur and other trace gases); domestic sewage consisting of human bodily discharges, water from kitchens, bathrooms and laundries; the dumping of bulky wastes such as old washing machines, refrigerators, cars and other objects that will not fit into the standard dustbin and which are often dumped about the countryside, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of industry The effects on the environment connected with industrial activities are mainly related to the production of industrial wastes that can be divided into various types: solid waste, such as dust particles or slag from coal; liquid wastes from various processes, including radioactive coolants from power stations; and gas wastes, largely produced by the chemical industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of recreation Recreation and tourism are often accompanied by extensive damage to the environment. Aquatic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the effects of an increased tourist trade and the resultant building of hotel accommodations, sewage disposal works, roads, car parks and landing jetties on banks and coastlines; and the increased angling, swimming, water skiing, shooting or use of motor-boats in the water body. These all produce direct deleterious effects when conducted on a massive scale, including shore damage, chemical changes in the water, and sediments and biological changes in the plant and animal communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of tourism Extensive damage to the environment caused by recreation and tourism, including despoiling of coastlines by construction of tourist facilities; pollution of the sea; loss of historic buildings to make way for tourist facilities; loss of agricultural land for airport development, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact of transport Impact of transportation-related activities on the environment, in particular, those impacts dealing with air pollution, noise, displacement of people and businesses, disruption of wildlife habitats, and overall growth-inducing effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact statement A detailed statement which, to the fullest extent possible, identifies and analyses, among other things, the anticipated environmental impact of a proposed action and discusses how the adverse effects will be mitigated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental impact study Survey conducted to ascertain the conditions of a site prior to the realization of a project, to analyze its possible impacts and compensative measures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental incentive Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental indicator A measurement, statistic or value that provides a proximate gauge or evidence of the effects of environmental management programs or of the state or condition of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental index An index of available environmental articles from 1972 to present; also known as Environmental Abstract Annual. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental industry Industries involved in the development of cleaner technologies, waste and wastewater treatment, recycling processes, biotechnology processes, catalysts, membranes, desulphurisation plants, noise reduction, and the manufacture of other products having an environment protection purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental informatics Science and techniques of data elaboration and of computer processing of information concerning ecosystems and ecology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental information Knowledge communicated or received concerning any aspect of the ecosystem, the natural resources within it or, more generally, the external factors surrounding and affecting human life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental information network A system of interrelated persons and devices linked to permit the exchange of data or knowledge concerning natural resources, human health and other ecological matters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental information system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources designed to exchange data or knowledge concerning any aspect of the ecosystem, the natural resources within or, more generally, the external factors surrounding and affecting human life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental investment Securities held for the production of income in the form of interest and dividends with the aim of benefitting the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentalism 1) Concern for the environment and its protection. 2) Theory emphasizing the primary influence of the environment on the development of groups or individuals. It stresses the importance of the physical, biological, psychological, or cultural environment as a factor influencing the structure or behaviour of animals, including humans. In politics, this has given rise in many countries to Green Parties, which aim to " Preserve the planet and its people". Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental law A wide spectrum of options from binding "hard" laws, such as international treaties and national legislation, to "soft" laws, covering guiding principles, recommended practices and procedures, and standards. Environmental law also attempts to reconcile international considerations with concerns that focus on very specific problems such as soil degradation, marine pollution or the depletion of non-renewable resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental law enforcement Any variety of activities associated with promoting compliance and obedience to those binding rules of a state that have been promulgated to safeguard ecological integrity, preserve natural resources and protect human health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental legislation Branch of law relating to pollution control; national parks, wildlife, fauna and flora, wilderness and biodiversity; environmental and occupational health; environmental planning; heritage conservation and a large number of international conventions relating to the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental legislation on agriculture A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate any aspect of farm and livestock production that poses a threat to ecological integrity and human health, especially the use of pesticides, fertilizers and land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental legislative process The systematic course of proceedings in which a bill that would preserve or protect ecological resources may be enacted as a law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental liability The penalty to be paid by an organization for the damage caused by pollution and restoration necessary as a result of that damage, whether by accidental spillages from tankers, industrial waste discharges into waterways or land, or deliberate or accidental release of radioactive materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental licence A governmental license or grant that allows and regulates an enterprise's discharge of air pollutants, typically from a commercial or industrial plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentally dangerous substance Substance that causes undesirable change in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of the air, water, or land that can harmfully affect the health, survival, or activities of human or other living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental friendly procurement The process of obtaining products and services which are favorably disposed toward the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentally friendly product Product that is not harmful to the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentally friendly management Adoption of integrated and preventative management practices aiming at reducing the impacts of industrial and trade activities on the environment; these practices include, among others, life-cycle analysis in the product development cycle, the introduction of clean process technology and measures of waste minimisation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentally related disease Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentally responsible behaviour Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmentally unfriendly firm Firms that do not comply with environmental regulations for the disposal of noxious wastes generated during the production cycle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental management Measures and controls which are directed at environmental conservation, the rational and sustainable allocation and utilization of natural resources, the optimization of interrelations between society and the environment, and the improvement of human welfare for present and future generations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental medicine The art and science of the protection of good health, the promotion of aesthetic values, the prevention of disease and injury through the control of positive environmental factors, and the reduction of potential physical, biological, chemical, and radiological hazards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental misconduct Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental monitoring Periodic and/or continued measuring, evaluating, and determining environmental parameters and/or pollution levels in order to prevent negative and damaging effects to the environment. Also include the forecasting of possible changes in ecosystem and/or the biosphere as a whole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental noise The sound and the characteristics of sounds from all sources in the surrounding environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental perception An intuitive recognition or understanding of the ecosystem and its natural resources, often based on human experiences or cultural attitudes or beliefs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental performance Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental planning The identification of desirable objectives for the physical environment, including social and economic objectives, and the creation of administrative procedures and programmes to meet those objectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental plan A formulated or systematic method for the protection of natural or ecological resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental policy Official statements of principles, intentions, values, and objective which are based on legislation and the governing authority of a state and which serve as a guide for the operations of governmental and private activities in environmental affairs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental policy instrument Technological, economical and legislative measures employed to prevent or control pollution or damage of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental pollution The introduction by man into the environment of substances or energy liable to cause hazards to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to structure or amenity, or interference with legitimate uses of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental priority Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental programme An organized group of activities and procedures, often run by a government agency or a nonprofit organization, to protect natural or ecological resources and advocate for ecological progress. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection Measures and controls to prevent damage and degradation of the environment, including the sustainability of its living resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection agency EPA is the US Government's watchdog agency responsible for controlling the pollution of air and water, pesticides, radiation hazards and noise pollution. The agency is also involved in research to examine the effects of pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection association Associations whose object resides in the protection of natural environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection cost The amount of money incurred in the preservation, defense, or shelter of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection in the enterprise Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken by non-governmental, business or industrial entities to prevent or reduce harm to the ecosystem and human health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection order Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection organisation A government agency, committee or group that is responsible for preserving and safeguarding ecological or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection regulation A government or management prescribed rule for the preservation of natural resources and the prevention of damage or degradation of the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental protection technology Technologies that meet environmental objectives by incorporating pollution prevention concepts in their design. Environmental control strategies introduced in the early design stages of a process, rather than an end-of-pipe control option introduced in the later stages, improve the technical and economic performance of a process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental psychology A branch of experimental psychology which studies the relationships between behavior and the environmental context in which it occurs. Environmental psychology's primary focus is the influence of the physical environment and, therefore, much of the research in this area deals with the influences of noise, air pollution, climatic changes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental quality Properties and characteristics of the environment, either generalized or local, as they impinge on human beings and other organisms. Environmental quality is a general term which can refer to: varied characteristics such as air and water purity or pollution, noise, access to open space, and the visual effects of buildings, and the potential effects which such characteristics may have on physical and mental health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental quality criterion Criteria followed in establishing standards for exposure to pollutants and noise, in respect of pesticides, detergents, composition of effluents, discharge of trade wastes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental quality objective Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental quality standard Normative documents and guidelines for determining the degree of environmental conditions and requirements to avoid negative and damaging effects, influences, and consequences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental report An account or statement, usually in writing, describing in detail events, situations or conditions pertaining to the ecosystem, its natural resources or any of the external factors surrounding and affecting human life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental research The study of the environment and its modifications caused by human activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental risk assessment Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental risk Likelihood, or probability, of injury, disease, or death resulting from exposure to a potential environmental hazard. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental science The interdisciplinary study of environmental problems, within the framework of established physical and biological principles, i.e. oriented toward a scientific approach. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental security Measures taken or policies instituted to protect and promote the safety of external conditions affecting the life, development and survival of an organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental specimen bank Places in which selected specimens (fish, mussels, milk, soil sample and human tissue, etc.) are stored without being allowed to decompose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental statement (eco-audit) Assessment made by a company or organization of the financial benefits and disadvantages to be derived from adopting a more environmentally sound policy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental statistics No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental stock exchange The buying, selling, or exchanging of ecological commodities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental subsidy Payment by a government to assist or improve performance regarding ecological maintenance or the protection, defense, or shelter of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental target Environmental elements of recognized importance which can be modified by the completion of a project. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental teaching Instruction, training or the imparting of knowledge about the external conditions affecting the life, development and survival of organisms, including potential dangers to the ecosystem and the means to maintain its integrity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental technology Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental terminology The vocabulary of technical terms and usage appropriate to community, corporate, governmental and other groups concerned with protecting natural resources, preserving the integrity of the ecosystem and safeguarding human health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental training Teaching of specialists and qualified workers who acquire knowledge and skills necessary to solve environmental problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental economic valuation The assessment, evaluation, or appraisal of business performance in matters involving ecology and finances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental vandalism Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental warfare The direct manipulation or destruction of ecological resources as either a political threat or for actual military advantage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environment friendly Human activities, enterprises or products that reinforce rather than undermine the integrity of the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environment A concept which includes all aspects of the surroundings of humanity, affecting individuals and social groupings. The European Union has defined the environment as "the combination of elements whose complex interrelationships make up the settings, the surroundings and the conditions of life of the individual and of society, as they are or as they are felt". The environment thus includes the built environment, the natural environment and all natural resources, including air, land and water. It also includes the surroundings of the workplace. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enzyme Any of a group of catalytic proteins that are produced by living cells and that mediate and promote the chemical processes of life without themselves being altered or destroyed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts epidemic A sudden increase in the incidence rate of a disease to a value above normal, affecting large numbers of people and spread over a wide area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts epidemiology 1) The study of the mass aspects of disease. 2) The study of the occurrence and distribution of disease and injury specified by person, place, and time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts equine Animals belonging to the family of Equidae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts equipment Any collection of materials, supplies or apparatuses stored, furnished or provided for an undertaking or activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts equivalent dose A quantity used in radiation protection, expressing all radiation on a common scale for calculating the effective absorbed dose. The unit of dose equivalent is the rem. which is numerically equal to the absorbed dose in rads multiplied by certain modifying factors such as the quality factor, the distribution factor, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ergonomics The study of human capability and psychology in relation to the working environment and the equipment operated by the worker. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts erosion The general process or the group of processes whereby the materials of Earth's crust are loosened , dissolved, or worn away and simultaneously moved from one place to another, by natural agencies, which include weathering, solution, corrosion, and transportation, but usually exclude mass wasting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts erosion control Practices used during construction or other land disturbing activities to reduce or prevent soil erosion. Typical practices include planting of trees and quick growing grass on disturbed areas and other means to slow the movement of water across a disturbed site and trap the soil that does get transported by runoff. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estuarine biology The scientific study or the characteristic life processes of living organisms found in a semi-enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and within which sea water is measurably diluted with freshwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estuarine conservation area Estuarine area which has been reserved by legislation to protect part or all of the enclosed environment for conservation, scientific, educational and/or recreational purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estuarine ecosystem Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estuarine oceanography The study of the physical, chemical, biological and geological characteristics of a semi-enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and within which sea water is measurably diluted with fresh water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estuary Area at the mouth of a river where it broadens into the sea, and where fresh and sea water intermingle to produce brackish water. The estuarine environment is very rich in wildlife, particularly aquatic, but it is very vulnerable to damage as a result of the actions of humans. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts etching The incision of lines on a plate of metal, glass, or other material by covering it with an acid-resistant coating, scratching through the coating, and then permitting an acid bath to erode exposed parts of the plate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts etching substance Substance capable of wearing away the surface of a metal, glass, etc. by chemical action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ether A colorless liquid, slightly soluble in water; used as a reagent, intermediate, anesthetic, and solvent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ethics The philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct and of the rules and principles that ought to govern it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ethnology The science that deals with the study of the origin, distribution, and relations of races or ethnic groups of mankind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ethology The study of animal behaviour in a natural context. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EU Council The Council of the European Union is an institution which exercises legislative and decision-making powers. At the same time, it is the forum in which the representatives of the Governments of the 15 Member States can assert their interests and try to reach compromises. The Council ensures general coordination of the activities of the European Community, the main objective of which is the establishment of an internal market, i.e. an area without internal frontiers guaranteeing four freedoms of movement - for goods, persons, services and capital - to which should soon be added a single currency. In addition, the Council is responsible for intergovernmental cooperation, in common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and in the areas of justice and home affairs (JHA), including for example matters of immigration and asylum, combating terrorism and drugs and judicial cooperation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Euratom A precursor to the European Community, the European Atomic Energy Community was founded in 1958 by the European Common Market to conduct research, develop nuclear energy, create a common market for nuclear fuels and supervise the nuclear industry so as to prevent abuse and protect health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Europe The second smallest continent, forming the W extension of Eurasia: the border with Asia runs from the Urals to the Caspian and the Black Sea. The coastline is generally extremely indented and there are several peninsulas (notably Scandinavia, Italy and Iberia) and offshore islands (including the British Isles and Iceland). It contains a series of great mountain systems in the south (Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, Caucasus), a large central plain, and a N region of lakes and mountains in Scandinavia. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Commission The European Union's administrative body, composed of twenty independent members appointed by the Member States for five-year terms and vested with powers of initiative, implementation, management and control according to the mandates established in EU Treaties or handed down by the EU Council. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Court of Justice The supreme court of The European Union which oversees the application of the EU treaties, decides upon the validity and the meaning of Community legislation and determines whether any act or omission by the European Commission, the Council of Minister or any member state constitutes a breach of Community law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Environment Agency The EEA is being set up to provide the European Community and its member states with objective, reliable and standardized information on the environment. It will assess the success of existing environmental policies and the data will be used to develop new policies for environmental protection measures. It will gather information covering the present, and foreseeable, state of the environment. The priority area are: air quality and emissions; water quality, pollutants and resources; soil quality, flora and fauna, and biotopes; land use and natural resources; waste management; noise pollution; chemicals; and protection of coastal areas. The Agency will also take into account the socio-economics dimension, cover transboundary and international matters, and avoid the duplication of the activities of other bodies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Environmental Council Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European nature reserve No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Parliament Formerly the "Assembly" of EEC. Comprises some 520 "representatives of the peoples" of European Community states, directly elected, and based in Strasbourg. Exercises advisory and supervisory powers; debates and passes resolutions and may veto admission of new member states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Union The 15 nations (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Austria, Finland and Sweden) that have joined together to form an economic community with common monetary, political and social aspirations. The EU came into being on 1 November 1993 according to the terms of the Maastricht Treaty; it comprises the three European Communities, extended by the adoption of a common foreign and security policy which requires cooperation between member states in foreign policy and security and cooperation in justice and home affairs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts eutrophication A process of pollution that occurs when a lake or stream becomes over-rich in plant nutrient; as a consequence it becomes overgrown in algae and other aquatic plants. The plants die and decompose. In decomposing the plants rob the water of oxygen and the lake, river or stream becomes lifeless. Nitrate fertilizers which drain from the fields, nutrients from animal wastes and human sewage are the primary causes of eutrophication. They have high biological oxygen demand (BOD). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evaluation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evaluation criterion A standard, norm, value or measurement by which the quantity or quality of a process, object or person's work performance is ascertained through an analysis and judgment of the relevant information in context and in view of established goals, objectives and standards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evaluation method No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evaluation of technology No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evaporation Conversion from a liquid or solid state to a vapour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evapotranspiration Discharge of water from the earth's surface to the atmosphere by evaporation from lakes, streams and soil surfaces and by transpiration from plants. Also known as fly-off. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts evolution The biological theory or process whereby species of plants and animals change with the passage of time so that their descendants differ from their ancestors, i.e. development from earlier forms by hereditary transmission of slight variations in successive generations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exact science Mathematics and other sciences based on calculation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excavated hole A pit, cavity, or other uncovered cutting produced by excavation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excavation (process) The removal of earth from its natural position. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excavation heap Residue in form of a heap, consisting of earth or other material, produced by excavation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excavation site The location chosen for an excavation, meaning the act or process of removing soil and/or rock materials by digging, blasting, breaking, loading either at the surface or underground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excessive height of chimney stacks Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts executive order An order or regulation issued by the president or some administrative authority under his direction for the purpose of interpreting, implementing or giving administrative effect to a provision of the constitution or of some law or treaty. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exhaust device 1) A duct or pipe through which waste material is emitted. 2) A combination of components which provides for enclosed flow of exhaust gas from engine parts to the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exhaust gas Offgas produced during combustion processes discharged directly or ultimately to the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts existing chemical Chemical products existing before 18-09-1981. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exotic species Plants, animals or microorganisms which are introduced by humans into areas where they are not native. Exotics are often associated with negative ecological consequences for native species and the ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts expenditure Spending by consumers, investors, or government for goods or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts experiment A test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy of something previously untried. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts expert system A computer configuration of hardware and software that simulates the judgment and behavior of a human or an organization with extensive knowledge in a particular field, often by giving answers, solutions or diagnoses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exploration The search for economic deposits of minerals, ore, gas, oil, or coal by geological surveys, geophysical prospecting, boreholes and trial pits, or surface or underground headings, drifts, or tunnels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts explosion A violent, sudden release of energy resulting from powders or gases undergoing instantaneous ignition or from some other means of detonation, often accompanied by a force producing great amounts of heat, major structural damages, shock waves and flying shrapnel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts explosive A substance, such as trinitrotoluene, or a mixture, such as gunpowder, that is characterized by chemical stability but may be made to undergo rapid chemical change without an outside source of oxygen, whereupon it produces a large quantity of energy generally accompanied by the evolution of hot gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts export To send, take or carry an article of trade or commerce out of the country. To transport merchandise from one country to another in the course of trade. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts export licence Permission from a government to carry or send abroad and sell a product manufactured within its borders. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts export of hazardous wastes Transporting by-products of society that possesses at least one of four characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity) to other countries or areas for the conduct of foreign trade. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exposure The time for which a material is illuminated or irradiated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts expropriation To deprive an owner of property, especially by taking it for public use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts extensive cattle farming Farming system practiced in very large farms, characterized by low levels of inputs per unit area of land; in such situations the stocking rate, the number of livestock units per area , is low. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts externality Discrepancies between private costs and social costs or private advantages and social advantages; the basic concept of externality is interdependence without compensation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts extinction (ecological) 1) The complete disappearance of a species of plant or animal from the planet. 2) Disappearing of animals and plants from the biota. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts extinct species (IUCN) Animal or plant species which have completely disappeared from the planet. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts extraction Any process by which a pure metal is obtained from its ore. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts extractive industry Primary activities involved in the extraction of non-renewable resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fabric Any cloth made from yarn or fibres by weaving, knitting, felting, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts factor market Significant elements or reasons for an outcome in the buying, selling, and trading of particular goods or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts factory farming The technique of capital intensive animal-raising in an artificial environment, used for chicken, egg, turkey, beef, veal and pork production. Animals are restrained in a controlled indoor environment and their food is brought to them. The building take on the appearance of industrial units. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts faecal bacterium Bacteria contained in human and animal faeces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fallout The descent of airborne solid or liquid particles to the ground, which occurs when the speed at which they fall due to gravity exceeds that of any upward motion of the air surrounding them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fallow area Land area normally used for crop production but left unsown for one or more growing seasons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fallow land Arable land not under rotation that is set at rest for a period of time ranging from one to five years before it is cultivated again, or land usually under permanent crops, meadows or pastures, which is not being used for that purpose for a period of at least one year. Arable land which is normally used for the cultivation of temporary crops but which is temporarily used for grazing is included. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts family A group comprising parents, offsprings and others closely related or associated with them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts family planning The control of the number of children in a family and of the intervals between them, especially by the use of contraceptives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts famine A severe shortage of food, as through crop failure or over population. It may be due to poor harvests following drought, floods, earthquake, war, social conflict, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts farm animal Animals reared in farms for working and producing food such as meat, eggs and milk. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts farm building The dwelling on a farm as distinguished from utility buildings as a barn, corncrib, milk house. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts farm Any tract of land or building used for agricultural purposes, such as for raising crops and livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fast traffic No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fauna The entire animal life of a given region, habitat or geological stratum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts federal authority The power of a central government agency or its administrators to carry out the terms of the law creating the agency as well as to administer and implement regulations, laws and government policies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts federal government A system in which a country or nation formed by a union or confederation of independent states is governed by a central authority or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts federal law A binding rule or body of rules established by a government that has been constituted as a union of independent political units or states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fee A charge fixed by law for services of public officers or for use of a privilege under control of government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts feeding of animals The act and effect of supplying animals with food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fen Waterlogged, spongy ground containing alkaline decaying vegetation, characterized by reeds, that may develop into peat. It sometimes occurs in the sinkholes of karst region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fermentation Any enzymatic transformation of organic substrates, especially carbohydrates, generally accompanied by the evolution of gas; a physiological counterpart of oxidation, permitting certain organisms to live and grow in the absence of air; used in various industrial processes for the manufacture of products, such as alcohols, acids, and cheese by the action of yeasts, molds, and bacteria; alcoholic fermentation is the best-known example. Also known as zymosis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fern Any of a large number of vascular plants composing the division Polypodiophyta, without flowers and fruits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fertiliser Substance added to soil for the purpose of promoting plant life, usually containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, e.g. manure, guano, rock phosphates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fertiliser law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fibre An extremely long, pliable, cohesive natural or manufactured threadlike object from which yarns are spun to be woven into textiles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fibreglass A material made from small fibres of glass twisted together, which is used for keeping buildings warm, or a plastic strengthened by these fibres and used for making structures such as the outsides of cars and boats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts field A limited area of land with grass or crops growing on it, which is usually surrounded by fences or closely planted bushes when it is part of a farm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts field damage A decline in the productivity of an area of land or in its ability to support natural ecosystems or types of agriculture. Degradation may be caused by a variety of factors, including inappropriate land management techniques, soil erosion, salinity, flooding, clearing, pests, pollution, climatic factors, or progressive urbanization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts field experiment Experiment carried out on a substance or on an organism in the open air as opposed to in a laboratory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts field study Scientific study made in the open air to collect information that can not be obtained in a laboratory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts filling material Any substance used to fill the holes and irregularities in planed or sanded surfaces so as to decrease the porosity of the surface for finish coatings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts filling station A place where petrol and other supplies for motorists are sold. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts film A motion picture; a thin flexible strip of cellulose coated with a photographic emission, used to make negatives and transparencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts filter A porous material for separating suspended particulate matter from liquids by passing the liquid through the pores in the filter and sieving out the solids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts filter cake Accumulated solids, wet or dry, generated by any filtration process, including accumulation on fabric filters in air filtering processes, or accumulation of wet solids in liquid filtering processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts filtration Separation of suspended particles from a liquid, gas, etc., by the action of a filter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts final storage A system where inert materials, which are not to be mobilized by natural processes even for long time periods, are confined by three barriers: the natural impermeable surroundings, an artificial barrier (such as liner) which can be controlled and, most important, the inert material itself. The concept of final storage includes the possibility to mine the materials in the future if such materials are sufficiently "clean" (mono-landfills) and if it becomes economic to mine such ores. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts finances The monetary resources or revenue of a government, company, organization or individual. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial assistance Help and support provided on matters concerning money. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial compensation The financial reparations that a claimant seeks or a court awards for injuries sustained or property harmed by another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial contribution Something given, including any form of income or price support; individual investor's monetary offering or contribution to common fund or stock; government agency's or lending aid agency's subsidy, grant, or other contribution to help bolster an economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial instrument A generic term that refers to the many different forms of financing a business may use. For example - loans, shares, and bonds are all considered financing instruments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial market A place or institution in which buyers and sellers meet and trade monetary assets, including stocks, bonds, securities and money. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financing Procurement of monetary resources or credit to operate a business or acquire assets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fine A pecuniary punishment or penalty imposed by lawful tribunal upon person convicted of crime or misdemeanor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fine dust Air-borne solid particles, originating from human activity and natural sources, such as wind-blown soil and fires, that eventually settle through the force of gravity, and can cause injury to human and other animal respiratory systems through excessive inhalation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fire The state of combustion in which inflammable material burns, producing heat, flames and often smoke. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fire precaution Measure, action or installation implemented in advance to avert the possibility of any unexpected and potentially harmful combustion of materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fireproofing agent A chemical used as a coating for or a component of a combustible material to reduce or eliminate a tendency to burn; used with textiles, plastics, rubbers, paints, and other materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fire protection All necessary precautions to see that fire is not initiated, by ensuring that all necessary fire fighting apparatus is in good order and available for use if fire should break out, and by ensuring that personnel are properly trained and drilled in fighting fire. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fire safety requirement Rules to be followed and safety systems to be adopted for preventing or fighting fire. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fire service Technical organisation with trained personnel for dealing with fires and other incidents and for co-operating in their prevention. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts firing The process of applying fire or heat, as in the hardening or glazing of ceramics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts firm A commercial partnership of two or more persons, especially when incorporated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fish disease Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishery The industry of catching, processing and selling fish. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fisheries management The administration and handling of aspects of the fishing industry, including the catching, processing and selling of fish. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishery resource No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishery economics The production, distribution, and consumption of fish and seafood and all financial aspects of the fishing and seafood industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishery policy Common Fisheries Policy which covers all fishing activities, the farming of living aquatic resources, and their processing and marketing, on the legal basis of Article 39 of the Treaty of Rome. It was agreed between members of the European Community in 1983. It lays down annual catch limits for major species of fish, a 12-mile exclusive fishing zone for each state, and an equal-access zone of 200 nautical miles from its coast within which any member state is allowed to fish. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fish Cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fish farming Raising of fish in inland waters, estuaries or coastal waters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing The attempt to catch fish or other aquatic animal with a hook or with nets, traps, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing industry Industry for the handling, processing, and packing of fish or shellfish for market or shipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing law Rules concerning fishing activities; in international law the matter is ruled by the 1958 Geneva Convention. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing preserve Limited portion of a water body where angling is allowed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing vessel Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fish kill Fish diseases observed in the past three decades and which have been attributed to pollution include: haemorrhages; tumours; fin rot; deformed fins; and missing scales and tails. In industrialized countries, increasing numbers of fish are deemed inedible. Many small kills are not noticed or are not reported, and large kills are often not included because of insufficient information to determine whether the kills were caused by pollution or by natural factors. Low dissolved oxygen levels resulting from excessive sewage is one of the leading causes. The second most common cause is pesticides. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fish stock Quantity of fish held for future use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fish toxicity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fitting (plumbing) Plumbing equipment in a building. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fixed schedule of charges Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flag of convenience Practice of registering a merchant vessel with a country that has favourable (i.e. less restrictive ) safety requirements, registration fees, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flaring 1) Flares use open flames during normal and/or emergency operations to combust hazardous gaseous. The system has no special features to control temperature or time of combustion; however, supplemental fuel may be required to sustain the combustion. Historically, flares have been used to dispose of waste gases in the oil and gas industry and at wastewater treatment plants having anaerobic digestors. Regulation for thermal destruction of hazardous wastes limit the practical use of flaring to combustion of relatively simple hydrocarbons, such as methane from digesters or landfill gas collection systems. 2) A control device that burns hazardous materials to prevent their release into the environment; may operate continuously or intermittently, usually on top a stack. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rapid test Tests performed in the medical field whose results are available very quickly. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flavouring A substance, such as an extract or a spice, that imparts flavor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flea Any of the wingless insects composing the order Siphonaptera; most are ectoparasites of mammals and birds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flexible approach to environmental protection Plans, referred to in various rules as emissions averaging, or flexible compliance plans, allow facilities to undercontrol some emission points that are too costly to control to mandated levels as long as these units are balanced by overcontrolling other emission units that are more cost-effective to control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flocculant A reagent added to a dispersion of solids in a liquid to bring together the fine particles to form flocs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flocculation A process of contact and adhesion whereby the particles of a dispersed substance form large clusters or the aggregation of particles in a colloid to form small lumps, which then settle out. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flood An unusual accumulation of water above the ground caused by high tide, heavy rain, melting snow or rapid runoff from paved areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flood control Measures taken to prevent or reduce harm caused by an unusual accumulation of water above the ground, often involving the construction of reservoirs and channeling structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flooding A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow of inland and/or tidal waters, and/or the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source. A great flow along a watercourse or a flow causing inundation of lands not normally covered by water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flora (biology) The plant life characterizing a specific geographic region or environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flora restoration The process of returning plant ecosystems and habitats to their original conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flotation A process used to separate particulate solids by causing one group of particles to float; utilizes differences in surface chemical properties of the particles, some of which are entirely wetted by water, others are not. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flow The forward continuous movement of a fluid through closed or open channels or conduits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flower The reproductive structure of angiosperm plants, consisting of stamens and carpels surrounded by petals and sepals all borne on the receptacle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flowering plant Plants capable of producing conspicuous flowers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flow field The velocity and the density of a fluid as functions of position and time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flowing water Moving waters like rivers and streams. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flue gas The gaseous combustion product generated by a furnace and often exhausted through a chimney (flue). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fluidics A control technology that employs fluid dynamic phenomena to perform sensing, control, information, processing, and actuation functions without the use of moving mechanical parts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fluidisation A roasting process in which finely divided solids are suspended in a rising current of air (or other fluid), producing a fluidized bed; used in the calcination of various materials, in the coal industry, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fluidised bed 1) A system for burning solid carbonaceous fuel efficiently and at a relatively low temperature, thus minimizing the emission of pollutants. The fuel is crushed to very small particles or a powder and mixed with particles of an inert material. The mixture is fed into a bed through which air is pumped vertically upwards, agitating the particles so they behave like a fluid. The forced circulation of air and the small size and separation of fuel particles ensures efficient burning. 2) A bed of finely divided solid through which air or a gas is blown in a controlled manner so that it behaves as a liquid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fluoridation The addition of the fluorine ion to municipal water supplies in a final concentration of 0.8-1.6 ppm (parts per million) to help prevent dental caries in children. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fluorine A gaseous or liquid chemical element; a member of the halide family, it is the most electronegative element and the most chemically energetic of the nonmetallic elements; highly toxic, corrosive, and flammable; used in rocket fuels and as a chemical intermediate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fluvial resource Any source of supply derived from a river, particularly its water, which is collected, stored and treated, then distributed for domestic, industrial, farm and other uses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river transport Transportation of goods or persons by means of ships travelling on rivers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fly ash Finely divided particles of ash that are entrained in flue gases resulting from the combustion of fuel or other material. The particles of ash may contain incompletely burned fuel and other pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foaming agent Substances which make it possible to form a homogenous dispersion of a gaseous phase in a liquid or solid medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fodder Bulk feed for livestock, especially hay, straw, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fog Water droplets or, rarely, ice crystals suspended in the air in sufficient concentration to reduce visibility appreciably. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mist Fine water droplets suspended in the air, which reduce visibility. Usually mists form at night, when the temperature falls because the sky is clear. If visibility falls below 1,000 metres, the mist becomes a fog. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foliage The green leaves of a plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food A material that can be ingested and utilized by the organism as a source of nutrition and energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food additive Substances that have no nutritive value in themselves (or are not being used as nutrients) which are added to food during processing to improve colour, texture, flavour, or keeping qualities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food chain A sequence of organisms on successive trophic levels within a community, through which energy is transferred by feeding; energy enters the food chain during fixation by primary producers (mainly green plants) and passes to the herbivores (primary consumers) and then to the carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food colourant Any digestible substance, usually a synthetic dye, which manufacturers add to food to give it color and enhance its appearance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food commerce An interchange of any food commodity or related food products, usually on a large scale. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food contamination Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food hygiene That part of the science of hygiene that deals with the principles and methods of sanitation applied to the quality of foodstuffs, to their processing, preparation, conservation and consumption by man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food industry The commercial production and packaging of foods that are fabricated by processing, by combining various ingredients, or both. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food irradiation The most recent addition to food preservation technologies is the use of ionizing radiation, which has some distinct advantages over conventional methods. With irradiation, foods can be treated after packaging, thus eliminating post-processing contamination. In addition, foods are preserved in a fresh state and can be kept longer without noticeable loss of quality. Food irradiation leaves no residues, and changes in nutritional value due to irradiation are comparable with those produced by other processes. Irradiation is the process of applying high energy to a material, such as food, to sterilize or extend its shelf-life by killing microorganisms, insects and other pests residing on it. Sources of ionizing radiation that have been used include gamma rays, electron beams and X-rays. Gamma rays are produced by radioactive isotopes such as Cobalt-60. Electron beams are produced by linear accelerators, which themselves are powered by electricity. The dose applied to a product is the most important factor of the process. At high doses, food is essentially sterilized, just as occurs in canning. Products so treated can be stored at room temperature almost indefinitely. Controversial and banned in some countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food pollutant Potentially harmful substances in any food consumed by humans, or other animals, including inorganic and organic chemicals, viruses and bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food preservation Processing designed to protect food from spoilage caused by microbes, enzymes, and autooxidation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food processing industry A commercial establishment in which food is manufactured or packaged for human consumption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food production (agriculture) No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food quality Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food requirement The minimum food ration required for satisfying the essential needs of an organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food science The applied science which deals with the chemical, biochemical, physical, physiochemical, and biological properties of foods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food storage Stock of food kept in storage as a national measure to provide security against fluctuations in food supply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foodstuff A substance that can be used or prepared for use as food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food technology The application of science and engineering to the refining, manufacturing, and handling of foods; many food technologists are food scientists rather than engineers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts food transport Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts footpath A narrow path for walkers only. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forage contamination Introduction of hazardous or poisonous substances such as arsenic or lead into, or onto, fodder for animals. The animals consume the contaminated feed and can become sick and may die. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forage law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forecast An estimate or prediction of a future condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foreclosure To shut out, to bar, to destroy an equity of redemption. A termination of all rights of the mortgagor or his grantee in the property covered by the mortgage. The process by which a mortgagor of real or personal property, or other owner of property subject to a lien, is deprived of his interest therein. Procedure by which mortgaged property is sold on default of mortgagor in satisfaction of mortgage debt. In common usage, refers to enforcement of lien, trust deed, or mortgage in any method provided by law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foreign economic relations Dealing in economic or monetary matters with foreign countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foreign policy The diplomatic policy of a nation in its interactions with other nations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts foreign trade Trade between countries and firms belonging to different countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest A vegetation community dominated by trees and other woody shrubs, growing close enough together that the tree tops touch or overlap, creating various degrees of shade on the forest floor. It may produce benefits such as timber, recreation, wildlife habitat, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest conservation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest cover destruction Destruction of forests is carried out in many countries in order to provide new land for agricultural or livestock purposes. It is often done without factors such as climate and topography having been sufficiently studied and on lands where slope nature of the soil or other physiographic characteristics clearly indicate that the land involved is suitable only for forest. Although these practices may lead to a temporary increase in productivity, there are also many indications that in the long run there is usually a decrease in productivity per unit of surface and that erosion and irreversible soil deterioration often accompany this process. Many factors contribute to forest cover destruction: timber production, clearance for agriculture, cutting for firewood and charcoal, fires, droughts, strip mining, pollution, urban development, population pressures, and warfare. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest damage Reduction of tree population in forests caused by acidic precipitation, forest fires, air pollution, deforestation, pests and diseases of trees, wildlife, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest ecosystem Any forest environment, in which plants and animals interact with the chemical and physical features of the environment, in which they live. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest fire A conflagration in or destroying large wooded areas having a thick growth of trees and plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of establishments is engaged in the management of an extensive area of woodland, often to produce products and benefits such as timber, wildlife habitat, clean water, biodiversity and recreation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest management Planning of forest utilization for wood production, conservation purposes, fauna and flora protection, recreation and water supply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest pest Organisms that damage trees. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government or some other organization, which seeks to preserve or protect an extensive area of woodland, often to produce products and benefits such as timber, wildlife habitat, clean water, biodiversity and recreation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest production Forests produce a range of products including firewood and charcoal, lumber, paper, and crops such as coffee, oil palm, and rubber. With careful planning of growth and harvesting, wood and other forest products are, in principle, renewable resources. But achieving renewability takes time - often decades, sometimes centuries. Without careful management, pressure for short-term exploitation can lead to tree removal, soil degradation, and conversion of woodland to other uses. Consumption of forest resources can lead to environmental problems as well as loss of critical habitat and species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest product Any material afforded by a forest for commercial use, such as tree products and forage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest reserve Forest area set aside for the purpose of protecting certain fauna and flora, or both. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest resource assessment Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest resource Forest resources consist of two separate but closely related parts: the forest land and the trees (timber) on that land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forestry The management of forest lands for wood, forages, water, wildlife, and recreation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forestry economics The production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services from the industry involved with the process of establishing and managing forests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forestry law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate any extensive area of woodland, for the protection and preservation of game, timber and other forest resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forestry legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the use and conservation of wooded areas, most often those owned by the government itself. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forestry practice The farming of trees to ensure a continuing supply of timber and other forest products. Foresters care for existing trees, protecting them from fire, pests and diseases, and felling where trees are overcrowded or dying and when ready for cropping. They also plant new areas (afforestation) and replant felled areas (reafforestation). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts form of government Form of authority in which an individual or group of individuals wield power over the majority. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fossil Any remains, trace, or imprint of a plant or animal that has been preserved in the Earth's crust since some past geologic or prehistoric time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fossil fuel The energy-containing materials which were converted over many thousands of years from their original form of trees, plants and other organisms after being buried in the ground. Physical and chemical processes occurred in the Earth's crust that changed them into coal, peat, oil or natural gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fouling growth The adhesion of different marine organisms to the underwater parts of ships, causing the ships to loose speed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts four stroke engine An internal combustion engine whose cycle is completed in four piston strokes; includes a suction stroke, compression stroke, expansion stroke, and exhaust stroke. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts framework legislation A body of rules prescribed by a government, often composed in a series of inter-related parts, to establish or lay the foundation for a new project, agency or organizational structure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts access to information The ability, right and permission to approach and use, or the general availability of resources that convey knowledge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freight transport Transportation of goods by ship, aircraft or other vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freon Trade name for a group of polyhalogenated hydrocarbons containing fluorine and chlorine; an example is trichlorofluoromethane. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater Water having a relatively low mineral content, generally less than 500 mg/l of dissolved solids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater biology The scientific study or the characteristic life processes of living organisms found in a natural body of water that does not contain significant amounts of dissolved salts and minerals, such as a lake or river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater degradation Pollution immediately or eventually involves the hydrological cycle of the earth, because even pollutants emitted into the air and those present in the soil are washed out by precipitation. Water is considered polluted when it is altered in composition or condition so that it becomes less suitable for any or all of the functions and purposes for which it would be suitable in its natural state. This definition includes changes in the physical, chemical and biological properties of water, or such discharges of liquid, gaseous or solid substances into water as will or are likely to create nuisances or render such water harmful to public health, safety or welfare, or to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, fish or other aquatic life. It also includes changes in temperatures, due to the discharge of hot water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater ecosystem The living organisms and nonliving materials of an inland aquatic environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater monitoring Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater organism Organisms which live in freshwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater pollution The direct or indirect human alteration of the biological, physical, chemical or radiological integrity of freshwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freshwater resource The network of rivers, lakes, and other surface waters that supply water for food production and other essential human systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts frog Any insectivorous anuran amphibian of the family Ranidae, such as Rana temporaria of Europe, having a short squat tailless body with a moist smooth skin and very long hind legs specialized for hopping. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts frost A deposit of interlocking ice crystals formed by direct sublimation on objects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fruit A fully matured plant ovary with or without other floral or shoot parts united with it at maturity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fruit cultivation Cultivation of fruit trees for home consumption or on a commercial basis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fruit tree Any tree that bears edible fruit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel Solid, liquid, or gaseous material such as gas, gasoline, oil, coal or wood, used to produce heat or power by burning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel additive Substance (such as tetraethyl lead) which is added to petrol to prevent knocking. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel alcohol Alternative source of energy for motor vehicles. It is produced by fermentation of sugar cane by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel composition Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel consumption The amount of fuel utilized. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel oil A liquid product burned to generate heat, exclusive of oils with a flash point below 38°C; includes heating oils, stove oils, furnace oils, bunker fuel oils. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel tank installation The operating, fuel-storage component of a fuel system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fuel wood Wood used for heating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fume Solids in the air that have been generated by the condensation of vapors, chemical reactions or sublimation (a direct change from solid to gas). Often metallic oxides or metals, these particles are less than 1 micrometer in diameter and may be toxic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fumigation The use of a chemical compound in a gaseous state to kill insects, nematodes, arachnids, rodents, weeds, and fungi in confined or inaccessible locations; also used to control weeds, nematodes, and insects in the field. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts functional substance A substance from the point of view of its function or purpose, for example a painting agent or a preserving substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil function The main soil function is participation in the material transformation and migrating processes occurring in the natural environment on which the functioning of ecosystems depends. The most active participants in the occurring processes are microorganisms and invertebrates, whose activity, different variety, complex structure, and abundance accurately reflect the soil type and its characteristics: so they are important indicators of ecological stability. The variety of soil organisms determine its self-regulatory and self-cleaning capacity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mycete Nucleated usually filamentous, sporebearing organisms devoid of chlorophyll. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fungus Nucleated usually filamentous, sporebearing organisms devoid of chlorophyll. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fungicide Chemicals used to kill or halt the development of fungi that cause plant disease, such as: storage rot; seedling diseases; root rots; vascular wilts; leaf blights, rusts, smuts and mildews, and viral diseases. These can be controlled by the early and continued application of selected fungicides that either kill the pathogens or restrict their development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fur The hair-covered, dressed pelt of such a mammal, used in the making of garments and as trimming or decoration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fur animal Animals bred and slaughtered for their fur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts furan A colourless flammable toxic liquid heterocyclic compound, used in the synthesis of nylon. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts furnace A structure or apparatus in which heat is produced by the combustion of fuel, often to warm houses, melt metals, produce steam and bake pottery. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts furniture The movable articles in a room or an establishment that make it fit for living or working. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts furniture industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts furriery The business or trade of dressed furs and garments made from the coats of certain animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gallinacean The order of birds that includes grouse, ptarmigan, capercaillie, partridges, pheasants, quails, turkeys and peacocks. These are mainly grain-eating, heavy-bodied, ground-nesting birds, capable of only short, rapid flights. The cocks are usually more colourful than the hens. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts galvanisation The act of coating iron or steel with zinc, either by immersion in a bath of molten zinc or by deposition from a solution of zinc sulphate, to give protection against corrosion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts game (animals) Wild animals, including birds and fish, hunted for sport, food or profit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gamma radiation Radiation of gamma rays. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts garden A piece of land next to a house where flowers and other plants are grown and which often has an area of grass. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts garden waste Natural organic matter discarded from gardens and yards including leaves, grass clippings, prunings, brush and stumps. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts garrigue Mediterranean bush consisting of low evergreen shrubs and abundant herbaceous plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas A substance that continues to occupy in a continuous manner the whole of the space in which it is placed, however large or small this place is mad, the temperature remaining constant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas chromatography A separation technique involving passage of a gaseous moving phase through a column containing a fixed phase; it is used principally as a quantitative analytical technique for volatile compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas company Company charged with the production and distribution of gas for domestic use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas engine An internal combustion engine that uses gaseous fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gaseous air pollutant Uncondensed or volatile gases, usually comprised of chemical compounds, discharged to the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gaseous state State of matter in which the matter concerned occupies the whole of its container irrespective of its quantity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts treatment of gases Gas is treated before it can be supplied to the marketplace. The extent to which gas needs to be processed will depend on its quality, the amount of associated impurities such as water, carbon dioxide and sulphur compounds, and the ultimate end-use for the gas. Common gaseous impurities found in natural gas are carbon dioxide and sulphur compounds. Both have an acidic reaction and are given the generic name 'acid gases'. These gases can be removed by a number of commercial processes, using either a physical or a chemical solvent. Physical solvent processes tend to be used where gas pressures are high and for gases with lower levels of propane and heavier hydrocarbons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gasification 1) Any chemical or heat process used to convert a substance to a gas. 2) The production of gaseous fuels by reacting hot carbonaceous materials with air, steam or oxygen. The process takes place at high temperature. The gasification product is a mixture of combustible gases and tar compounds, together with particles and water vapour. Depending on the gasification method, the proportion of components varies, but common to all the processes is that the gas has to be purified before it can be used directly in a gas engine or a gas turbine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas liquefaction Conversion of a gas to the liquid phase by cooling or compression. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas mixture No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas network Interconnected system of pipes for the distribution and supply of gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gasohol A mixture of 80% or 90% petrol with 20% or 10% ethyl alcohol, for use as a fuel in internal combustion engines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gasoline engine An internal combustion engine that uses a mixture of air and gasoline vapour as a fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas pipeline A long pipe, especially underground, used to transport gas over long distances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas powered plant Power station which burns gas, as opposed to a coal-fired station or nuclear power station. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas purification Removal of pollutants or contaminants from waste incineration or other combustion processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vapour recovery system Gas feedback device: while refuelling gasoline vapors are sucked off and led back again into the storage tank. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas reservoir Large tank for storing coal gas or natural gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gas supply The provision and storage of any fuel gas, or the amount of any fuel gas stored, for the use of a municipality, or other fuel gas user. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gastropod Any mollusc of the class Gastropoda, typically having a flattened muscular foot for locomotion and a head that bears stalked eyes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gaswork Place where gas, especially coal gas, is made. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gender issue A point, matter or dispute concerning the capabilities, societal roles or other differences and divisions between women and men, especially the relative weight of biological and physical difference versus culture and socialization as a cause of those distinctions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gene bank Storehouses of seeds or vegetative tissue, kept in low humidity and temperature, to help maintain genetic diversity. Sometimes known as seed banks or germ plasm banks. their contents mostly originate from a wide range of primitive strains and wild crop varieties. The International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR), which was established in 1974, promotes the collection, documentation, evaluation, conservation and eventual use of genetic resources of significant plant species. Gene banks are the subject of international controversy because they contain seeds that have mostly been acquired from the developing countries by the industrially rich countries, where they have been used in breeding programmes to develop new strains. Instead of taking decades over a traditional plant breeding programme by fertilization, it is now possible to manipulate directly the genes of plants, creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are plants modified to give a higher resistance to disease and improved growth and yields and, therefore, increase the profit of the plant breeder and farmer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts general administrative order An administrative mandate outlining the process by which a concept, plan, decree or law is to be put into actual practice by a specific organization or government agency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts general chemistry The study of the elements and the compounds they form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gene A unit of heredity composed of DNA occupying a fixed position on a chromosome. A gene may determine a characteristic of an individual by specifying a polypeptide chain that forms a protein or part of a protein (structural gene); or repress such operation (repressor gene). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic diversity The variation between individuals and between populations within a species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic effect Inheritable change, chiefly mutations produced by chemical substances, herbicides, radiations, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic engineering 1) The complex of techniques for the production of new genes and the alteration of the structure of the chromosomes to produce effects beneficial to man, in agriculture and medicine. 2) The intentional production of new genes and alteration of genomes by the substitution or addition of new genetic material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic engineering legislation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic information The information for protein synthesis contained in the nucleotide sequences of the DNA polynucleotide chain. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic modification Inheritable changes produced by ionizing radiation, exposure to certain chemicals, ingestion of some medication and from other causes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic resource The gene pool in natural and cultivated stocks of organisms that are available for human exploitation. It is desirable to maintain as diverse a range of organisms as possible, particularly of domesticated cultivars and their ancestors, in order to maintain a wide genetic base. The wider the genetic base, the greater the capacity for adaptation to particular environmental conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetics The science that is concerned with the study of biological inheritance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic variation Change in one or more phenotypic characteristics, due to gene mutation or rearrangement, environmental effects, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geodesy A subdivision of geophysics which includes determination of the size and shape of the earth, the earth's gravitational field, and the location of points fixed to the earth's crust in an earth-referred coordinate system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geogenic factor Geogenic factors are those which originate in the soil, as opposed to those of anthropic origin (anthropogenic). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geographic information system An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information that can be drawn from different sources, both statistical and mapped. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geography The study of the natural features of the earth's surface, comprising topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc. and man's response to them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geological disaster Disasters caused by movements and deformation of the earth's crust. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geological process Dynamic actions or events that occur at the Earth's surface due to application of natural forces resulting from gravity, temperature changes, freezing and thawing, chemical reactions, seismic shaking, and the agencies of wind and moving water, ice and snow. Where and when a force exceeds the strength of the earth material, the material is changed by deformation, translocation, or chemical reactions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geology The study or science of the earth, its history, and its life as recorded in the rocks; includes the study of geologic features of an area, such as the geometry of rock formations, weathering and erosion, and sedimentation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geomorphic process The physical and chemical interactions between the Earth's surface and the natural forces acting upon it to produce landforms. The processes are determined by such natural environmental variables as geology, climate, vegetation and baselevel, to say nothing of human interference. The nature of the process and the rate at which it operates will be influenced by a change in any of these variables. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geomorphology The study of the classification, description, nature, origin, and development of present landforms and their relationships to underlying structures, and of the history of geologic changes as recorded by these surface features. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geophysics The physics of the earth and its environment, that is, earth, air and space. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geotechnology The application of scientific methods and engineering techniques to the exploitation and use of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geothermal energy An energy produced by tapping the earth's internal heat. At present, the only available technologies to do this are those that extract heat from hydrothermal convection systems, where water or steam transfer the heat from the deeper part of the earth to the areas where the energy can be tapped. The amount of pollutants found in geothermal vary from area to area but may contain arsenic, boron, selenium, lead, cadmium, and fluorides. They also may contain hydrogen sulphide, mercury, ammonia, radon, carbon dioxide, and methane. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts germ 1) A pathogenic micro-organism. 2) Living substance capable of developing into an organ, part, or organism as a whole; a primordium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts germination The beginning or the process of development of a spore or seed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts germ plasm The hereditary material transmitted to the offspring via the gametes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glacier Slow moving masses of ice which have accumulated either on mountains or in polar regions. They are found where warm, moist air or warm water meets cold air or water. They move, influenced by the force of gravity and the pressure of the ice, above the underlying slush layers and slide downhill, eventually melting at lower levels to form rivers or reaching sea-level, where they form ice shelves or fall into the water as icebergs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glaciology 1) The study of all aspects of snow and ice; the science that treats quantitatively the whole range of processes associated with all forms of solid existing water. 2) The study of existing glaciers and ice sheets, and of their physical properties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glass A hard, amorphous, inorganic, usually transparent, brittle substance made by fusing silicates, sometimes borates and phosphates, with certain basic oxides and then rapidly cooling to prevent crystallization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glass industry Industry for the production of glassware. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts global aspect Aspects concerning the whole world considered as being closely connected by modern telecommunications and as being interdependent economically, socially and politically. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts global convention A worldwide assembly of national, political party or organizational delegates, or the pact or the agreement that arises from such an assembly that forms, often, the preliminary to an international treaty. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Global Environment Facility An international organization established in 1990 to provide practical assistance to governments in achieving environmental improvements. The GEF is managed by the World Bank, which contributes 2/3 of its funds, the remaining 1/3 being controlled by the United Nations Development Programme. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts global model Models concerning different aspects of reality which can be applied at global level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts global warming Changes in the surface-air temperature, referred to as the global temperature, brought about by the greenhouse effect which is induced by emission of greenhouse gases into the air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glossary An alphabetical list of terms concerned with a particular subject, field or area of usage that includes accompanying definitions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glue A crude, impure, amber-colored form of commercial gelatin of unknown detailed composition produced by the hydrolysis of animal collagen; gelatinizes in aqueous solutions and dries to form a strong, adhesive layer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts goal of individual economic business The aim, purpose, objective, or end for a profit-seeking enterprise engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts golf A game played on a large open course, the object of which is to hit a ball using clubs, with as few strokes as possible, into each of usually 18 holes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts good management The competent, skillful and successful process of planning, leading and working toward the accomplishment or completion of goals, objectives and mission of an organization or institution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government advisory body Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government building Building for the offices of the main departments of government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government (cabinet) A body of top government officials appointed to advise the President or the chief executive officer of a country, usually consisting of the heads of government departments or agencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government environmental expenditure Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government liability A public body's debt or other legal obligation arising out of transactions in the past which must be liquidated, renewed or refunded at some future date. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government policy Any course of action adopted and pursued by a ruling political authority or system, which determines the affairs for a nation, state or region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grain Edible, starchy seeds of the grass family (Graminae) usable as food by man and his livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grass A very large and widespread family of Monocotyledoneae, with more than 10.000 species, most of which are herbaceous, but a few are woody. The stems are jointed, the long, narrow leaves originating at the nodes. The flowers are inconspicuous, with a much reduced perianth, and are wind-pollinated or cleistogamous. The fruit in single-seeded, usually a caryopsis. Grasses are the most important of all plants for food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grass fire A conflagration in or destroying large areas of any vegetation in the Gramineae family as found in fields, meadows, savannas or other grasslands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grasshopper A plant-eating insect with long back legs that can jump very high and makes a sharp high noise using its back legs or wings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grassland Grassland cover nearly one-fifth of the Earth's land surface. They include savannah, the prairies of North America, and the steppes of Russia and Central Asia. Grassland ecosystems support thousands of different species, above and below the ground, and have a vital part to play maintaining the ecological balance of the world. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grassland ecosystem The interacting system of the biological communities located in biomes characterized by the dominance of indigenous grasses, grasslike plants and forbs, and their non-living environmental surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gravel A mixture of rock fragments and pebbles that is coarser than sand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gravel extraction Obtaining a mixture of coarse sand and small water- worn or pounded stones, (used for paths and roads and as an aggregate) from the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gravel pit A place where gravel is dug out of the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grazing The vegetation on pastures that is available for livestock to feed upon. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts greenbelt 1) An area of land, not necessarily continuous, near to and sometimes surrounding a large built-up area. The area is kept open by permanent and severe restriction on building. 2) An irrigated, landscaped, and regularly maintained fuelbreak, usually put to some additional use, such as a golf course, park, or playground. 3) A planning designation that mandates the setting aside of otherwise developable lands for the purpose of creating natural or semi-natural open spaces. Greenbelts are usually linear parkways, tracts, or belts of land running through or around urban conurbations. 4) An area or zone of open, semi-rural, low-density land surrounding existing major urban areas, but not necessarily continuous. The zone is to be kept open by permanent and severe restrictions on new development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green building The self-contained dwelling where man simulates the ways of ecosystems, i.e. his wastes are converted to fuel by anaerobic digestion for methane production and the residues from the digestion are used for growing food. The food residues are composted and/or used for methane production. Solar energy is trapped by the greenhouse effect and used for house, crop and water heating. A windmill would be used for electricity. Thus, given sufficient space, sunshine, rainfall and wind, the ecohouse is in theory a self-contained system recycling its own wastes and using the sun as its energy input. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green corridor Avenues along which wide-ranging animals can travel, plants can propagate, genetic interchange can occur, populations can move in response to environmental changes and natural disasters, and threatened species can be replenished from other areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental tax An amount of money demanded by a government to finance clean-up, prevention, reduction, enforcement or educational efforts intended to promote ecological integrity and the conservation of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts greenhouse cultivation Cultivation of plants, especially of out-of-season plants, in glass-enclosed, climate-controlled structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts greenhouse effect The warming of the Earth's atmosphere caused by the increasing concentration of atmospheric gases, such as water vapour and carbon dioxide. These gases absorb radiation emitted by the Earth, thus slowing down the loss of radiant energy from the Earth back to space. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts greenhouse gas A collective expression for those components of the atmosphere that influence the greenhouse effect, namely carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, ozone, CFCs and water vapour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green manure Herbaceous plant material plowed into the soil while still green. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green revolution The name given to the widespread development of high-yield strains of wheat, corn and rice during the 1960s and early 1970s. It was more formally known as the Indicative World Plan for Agricultural Development. The revolution came after the Food and Agricultural Organization held the World Food Congress in 1963. A "Freedom from Hunger" campaign was set up with the goal of increasing food supplies and solving the world's hunger problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green space A plot of vegetated land separating or surrounding areas of intensive residential or industrial use and devoted to recreation or park uses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green vegetable A vegetable having the edible parts rich in chlorophyll and forming an important source of vitamins and micronutrients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts grinding To reduce to powder or small fragments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gross national product Gross domestic product adjusted for foreign transactions, i.e. to the figure for Gross Domestic Product must be added any income accruing to residents of the country arising from investment and other factor earnings abroad and from it must be deducted any income earned in the domestic market by factors owned by foreigners abroad. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts groundwater Water that occupies pores and crevices in rock and soil, below the surface and above a layer of impermeable material. It is free to move gravitationally, either downwards towards the impermeable layer or by following a gradient. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts groundwater extraction The process, deliberate or inadvertent, of extracting ground water from a source at a rate so in excess of the replenishment that the ground water level declines persistently, threatening exhaustion of the supply or at least a decline of pumping levels to uneconomic depths. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts groundwater pollution Contamination of any water found under the earth's surface by any leaching pollutants, such as inorganic compounds (chlorides, nitrates, heavy metals, etc.), synthetic organic chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) and pathogens (bacteria, parasites, etc.). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts groundwater protection Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken to prevent or reduce harm to the environmental integrity of fresh water found beneath the earth's surface, usually in aquifers, which supply wells and springs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts group behaviour An observable pattern of activity displayed by persons in and as an aggregate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gulf An inlet of the sea of large areal proportions, more indented than a bay and generally more enclosed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gymnosperm Any seed-bearing plant of the division Gymnospermae, in which the ovules are borne naked on the surface of the mega sporophylls, which are often arranged in cones. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gypsum A colourless or white mineral used in the building industry and in the manufacture of cement, rubber, paper and plaster of Paris. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts habitat 1) The locality in which a plant or animal naturally grows or lives. It can be either the geographical area over which it extends, or the particular station in which a specimen is found. 2) A physical portion of the environment that is inhabited by an organism or population of organisms. A habitat is characterized by a relative uniformity of the physical environment and fairly close interaction of all the biological species involved. In terms of region, a habitat may comprise a desert, a tropical forest, a prairie field, the Arctic Tundra or the Arctic Ocean. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts haematology The branch of medical science concerned with diseases of the blood. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hail Precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, always produced by convective clouds, nearly always cumulonimbus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts half-life The time required for one-half the atoms of a given amount of radioactive material to undergo radioactive decay. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts haloform A haloalkane, containing three halogen atoms, e.g. iodoform, CHI3; a haloform reaction is a reaction to produce haloforms from a ketone. For example, if propanone is treated with bleaching powder, the chlorinated ketone so formed reacts to form chloroform. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts halogenated biphenyl Halogen derivatives of biphenyl. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts halogenated hydrocarbon One of a group of halogen derivatives of organic hydrogen and carbon containing compounds; the group includes monohalogen compounds (alkyl or aryl halides) and polyhalogen compounds that contain the same or different halogen atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts halogenated phenol Halogen derivatives of phenol. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts halogenated pollutant An organic compound bonded with one of the five halogen elements (astatine, bromine, chlorine, fluorine, and iodine). Several of these compounds contribute to reductions in the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts halogenated terphenyl Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts handicraft business The profession, commercial firm or trade involving the production and distribution of articles that are made through the skilled use of one's hands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts handicraft A particular skill performed with the hands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts harbour Area of water next to the coast, often surrounded by thick walls, where ships and boats can be sheltered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hardness Resistance of a solid to indentation, scratching, abrasion or cutting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hard-to-dispose-of waste Discarded material, often hazardous or in large volume, for which there is no obvious disposal route. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water pollution The impairment of the quality of some medium due to the introduction of spent or used water from a community or industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts harmonisation of law The process by which two or more states, sometimes under the auspices of an interstate or international organization, change their legislation relevant to some area of common concern to conform their statutes and to facilitate compliance and enforcement across borders. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts harvest The amount or measure of the crop gathered in a season. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazard A physical or chemical agent capable of causing harm to persons, property, animals, plants or other natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazard of pollutants Risk or danger to human health, property or the environment posed by the introduction of a harmful substances into the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazardous substance Any material that poses a threat to human health and/or the environment. Typical hazardous substances are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or chemically reactive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazardous substances legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the production, use or clean-up of materials that pose a threat to human health and the environment, particularly materials that are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive or chemically reactive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazardous waste dump Disposal facilities where hazardous waste is placed in or on land. Properly designed and operated landfills are lined to prevent leakage and contain systems to collect potentially contaminated surface water run-off. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazardous waste Any waste or combination of wastes with the potential to damage human health, living organisms or the environment. Hazardous wastes usually require special handling and disposal procedures which are regulated by national and international laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazardous working material A poison, corrosive agent, flammable substance, explosive, radioactive chemical, or any other material which can endanger human health or well-being if handled improperly. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts haze Reduced visibility in the air as a result of condensed water vapour, dust, etc., in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts headland (farm) A strip of land left at the end of a furrow in a field in order to facilitate the turning of the plough. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health A state of dynamic equilibrium between an organism and its environment in which all functions of mind and body are normal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health care Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health-environment relationship Relationship between the quality of the environment and the health conditions of individuals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health facility A facility or location where medical, dental, surgical, or nursing attention or treatment is provided to humans or animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health hazard Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health legislation Laws, ordinances, or codes prescribing sanitary, clean air, etc., standards and regulations, designed to promote and preserve the health of the community and working conditions of businesses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health protection Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health regulation A body of rules or orders prescribed by government or management to promote or protect the soundness of human bodies and minds in the workplace, at home or in the general environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health-related biotechnology Health-related biotechnologies are concerned with large-molecule protein pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health service The supply of health care to the public. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hearing impairment A decrease in strength or any abnormality or partial or complete loss of hearing or of the function of ear, or hearing system, due directly or secondarily to pathology or injury; it may be either temporary or permanent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hearing procedure Any prescribed course or mode of action governing the preliminary examination by a magistrate of basic evidence and charges to determine whether criminal proceedings, a trial or other judicial actions are justified. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hearing protection The total of measures and devices implemented to preserve persons from harm to the faculty of perceiving sound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hearing (sense) The general perceptual behaviour and the specific responses made in relation to sound stimuli. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heat (physics) A form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature: it is equal to the total kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules of a system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heat and power station Power station which produces both electricity and hot water for the local population. A CHP (Combined Heat and Power Station) plant may operate on almost any fuel, including refuse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heater An apparatus that heats or provides heat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heathland An area with poor acid soil, typically dominated by ling (Calluna) or heaths (Erica). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heating A system for supplying heat, especially central heating, to a building. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heating plant Plant for producing and supplying heat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heat pump A device which transfers heat from a cooler reservoir to a hotter one, expending mechanical energy in the process, especially when the main purpose is to heat the hot reservoir rather than refrigerate the cold one. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heat storage Keeping heat created during a period of low consumption until a peak period when it is needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heat supply The provision of heating fuel, coal or other heating source materials, or the amount of heating capacity, for the use of a municipality, or other heat user. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heavy goods vehicle traffic Traffic of large motor vehicles designed to carry heavy loads. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heavy metal load The amount of stress put on an ecosystem by heavy metal pollution released into it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heavy metal A metal whose specific gravity is approximately 5.0 or higher. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hedge A line of closely planted bushes or shrubs, marking the boundaries of a field. The type of hedge varies between parts of the country, and its age can be dated from the number of species of tree and shrub present. Over the last thirty years hedge-row removal has had a marked visual effect on lowland agricultural landscapes. From the farmer's point of view, in areas of predominant arable or intensively managed grazing, there is little or no economic justification for retaining hedges. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts herbicide A chemical that controls or destroys undesirable plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts herbivore An animal that feeds on grass and other plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts heterocyclic compound Compound in which the ring structure is a combination of more than one kind of atom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts higher education Study beyond secondary school at an institution that offers programs terminating in undergraduate and graduate degrees. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts highland ecosystem The interacting systems of the biological communities and their non-living surroundings in regions of relatively high elevation, typically characterized by decreased air pressure and temperature, reduced oxygen availability and increased isolation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high mountain Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high protein food Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high-rise building Any tall, multistoried structure or edifice that is equipped with elevators. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high-speed railway The term "high-speed traffic" encompasses all trains running at speeds over 200 km/h but also trains running at 200 km/h if the terrain, population density or economic reasons do not justify higher speeds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high-speed train Trains travelling at maximum speeds of 300kmh on special high-speed rail lines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high tide water The level of water when the tide is at its highest level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts high voltage line An electric line with a voltage on the order of thousands of volts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts highway A public road especially an important road that joins cities or towns together. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hill A natural elevation of the land surface, rising rather prominently above the surrounding land, usually of limited extent and having a well-defined outline, rounded rather than peaked or rugged, with no specific definition of absolute elevation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts historical evolution The process by which small but cumulative changes in the learned, nonrandom, systematic behavior and knowledge of a people occur from generation to generation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts historical monument Monument built in memory of an historical event. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts historical research The study of events in relation to their development over time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts historical site Place where significant historical events occurred and which is important to an indigenous culture or a community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts history A systematic written account comprising a chronological record of events (as affecting a city, state, nation, institution, science, or art) and usually including a philosophical explanation of the cause and origin of such events. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts holiday camp A place providing accommodation, recreational facilities, etc. for holiday-makers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts holiday 1) A period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel or recreation 2) A day on which work is suspended by law or custom, such as a religious festival, bank holiday, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts horse A large animal with four legs which people ride on or use for carrying things or pulling vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts horticulture The art and science of growing plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hospital A place where people who are ill or injured are treated and taken care of by doctors and nurses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hospital waste Solid waste, both biological and non-biological, produced by hospitals and discarded and not intended for further use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hotel industry The industry related with the provision of lodging and usually meals and other services for travelers and other paying guests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hot water No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts household A group of persons sharing a home or living space, who aggregate and share their incomes, as evidenced by the fact that they regularly take meals together. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts household chemical No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts household goods Goods needed for living in a household. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing 1) Dwelling-houses collectively and the provision of these. 2) Shelter, lodging. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing density The number of dwelling units or the residential population of a given geographic area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing finance Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing improvement An addition, renovation or repair to a place of residence that increases its aesthetic, functional or financial value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the buying, selling, leasing, construction or maintenance of dwelling places. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing need Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing programme A planned system of projects, services or activities intended to support individuals or families in need of shelter, including transitional or permanent housing and safe havens for low-income, elderly or homeless populations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts housing quality standard A norm or measure applicable in legal cases and considered to reflect a relatively high grade or level of excellence in the construction, maintenance, operation, occupancy, use or appearance of dwelling units. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts installation restoration The process of repairing or reconstructing an edifice in order to return it to its original condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human biology The study of human life and character. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human disease An interruption, cessation or disorder of human bodily functions, systems or organs resulting from genetic or developmental errors, infection, nutritional deficiency, toxicity, illness or unfavorable environmental factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human ecology The study of the growth, distribution, and organization of human communities relative to their interrelationships with other humans and other species and with their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human exposure to pollutants Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human health The avoidance of disease and injury and the promotion of normalcy through efficient use of the environment, a properly functioning society, and an inner sense of well-being. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human-made disaster Violent, sudden and destructive change in the environment caused by man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human pathology Branch of medicine concerned with the cause, origin, and nature of disease, including the changes occurring as a result of disease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human physiology A branch of biological sciences that studies the functions of organs and tissues in human beings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human population Group of individuals having common characteristics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human rights The rights of individuals to liberty, justice, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human settlement Cities, towns, villages, and other concentrations of human populations which inhabit a given segment or area of the environment. Human settlements are associated with numerous and complex environmental, pollution, and living condition problems for planning and management. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human settlement management Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts humus The more or less decomposed organic matter in the soil. Besides being the source of most of the mineral salts needed by plants, humus improves the texture of the soil and holds water, so reducing the loss of nutrients by leaching. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hunting The pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals, regarded as a sport. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hunting reserve Area of land where the pursuit and killing or capture of game and wild animals is permitted. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hurricane A tropical cyclone of great intensity; any wind reaching a speed of more than 73 miles per hour (117 kilometers per hour) is said to have hurricane force. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hybridisation The act or process of producing hybrids that is an animal or plant resulting from a cross between genetically unlike individuals. Hybrids between different species are usually sterile. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydraulic construction Any structure built to route the flow of water, or to support the weight and pressure of a body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydraulic engineering A branch of civil engineering concerned with the design, erection, and construction of sewage disposal plants, waterworks, dams, water-operated power plants and such. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydraulics The branch of science and technology concerned with the mechanics of fluids, especially liquids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrobiology Study of organisms living in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrocarbon A very large group of chemical compounds composed only of carbon and hydrogen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrochloric acid A solution of hydrogen chloride gas in water; a poisonous, pungent liquid forming a constant-boiling mixture at 20% concentration in water; widely used as a reagent, in organic synthesis, in acidizing oil wells, ore reduction, food processing, and metal cleaning and pickling. Also known as muriatic acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydroculture Growing plants without soil but in sand or vermiculite or other granular material, using a liquid solution of nutrients to feed them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydroelectric power plant Power station which operates with the free renewable source of energy provided by falling water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrogen A flammable colourless gas that is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It occurs mainly in water and in most organic compounds and is used in the production of ammonia and other chemicals, in the hydrogenation of fats and oils, and in welding. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrogen sulphide Flammable, poisonous gas with characteristic odour of rotten eggs, perceptible in air in a dilution of 0.002 mg/l. It is used as a reagent in chemical analysis; extremely hazardous; collapse, coma and death from respiratory failure may come within a few seconds after one or two inspirations; low concentrations produce irritation of conjunctiva and mucous membranes. Headache, dizziness, nausea, lassitude may appear after exposure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrogeology The science dealing with the occurrence of surface and ground water, its utilization, and its functions in modifying the earth, primarily by erosion and deposition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrography Science which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of the oceans, lakes, rivers, and their adjoining coastal areas, with particular reference to their control and utilization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrologic disaster Violent, sudden and destructive change either in the quality of the earth's water or in the distribution or movement of water on land, below the surface or in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrologic balance An accounting of the inflow to, outflow from, and storage in a hydrologic unit such as a drainage basin, aquifer, soil zone, lake or reservoir; the relationship between evaporation, precipitation, runoff, and the change in water storage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrologic cycle The movement of water between the oceans, ground surface and atmosphere by evaporation, precipitation and the activity of living organisms, as one of the mayor biogeochemical cycles. Each day water evaporates from the oceans and is carried in the air from the sea over the land, which receives it as precipitation, and finally returns from the land to the sea through rivers, thus completing the cycle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrology The science that treats the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and properties of the waters of the earth, and their reaction with the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrolysis 1) Decomposition or alteration of a chemical substance by water. 2) In aqueous solutions of electrolytes, the reactions of cations with water to produce a weak base or of anions to produce a weak acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrometeorology That part of meteorology of direct concern to hydrologic problems, particularly to flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and similar fields of engineering and water resource. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water power Energy obtained from natural or artificial waterfalls, either directly by turning a water wheel or turbine, or indirectly by generating electricity in a dynamo driven by a turbine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrosphere The waters of the Earth, as distinguished from the rocks (lithosphere), living things (biosphere), and the air (atmosphere). Includes the waters of the ocean; rivers, lakes, and other bodies of surface water in liquid form on the continents; snow, ice, and glaciers; and liquid water, ice, and water vapour in both the unsaturated and saturated zones below the land surface. Included by some, but excluded by others, is water in the atmosphere , which includes water vapour, clouds, and all forms of precipitation while still in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hygiene The science that deals with the principles and practices of good health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hymenopteran Insects including bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies, having two pair of membranous wings and an ovipositor specialized for stinging, sawing or piercing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ice The dense substance formed by the freezing of water to the solid state; it commonly occurs in the form of hexagonal crystals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts iceberg A large mass of detached land ice floating in the sea or stranded in shallow water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ice pack Large areas of floating ice, usually occurring in polar seas, consisting of separate pieces that have become massed together. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts identification of pollutants The determination of the specific substance or substances that are causing pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ideology A body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interest of a nation, political system, etc. and underlies political action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts image processing The process of converting 'raw' remotely sensed data into a usable form through the application of various transformations such as supervised and unsupervised classification schemes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts IMCO code Codes published by Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO) relating to international shipping, particularly regarding safety and marine pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bastardisation of fauna One of the possible consequences of the introduction of animal species in an area where they are not indigenous. Such translocation of species always involves an element of risk if not of serious danger. Newly arrived species may be highly competitive with or otherwise adversely affect native species and communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bastardisation of flora One of the possible consequences of the introduction of plant species in an area where they are not indigenous. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission The reception of material, such as pollutants, by the environment and from any source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission control Legislative and administrative procedures aimed at reducing the damage caused by emissions. Pollution control programmes are normally based on human-oriented acceptable dose limits. A very important measure concerns the organisation of an emission inventory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission control law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission damage Damage caused by pollution from a distinct source of emission. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission forecast The prediction of immissions is calculated on the basis of the pollutant load, the source height, the wind speed and the dispersion coefficient. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission limit Maximum levels of selected pollutants which would lead to unacceptable air quality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immission load The total amount of immissions introduced in a given environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immune system A body system that helps an organism to resist disease, through the activities of specialised blood cells or antibodies produced by them in response to natural exposure or inoculation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immunity The ability of an organism to resist disease or toxins by natural or artificial means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immunoassay Any of several methods for the quantitative determination of chemical substances such as hormones, drugs, and certain proteins that utilize the highly specific binding between an antigen and an antibody. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immunological disease The disruption of the complex system of interacting cells, cell products and cell-forming tissues that protects the body from pathogens, destroys infected and malignant cells and removes cellular debris. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts immunology A branch of biological science concerned with the native or acquired resistance of higher animal forms and humans to infection with microorganisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impact assessment Evaluation of the effect of a project upon the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impact minimisation Actions, procedures or installations undertaken to reduce the extent or degree of negative effects on human health and the ecosystem introduced by human design or interaction with the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impactor Instrument which samples atmospheric suspensoids by impaction; such instruments consist of a housing which constrains the air flow past a sensitized sampling plate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impact prevention Precautionary measures, actions or installations implemented to avert negative effects on the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impact source Elements of an action which cause damage to the surrounding environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts implementation law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts import The act of bringing goods and merchandise into a country from a foreign country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts import licence Permission from a government to bring within its borders and sell a product manufactured in a foreign country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impoverishment No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impregnating agent A material used to fill holes in wood, plaster, or other surfaces before applying a coating such as paint or varnish. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impregnation (materials) The forcing of a liquid substance into the spaces of a porous solid in order to change its properties, as the impregnation of wood with creosote to preserve its integrity against water damage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts improvement of efficiency The beneficial development or progress in the volume of output that is achieved in terms of productivity and input, or in getting the maximum possible output from given or allocated resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sudden load Sudden immission in considerable amount of one or more pollutants in the atmosphere, in a water body or in the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impulsive noise Noise characterized by transient short-duration disturbances distributed essentially uniformly over the useful passband of a transmission system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incineration Controlled process by which solid, liquid, or gaseous combustible wastes are burned and changed into gases; residue produced contains little or no combustible material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incineration of waste The controlled burning of solid, liquid, or gaseous combustible wastes to produce gases and solid residues containing little or no combustible material in order to reduce the bulk of the original waste materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incinerator Device which burns waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts slope The inclined surface of any part of the Earth's surface, as a hillslope; also, a broad part of a continent descending toward an ocean, as the Pacific slope. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts income The gain derived from capital, from labour or effort, or both combined, including profit or gain through sale or conversion of capital. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incorporation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indemnity Financial compensation, reimbursement or security for damages or loss offered by a government, insurance policy or contractual agreement under specified conditions and for specific casualties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Indian Ocean A body of water between the continents of Africa, Antarctica, Asia and Australia including the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Arabian Sea (with the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf) in the west, and containing several islands and island chains, such as the Andaman, Nicobar and Seychelles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indicator Something that provides an indication especially of trends. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indicator of environmental management Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indicator of environmental quality Qualitative or quantitative parameter used as a measure of an environmental condition, e.g. of air or water quality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indigenous forest Forests which are native to a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indigenous technology Technologies employed by the native inhabitants of a country and which constitute an important part of its cultural heritage and should therefore be protected against exploitation by industrialized countries; the problem of indigenous knowledge has been discussed during the Rio Conference but it does not receive much protection under the Biodiversity Convention. Article 8 mandates that parties "respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional life styles... and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of benefits arising from them". Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indirect discharger A non-domestic source introducing pollutants into a publicly owned waste-treatment system. Indirect dischargers can be commercial or industrial facilities whose wastes enter local sewers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indoor air pollution Chemical, physical or biological contaminants in the air inside buildings and other enclosed spaces occupied by humans. This pollution can arise from tobacco smoke, pesticides, cleaning agents, gases released from building materials, rugs, household products, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indoor environment Environment situated in the inside of a house or other building. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial area Areas allocated for industry within a town-planning scheme or environmental plan. The range of industries accommodated in a plan may include: light industry, service industry, general industry, hazardous, noxious or offensive industry, waterfront industry, extractive industry. Standards are usually defined for industrial areas relating to access and roads, drainage, car parking, aesthetics, landscaping, buffer zones, noise levels, and air and water pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial association Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial building A building directly used in manufacturing or technically productive enterprises. Industrial buildings are not generally or typically accessible to other than workers. Industrial buildings include buildings used directly in the production of power, the manufacture of products, the mining of raw materials, and the storage of textiles, petroleum products, wood and paper products, chemicals, plastics, and metals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial crop Any crop that provides materials for industrial processes and products such as soybeans, cotton (lint and seed), flax, and tobacco. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial development Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial dumping The disposal of any waste generated by a manufacturing or processing process by the agency or body which produced it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial economics The production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services resulting from all manufacturing business. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial effluent Materials generally discarded from industrial operations or derived from manufacturing processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial emission Gas-borne pollutants discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks of industrial plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial environmental policy The guiding procedure, philosophy or course of action for the protection of natural resources from pollution generated by manufacturing or business enterprises. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial equipment Equipment related to industrial activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial fume Any smokelike or vaporous exhalation from matters or substances, especially of an odorous or harmful nature, which result from trading, commercial or manufacturing processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial installation A device, system or piece of equipment installed for a particular industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrialisation The process whereby manufacturing industry comes to occupy the predominant position in a national or regional economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate working conditions or the acquisition, processing and disposal of materials by the aggregate of factories, companies and enterprises in one or more manufacturing or technically productive fields. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial material No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial medicine The branch of medicine which deals with the relationship of humans to their occupations, for the purpose of the prevention of disease and injury and the promotion of optimal health, productivity, and social adjustment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial noise Noise produced by industrial plants activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial planning The process of making arrangements or preparations to facilitate the manufacturing, producing and processing of goods or merchandise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial plant (building) Buildings where the operations related to industrial productive processes are carried out. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial policy Course of action adopted by national government to support and promote industrial activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial pollution Pollution as a result of industrial processes and manufacturing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial process No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial production Any process of converting or transforming raw materials and other resources into goods or services which have value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial production statistics No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial property right A justifiable claim granted by government or some other authority that offers protection or excludes others from making, using or selling an invention, a unique design of an article of manufacture or some other creation or discovery. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial site The location for the individual manufacturing firm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial sludge Sludge produced as a result of industrial production processes or manufacturing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial society A large-scale community with diverse manufacturing sectors and an infrastructure and economy based on the science, technology and instrumental rationality of the modern West. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial waste Waste materials discarded from industrial operations, or derived from manufacturing processes; may be solid, sludge (wet solids) or liquid wastes and may or may not be considered hazardous. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial waste gas Waste gases resulting from manufacturing and other industrial processes which may be treated and released, treated and reused or released without treatment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial waste water Waste water that results from industrial processes and manufacturing. It may either be disposed of separately or become part of the sanitary or combined sewage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial zoning A system of land use planning that forms zones or boundaries to be used only by manufacturing or business enterprises. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industry An industry is a group of establishments engaged in the same or similar kinds of economic activities. Industries produce commodities that are sold with the expectation of recovering the total cost of production. A single industry can produce many different commodities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inertisation The process of waste inertisation includes solidification and stabilisation; stabilisation is the process used for reduction of hazard potential of the waste by converting the contaminants into their least soluble, least immobile, or least toxic form. Solidification physically binds or encapsulates the waste in a monolithic solid of high structural integrity. Thus solidification may be used for powders, liquids or gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inert waste Wastes that do not undergo any significant physical, chemical, or biological transformations when deposited in a landfill. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infant mortality The rate of deaths occurring in the first year of life for a given population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infection The entry and development or multiplication of an infectious agent in the body of a living organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infectious disease Pathogenic condition resulting from invasion of an host by a pathogen that propagates causing infection. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infestation of crops Invasion of crop by parasites. Among vertebrate animals, many crop pests are mammals, especially in the order of rodents and birds. Among invertebrates, certain species of gastropods and a large number of roundworms from the class of nematodes harm crops. The most varied and numerous species of crop pests are arthropods-insects, arachnids and some species of millipedes and crustaceans. Diseases vary from viral, bacterial, and nutritional to fungal, environmental and non-specific. The FAO has estimated that annual worldwide losses done by plant pests and diseases amount to approximately 20-25% of the potential worldwide yield of food crops. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infestation of food Food that has been contaminated and deteriorated by some kind of pest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infiltration Movement of water through the soil surface into the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inflammable substance Substance liable to catch fire. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inflow 1) Water other than wastewater that enters a sewer system (including sewer service connections) from sources such as, but not limited to, roof leaders, cellars drains, yard drains, area drains, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross connections between storm sewers and sanitary sewers, catch basins, cooling towers, storm waters, surface runoff, street wash waters, or drainage. Inflow does not include, and is distinguished from, infiltration. 2) Action of flowing in; an inflow of effluent into a river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts informal negotiation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts informatics Science and technique of data elaboration and of automatic treatment of information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information All facts, ideas or imaginative works of the mind which have been communicated, published or distributed formally or informally in any format, or the knowledge that is communicated or received. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information processing A systematic series of actions performed by a person or computer on data elements including classifying, sorting, calculating, summarizing, transmitting, retrieving and receiving. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information service An organized system of providing assistance or aid to individuals who are seeking information, such as by using databases and other information sources to communicate or supply knowledge or factual data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information source Generally, any resource initiating and substantiating the reception of knowledge or specifically, the origin of a data transmission. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information system Any coordinated assemblage of persons, devices and institutions used for communicating or exchanging knowledge or data, such as by simple verbal communication, or by completely computerized methods of storing, searching and retrieving information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information technology The systems, equipment, components and software required to ensure the retrieval, processing and storage of information in all centres of human activity (home, office, factory, etc.), the application of which generally requires the use of electronics or similar technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infraction A breach, violation, or infringement; as of a law, a contract, a right or duty. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infrared radiation Electron magnetic radiation whose wavelengths lie in the range from 0.75 or 0.8 micrometer to 1000 micrometers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infrasound Vibrations of the air at frequencies too low to be perceived as sound by the human ear, below about 15 hertz. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infrastructure The basic network or foundation of capital facilities or community investments which are necessary to support economic and community activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inhabitant A person occupying a region, town, house, country, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts injury A stress upon an organism that disrupts the structure or function and results in a pathological process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ink A dispersion of a pigment or a solution of a dye in a carrier vehicle, yielding a fluid, paste, or powder to be applied to and dried on a substrate; writing, marking, drawing, and printing inks are applied by several methods to paper, metal, plastic, wood, glass, fabric, or other substrate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inland fishery Fishing grounds located in lakes, streams, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inland navigation The navigation of inland waterways, i.e. navigable rivers, canals, sounds, lakes, inlets, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inland water A lake, river, or other body of water wholly within the boundaries of a state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inland waterways transport Transportation of persons and goods by boats travelling on rivers, channels or lakes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts innovation Something newly introduced, such as a new method or device. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inorganic chemistry A branch of chemistry dealing with the chemical reactions and properties of all inorganic matter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inorganic fertiliser Inorganic chemical which promotes plant growth by enhancing the supply of essential nutrients such as ammonium sulphate or lime. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inorganic pollutant A pollutant of mineral origin and not of basically carbon structure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inorganic substance Chemical compounds that do not contain carbon as the principal element (excepting carbonates, cyanides, and cyanates), that is, matter other than plant or animal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insecticide Any chemical agent used to destroy invertebrate pests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insectivore Any placental mammal of the order Insectivora, being typically small, with simple teeth, and feeding on invertebrates. The group includes shrews, moles, and hedgehogs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insect A class of the Arthropoda typically having a segmented body with an external, chitinous covering, a pair of compound eyes, a pair of antennae, three pairs of mouthparts, and two pairs of wings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts in situ In the natural or normal place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inspection An official examination and evaluation of the extent to which specified goals, objectives, standards, policies or procedures of an agency, organization, department or unit have been met properly. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inspection of records Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inspection service An organization designated to look into, supervise and report upon, the staff members and workings of some institution or department, or the conforming to laws and regulations by a segment of society or other group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts installation requiring approval The official authorization needed to assemble and place into position any apparatus, facility, military post or machinery. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts institutionalisation The establishment and normalization of a law, custom, usage, practice, system or regulative principle in the activity or purpose of a group or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts instrument manufacture No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound insulation material Material used to reduce the transmission of sound to or from a body, device, room, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insurance The act, system, or business of providing financial protection contingencies, such as death, loss or damage and involving payment of regular premiums in return for a policy guaranteeing such protection. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insurance business A commercial service which provides a guarantee against most losses or harm to a person, property or a firm in return for premiums paid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insurance coverage The protection provided against risks or a risk, often as specified by the type of protection or the item being protected. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts integral natural reserve Areas allocated to preserve and protect certain animals and plants, or both. They differ from national parks, which are largely a place for public recreation, because they are provided exclusively to protect species for their own sake. Endangered species are increasingly being kept in nature reserves to prevent them from extinction. Nature reserves also serve as a place for more plentiful species to rest, breed or winter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts integrated environmental protection technology Technologies that meet environmental objectives by incorporating pollution prevention concepts in their design. Integrated environmental control strategies introduced in the early design stages of a process, rather than an end-of-pipe control option introduced in the later stages, improve the technical and economic performance of a process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts integrated pest control A systematic, comprehensive approach to pest control that uses the insect's or rodent's own biology and behaviour to find the least toxic control methods at the lowest cost. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts integrated pollution control A procedure whereby all major emissions to land, air, and water are considered simultaneously and not in isolation to avoid situations in which one control measure for one medium adversely affects another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intensive animal husbandry Specialized system of breeding animals where the livestock are kept indoors and fed on concentrated foodstuffs, with frequent use of drugs to control diseases which are a constant threat under these conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intensive farming Farming in which as much use is made of the land as possible by growing crops close together or by growing several crops in a year or by using large amounts of fertilizers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interaction of pesticides The enhancement of activity of pesticides when they are used in combination with others. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interchange of electronic data A transference of binary coded information items between two or more computers across any communications channel capable of carrying electromagnetic signals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interdisciplinary research The utilisation, combination and coordination of two or more appropriate disciplines, technologies and humanities in an integrated approach toward environmental problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interest A sum paid or charged for the use of money or for borrowing money over a given time period. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interest group A group of people who share common traits, attitudes, beliefs or objectives and who have formed a formal organization to serve specific concerns of the membership. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interim decision Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interlaboratory comparison Tests performed at the same time in different laboratories to validate the quality of the results. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intermediate goods Partly finished goods or products that re-enter into production elsewhere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intermittent noise Noise occurring at regular or irregular intervals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internal European market Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internalisation of environmental costs Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international agreement Cooperation in international efforts to support global environmental goals. Solutions to environmental problems such as trans-boundary airborne and waterborne pollution, ozone depletion and climate change require action by all responsible countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international competitiveness The ability of firms to strive with rivals in the production and sale of commodities in worldwide markets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international convention Treaties and other agreements of a contractual character between different countries or organizations of states creating legal rights and obligations between the parties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international co-operation The collaboration between governments, businesses or individuals in which it is agreed to work together on similar objectives or strategies, particularly in research or in setting industrial standards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts International Court of Justice Judicial arm of the United Nations. It has jurisdiction to give advisory opinions on matters of law and treaty construction when requested by the General Assembly, Security Council or any other international agency authorised by the General Assembly to petition for such opinion. It has jurisdiction, also, to settle legal disputes between nations when voluntarily submitted to it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international distribution The worldwide allocating of resources or dispersing of goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international division of labour Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international environmental relations The political or diplomatic interaction or dealings between independent nations that pertain to ecological concerns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international harmonisation Harmonisation of the interrelationship of sovereign states by the application of general principles recognized by civilized nations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international law The system of law regulating the interrelationship of sovereign states and their rights and duties with regard to one another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internationally important ecosystem Ecosystems whose importance is recognised at international level and which are, in some cases, protected by international conventions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international organisation An association of independent states, whose representatives gather for the promotion of common interests including defense and trade. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international politics The use of methods, strategy, intrigue, decision making and power by governments and their representatives to achieve goals in policy making or governmental affairs in a worldwide or international arena. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international relations The political or diplomatic interaction or dealings between independent nations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international river basin Land area drained by a river and its tributaries whose waters are situated in and utilized by two or more countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international safety Freedom from danger or the quality of averting risk of harm to persons, property or the environment shared across one or more national boundaries; consequently, the combined efforts of more than one nation to achieve or preserve that state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international standardisation The process of establishing or conforming something to a norm or measure that is recognized beyond the boundaries of a single country or nation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international trade The flow of commodities and goods between nations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international watercourse Portions of a geographical area which constitutes a hydrogeological unit as the catchment area for a single river which are under the jurisdiction of two or more countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interpretation method Method employed in the assessment of the meaning and significance of data, results, facts, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intertidal zone 1) The area between land and sea which is regularly exposed to the air by the tidal movement of the sea. Marine organisms that inhabit the intertidal zones have to adapt to periods of exposure to air and to the waves created by wind, which makes it the most physically demanding of the marine habitats. 2) The shore zone between the highest and lowest tides. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intervention in nature and landscape Stepping in or participating in problem solving efforts for troublesome or perplexing situations involving the natural world or scenery. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inventory A detailed list of articles, goods, property, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inventory of forest damage Survey of a forest area to determine forest depletion. The aim of the inventory is to give an overview of the forest conditions. Especially should the inventory aim to detect any changes in the forest conditions, but it should also provide the distribution of the forest damages and find out any relation with site and stand conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inversion A reversal in the usual direction of a process, as in the change of density of water at 4° C. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inversion layer The atmosphere layer through which an inversion occurs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts invertebrate Any animal lacking a backbone, including all species not classified as vertebrates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts investment Any item of value purchased for profitable return, as income, interest or capital appreciation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts in vitro assay Assay taking place in an artificial environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts in vivo assay Experiments that are carried out in the living organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts iodine A nonmetallic halogen element; the poisonous, corrosive dark plates or granules are readily sublimed; insoluble in water, soluble in common solvents; used as germicide and antiseptic, in dyes, tinctures, and pharmaceuticals, in engraving lithography, and as a catalyst and analytical reagent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ion exchange The process in which ions are exchanged between a solution and an insoluble solid, usually a resin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ion exchanger A permanent insoluble material (usually a synthetic resin) which contains ions that will exchange reversibly with other ions in a surrounding solution. Both cation and anion exchangers are used in water conditioning. The volume of an ion exchanger is measured in cubic liters of exchanger after the exchanger bed has been backwashed and drained, and has settled into place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ionising radiation Radiation that is capable of energizing atoms sufficiently to remove electrons from them. In this state atoms become more reactive, so that ionizing radiation increases chemical activity and in this way produces biological effects, including effects that involve alterations induced in DNA. X-rays and gamma-rays are the only electromagnetic waves that cause ionization in biological material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ionosphere A region of the earth's atmosphere, extending from about 60 to 1000 kilometers above the earth's surface, in which there is a high concentration of free electrons formed as a result of ionizing radiation entering the atmosphere from space. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ion An electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts iron A malleable ductile silvery-white ferromagnetic metallic element occurring principally in haematite and magnetite. It is widely used for structural and engineering purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts iron industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the extraction and refinement of iron ore to produce cast iron, wrought iron and steel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ironwork industry Industry for the production of iron articles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts irradiation To subject to or treat with light or other electromagnetic radiation or with beams of particles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts irrigation 1) To supply land with water so that crops and plants will grow or grow stronger. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts irrigation canal A permanent irrigation conduit constructed to convey water from the source of supply to one or more farms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts irrigation farming Farming based on the artificial distribution and application of water to arable land to initiate and maintain plant growth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts island A land mass, especially one smaller than a continent, entirely surrounded by water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts island ecosystem Unique but fragile and vulnerable ecosystems due to the fact that the evolution of their flora and fauna has taken place in relative isolation. Many remote islands have some of the most unique flora in the world; some have species of plants and animals that are not found anywhere else, which have evolved in a specialized way, sheltered from the fierce competition that species face on mainland. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insulation (process) The process of preventing or reducing the transmission of electricity, heat, or sound to or from a body, device, or region by surrounding it with a nonconducting material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts isomer 1) Two or more compounds having the same molecular formula, but a different arrangement of atoms within the molecule. 2) One of two or more chemical substances having the same elementary percentage composition and molecular weight but differing in structure, and therefore in properties; there are many ways in which such structural differences occur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts isotope One or two or more atoms with the same atomic number that contain different numbers of neutrons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ivory The fine-grained creamy-white dentine forming the tusks of elephants, and the teeth or tusks of certain other large animals such as the walrus; it has long been esteemed for a wide variety of ornamental articles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts joint debtor Persons united in a joint liability or indebtedness. Two or more persons jointly liable for the same debt. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts joint implementation (Rio Conference) Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts judicial assistance A program sponsored or administered by a government to guide through and represent in court proceedings persons who are in financial need and cannot afford private counsel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts judicial body Any public organization or branch of government responsible for the administration of justice or the enforcement of laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts judiciary rule Specific norms, regulations and precedents governing the conduct, procedure and arrangement of a judicial system, its various divisions and its officers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts jurisdiction The power of a court to hear and decide a case or make a certain order. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts jurisprudence The science or philosophy of law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts karst 1) A German rendering of a Serbo-Croat term referring to the terrain created by limestone solution and characterized by a virtual absence of surface drainage, a series of surface hollows, depressions and fissures, collapse structures, and an extensive subterranean drainage network. 2) A type of topography that is formed on limestone, gypsum, and other rocks by dissolution, and that is characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage. Etymology: German, from the Yugoslavian territory Krs; type locality, a limestone plateau in the Dinaric Alps of northwestern Yugoslavia and northeastern Italy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stocking To keep a supply accumulated for future use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts kerosene A thin oil distilled from petroleum or shale oil, used as a fuel for heating and cooking, in lamps, and as a denaturant for alcohol. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts labelling Attaching a notice to a product or container bearing information concerning its contents, proper use, manufacturer and any cautions or hazards of use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laboratory A room or building with scientific equipment for doing scientific tests or for teaching science, or a place where chemicals or medicines are produced. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laboratory experiment Tests or investigations carried out in a laboratory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laboratory research Research carried out in a laboratory for testing chemical substances, growing tissues in cultures, or performing microbiological, biochemical, hematological, microscopical, immunological, parasitological tests, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laboratory technique No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laboratory waste Discarded materials produced by analytical and research activities in a laboratory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts labour One of the factors of production. It includes all the exertions - manual, physical or mental - by individuals, directed towards the production of wealth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts labour law The branch of the legal system which lays down the rules governing employment relationships, trade union relations, and state intervention to provide protection against particular situations of need for citizens who are workers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts labour market Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts labour relations The dynamics or general state of the association between management and non-management employees in an enterprise, industry or nation, with special attention to the maintenance of agreements, collective bargaining and the status of unions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lacquer A material which contains a substantial quantity of a cellulose derivative, most commonly nitrocellulose but sometimes a cellulose ester, such as cellulose acetate or cellulose butyrate, or a cellulose ether such as ethyl cellulose; used to give a glossy finish, especially on brass and other bright metals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lagoon A body of water cut off from the open sea by coral reefs or sand bars. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lake basin 1) The depression in the Earth's surface occupied or formerly occupied by a lake and containing its shore features. 2) The area from which a lake receives drainage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lake pollution The direct or indirect human alteration of the biological, physical, chemical or radiological integrity of lake water, or a lake ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lake An enclosed body of water, usually but not necessarily fresh water, from which the sea is excluded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lamp A device that produces light, such as an electric lamp. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land A specified geographical tract of the Earth's surface including all its attributes, comprising its geology, superficial deposits, topography, hydrology, soils, flora and fauna, together with the results of past and present human activity, to the extent that these attributes exert a significant influence on the present and future land utilization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land access The permission or freedom to use, enter, approach or pass to and from a tract of land, which often consists of real estate property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land allotment Procedure by which big land properties are divided in parcels of smaller size. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land and property register The system of registering certain legal estates or interests in land. It describes the land and any additional rights incidental to it, such as rights of way over adjoining land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land carrying capacity The maximum extent to which ground or soil area may be exploited without degradation or depletion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land clearing Removal of trees, undergrowth, etc. in preparation for ploughing, building, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land conservation The care, preservation and re-use of solid areas of the earth's surface, especially soil regions valued as a natural resource or utilized as an agricultural resource. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land consolidation Joining small plots of land together to form larger farms or large fields. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land cover Land cover is the physical state of the land surface. It is the combination of vegetation, soil, rock, water and human-made structures, which make up the earth's landscape. The land cover is the interface between the earth's crust and the atmosphere, influencing the exchange of energy and matter in the climatic system and biogeochemical cycles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land development Planning of infrastructures, services and industrial settlements in order to promote the socio-economic growth of certain land area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land ecology Study of the relationship between terrestrial organisms and their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landfill The oldest method of waste disposal for the solid matter discarded in the domestic dustbin, along with the packaging material and paper from high street shops and offices. Landfill sites are usually disused quarries and gravel pits. When they were filled, previous practice was to cover them up with soil and forget about them. Housing estates have been built, often with disastrous consequences, on old landfill dumps. Waste burial has now become a serious technology and a potential source of energy. Landfill sites can be designed to be bioreactors, which deliberately produce methane, gas as a source of biofuel or alternative energy. Traditionally, waste tips remained exposed to air and aerobic microbes - those which thrive in air - in order to turn some of the waste into compost. However, open tips also encourage vermin, smell in hot weather and disfigure the landscape. In the 1960s, as a tidier and safer option, landfill operators began to seal each day's waste in a clay cell. While excluding vermin, the clay also excluded air. Decomposition relied on anaerobic microbes, which die in air. However, the process produced methane (natural gas), which was a safety hazard. The methane is now extracted by sinking a network of perforated pipes into the site. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landfill covering The protective shielding, consisting of soil or some other material, that encloses disposal sites for compacted, non-hazardous solid waste, or secures disposal sites for hazardous waste to minimize the chance of releasing hazardous substances into the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landfill degasification Landfill gas is highly dangerous as methane is highly explosive; therefore it must be controlled at all operational landfill sites, whether by active or passive ventilation or both especially in the case of deep sites. There exist venting systems for shallow and deep sites respectively. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landfill gas Landfill gas is generated in landfill sites by the anaerobic decomposition of domestic refuse (municipal solid waste). It consists of a mixture of gases and is colourless with an offensive odour due to the traces of organosulphur compounds. Aside for its unpleasantness, it is highly dangerous as methane is explosive in concentrations in air between 5 per cent, the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), and the Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) of 15 per cent. Landfill gas must be controlled at all operational landfill sites, whether actively or passively vented or both especially in the case of deep sites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landfill leachate Liquid that has seeped through solid waste in a landfill and has extracted soluble dissolved or suspended materials in the process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land forming Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landform Any physical, recognizable form or feature of the Earth's surface, having a characteristic shape and produced by natural causes; it includes major forms such as plane, plateau and mountain, and minor forms such as hill, valley, slope, esker, and dune. Taken together the landforms make up the surface configuration of the Earth's. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land mammal Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land occupation The use, settlement or possession of solid areas of the earth's surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land planning The activity of designing, organizing or preparing for the future use of solid areas of the earth's surface, especially regions valued for natural resources, utilized as agricultural resources or considered for human settlement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land pollution The presence of one or more contaminants upon or within an area of land, or its constituents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land reclamation Making land capable of more intensive use by changing its general character, as by drainage of excessively wet land; irrigation of arid or semiarid land; or recovery of submerged land from seas, lakes and rivers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land register A register or survey of land, containing information on the surface of properties, tenants' names, commencing with the earliest owners through successive ownership and partitions, and such like. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land restoration The treatment of any unusable land usually by filling with refuse or levelling until the land can be brought into productive use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape The traits, patterns, and structure of a specific geographic area, including its biological composition, its physical environment, and its anthropogenic or social patterns. An area where interacting ecosystems are grouped and repeated in similar form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape after mining The process of mining disfigures the surface of the land, and in the absence of reclamation leads to permanent scars. The process spoils the vital topsoil, disrupts drainage patterns, destroys the productive capacity of agricultural and forest land and impairs their aesthetic and social value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape alteration Landscapes might change through time as a result of human activities or natural processes such as fires or natural disasters. Changes in landscape structure can be documented by using data from aerial photographs or satellite images, and new technologies, such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape architecture The creation, development, and decorative planting of gardens, grounds, parks, and other outdoor spaces. Landscape gardening is used to enhance nature helping to create a natural setting for individual residences and buildings, and even towns, particularly where special approaches and central settings are required. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape component In visual assessment work, landscapes can be divided into four major elements. a) Form is the perceived mass or shape of an object that appears unified, and which provides a consciousness of its distinction and relation of a whole to the component parts. b) Line is the real or imagined path, border, boundary, or intersection of two planes, such as a silhouette, that the eye follows when perceiving abrupt differences in form, colour or texture. c) Colour is a visual perception that enables the eye to differenciate otherwise identical objects based on the wavelengths of reflected light. d) Texture is the visual feel of a landscape. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape conservation The safeguarding, for public enjoyment, of landscape and of opportunities for outdoor recreation, tourism and similar activities; the concept includes the preservation and enhancement not only of what has been inherited but the provision of new amenities and facilities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape conservation policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape ecology The study of landscapes taking account of the ecology of their biological populations. The subjects thus embraces geomorphology and ecology and is applied to the design and architecture of landscapes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape management Measures aiming at preserving landscape or controlling its transformations caused by anthropic activities or natural events. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape planning The aspect of the land use planning process that deals with physical, biological, aesthetic, cultural, and historical values and with the relationships and planning between these values, land uses, and the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape protection Elaboration and implementation of strategies and measures for the conservation, preservation, suitable use, and renewal of natural resources and nature or man-made components of landscape, in particular wildlife and natural systems of various standing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape protection area Area where landscape is protected for its particular features in order to maintain its role in contributing to the wider enjoyment of the countryside. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape consumption Using parts of landscape in a way that heavily modifies its features. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landscape utilisation Using landscape or parts of it for tourism, sports, or agriculture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land setup The formulation of regional objectives, plans and programmes and the harmonization of the regional effects of sectorial planning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landslide Mass-movement landforms and processes involving the downslope transport, under gravitationary influence of soil and rock material en masse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land transportation Transport of persons and goods by a network of roads or railways. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land use The term land use deals with the spatial aspects of all human activities on the land and with the way in which the land surface is adapted, or could be adapted, to serve human needs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land use classification The arrangement of land units into a variety of categories based on the properties of the land or its suitability for a particular purpose. It has become an important tool in rural land-resource planning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land use planning The interdisciplinary process of evaluating, organising, and controlling the present and the future development and use of lands and their resources in terms of their suitability on sustained yield basis. Includes an overall ecological evaluation in terms of specific kinds of uses as well as evaluations of social, economic, and physical contexts to the land concerned. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil use regime Type of management and utilization of the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land value The monetary or material worth in commerce or trade of an area of ground considered as property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts large combustion plant Any sizable building which relies on machinery that converts energy released from the rapid burning of a fuel-air mixture into mechanical energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laser Acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation; a device that produces a powerful, highly directional, monochromatic, coherent beam of light. Laser consist of a transparent cylinder with a reflecting surface at one end and a partially reflecting surface at the other. Light waves are reflected back and forth, some of them emerging at the partially reflecting end. The light source may be a ruby, whose chromium atoms are excited by a flash lamp so that they emit pulses of highly coherent light, or a mixture of inert gases that produce a continuos beam, or a cube of treated gallium arsenide which emits infrared radiation when an electric current passes through it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laundering The act of washing and ironing clothes, linen, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law (individual) One of the rules making up the body of law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law amendment An alteration of or addition to any statute with legal force that, if approved by the appropriate legislative authority, supersedes the original statute. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law enforcement Any variety of activities associated with promoting compliance and obedience to the binding rules of a state, especially the prevention, investigation, apprehension or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of violating those rules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts neighbourhood law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to protect human health and the environment, manage growth and development or enhance the quality of life in small geographical and social areas within cities where residents share values and concerns and interact with one another on a daily basis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law (science) Complex of rules fixed by law or custom which regulate social relations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leaching 1) The process of separating a liquid from a solid (as in waste liquid by percolation into the surrounding soil. 2) Extraction of soluble components of a solid mixture by percolating a solvent through it. 3) To lose or cause to lose soluble substances by the action of a percolating liquid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lead A heavy toxic bluish-white metallic element that is highly malleable; occurs principally as galena and is used in alloys, accumulators, cable sheaths, paints, and as a radiation shield. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lead compound Lead compounds are present as gasoline additives, in paint, ceramic products, roofing, caulking, electrical applications, tubes, or containers. Lead exposure may be due to air, water, food, or soil. Lead in the air is primarily due to lead-based fuels and the combustion of solid waste, coal, oils, and emissions from alkyl lead manufacturers, wind blown dust volcanoes, the burning of lead-painted surfaces, and cigarette smoke. Lead in drinking water comes from leaching from lead pipes, connectors, and solder in both the distribution system and household plumbing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lead contamination The presence and release into the air, water and soil, of lead, a toxic metal used in plumbing, gasoline and lead-acid batteries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lead-in-petrol law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to reduce or eliminate the lead content in petroleum fuels used in vehicular and other engines that pollute the air with lead-carrying exhaust. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lead level in blood A measure of the amount of lead or lead salts absorbed by the body as a possible sign of acute or chronic lead poisoning, which can affect the nervous, digestive or muscular systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leaf The main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants, usually consisting of a flat green blade attached to the stem directly or by a stalk. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leakage The accidental, uncontrolled discharge or seepage of liquids, gases and other substances to unintended and unwanted locations, frequently causing risks of damage or harm to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leather The dressed or tanned hide of an animal, usually with the hair removed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leather industry Industry for the production of leather goods such as garments, bags, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal basis The fundamental law or judicial precedent that warrants or supports a subsequent decision or action by any governmental, corporate or private entity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legally protected right A justifiable claim to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way, which is supported by law and is covered or shielded from the danger of being revoked or repealed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal regulation Any order or rule issued by a government stipulating its procedures for the creation, execution or adjudication of laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal remedy The means by which a right is enforced or the violation of a right is prevented, redressed, or compensated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal text The exact wording or language of a law or other document in conformity with the law or having the authority of law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislation The act or process of making laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislation on pollution Rules concerning the limits of pollutant emissions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water resources legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to manage and protect an area's natural water supply and waterways. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislative authority The power of a deliberative assembly of persons or delegates to bring a bill, resolution or special act to an official, legally binding status. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislative competence The skill, knowledge, qualification, capacity or authority to make, give or enact rules with binding force upon a population or jurisdiction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislative information Knowledge or a service providing knowledge concerning actual and proposed laws, including approval status, the history and content of deliberative proceedings and the specific language of those laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislature The department, assembly, or body of persons that makes statutory laws for a state or nation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leisure activity Sports and recreational activities carried out in the time free from work or other duties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leisure time Time free from work or other duties; spare time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lepidopteran A large order of scaly-winged insects, including the butterflies, skippers, and moths; adults are characterized by two pairs of membranous wings and sucking mouthparts, featuring a prominent, coiled proboscis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leukaemia A progressive, malignant disease of the blood forming organs; a distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts levy A ratable portion of the produce of the property and labor of the individual citizens, taken by the nation, in the exercise of its sovereign rights, for the support of government, for the administration of the laws, and as the means for continuing in operation the various legitimate functions of the state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lexicon The vocabulary of a particular sphere of activity, region, social class or individual, or the total set of morphemes or meaningful units of a language and its words. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liability Subjection to a legal obligation. Liability is civil or criminal according to whether it is enforced by the civil or criminal courts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liability for marine accidents Subjection to a legal obligation, such as financial recompense or ecological reparations, for any harm or damage inflicted on persons, property or the environment in the course of commercial or recreational activity in, on or near a sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liability for nuclear damages Subjection to a legal obligation, such as financial recompense or ecological reparations, for any harm or damage inflicted on persons, property or the environment during the production, use or transport of radioactive materials used as an energy source or in weaponry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liability legislation A law or body of laws enacted that pertains to or establishes an obligation, debt or responsibility for loss, penalty, evil, expense or burden. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts library Place where books and other literary materials are kept. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts licencing Any process of granting and certifying legal or administrative permission to a person or organization to pursue some occupation or to perform some activity or business. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts licencing procedure Procedures performed by administrative agencies in conjunction with issuance of various types of licences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts licencing obligation Obligation to obtain a permit to pursue an occupation or to carry on some business. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lichen Composite organisms formed by the symbiosis between species of fungi and an algae. They are either crusty patches or bushy growths on tree trunks, stone walls, roofs or garden paths. Because they have no actual roots they get their sustenance from the atmosphere and rainwater. Lichens play an important role in the detection and monitoring of pollution, especially sulphur dioxide, as they are highly sensitive to pollution and different species disappear if pollution reaches specific levels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts life cycle The phases, changes, or stages through which an organism passes throughout its lifetime. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts life science A science based on living organisms collectively. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lifestyle The particular attitudes, habits or behaviour associated with an individual or group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts light Electromagnetic radiation that is capable of causing a visual sensation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lighting The supply of illumination in streets or dwellings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts separator of light liquids A mechanical device for separating and removing residues from fuel and lubricating oil from waste water coming from filling stations and industrial plants in order to avoid pollution of water bodies; this system is based on the different specific weights of water and fuel residues that float on the water and can be easily removed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lignite Coal of relatively recent origin consisting of accumulated layers of partially decomposed vegetation, intermediate between peat and bituminous coal; often contains patterns from the wood from which it formed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lignite mining Extraction of brown coal from natural deposits; lignite is a brownish-black solid fuel in the second stage in the development of coal. It has a little over half the heating value of bituminous or anthracite coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lime Any of various mineral and industrial forms of calcium oxide differing chiefly in water content and percentage of constituent such as silica, alumina and iron. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts limestone A sedimentary rock consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate, primarily in the form of the mineral calcite and with or without magnesium carbonate. Limestones are formed by either organic or inorganic processes, and may be detrital, chemical, oolitic, earthy, crystalline, or recrystallized; many are highly fossiliferous and clearly represent ancient shell banks or coral reefs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts limit value A workplace exposure criterion or standard that determines if a facility or building has a concentration of a substance to which most workers can be exposed without harmful or adverse effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts limnology The study of bodies of fresh water with reference to their plant and animal life, physical properties, geographical features, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts linear source of sound Point noise sources placed one after the other one as, for instance, in a row of cars moving on a road. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liner material A layer of synthetic or natural materials, on the sides of or beneath a landfill, landfill cell or surface impoundment, that restricts the downward or lateral escape of liquids carrying leachate into the surrounding environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts line source Line source means a one-dimensional source. An example of a line source is the particular emissions from a dirt road. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lipid One of a class of compounds which contain long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives, such as fatty acids, alcohols, amines, amino alcohols, and aldehydes; includes waxes, fats, and derived compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lipophilic substance Substances having an affinity for lipids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liquefied gas A gaseous compound or mixture converted to the liquid phase by cooling or compression; examples are liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquid oxygen, and liquid ammonia. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liquid manure Any fertilizer substance with a moisture content of over ninety percent, usually consisting of animal excrement with water added. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liquid state A state of matter intermediate between that of crystalline substances and gases in which a substance has the capacity to flow under extremely small shear stresses and conforms to the shape of a confining vessel, but is relatively incompressible, lacks the capacity to expand without limit, and can posses a free surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts liquid waste Fluid wastes, consisting of sewage and domestic wastewater, or processed water, or other liquids, produced by industrial activity, particularly by such industries as pulp and paper production, food processing, and the manufacture of chemicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts literature Written material such as poetry, novels, essays, especially works of imagination characterized by excellence of style and expression and by themes of general or enduring interest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts literature data bank A fund of information on a particular subject or group of related subjects, divided into discrete documents and usually stored in and used with a computer system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts literature evaluation The action of evaluating or judging the quality or character of written materials such as poetry, essays, novels, biographies and historical writings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts literature study The identification, description, analysis and classification of books and other materials used or consulted in the preparation of a work. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lithosphere The solid portion of the Earth, as compared with the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts litter Straw, hay or similar material used as bedding by animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts littoral The intertidal zone of the seashore. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts livestock Cattle, horses, and similar animals kept for domestic use especially on a farm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts livestock breeding The raising of livestock by crossing different varieties to obtain new varieties with desired characteristics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts livestock farming Breeding of cattle, horses and similar animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts living condition An element or characteristic of a habitation considered in light of its ability to sustain and promote the health and general well-being of occupants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts living marine resource Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts living space Any room, structure or area used as a residence and associated with subsistence activities, including sleeping, relaxing or eating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lizard Any reptile of the suborder Lacertilia, especially those of the family Lacertidae, typically having an elongated body, four limbs, and a small tail: includes the gechos, iguanas, chameleons, monitors, and slow worms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts load bearing capacity The maximum load that a system can support before failing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local authority The power of a government agency or its administrators to administer and implement laws and government policies for a city, town or small district. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local finance The theory and practice of all public money matters pertaining to city, town or small district governments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local government policy Any course of action adopted and pursued by a ruling political authority or system, which determines the affairs for a city, town, county or regional area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teleheating The supply of heat, either in the form of steam or hot water, from a central source to a group of buildings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local building material Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local passenger service Passenger transport system for a limited local area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local traffic Traffic moving within a city, town, or area and subject to frequent stops, as distinguished from long distance traffic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts location of industries The particular place that seems apt for the installation of a new plant; the choice of the site depends on a number of economic and environmental factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts locomotive A self -propelled engine driven by steam, electricity or diesel power and used for drawing trains along railway tracks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-distance traffic Traffic moving over extended areas, great distances and usually not subject to frequent stops. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-distance transport The conveyance of materials or commodities over land, water or through air in which a great distance is covered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-term effect Effects which will last long after the cause has ceased. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-term effect of pollutants Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-term experiment 1) Experiment lasting for a relatively long period of time. 2) Experiment whose results become effective after a long period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-term forecasting The act or process of predicting and calculating the likely conditions or occurrences for an extended and future point in time, often involving the study and analysis of pertinent data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts long-term trend The prevailing tendency or general direction expected for some observed value over a lengthy and extended period of time, often determined by studying and analyzing statistical data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lorry A large motor vehicle designed to carry heavy loads, especially one with a flat platform. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts loss The result of a business operation where overhead costs are greater than the receipts or income. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts loss of biotope Destruction of biotopes produced by environmental degradation which in turn is caused by air- or water-borne pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts loudness The magnitude of the physiological sensation produced by a sound, which varies directly with the physical intensity of sound but also depends on frequency of sound and waveform. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts low-cost housing Residences built at minimal expense and designed to keep the rental rate or price of purchase affordable for persons with limited means, usually determined by an annual income level set below the local median. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Lower House The body of a bicameral legislature composed of representatives elected by the general populace and organized into electorates or districts, each comprising an equal number of citizens. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lower risk species (IUCN) Animals, birds, fish, plants or other living organisms that have been deemed as not being in danger of extinction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts low flow Phase of lowest level of a water course. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts low-level flight Flying at low altitude. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts low-level technology Any relatively unsophisticated technical equipment or method with an amplitude or functionality below what is available in a similar or comparable system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lubricant A substance used to reduce friction between parts or objects in relative motion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts luminosity The functional relationship between stellar magnitude and the number and distribution of stars of each magnitude interval. Also known as relative luminosity factor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lye The alkaline solution that is obtained from the leaching of wood ashes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lymphatic system A system of vessels and nodes conveying lymph in the vertebrate body, beginning with capillaries in tissue spaces and eventually forming the thoracic ducts which empty in the subclavian veins. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lysimetry The measurement of the water percolating through soils and the determination of the materials dissolved by the water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts machine manufacture The making or production of mechanical apparatuses used for commercial or industrial purposes, such as engines and turbines, elevators and conveying equipment, computers and office equipment, and hoists, cranes and industrial trucks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts macroeconomic goal An aim or objective pertaining to the production, distribution and use of income, wealth and commodities in a country, region or other large area, typically concerned with governmental fiscal and monetary policy as it affects employment, consumption, investment and growth levels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts macroeconomics Modern economic analysis that is concerned with data inaggregate as opposed to individual form such as national income, consumption and investment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts magnetic tape A plastic, paper, or metal tape that is coated or impregnated with magnetizable iron oxide particles, used in magnetic recording. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts magnetism A class of physical phenomena associated with moving electricity, including the mutual mechanical forces among magnets and electric currents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mailing list A series of addresses or e-mail addresses to which solicited or unsolicited mass mailings can be sent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maintenance of environment No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts major accident An unexpected occurrence, failure or loss beyond normal or specified levels with the potential for harming human life, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts malaria A group of human febrile diseases with a chronic relapsing course caused by hemosporidian blood parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by the bite of Anopheles mosquito. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts malformation Permanent structural change that may adversely affect survival, development or function. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts malnutrition Defective nutrition due to inadequate intake of nutrients or to their faulty digestion, assimilation or metabolism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mammal Any animal of the Mammalia, a large class of warm-blooded vertebrates having mammary glands in the female, a thoracic diaphragm, and a four-chambered heart. The class includes the whales, carnivores, rodents, bats, primates, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts man (society) A member of the human race. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts management Government, control, superintendence, physical or manual handling or guidance; act of managing by direction or regulation, or administration, as management of family, or of household, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts management contract A legal agreement between two or more parties of employers and workers that outlines the administrative or supervisory work that is expected in exchange for certain payments and working conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts management of natural resources Planned use of natural resources, in particular of non-renewable resources, in accordance with principles that assure their optimum long-term economic and social benefits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts management plan A program of action designed to reach a given set of objectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mandate A command or authorization to act in a particular way given by an administrator to a subordinate, a court to a lower court or an electorate to its representative. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mangrove Plant communities and trees that inhabit tidal swamps, muddy silt, and sand banks at the mouths of rivers and other low-lying areas which are regularly inundated by the sea, but which are protected from strong waves and currents. Mangroves are the only woody species that will grow where the land is periodically flooded with sea water; individual species have adapted themselves to different tidal levels, to various degrees of salinity, and to the nature of the mud or soil. Mangrove swamps and thickets support hundreds of terrestrial, marine, and amphibian species; have a special role in supporting estuarine fisheries; provide shelter, refuge and food for many forms of wildlife. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mangrove swamp A wet, spongy area of land in tropical climates and along coastal regions that is dominated by mangrove trees and shrubs, particularly red mangroves (Rhizophora), black mangroves (Avicennia) and white mangroves (Laguncularia). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts man-made climate change Man-made climate changes may be due to the greenhouse effect and other human activities. A change in albedo of the land brought about by desertification and deforestation affects the amount of solar energy absorbed at the earth's surface. Man-made aerosols produced from the sulphur released from power stations can modify clouds. Changes in ozone levels in the stratosphere due to CFCs may influence climate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts man-nature relationship Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts manpower 1) The power generated by a man working. 2) The number of people available for work, service, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts manufacturing activity Activities connected with the processing of raw material into a finished product, especially by means of a large-scale industrial operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts manufacturing trade The process or act of exchanging, buying or selling any manufactured product, or the raw materials for any manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts manure Animal excreta collected from stables and barnyards with or without litter; used to enrich the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts manure production No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts map A representation, normally on a flat medium, that displays the physical and political features of a surface area of the earth, showing them in their respective forms, sizes and relationships according to some convention of representation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mapping The process of making a map of an area; especially the field work necessary for the production of a map. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mapping of lichens Maps of lichens distribution indicating air quality. Fruticose lichens (with branched structures well above the surface) are more susceptible to SO2 damage than foliose lichens (whose leaflike thallus lies nearly flat on surface) and both in turn are more susceptible than crustose lichens (which embed their tissue in the cracks of bark, soil, or rocks). The use of morphological lichen types as indicators of air pollution concentrations is well developed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marble Metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized calcite or dolomite. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marginal land Low quality land the value of whose production barely covers its cultivation costs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mariculture Cultivation of marine organisms in their natural habitats, usually for commercial purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marina A small port that is used for pleasure rather than trade, often with hotels, restaurants and bars. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine biology A branch of biology that deals with those living organisms which inhabit the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine conservation area Any section of a sea or ocean designated for special protection, often to prevent or reduce harm to its wildlife and ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine ecology An integrative science that studies the basic structural and functional relationships within and among living populations and their physical-chemical environments in marine ecosystems. Marine ecology focuses on specific organisms as well as on particular environments or physical settings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine ecosystem Any marine environment, from pond to ocean, in which plants and animals interact with the chemical and physical features of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine engineering The design, construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of main power plants, as well as the associated auxiliary machinery and equipment, for the propulsion of ships. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine environment Marine environments include estuaries, coastal marine and nearshore zones, and open-ocean-deep-sea regions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine fauna Animals which live in the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine fishery The harvest of animals and plants from the ocean to provide food and recreation for people, food for animals, and a variety of organic materials for industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine geology That aspect of the study of the ocean that deals specifically with the ocean floor and the ocean-continent border, including submarine relief features, the geochemistry and petrology of the sediments and rocks of the ocean bottom and the influence of seawater and waves on the ocean bottom and its materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine monitoring The assessment of marine pollution by an integrated chemical, ecological and toxicological survey. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine organism Organisms which live in sea water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine pollution Any detrimental alteration of the marine environment caused by the intentional or accidental release of dangerous or toxic substances, such as industrial, commercial and urban waste water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine reserve Sea area where marine wildlife is protected. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine resources conservation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine sediment Solid fragmental material, originated from weathering of rocks, that has settled down from a state of suspension in the water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maritime law That system of law which particularly relates to marine commerce and navigation, to business transacted at sea or relating to navigation, to ships and shipping, to seamen, to the transportation of persons and property by sea, and to marine affairs generally. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maritime navigation Travelling on the sea by means of boats, ships, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maritime transport Transportation of goods or persons by means of ships travelling on the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marker 1) Small amount of an easily detected substance that can be used to follow and quantify the flow of materials or movement of organisms not otherwise visible or detectable by ordinary means. 2) An isotope of an element, a small amount of which may be incorporated into a sample of material in order to follow the course of that element through a chemical, biological, or physical process, and thus also follow the larger sample. The tracer may be radioactive, in which case observations are made by measuring the radioactivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tracer A minute quantity of radioactive isotope used in medicine or biology to study the chemical changes within living tissues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market Place of commercial activity in which articles are bought and sold. Also purchase and sale. In a limited sense market is the range of bid and asked prices reported by brokers making the market in over-the-counter securities. Also the demand for any particular article. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market economy A mixed economy that relies heavily on markets to answer the three basic questions of allocation, but with a modest amount of government involvement. While it is commonly termed capitalism, market-oriented economy is much more descriptive of how the economy is structured. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market form The organizational form or structure of the trade or traffic of a particular commodity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marketing A related group of business activities whose purpose is to satisfy the demands for goods and services of consumers, businesses and government. The marketing process includes estimating the demand, producing the product, pricing the product to satisfy profit criteria, and promoting and distributing the product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market research The systematic gathering, recording, computing, and analysing of data about problems relating to the sale and distribution of goods and services for certain time periods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marsupial Type of Australian mammal with a pouch in which the young are carried. Marsupials give birth to young at a much earlier stage of development than other mammals so that the young need to be protected in the mother's pouch for some months until they become able to look after themselves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mass media The means of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as television, newspapers, magazines and radio. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mass recreation A pastime, diversion, exercise or other means of enjoyment and relaxation that is shared with or performed by a large number of people. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts separation The separation of one substance from another when they are intimately mixed. For example the removal of oil from water, or gas from oil or oil from gas, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mass transport (physics) The movement of matter in a medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts material The substance of which a product is made or composed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts balance of matter A calculation to inventory material inputs versus outputs in a process system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts material life cycle All the stages involved in the manufacturing, distribution and retail, use and re-use and maintenance, recycling and waste management of materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts materials science The study of the nature, behaviour, and use of materials applied to science and technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts testing of materials The complex of tests performed in order to ascertain the characteristics and behaviour of materials; they are classified in physical and chemical tests, mechanical tests and technological tests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mathematical analysis The branch of mathematics most explicitly concerned with the limit process or the concept of convergence; includes the theories of differentiation, integration and measure, infinite series, and analytic functions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mathematical method No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maximum admissible concentration The maximum exposure to a physical or chemical agent allowed in an 8-hour work day to prevent disease or injury. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maximum immission concentration The maximum concentration of air polluting substances in the free environment whose impact when of specified duration and frequency is not objectionable to man, fauna and flora. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meadow Strictly a term for a field of permanent grass used for hay, but also applied to rich, waterside grazing areas that are not suitable for arable cultivation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transportation mean Vehicles used for transferring people or goods from one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts measuring The ability of the analytical method or protocol to quantify as well as identify the presence of the substance in question. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts measuring method No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts measuring programme No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meat The edible flesh of animals, especially that of mammals as opposed to that of fish or a nut. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mechanical engineering The branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction, and operation of machines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts medical science The science and art of treating and healing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts discarded medicinal drug Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts medicinal plant Plants having therapeutic properties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts medicine (practice) The science and art of treating and healing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Mediterranean Area The collective islands and countries of the inland sea between Europe, Africa and Asia that is linked to the Atlantic Ocean at its western end by the Strait of Gibraltar and includes the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Aegean and Ionian seas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Mediterranean wood A plant formation found in the Mediterranean area comprising mainly lowgrowing, xerophilous evergreen trees and shrubs. It results mainly from the deterioration of the original vegetation by grazing and burning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts melting A change of the state of a substance from the solid phase to the liquid phase. Also known as fusion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts membrane A thin tissue that encloses or lines biological cells, organs, or other structures. It consists of a double layer of lipids with protein molecules between the two layers. Membranes are permeable to water and fat-soluble substances but not to such polar molecules as sugars. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mental effect Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mercury A heavy silvery-white toxic liquid metallic element occurring principally in cinnabar: used in thermometers, barometers, mercury-vapour lamps, and dental amalgams. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mercury contamination The presence and release into the air, water and soil of mercury, a naturally occurring heavy metal element, by both natural occurrences such as vaporization and human activities such as burning coal, mining and smelting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metabolism All the chemical reactions that take place in a living organism, comprising both anabolism and catabolism. Basal metabolism is the energy exchange of an animal at rest. Catabolism is the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones. Catabolism is the breaking down by organisms of complex molecules into simpler ones with the liberation of energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metabolism of pesticides The sum of chemical reactions, including both synthesis and breakdown, that occurs in substances or mixtures intended to prevent, destroy or mitigate pests that are directly or indirectly detrimental to harvest crops and other humans interests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metabolite A product of intermediary metabolism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metainformation Data assembled to describe or define another body of data, a document or any information element. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal finishing A process in which a chemical or some other substance is applied to metals as a way to clean, protect, alter or modify appearance or physical properties, especially surface properties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metallic mineral Minerals containing metals, such as bauxite, pyrite, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metallurgical industry Industry concerned with the extraction, refining, alloying and fabrication of metals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal oxide Any binary compound in which oxygen is combined with one or more metal atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal plating Forming a thin, adherent layer of metal on an object. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal products industry Industry related with the primary metal processing and fabricated metal products manufacturing. The most important end uses of the products of the metals industries are automobiles, machinery, appliances, electrical equipment, structures, furniture, and containers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal An opaque crystalline material usually of high strength with good electrical and thermal conductivities, ductility and reflectivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal smelting A metallurgical process in which ore mixtures are heated above melting point to extract or yield a crude metal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal working Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meteorological disaster Violent, sudden and destructive change to the environment related to, produced by, or affecting the earth's atmosphere, especially the weather-forming processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meteorological forecasting A branch of science that studies the dynamics of the atmosphere and the direct effects of the atmosphere upon the Earth's surface, oceans and inhabitants, focusing particularly on weather and weather conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meteorological parameter Variables, such as pressure, temperature, wind strength, humidity, etc. from which conclusions as to the forthcoming weather are drawn. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meteorological phenomenon Phenomena which occur in the troposphere and stratosphere, such as precipitations, wind, temperature, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meteorology The science concerned with the atmosphere and its phenomena. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts methane A colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas, lighter than air and reacting violently with chlorine and bromine in sunlight, a chief component of natural gas; used as a source of methanol, acetylene, and carbon monoxide. Also known as methyl hydride. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts methodology The system of methods and principles used in a particular discipline. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metropolis A term applied loosely to any large city, but specifically to that city in a country which is the seat of government, of ecclesiastical authority, or of commercial activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microbial resource Any available source of supply derived from microbes, which would be used for beneficial purposes, such as for the production of food substances and drugs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microbiological analysis Analysis for the identification of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microbiology The science and study of microorganisms, including protozoans, algae, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and rickettsiae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microclimate The local, rather uniform climate of a specific place or habitat, compared with the climate of the entire area of which it is a part. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microclimate effect Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microclimatology The study of a microclimate, including the study of profiles of temperature, moisture and wind in the lowest stratum of air, the effects of the vegetation and of shelterbelts, and the modifying effects of towns and buildings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microcomputer A microprocessor combined with input/output interface devices, some type of external memory, and the other elements required to form a working computer system; it is smaller, lower in cost, and usually slower than a minicomputer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microecosystem A small-scale, simplified, experimental ecosystem, laboratory- or field- based, which may be: a) derived directly from nature (e.g. when samples of pond water are maintained subsequently by the input of artificial light and gas-exchange); or b) built up from axenic cultures (a culture of an organism that consists of one type of organism only, i.e. that is free from any contaminating organism) until the required conditions of organisms and environment are achieved. Also known as microcosm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microelectronics The technology of constructing circuits and devices in extremely small packages by various techniques. Also known as microminiaturization; microsystem electronics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microfiltration The separation or removal from a liquid of particulates and microorganisms in the size range of 0.1 to 0.2 microns in diameter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts micro-organism A microscopic organism, including bacteria, protozoans, yeast, viruses, and algae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts micropollutant Pollutant which exists in very small traces in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microscopy The interpretative application of microscope magnification to the study of materials that cannot be properly seen by the unaided eye. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts microwave An electromagnetic wave which has a wavelength between about 0.3 and 30 centimeters, corresponding to frequencies of 1-100 gigahertz; however there are no sharp boundaries between microwaves and infrared and radio waves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts migrant labour Temporary employment performed by persons who move from place to place, such as agricultural workers following crop seasons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human migration The permanent or semipermanent change of a person's place of residence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal migration Movements that particular animals carry out regularly often between breeding places and winter feeding grounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts migratory bird Birds which migrate in a body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts migratory species Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts military aspects Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts military activities Actions and movements pertaining to or conducted by the armed forces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts military air traffic Air traffic of or relating to the armed forces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts military zone Area whose utilization is exclusively reserved to the army. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts milk The whitish fluid secreted by the mammary gland for the nourishment of the young; composed of carbohydrates, proteins, fats. mineral salts, vitamins, and antibodies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mill A building where grain is crushed into flour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mine An opening or excavation in the earth for extracting minerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mine filling Filling of disused mines with soil, crushed stone, or waste materials in order to restore the geological, agricultural and landscape features of the concerned area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral deposit A mass of naturally occurring mineral material, e.g. metal ores or nonmetallic mineral, usually of economic value, without regard to mode of origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral extraction The process of extracting metallic or nonmetallic mineral deposits from the Earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral fibre A fiber manufactured from glass, rock, or slag generally for use in fabricating heat insulation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral industry Industry for the exploitation of minerals from soil deposits by underground excavations or open workings, employing adequate plants and equipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineralisation The process of fossilization whereby inorganic materials replace the organic constituent of an organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineralogy The science which concerns the study of natural inorganic substances called minerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral resource Valuable mineral deposits of an area that are presently recoverable and may be so in the future; includes known ore bodies and potential ore. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral A naturally occurring substance with a characteristic chemical composition expressed by a chemical formula; may occur as individual crystals or may be disseminated in some other material or rock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral water Water containing naturally or artificially supplied minerals or gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts minimal cost planning The process of making arrangements or preparations to facilitate the production of goods or services at an output that would require the lowest possible expenditure of money, time or labor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts minimisation of damage The activity of reducing the harm or injury done to the environment or ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining district A district where mineral exploitation is performed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining engineering Engineering concerned with the discovery, development and exploitation of coal, ores, and minerals, as well as the cleaning, sizing and dressing of the product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining geology The study of geologic aspects of mineral deposits, with particular regard to problems associated with mining. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the extraction of minerals occurring naturally, often involving quarrying, well operations, milling, exploration and development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the potentially harmful activity of enterprises concerned with the extraction and processing of precious or valuable metals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining regulation A rule or order prescribed by government or management to promote the safety, legality or ecological responsibility of any aspect of the process or industry of ore extraction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining site restoration Mining is an intensive type of land use with potential for environmental impact over a limited area. When closure occurs, it should address both environmental and safety aspects. Mine reclamation is an ongoing program designed to restore to an acceptable state the physical, chemical and biological quality or potential of air, land and water regimes disturbed by mining. The objective of mine reclamation is to prevent or minimize adverse long-term environmental impacts, and create a self-sustaining ecosystem as near as practicable to what existed before the mining activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining waste Any residue which results from the extraction of raw materials from the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ministerial decree A formal judgment or mandate handed down on a specific issue or concern from a major administrative department of a state, usually under the authority of that department's chief minister, secretary or administrator. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ministry The body of top government administrators or other high ranking public officials that are selected by a head of state to manage certain aspects of a state's affairs, as opposed to civil servants whose tenure is unaffected by public changes resulting from democratic elections or some other process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts minority A group that is different racially, politically, etc. from a larger group of which it is a part. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts miscellaneous product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts miscibility The tendency or capacity of two or more liquids to form a uniform blend, that is, to dissolve in each other; degrees are total miscibility, partial miscibility, and immiscibility. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mite An order of small Arachnida with rounded bodies. Mites are very abundant in the soil, feeding on plant material and invertebrate animals. Some parasitic mites (e.g. red spider) damage crops and can be serious pests. Others cause diseases in animals. Ticks are blood-suckers, some being vectors of diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans and fowls, and louping ill in cattle and sheep. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mitigation measure Any procedure or action undertaken to reduce the adverse impacts that a project or activity may have on the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mixed farming Type of agriculture based on the combination of crop production and cattle raising. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mixed forest A forest composed of several tree species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mixed use area Use of land for more than one purpose; e.g. grazing of livestock, watershed and wildlife protection, recreation, and timber production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mixing The intermingling of different materials to produce a homogeneous mixture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mobile home Living quarters mounted on wheels and capable of being towed by a motor vehicle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts model 1) A representation, usually on a smaller scale, of a device, structure, etc. 2) A quantitative or mathematical representation or computer simulation which attempts to describe the characteristics or relationships of physical events. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts modelling An investigative technique using a mathematical or physical representation of a system or theory that accounts for all or some its known properties. Models are often used to test the effect of changes of system components on the overall performance of the system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts moisture 1) The water vapour content of the atmosphere, or the total water substances (gaseous, liquid and solid) present in a given volume of air. 2) Water that is dispersed through a gas in the form of water vapour or small droplets, dispersed through a solid, or condensed on the surface of a solid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts molecular biology The study of the chemical structures and processes of biological phenomena at the molecular level; the discipline is particularly concerned with the study of proteins, nucleic acids, and enzymes, the macromolecules essential to life processes. It seeks to understand the molecular basis of genetic processes. Techniques used include X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mollusc Any of various invertebrates having a soft unsegmented body and often a shell, secreted by a fold of skin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monetary assessment Financial determination, adjustment, estimation, or appraisal for purposes of levying a tax, charge or fine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring To check regularly in order to perceive change in some quality or quantity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring criterion No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring data No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring equipment Specific equipment used in remote sensing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring network Interconnected group of monitoring stations for the surveillance of pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring station Station where the presence, effect, or level of any polluting substance in air or water, noise and blasting, radiation, transport movements, land subsidence, or change in the character of vegetation are measured quantitatively or qualitatively. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring system A coordinated body of sensory and communications devices that observes, detects or records the outputs or operations of any natural or artificial system in order to construct a history or future of events. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monitoring technique Techniques employed in the process of checking, observing and measuring events, processes or physical, chemical, biological and environmental phenomena. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monopoly The market condition where a particular commodity or service has only one seller, either because the seller has exclusive possession of an essential input or because large economies of scale inhibit the entrance of a competitor into the market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monument An object, especially large and made of stone, built to remember and show respect to a person or group of people, or a special place made for this purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts moor A tract of unenclosed waste ground, usually covered with heather, coarse grass, bracken, and moss. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts moral persuasion Appealing to the ethical principles or beliefs of an adversary or the public to convince the adversary to change behavior or attitudes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts morphology The branch of biology concerned with the form and structure of organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mortality The number of deaths occurring in a given population for a given period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts moss Any plant of the class Bryophyta, occurring in nearly all damp habitats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motorcycle Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motor fuel Any gaseous or liquid flammable fuel that burns in an internal combustion engine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motor vehicle A road vehicle driven by a motor or engine, especially an internal-combustion engine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motor vehicle emission The formation and discharge of gaseous and particulate pollutants into the environment chiefly from car, truck and bus exhaust. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motor vehicle exhaust gas Gases vented to the atmosphere by internal-combustion-engine driven vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motor vehicle industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motorway A wide road built for fast moving traffic travelling long distances, with a limited number of points at which drivers can enter and leave it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain A feature of the earth's surface that rises high above the base and has generally steep slopes and a relatively small summit area. Mountains are an important source of water, energy, minerals, forest and agricultural products, and recreation. They are storehouses of biological diversity and endangered species and an essential part of the global ecosystem. About 10% of the world's population depend on mountain resources and nearly half of these people are affected by the degradation of mountain watershed areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain ecosystem Ecosystems found on high-mountains at low latitudes. Mountain ecosystems are very vulnerable. They are increasingly sensitive to soil erosion, landslide and rapid loss of habitat and genetic diversity. Widespread poverty and an increase in the numbers of mountain inhabitants lead to deforestation, cultivation of marginal lands, excessive livestock grazing, loss of biomass cover and other forms of environmental degradation. Because little is known about mountain ecosystems, Agenda 21 has proposed the establishment of a global mountain database. This is essential for the launch of programmes that would contribute to the sustainable development of mountain ecosystems. The proposals also focus on promoting watershed development and alternative employment for people whose livelihoods are linked to practices that degrade mountains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountaineering No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountainous area Area characterized by conspicuous peaks, ridges, or mountain ranges. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain range A single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mowing The cutting down of grass, crops or grain with a scythe or a mechanical device. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mud flat A relatively level area of fine silt along a shore (as in a sheltered estuary) or around an island, alternately covered and uncovered by the tide, or covered by shallow water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mud (sediment) A mixture of clay and/or silt with water to form a plastic mass with a particle size preponderantly below 0.06 mm diameter. It is deposited in low-energy environments in lakes, estuaries and lagoons. It may also be deposited in deep-sea environments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mulch A layer of organic material applied to the surface of the ground to retain moisture; mulching is the spreading of leaves, straw or other loose material on the ground to prevent erosion, evaporation or freezing of plant roots. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts multilateral agreement Multilateralism stands for a long-held but rarely achieved ideal, namely the voluntary co-operation of nations for peace and development. Multilateral initiatives are undermined or diluted by ultra-nationalist, bilateral and regional initiatives. Multilateralism may be undercut by the uncoordinated decisions of those contributing to it. Multilateralism constitutes the democracy of international society. An enlightened multilateralism enhances the specific interests of states while advancing their common cause. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts multinational firm A large business company operating in several countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts multiple use management area 1) Coordinated management for the most judicious and harmonious use of the land on a long term basis under the concept of combining two or more uses and/or purposes with attention to sustainability and nonimpairment of the natural resources and land area. 2) Use of land for more than one purpose; e.g. grazing of livestock, watershed and wildlife protection, recreation, and timber production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal cleansing The aggregation of services offered by a town or city in which streets and other public areas are kept clean, such as through trash pick-ups, street sweeping and decontamination of water, soil and other natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal cleansing service Removal for treatment or disposal of those residues that can be regarded as waste including removal of litter from public places, public thoroughfares or the countryside. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal environmental policy The guiding procedure, philosophy or course of action regarding the protection of natural resources in local settings, cities or towns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipality A town, city, or other district having powers of local self-government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal law Broadly, a law or body of laws that pertains solely to the citizens and inhabitants of a state; narrowly, a law or body of laws pertaining to towns, cities, villages and their local governments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal level The jurisdiction, position or status of city, town or local government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal waste The combined residential and commercial waste materials generated in a given municipal area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal water distribution system Any publicly or privately organized setup in which water is processed at a central plant and delivered to homes and businesses via water pipes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal water management Municipal water management deals with aspects of water supply and water technology concerning planning, processing, building and producing. It also concerns the problems of waste water collection, sewage disposal, waste water treatment in rural areas, water economising measures, water body quality management. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts muscular system The muscle cells, tissues, and organs that effect movement in all vertebrates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts museum A place or building where objects of historical, artistic, or scientific interest are exhibited, preserved or studied. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mushroom A family of Basidiomycetes that are characterized by the production of spores on gills. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts music The artistic organization of sounds or tones that expresses ideas and emotions through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and tonal color. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mussel farming Breeding of mussels for sale as food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mustelid A large, diverse family of low-slung, long-bodied carnivorous mammals including minks, weasels, and badgers; distinguished by having only one molar in each upper jaw, and two at the most in the lower jaw. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutagenicity The property of chemical or physical agents of inducing changes in genetic material that are transmitted during cell division. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutagenicity testing Testing the property of a substance of being able to induce genetic mutation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutagen An agent that raises the frequency of mutation above the spontaneous rate. An agent that causes changes to plants and animals, particularly to their genetic material and especially at the time of reproduction. Certain chemicals and forms of radiation are powerful mutagens that damage the DNA, or genetic material in the centre of every cell of a living organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutant An individual bearing an allele that has undergone mutation and is expressed in the phenotype. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutated micro-organisms release The release of mutated micro-organisms creates the risk that they may exhibit some previously unknown pathogenicity, might take over from some naturally occurring bacteria (possibly having other positive functions which thus are lost) or pass on some unwanted trait to such indigenous bacteria. There is also concern that an uncontrolled genetic mutation could produce from such an engineered microorganism, a form with hazardous consequences for the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutation A change in the chemical constitution of the DNA in the chromosomes of an organism: the changes are normally restricted to individual genes, but occasionally involve serious alteration to whole chromosomes. When a mutation occurs in gametes or gametocytes an inherited change may be produced in the characteristics of the organisms that develop from them. Mutation is one of the ways in which genetic variation is produced in organisms. A somatic mutation is one that occurs to a body cell, and is consequently past on to all the cells derived from it by mitosis. Natural mutations, at this stage of biological evolution, when they occur in the cells of higher animals, almost always produce deleterious characteristics. Both natural and artificial mutations can be brought about by ionizing radiation (hence the genetic and carcinogenic dangers of nuclear weapons) and by certain chemical substances called mutagens. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mycology The branch of botany concerned with the study of fungi. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mycorrhiza The symbiotic association of the root of a higher plant with a fungus. In an ectotrophic mycorrhiza (e.g., heath, pine trees) the fungal mycelium covers the outside of the roots; in an endotrophic mycorrhiza (e.g. orchids) the fungus grows inside the cells of the root cortex. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national conservation programme Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national economy A nation's financial resources and its financial management, with a view towards its productivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national environmental accounting The collection and processing of financial information regarding the costs for ecological challenges or opportunities for nations or countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultural goods Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nationalisation The transfer of ownership of a private business or other private property to a national government, either through uncompensated seizure (expropriation) or through forced sale at a government-determined price. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by the government of a sovereign state that holds force throughout the regions and territories within the government's dominion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national park Areas of outstanding natural beauty, set aside for the conservation of flora, fauna and scenery, and for recreation, if this does not conflict with the conservation objectives of the parks and their landscapes. Hunting, logging, mining, commercial fishing, agriculture and livestock grazing are all controlled within national parks, as is industrial activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national planning The step by step method and process of defining, developing and outlining various possible courses of actions to meet existing or future needs, goals and objectives for a country or a large body of people associated with a particular territory, often sharing similar ethnic backgrounds, customs and language. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national reserve No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural area An area in which natural processes predominate, fluctuations in numbers of organisms are allowed free play and human intervention is minimal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural disaster Violent, sudden and destructive change in the environment without cause from human activity, due to phenomena such as floods, earthquakes, fire and hurricanes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural drainage system Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural environment The complex of atmospheric, geological and biological characteristics found in an area in the absence of artifacts or influences of a well developed technological, human culture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural fertiliser Organic material added to the soil to supply chemical elements needed for plant nutrition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural fibre A textile fiber of mineral, plant or animal origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural forest A forest area that has developed free from the influence of humans and remains largely unaffected by their activities. The natural forest may include, but is not necessarily equivalent to, an old-growth forest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural gas A natural fuel containing methane and hydrocarbons that occurs in certain geologic formations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural gas exploration Underground prospection conducted with various methods to discover natural gas deposits which are usually found in the immediate vicinity of crude petroleum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural gas extraction The tapping of natural gas from wells located under the sea and in general from underground sources often in association with petroleum deposits; it is used as a fuel, having largely replaced coal-gas for this purpose, and as a source of intermediates for organic synthesis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural hazard The probability of occurrence, within a specific period of time in a given area of a potentially damaging phenomenon of nature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural heritage Generally, the world's natural resources as handed down to the present generation, and specifically, the earth's outstanding physical, biological and geological formations, and habitats of threatened species of animals and plants and areas with scientific, conservation or aesthetic value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rights of nature A rule or body of rules that derives from nature and is believed to be binding upon human society, as opposed to human-made laws such as legislative acts and judicial decisions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural material No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural monument A natural/cultural feature which is of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Guidance for selection of a natural monument is: a) The area should contain one or more features of outstanding significance (appropriate natural features include spectacular waterfalls, caves, craters, fossil beds, sand dunes and marine features, along with unique or representative fauna and flora; associated cultural features might include cave dwellings, cliff-top forts, archaeological sites, or natural sites which have heritage significance to indigenous peoples).; b) The area should be large enough to protect the integrity of the feature and its immediately related surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural park A designation of project lands which preserves natural resources for their scientific, scenic, cultural and/or educational value by limiting development and management practices. Land managed to protect rare and endangered species of flora and fauna will be designed as natural areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural radioactivity Radiation stemming mainly from uranium, present in small amounts in many rocks, soils, building material, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural resource conservation The management of living and non-living resources in such a way as to sustain the maximum benefit for present and future generations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural resource A feature or component of the natural environment that is of value in serving human needs, e.g. soil, water, plantlife, wildlife, etc. Some natural resources have an economic value (e.g. timber) while others have a "noneconomic" value (e.g. scenic beauty). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural scenery An area where human effects, if present, are not significant to the landscape as a whole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural science The branches of science dealing with objectively measurable phenomena pertaining to the transformation and relationships of energy and matter; includes biology, physics, and chemistry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural stone A gemstone that occurs in nature, as distinguished from a man-made substitute. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural value Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature conservation organisation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature conservation Active management of the earth's natural resources and environment to ensure their quality is maintained and that they are wisely used. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature conservation legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to protect, preserve or renew an area's natural habitats or ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature conservation programme An organized group of activities and procedures, often run by a government agency or a nonprofit organization, to preserve and protect elements of the natural world such as mountains, trees, animals or rivers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature protection Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken to prevent or reduce harm to the elements of the material world that exist independently of human activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature reserve Areas allocated to preserve and protect certain animals and plants, or both. They differ from national park, which are largely a place for public recreation, because they are provided exclusively to protect species for their own sake. Endangered species are increasingly being kept in nature reserves to prevent them from extinction, particularly in India, Indonesia and some African countries. Natural reserves were used once to preserve the animals that landowners hunted, but, in the 19th century, they became places where animals were kept to prevent them from dying out. Special refuges and sanctuaries are also often designated to protect certain species or groups of wild animals or plants, especially if their numbers and distribution have been significantly reduced. They also serve as a place for more plentiful species to rest, breed or winter. Many parts of the world also have marine and aquatic reserves to protect different species of sea or freshwater plant and animal life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nausea Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts navigational hazard Any obstacle encountered by a vessel in route posing risk or danger to the vessel, its contents or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts necrosis The pathologic death of living tissue in a plant or animal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts need The fact or an instance of feeling the lack of something. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts neighbourhood improvement scheme Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nematode A group of unsegmented worms which have been variously recognized as an order, class, and phylum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nervous system A coordinating and integrating system which functions in the adaptation of an organism to its environment; in vertebrates, the system consists of the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, cranial and peripheral nerves, and ganglia. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts net resource depletion The total decrease in the amount of natural materials available for use by humans and other living beings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts netting policy (emissions trading) All emission sources in the same area that are owned or controlled by a single company are treated as one large source, thereby allowing flexibility in controlling individual sources in order to meet a single emissions standard. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts neurotoxicity The occurrence of adverse effects on a nervous system following exposure to a chemical. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts neutralisation To make a solution neutral by adding a base to an acidic solution, or an acid to a basic solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts new community A sociopolitical, religious, occupational or other group of common characteristics and interests formed as an alternative to social, and often residential, options currently available. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts new installation A device, system, or piece of equipment that has been recently installed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts new material Novel high-performance materials obtained through the interdisciplinary research of chemistry, applied chemistry, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts new technology Electronic instruments and devices which have recently been developed and are been introduced into industry. New technologies have been introduced often in almost total ignorance or disregard of the biological and ecological systems that they subsequently disturb, and of the dynamic and evolving nature of living systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nickel A malleable ductile silvery-white metallic element that is strong and corrosion-resistant, occurring principally in pentlandite and niccolite: used in alloys, especially in toughening steel, in electroplating, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrate Any salt or ester of nitric acid, such as sodium nitrate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrification The process by which ammonia compounds, including man-made fertilizer and the humus provided by organic matter or plant and animal origin, are converted into nitrites and then nitrates, which are then absorbed as a nutrient by crops. Excess nitrate can be leached into surface waters and groundwaters, causing pollution. Excess nitrate may also be converted by microbes back into gaseous nitrogen, which is an important greenhouse gas, and released back into the atmosphere. The ultimate source of nitrogen in the ecosystem is the molecular nitrogen in the atmosphere. To a very limited extent, some dissolves in water. However, none is found in rock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrite A salt or ester of nitric acid, included in compounds such as potassium nitrite, sodium nitrite and butyl nitrite. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitro compound Any one of a class of usually organic compounds that contain the monovalent group, -NO2 (nitro group or radical) linked to a carbon atom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen An essential nutrient in the food supply of plants and the diets of animals. Animals obtain it in nitrogen-containing compounds, particularly amino acids. Although the atmosphere is nearly 80% gaseous nitrogen, very few organisms have the ability to use it in this form. The higher plants normally obtain it from the soil after micro-organisms have converted the nitrogen into ammonia or nitrates, which they can then absorb. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen cycle The complex set of processes by which crops acquire the large amount of nitrogen they need to make proteins, nucleic acids and other biochemicals of which they are composed, and how the nitrogen returns to the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen dioxide A reddish-brown gas; it exists in varying degrees of concentration in equilibrium with other nitrogen oxides; used to produce nitric acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen fixation Assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by a variety of microorganisms which live freely in soil. Once the nitrogen has been captured by one of the microorganisms, there are many different routes by which it is handled. Some is retained in the soil as decomposing plant matter, waiting to be released and taken up by new crops as a nitrate. That nitrate is produced by nitrifying bacteria living in the soil that thrive on ammonia, which is produced by decaying plant and animal material. In processing nitrogen the nitrifying bacteria produce nitrate that can be absorbed by the roots of plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen monoxide A colourless gas, soluble in water, ethanol and ether. It is formed in many reactions involving the reduction of nitric acid, but more convenient reactions for the preparation of reasonably pure NO are reactions of sodium nitrite, sulphuric acid, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen oxides Oxides formed and released in all common types of combustion; they are formed by the oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen at high temperatures. Introduced into the atmosphere from car exhausts, furnace stacks, incinerators, power stations and similar sources, the oxides include nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen pentoxide and nitric acid. The oxides of nitrogen undergo many reactions in the atmosphere to form photochemical smog. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrosamine Any one of a class of neutral, usually yellow oily compounds containing the divalent group = NNO. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts NOEL Acronym for No Observed Effects Level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise Sound which is unwanted, either because of its effects on humans, its effect on fatigue or malfunction of physical equipment, or its interference with the perception or detection of other sounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise abatement Measures to reduce noise at the source, to encourage quieter technologies or equipment or to prevent or reduce the propagation of sound. Measures may include the isolation and damping of vibration sources; the replacement of components with quieter parts and material; the enclosure of particularly noisy components; the provision of noise barriers, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise analysis Determination of the frequency components that make up a particular noise being studied. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise barrier Barriers for reducing the propagation of sound: they are widely used in industry and alongside roads and railways to shield receivers from noise sources. Barriers will not reduce the noise on the receivers side, but will increase it, unless the barrier is also covered in absorbing material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise control The process to control the audible sound to an acceptable level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise disturbance Noise interferes with communication and interferes with thought processes. Noise interferes with sleep, it causes anger and frustration, and has been implicated as a contributor to various psychological and physiological problems. Noise detracts from the quality of life and the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise emission The release of noise into the environment from various sources that can be grouped in: transportation activities, industrial activities and daily normal activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise emission levy A mandatory sum of money levied by government upon producers of disturbing, harmful or unwanted sounds, frequently in the transportation or construction industries, to encourage reduction of sound levels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise-free technology Sound is radiated both as air-borne and as structure-borne; most sources produce both, thus various noise attenuation principles must be employed. Measures include: the replacement of components with quieter parts and material; the enclosure of particularly noisy components; the selection of quieter types of fan; the replacement of noisy compressed-air nozzles with quieter types; the choice of quieter transmission and cooling systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise immission Immission in the environment of acoustic vibrations that negatively affect human beings, animals, plants or other objects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise legislation Legislation introduced by many governments to prevent or restrict the emission of noise from industrial, commercial and domestic premises; from motor vehicles and aircraft; and from consumer appliances and equipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise level Physical quantity of unwanted sound measured, usually expressed in decibels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise measurement The process of quantitatively determining one or more properties of acoustic noise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise monitoring The systematic deployment of monitoring equipment for the purpose of detecting or measuring quantitatively or qualitatively the presence, effect, or level of noise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise pollutant Noise in the environment which can be harmful to human beings, animals and plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise pollution Harmful or unwanted sounds in the environment, which in specific locals, can be measured and averaged over a period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise protection Adoption of measures for controlling noise pollution, such as restriction of the emission of noise from industrial, commercial and domestic premises, from motor vehicles and aircrafts, the provision of noise barriers and buffer zones, the fitting of sound attenuation equipment, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise reduction The reduction in the sound pressure level of a noise, or the attenuation of unwanted sound by any means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise type Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nomad 1) A member of a people or tribe who move from place to place to find pasture and food. 2) Nomads include gypsies, desert tribes such as the Bedouin and the many primitive tribes in the Americas, Asia and Australia. Herding survives as a way of life around the Sahara, in the Middle East, in Asia as far east as western India, and in the Asian parts of the USSR. The end of pastoral nomadism would be regrettable not merely on account of the independence and distinctiveness of this way of life but because this type of economy may be a more rational means of raising large numbers of animals under arid conditions than is capital-intensive ranching. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nomenclature A system of names or terms, particularly those related to a specific area of science or art, or the assignment of names to things. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-biodegradable pollutant An organic compound, usually synthetic, that is not decomposed or mineralized by microorganisms or other biological processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-built-up area Areas which are not intensely developed for housing, commerce, industry, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-conventional energy Energy that is renewable and ecologically safe, such as tidal power, wind power, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-ferrous metal industry Industry that deals with the processing of metals other than iron and iron-base alloys. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-ferrous metal Any metal other than iron and its alloys. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-governmental organisation Private, voluntary, non-profit organisations, acting as pressure groups. Throughout the world there are more than 5.000 international NGOs which are concerned with the environment and development, with millions of supporters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-ionising radiation Radiation that does not change the structure of atoms but does heat tissue and may cause harmful biological effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-metallic mineral Minerals containing non-metals, such as quartz, garnet, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-metal A nonmetallic element, such as arsenic or silicon, that has some of the properties of a metal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-polluting energy source Energy that is ecologically safe and renewable. The most widely used source is hydroelectric power, which currently supplies some 6.6% of the world's energy needs. Other non-polluting sources are solar energy, tidal energy, wave energy and wind energy. Most non-polluting energy sources require a high capital investment but have low running costs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-polluting fuel Clean fuel that does not release polluting emissions in the environment, such as methane. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-renewable energy resource Non-renewable resources have been built up or evolved over a geological time-span and cannot be used without depleting the stock and raising questions of ultimate exhaustibility, since their rate of formation is so slow as to be meaningless in terms of the human life-span. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-renewable resource A natural resource which, in terms of human time scales, is contained within the Earth in a fixed quantity and therefore can be used once only in the foreseeable future (although it may be recycled after its first use). This includes the fossil fuels and is extended to include mineral resources and sometimes ground water, although water and many minerals are renewed eventually. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-residential building Area which provides commercial, industrial, and public facilities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-returnable container Any container for which no specific provisions for its return from the consumer or final use has been established. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-target organism A plant or animal other than the one against which the pesticide is applied. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts norm An established standard, guide, or regulation. A principle or regulation set up by authority, prescribing or directing action or forbearance; as the rules of a legislative body, of a company, court, public office, of the law, of ethics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts normalisation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts North Africa A geographic region of the African continent south of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, and north of Africa's tropical rain forest, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and the Egyptian region west of the Suez Canal, and also the Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts North America A continent in the northern half of the western hemisphere, bounded by the Arctic Ocean in the north, by the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea in the west, and by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico in the east, connected to South America by the Isthmus of Panama, and including the United States, Canada, Mexico and several small island nations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts North Atlantic Ocean The northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, extending northward from the equator to the Arctic Ocean. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts North Pacific Ocean An ocean north of the equator between the eastern coast of Asia and the western coasts of the Americas, extending northward to the arctic region, with principal arms including the Gulf of Alaska, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan and the Bering, Yellow, East China, South China and Philippine seas, and islands including the Aleutian, Midway, Marshall and Hawaiian islands, the Japanese island arc and the Malay Archipelago. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts novel food Genetically engineered foods. Novel foods, including those altered using biotechnology, should not differ 'significantly' from the foods they are to replace. Labels should not be misleading, but must make clear any differences between the novel food and its 'conventional' alternative, and must say how that difference was achieved. Foods containing a genetically modified living organism, such as a live yogurt made with an altered culture, would always be labelled. Any food whose modification might raise moral or health worries to consumers would also have to carry a label. This would include genes from an animal considered unclean by some religions, or from a plant that might cause allergic reactions. However, foods which, although made using novel methods, are identical to conventional foods, would not have to be labelled. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear accident An event occurring in a nuclear power plant or anywhere that radioactive materials are used, stored, or transported and involving the release of potentially dangerous levels of radioactive materials into the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear energy Energy released by nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear energy legislation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear energy use Nuclear energy is employed in the industrial sector, in the production of other energy types, in the medical and scientific research field, in transportation, in the production of nuclear weapons, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear explosion (accident) An unintentional release of energy from a rapid reaction of atomic nuclei yielding high temperatures and radiation potentially harmful to human health and the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear facility A place, including buildings, where all the activities relating to nuclear research are performed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear fission The division of an atomic nucleus into parts of comparable mass; usually restricted to heavier nuclei such as isotopes of uranium, plutonium, and thorium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear fuel Nuclear fuels are obtained from inorganic minerals extracted by mining. Although they are at least partially consumed when used in nuclear reactors for the production of heat, they differ from fossil fuels in the way they release energy. Burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, is a chemical reaction. Nuclear fuels, such as uranium, are destroyed by a process of spontaneous disintegration, called fission, and prompted by natural radioactivity. If the process is left to occur naturally in uranium-bearing rock, the rate of change is imperceptibly small. In a man-made nuclear reactor the energy-releasing processes of disintegration, which in the natural state happen slowly over thousands of millions of years, are compressed into minutes. The release of energy is harnessed to generate steam which drives electricity generators. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear fuel element A piece of nuclear fuel which has been formed and coated, and is ready to be placed in a reactor fuel assembly. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear fusion Combination of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus with release of some binding energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear physics The study of the characteristics, behaviour and internal structures of the atomic nucleus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear debate The ongoing, public discussion and dispute over the uses of energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear power plant A power plant in which nuclear energy is converted into heat for use in producing steam for turbines, which in turn drive generators that produce electric power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear power plant disposal Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear reaction A reaction involving a change in an atomic nucleus, such as fission, fusion, neutron capture, or radioactive decay, as distinct from a chemical reaction, which is limited to changes in the electron structure surrounding the nucleus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear reactor Device which creates heat and energy by starting and controlling atomic fission. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear research centre A facility in which scientists and other researchers study the behavior and characteristics of atomic nuclei through testing and other forms of experimentation, often to invent new technology with scientific, medical and industrial purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear safety Measures and techniques implemented to reduce the possibility of incidence and the potential harm posed by radioactive substances used as an energy source, a test material or in weaponry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear test Test performed to evaluate nuclear weapons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear weapon Any bomb, warhead, or projectile using active nuclear material to cause a chain reaction upon detonation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nucleic acid Any of several organic acids combined with proteins (DNA or RNA) which exist in the nucleus and protoplasm of all cells. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuisance Anything that affects or prejudices health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nursery (plant breeding) Place where plants are grown until they are large enough to be planted in their final positions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrient medium A medium providing or contributing to nourishment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrient balance Condition in which there is equilibrium between intake and excretion of nutrients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrient content The amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, inorganic salts (e.g. nitrates, phosphates), minerals (e.g. calcium, iron), and water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrient cycle A biogeochemical cycle, in which inorganic nutrients move through the soil, living organisms, air and water or through some of these. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrient removal Elimination of nutrients as, for example, from sewage in order to prevent eutrophication of water in reservoirs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrient Chemical elements which are involved in the construction of living tissue and which are needed by both plant and animal. The most important in terms of bulk are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with other essential ones including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sulphur and phosphorus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutrition A process in animals and plants involving the intake of nutrient materials and their subsequent assimilation into the tissues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nutritive value of food The measure of the quantity or availability of nutrients found in materials ingested and utilized by humans or animals as a source of nutrition and energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oak Any tree of the genus Quercus in the order Fagales, characterized by simple, usually lobed leaves, scaly winter buds, a star-shaped pith, and its fruit, the acorn, which is a nut; the wood is tough, hard, and durable, generally having a distinct pattern. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts objection The act of a party who objects to some matter or proceeding in the course of a trial or an argument or reason urged by him in support of his contention that the matter or proceeding objected to is improper or illegal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts obligation to inform Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts obligation to label The legal responsibility or duty compelling manufacturers to affix certain marks or other written identification to their products, as is directed by laws, regulations or government standards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational disease A functional or organic disease caused by factors arising from the operations or materials of an individual's industry, trade, or occupation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational group A collection of people who earn their living by similar or identical means of work. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational health An area of statutory duty imposed on employers and employees in most countries, for the protection of the workforce from occupational diseases and stresses and physical hazards through adequate planning, ventilation, lighting, safeguards, safety and emergency procedures, routine inspections, monitoring, personal protection, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational health care Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational medicine The branch of medicine which deals with the relationship of humans to their occupations, for the purpose of the prevention of disease and injury and the promotion of optimal health, productivity, and social adjustment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational safety An area of statutory duty imposed on employers and employees in most countries, for the protection of the workforce from occupational disease and stresses and physical hazards through appropriate measures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational safety regulation Law enacted to reduce the incidence among workers of personal injuries, illnesses, and deaths resulting from employment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean The mass of water occupying all of the Earth's surface not occupied by land, but excluding all lakes and inland seas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean circulation Water current flow in a closed circular pattern within an ocean. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean current A net transport of ocean water along a definable path. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean dumping The process by which pollutants, including sewage, industrial waste, consumer waste, and agricultural and urban runoff are discharged into the world's oceans. These pollutants arise from a myriad of sources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Oceania The islands of the southern, western and central Pacific Ocean, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The term is sometimes extended to encompass Australia, New Zealand, and the Malay Archipelago. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oceanography The scientific study and exploration of the oceans and seas in all their aspects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean temperature A measure, referenced to a standard value, of the heat or coldness in a body of oceanic water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts odonate Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts odour The property of a substance affecting the sense of smell; any smell; scent; perfume. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts odour nuisance Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental criminality Unlawful acts against the environment, such as water contamination, hazardous waste disposal, air contamination, unpermitted installation of plants, oil spills, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts office Any room, set of rooms or building used for the administration of government service, business transactions or other work related activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts official duty Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts official hearing Proceedings of relative formality, with definite issues of fact or of law to be tried, in which witnesses are heard and parties proceeded against have right to be heard. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts off-peak commuting Traveling back and forth regularly over some distance, outside of the hours of maximum traffic frequency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts off-peak travelling Relating to travelling outside rush-hours to avoid overcrowding in public means of transport. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts off-peak working Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts offset policy (emissions trading) Policy whereby emissions from a proposed new or modified stationary source are balanced by reductions from existing sources to stabilise total emissions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts offshore mining Oil extraction from platforms situated a short distance from the coast. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts offshore oil drilling The act or process of extracting petroleum from deposits underlying the floor of the ocean or some other large body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts off-site Activities taking place or located away from the site. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil binding agent Highly absorbent agents used for physically removing spilled oil in case of leakages and oil accidents occurring in water bodies, industry, work-shops, on roads, etc. Materials that have been found useful for this service vary from simple, naturally occurring materials such as straw, sawdust, and peat to synthetic agents, such as polyurethane foam and polystyrene powder. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil-based energy Energy produced using oil as fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil boom A floating device used to contain oil on a body of water. Once the boom has been inflated, it is towed downwind of the oil slick and formed into a U-shape; under the influence of wind, the oil becomes trapped within the boom. Skimming equipment travels into the boom enclosure and the oil is pumped into containers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil disaster The disaster caused by the dumping and accidental spillage of oil into waterways from ships and land-based or offshore installations. Oil pollution may destroy or damage aquatic life and wildlife such as birds, contaminate water supplies and create fire hazards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil exploration No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil extraction Recovery of oil by surface mining, as in tar sands or oil shales, or from tunnels in a shallow reservoir. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil and fat industry Industry for the production and processing of edible oils and fats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil pipeline A line of pipe connected to valves and other control devices, for conducting oil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil pollution Contamination of any ecosystem, but usually of freshwater or marine ecosystems, by oil or other petroleum products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil pollution abatement There are various systems for the abatement of oil pollution at sea: the "Load-on-top" system involves passing the washing from tank cleaning operations and residue from discharge of the original ballast water to an empty cargo tank nominated as the "slop" tank. Fresh oil cargo is loaded on top of the final residue left after further discharges of water, the resulting mixture being acceptable to refineries despite some additional cost in removing the salt and water. Under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, all oil-carrying ships will be required to be capable of operating with this method of retention, or alternatively to discharge to reception facilities. Another method consists in spraying on the oil dispersives and/or blasting straw and sawdust, functioning as "blotting paper", onto water, beaches, rocks and docks. The Vikoma System for the containment of oil spills at sea, developed by British Petroleum, a seaboom of about 500 metres in length, is inflated and towed downwind of the oil slick and formed into a U-shape; under the influence of wind, the oil becomes trapped within the boom. Skimming equipment travels into the boom enclosure and the oil is pumped into containers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil recovery vessel Boats used for recovering oil spilled at sea from oil tankers. The recommended procedure is to contain and physically recover the spill with or without the use of adsorbents. This approach entails three processes: a) confinement of the spill by spill booms; b) recovery of the spill by sorbing agents; c) physical removal of the contained oil by oil pick-up devices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil refinery System of process units used to convert crude petroleum into fuels, lubricants, and other petroleum-derived products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil refining The separation of petroleum mixtures into their component parts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil residue recuperation The recovery of oil that is leftover or left behind, usually following the primary containment operations for an oil spill. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil shale A kerogen-bearing, finely laminated brown or black sedimentary rock that will yield liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons on distillation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil slick The mass of oil that floats on a surface of water, which is discharged accidentally, naturally or by design, and can be moved by currents, tides and the wind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil spill The accidental release of oil, or other petroleum products usually into freshwater or marine ecosystems, and usually in large quantities. It can be controlled by chemical dispersion, combustion, mechanical containment, and absorption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil tanker A very large ship which carries crude oil or other petroleum products in big tanks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts old landfill site Landfill that has been filled and covered with topsoil and seeded. The most common end use for landfills is open spaces with no active recreation taking place over the completed landfill. The obvious reason for this use is that the completed surface is steeply sloped to provide rapid runoff. Also, no irrigation of the cover grasses should be allowed. It is very unlikely to think that commercial or industrial buildings will be constructed on a completed landfill. If the end use is such that the public will be walking on the site, it is important that all manholes be properly secured, leachate lagoons fenced, and other potential hazards eliminated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polluted site Any place that has been made unclean or unsafe by the discharge of high concentrations of hazardous or detrimental substances into its water, soil or atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antiquated plant Old installation that do not respond to new rules for the prevention of environmental pollution and whose redevelopment requires investments for adopting technologies related to the protection of waterways, waste management, noise reduction and emission control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts olfactory pollution Pollution produced by gaseous emissions in the atmosphere that, even in very small amounts, may cause injuries or a condition of general unease or sickness to persons living in the vicinity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts olfactometry The testing and measurement of the sensitivity of the sense of smell. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts onchocerciasis Infection with the filaria Onchocerca volvulus; results in skin tumours, papular dermatitis, and ocular complications. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oncology The study of the causes, development, characteristics, and treatment of tumors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts opencast mining Extracting metal ores and minerals that lie near the surface by removing the overlying material and breaking and loading the ore. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts open sea fishing Fishing in the deepest parts of the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts operating data Data referring to the practical carrying-out of a process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts opinion Judgement or belief not founded on certainty or proof. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts installation optimisation Adjustments made to a building or to a mechanical or electrical system or apparatus in order to maximize its functionality and efficiency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ore A mineral or mineral aggregate, more or less mixed with gangue, that can be worked and treated at a profit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organ A fully differentiated structural and functional unit, such as a kidney or a root, in an animal or plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic carbon Carbon which comes from an animal or plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic chemistry A branch of chemistry dealing with the study of composition, reaction, properties, etc. of organic compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic farming Farming without the use of industrially made fertilizers or pesticides. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic pollutant A plant- or animal-produced pollutant containing mainly carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic solvent Organic materials, including diluents and thinners, which are liquids at standard conditions and which are used as dissolvers, viscosity reducers, or cleaning agents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic substance Chemical compounds, based on carbon chains or rings and also containing hydrogen with or without oxygen, nitrogen, or other elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic waste Waste containing carbon compounds; derived from animal and plant materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organism An individual constituted to carry out all life functions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organochlorine compound Organic compounds containing a C-Cl bond. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organohalogen compound Organic compounds containing a C-halogen bond. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organometallic compound Molecules containing carbon-metal linkage; a compound containing an alkyl or aryl radical bonded to a metal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organonitrogen compound Organic compounds having a C-N bond. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organooxygen compound Compounds, both aliphatic and aromatic, which have a C-O bond, including alcohols, aldehydes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organophosphorous compound Pesticides that contain phosphorous; short-lived, but some can be toxic when first applied. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organosilicon compound Any natural substance composed of two or more unlike atoms held together by chemical bonds and containing silicon, a non-metallic element often found in rocks or minerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organosulphur compound One of a group of substances which contain both carbon and sulfur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organotin compound Chemical compounds used in anti-foulant paints to protect the hulls of boats and ships, buoys and pilings from marine organisms such as barnacles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ornithology The branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds, including their physiology, classification, ecology, and behaviour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts orography A rarely used word referring to the study of mountain systems and the depiction of their relief. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts orthopteran A heterogeneous order of generalized insects with gradual metamorphosis, chewing mouthparts, and four wings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts osmosis The passage of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane separating two solutions of different concentrations. A semipermeable membrane is one through which the molecules of a solvent can pass but the molecules of most solutes cannot. There is a thermodynamic tendency for solutions separated by such a membrane to become equal in concentration, the water (or other solvent) flowing from the weaker to the stronger solution. Osmosis will stop when the two solutions reach equal concentration, and can also be stopped by applying a pressure to the liquid on the stronger-solution side of the membrane. The pressure required to stop the flow from a pure solvent into a solution is a characteristic of the solution, and is called the osmotic pressure. Osmotic pressure depends only on the concentration of particles in the solution, not on their nature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local recreation A pastime, diversion, exercise or other means of enjoyment and relaxation that is carried out in a particular city, town or small district. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overburden The material such as soil and rock lying above a mineral deposit that must be removed in order to work the deposit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overcrowding An excess of people gathered together in a confined space. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overexploitation The use of raw materials excessively without considering the long-term ecological impacts of such use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overfertilisation Putting too much fertilizer on land; the runoff from overfertilisation can cause water pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overfishing Taking out of the sea more than natural population growth can sustain. Overfishing has a number of causes, the most ruthless being "chronic over capacity" of modern fishing fleets to effectively take far more fish than can be replaced. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overgrazing Intensive grazing by animals, for example cattle, sheep or goats, on an area of pasture. It has become a serious threat to the world's rangelands and grasslands. Several factors have led to overgrazing, which leads to the soil being degraded and becoming liable to erosion by wind and rain, and even to desertification. The main pressures leading to widespread overgrazing have been the need to increase the size and numbers of herds to produce more food for an increasing human population, and the transformation of traditional pasture land into plantations to grow cash crops. Throughout the dry tropics, where traditionally herds ranged over vast areas, intensive livestock-rearing schemes have taken over, mostly to provide meat for the export market. Well-digging operations have also led to heavy concentrations of animals in small areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overhead power line Suspended cables by which electrical power is distributed throughout a country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overpopulation A population density that exceeds the capacity of the environment to supply the health requirements of the individual organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overturn (limnology) The circulation, especially in the fall and spring, of the layers of water in a lake or sea, whereby surface water sinks and mixes with bottom water; it is caused by changes in density differences due to changes in temperature, and is especially common wherever lakes are icebound in winter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overwintering To spend winter in a particular place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ownership Collection of rights to use and enjoy property, including right to transmit it to others. The complete dominion, title, or proprietary right in a thing or claim. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxidation A chemical reaction that increases the oxygen content of a compound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxidation-reduction An oxidizing chemical change, where an element's positive valence is increased (electron loss), accompanied by a simultaneous reduction of an associated element (electron gain). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxide Binary chemical compound in which oxygen is combined with a metal or nonmetal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxidising agent Compound that gives up oxygen easily, removes hydrogen from another compound, or attracts negative electrons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxygen A gaseous chemical element; an essential element in cellular respiration and in combustion processes; the most abundant element in the earth's crust and about 20% of the air by volume. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxygenation Treating with oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxygen content Amount of oxygen contained in a solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxygen deficiency No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ozone An allotropic form of oxygen containing three atoms in the molecule. It is a bluish gas, very active chemically, and a powerful oxidizing agent. Ozone is formed when oxygen or air is subjected to a silent electric discharge. It occurs in ordinary air in very small amounts only. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ozone depletion potential A factor that reflects the ozone depletion potential of a substance, on a mass per kilogram basis, as compared to chlorofluorocarbon-11 (CFC-11). Such factor shall be based upon the substance's atmospheric life time, the molecular weight of bromine and chlorine, and the substance's ability to be photolytically disassociated, and upon other factors determined to be an accurate measure of relative ozone depletion potential. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ozone layer The general stratum of the upper atmosphere in which there is an appreciable ozone concentration and in which ozone plays an important part in the radiative balance of the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ozone layer depletion The fragile shield of ozone is been damaged by chemicals released on earth. The main chemicals that are depleting stratospheric ozone are chlorofluorocarbons which are used in refrigerators, aerosols, and as cleaners in many industries, and halons, which are used in fire extinguishers. The damage is caused when these chemicals release highly reactive forms of chlorine and bromine. Over the past 30 years ozone levels over parts of Antarctica have dropped by almost 40% during some months and a "hole" in ozone concentrations is clearly visible in satellite observations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ozonisation The process of treating, impregnating or combining with ozone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts packaging All products made of any materials of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed goods, from the producer to the user or the consumer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts packaging waste Waste comprised of materials, or items, used to protect, contain, or transport a commodity or product and usually considered a type of consumer waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts paint A mixture of pigment and a vehicle, such as oil or water, that together form a liquid or paste that can be applied to a surface to provide an adherent coating that imparts colour to and often protects the surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts painting business A commercial service through which paint, a decorative or protective coating product, or similar products are applied to the interiors and exteriors of buildings and other surfaces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts paint shop A shop where paint and related items are sold. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts palaeontology The study of life in past geologic time, based on fossil plants and animals and including phylogeny, their relationship to existing plants, animals, and environments, and the chronology of the Earth's history. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts paper Felted or matted sheets of cellulose fibers, formed on a fine-wire screen from a dilute water suspension, and bonded together as the water is removed and the sheet is dried. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts paper industry Industrial production of paper: pulp is produced by mechanically or chemically processing wood or other vegetative materials to extract usable cellulosic fibers as an aqueous slurry. The pulp slurry may be used directly in paper making or it may be shipped elsewhere for processing into paper products. The fundamental industrial operations are divided into two major categories: pulp mill and paper mill. The pulp mill operation includes wood preparation, pulping, deinking, pulp washing, screening and thickening, and bleaching. The paper mill operations include stock preparation, paper machine operation and finishing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts parameter 1) A quantity in an equation which must be specified beside the independent variables to obtain the solution for the dependent variables. 2) A quantity which is constant under a given set of conditions, but may be different under other conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts parasite Organism which lives and obtains food at the expense of another organism, the host. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts parasitology A branch of biology which deals with those organisms, plant or animal, which have become dependent on other living creatures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts car park Area of ground or a building where there is space for vehicles to be parked. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts parking provision Area where a vehicle can be left for a period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Parliament An assembly of elected representatives, typically controlled by a political party and constituting the legislative and, in some cases, the executive power of a state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts participation The act of sharing or taking part in a civic, community or public action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts particle 1) Any very small part of matter, such as a molecule, atom, or electron. 2) Any relatively small subdivision of matter, ranging in diameter from a few angstroms to a few millimeters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts particle separator A device for segregation of solid particles by size range, as a screening. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts passenger transport The conveyance of people over land, water or through air by automobile, bus, train, airplane or some other means of travel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pasture Land covered with grass or herbage and grazed by or suitable for grazing by livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts paste-like waste Waste deriving from various activities having a pasty consistency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pathogen Any disease-producing agent or microorganism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pathogenic organism Agents producing or capable of producing disease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pathologic effect Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pathology The branch of medicine concerned with the causes, origin, and nature of disease, including the changes occurring as a result of disease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pattern of urban growth The combination of acts, tendencies and other observable characteristics that demonstrates a municipal area's progress or state of development, including its population trends. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts peat Unconsolidated soil material consisting largely of undecomposed or slightly decomposed organic matter accumulated under conditions of excessive moisture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts peat extraction Peat is obtained from peat bogs by cutting it from the earth; it is then formed into briquettes, which can be used as fuel. Peat may be found in layers several metres thick. In some countries peat-fired generating stations for electricity are in use. Peat is also used as a soil conditioner. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pedestrian zone Area where vehicles are not allowed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pedosphere That shell or layer of the Earth in which soil-forming processes occur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts penalty for environmental damage Punishment, varying from fines to withdrawal of government funds to economic sanctions, which is imposed for the harm or injury done to natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts penalty 1) A punishment for a crime. 2) A sum specified in a contract as payable on its breach but not constituting a genuine estimate of the likely loss. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pentachlorophenol One of the universally toxic phenolic compounds, is a general purpose agent that is used as a fungicide, herbicide and molluscicide, particularly in Egypt where it is used to control snails that carry the larval human blood flukes that cause schistosomiasis. It is also used in wood preservatives and is very poisonous. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts per capita data No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts perchloroethylene Stable, colorless liquid, nonflammable and nonexplosive, with low toxicity; used as a dry-cleaning and industrial solvent, in pharmaceuticals and medicines, and for metal cleaning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts percolating water Subsurface water that passes, under the force of gravity, through rocks or soil along the line of least resistance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts periphyton A plant or animal organism which is attached or clings to surfaces of leaves or stems of rooted plants above the bottom stratum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts permafrost ecosystem The interacting system of the biological communities and their nonliving environmental surroundings in a climatic region where the subsoil is perennially frozen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts permeability The ability of a membrane or other material to permit a substance to pass through it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts permissible exposure limit An exposure limit that is set for exposure to an hazardous substance or harmful agent and enforced by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) as a legal standard. It is based on time-weighted average concentrations for a normal 8-hour work day and 40 hour work week. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts permission The license, formal consent or authorization to act on some matter, frequently validating the action as lawful or procedurally correct. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts peroxyacetylnitrate A pollutant created by the action of sunlight on hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in the air. An ingredient of smog. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts persistence The capacity of a substance to remain chemically stable. This is an important factor in estimating the environmental effects of substances discharged into the environment. Certain toxic substances (e.g., cyanides) have a low persistence, whereas other less immediately toxic substances (e.g., many organochlorines) have a high persistence and may therefore produce more serious effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts persistence of pesticides The ability of a chemical to retain its molecular integrity and hence its physical, chemical, and functional characteristics in the environment through which such a chemical may be transported and distributed for a considerable period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts personal responsibility Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pest Any organism that damages crops, injures or irritates livestock or man, or reduces the fertility of land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pest control Keeping down the number of pests by killing them or preventing them from attacking. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pesticide A general term for chemical agents that are used in order to kill unwanted plants, animals pests or disease-causing fungi, and embracing insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, etc. Some pesticides have had widespread disruptive effects among non-target species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pesticide control standard A norm or measure applicable in legal cases pertaining to the production, dissemination or use of substances designed to mitigate or eliminate insects or small animals that harm vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pesticide pathway The specific or known route or vector of any chemical substance released into the environment to prevent, destroy or mitigate any pest that is directly or indirectly detrimental to harvest crops and other human interests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residual pesticide A pesticide remaining in the environment for a fairly long time, continuing to be effective for days, weeks, and months. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pest infestation 1) The occurrence of one or more pest species in an area or location where their numbers and impact are currently or potentially at intolerable levels. 2) A sudden increase in destructiveness or population numbers of a pest species in a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pet An animal which is kept in the home as a companion and treated affectionately. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petrochemical industry The production of materials derived from petroleum or natural gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petrol A fuel for internal combustion engines consisting essentially of volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbons; derived from crude petroleum by processes such as distillation reforming, polymerization, catalytic cracking, and alkilation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petroleum A comparatively volatile liquid bitumen composed principally of hydrocarbon, with traces of sulphur, nitrogen or oxygen compounds; can be removed from the earth in a liquid state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petroleum consumption Petroleum belongs to non-renewable energy sources; it is a complex substance derived from the carbonized remains of trees, ferns, mosses, and other types of vegetable matter. The principal chemical constituents of oil are carbon, hydrogen, and sulphur. The various fuels made from crude oil are jet fuel, gasoline, kerosine, diesel fuel, and heavy fuel oils. Major oil consumption is in the following areas: transportation, residential-commercial, industrial and for generating electric power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petroleum geology The branch of economic geology that relates to the origin, migration and accumulation of oil and gas, and to the discovery of commercial deposits. Its practice involves the application of geochemistry, geophysics, paleontology, structural geology and stratigraphy to the problems of finding hydrocarbons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petroleum industry Manufacturing industry utilizing complex combination of interdependent operations engaged in the storage and transportation, separation of crude molecular constituents, molecular cracking, molecular rebuilding, and solvent finishing to produce petrochemical products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conservation of petroleum resources Controlled utilization, protection and development of exploited and potentially exploitable sources of crude oil to meet current demand and ensure future requirements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phanerogam Plants that produce seeds. The group comprises the Gymnospermae and the Angiospermae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pharmaceutical industry Concerted activity concerned with manufacturing pharmaceutical goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pharmaceutical waste Discarded medicinal drugs and related products from pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical manufacturers, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pharmacokinetics The study of the rates of absorption, tissue distribution, biotransformation, and excretion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pharmacology The science dealing with the nature and properties of drugs, particularly their actions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phenol A white crystalline soluble poisonous acidic derivative of benzene, used as an antiseptic and disinfectant and in the manufacture of resins, nylon, dyes, explosives and pharmaceuticals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pheromone Any substance secreted by an animal which influences the behaviour of other individuals of the same species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts philosophy The academic discipline concerned with making explicit the nature and significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs and investigating the intelligibility of concepts by means of rational argument concerning their presuppositions, implications, and interrelationships; in particular, the rational investigation of the nature and structure of reality (metaphysics), the resources and limits of knowledge (epistemology), the principles and import of moral judgment (ethics), and the relationship between language and reality (semantics). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phosphate 1) Generic term for any compound containing a phosphate group. 2) Any salt or ester of any phosphoric acid, especially a salt of orthophosphoric acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phosphate removal Replacement of phosphate in detergents by environmentally safer substances, such as zeolite. The substitute will not act as a nutrient, and so will not cause eutrophication as a result of the accelerated growth of plants and microorganisms if it is released into waterways. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phosphate substitute All substances that are able to substitute phosphate compounds in detergents; they must have the same chemical and physical properties and must be less polluting for the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phosphorus A nonmetallic element used to manufacture phosphoric acid, in phosphor bronzes, incendiaries, pyrotechnics, matches, and rat poisons; the white or yellow allotrope is a soft waxy solid, soluble in carbon disulfide, insoluble in water and alcohol, and is poisonous and self-igniting in air; the red allotrope is an amorphous powder, insoluble in all solvents and is nonpoisonous; the black allotrope comprises lustrous crystals similar to graphite, and is insoluble in most solvents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical agent Agents which trigger off photochemical reactions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical effect The result or consequence of a chemical reaction caused by light or ultraviolet radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical oxidant Any of the chemicals which enter into oxidation reactions in the presence of light or other radiant energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical product Degradation products that are produced by the action of light radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical reaction Chemical reaction which is initiated by light of a specific wavelength. In an environmental context an example is the potential action of ultraviolet light on CFCs which may bring about the detrimental degradation of the ozone layer. Photochemical reactions initiate the process of photosynthesis in which plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars, which are incorporated into cell materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical smog A combination of fog and chemicals that come from automobile and factory emissions and is acted upon by the action of the sun. Nitrogen dioxide, in the presence of the sun and some hydrocarbons, is turned into nitric oxide and atomic oxygen. The atomic oxygen reacts with the oxygen molecules and other constituents of automobile exhaust fumes to form a variety of products including ozone. The ozone is harmful in itself and is also implicated in a highly complex series of continuing reactions. As long as there is ozone or nitrogen dioxide and sunlight present, other undesirable reactions will occur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photogrammetry The process of making measurements from photographs, used especially in the construction of maps from aerial photographs and also in military intelligence, medical and industrial research, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photograph An image captured by a camera or some other device and reproduced as a picture, usually on a sensitized surface and formed by the chemical action of light or of radiant energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photosynthesis The process by which plants transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and other compounds, using energy from the sun captured by chlorophyll in the plant. Oxygen is a by-product of the process. Photosynthesis is the essence of all plant life (autotrophic production) and hence of all animal life (heterotrophic production) on the planet Earth. The rate of photosynthesis depends on climate, intensity and duration of sunlight, available leaf area, soil nutrient availability, temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, and soil moisture regimes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical conditions Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical geography The study of the spatial and temporal characteristics and relationships of all phenomena within the Earth's physical environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical oceanography The study of the physical aspects of the ocean, the movements of the sea, and the variability of these factors in relationship to the atmosphere and the ocean bottom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical planning A form of urban land use planning which attempts to achieve an optimal spatial coordination of different human activities for the enhancement of the quality of life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical pollutant A pollutant characterized by its influence on environmental conditions caused by forces and operations of physics, such as noise, microwave radiation, vibration, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical pollution The introduction or presence of harmful substances or forces in the environment that cause damage to the environment and its processes due to their material actions, as through vibration, thermal alteration or electromagnetic radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical process A continuous action or series of changes which alters the material form of matter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical property Property of a compound that can change without involving a change in chemical composition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical science The sciences concerned with nonliving matter, energy, and the physical properties of the universe, such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physicochemical process Processes involving changes in the physical properties and chemical structure of substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physicochemical purification Used to concentrate waste brines and to remove solid organics and ammonia from aqueous solutions. Physical treatment consists of reverse osmosis, dialysis, electrodialysis, evaporation, carbon, adsorption, ammonia stripping, filtration, sedimentation, and flocculation. Chemical treatment consists of ion exchange, neutralization, oxidation, reduction, precipitation, and calcination. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physics The study of those aspects of nature which can be understood in a fundamental way in terms of elementary principles and laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physiology The biological study of the functions of living organisms and their parts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phytomass Plant biomass; any quantitative estimate of the total mass of plants in a stand, population, or within a given area, at a given time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phytopathology The study of plant diseases and their control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phytoplankton Planktonic plant life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phytosociology The study of vegetation, including the organization, interdependence, development, geographical distribution and classification of plant communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phytotoxicity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pickling plant Plant where scale is removed from iron and steel usually by means of immersion in a hot hydrochloric or sulphuric acid bath. Wastes include spent pickling liquor, sludges and rinse water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts satellite image A pictorial representation of data projected onto a two-dimensional grid of individual picture elements (pixels) and acquired from a human-made vessel placed in orbit round a planet, moon or star. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pilotage The service provided by a pilot, one who controls the movements of a ship or aircraft by visual or electronic means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pilot plant A small version of a planned industrial plant, built to gain experience in operating the final plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pilot project A small scale experiment or set of observations undertaken to decide how and whether to launch a full-scale project. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pinniped Belonging to the Pinnipedia, an order of aquatic placental mammals having a streamlined body and limbs specialized as flippers: includes seals, sea lions, and the walrus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pipeline A line of pipe connected to valves and other control devices, for conducting fluids, gases, or finely divided solids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pipe A tube made of metal, clay, plastic, wood, or concrete and used to conduct a fluid, gas, or finely divided solid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plain An extensive, broad tract of level or rolling, almost treeless land with a shrubby vegetation, usually at a low elevation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plan A scheme of action, a method of proceeding thought out in advance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plane source Pollution which arises from various activities with no discrete source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plankton Small organisms (animals, plants, or microbes) passively floating in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts planned urban development Any physical extension of, or changes to, the uses of land in metropolitan areas following certain preparations or designs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts planning The act of making a detailed scheme for attaining an objective. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts planning law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to organize, designate and regulate land use within its domain through zoning laws, subdivision regulations, rent and sign controls, growth management and other measures designed to protect human health and ecological integrity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts planning measure A procedure or course of action taken to design, organize or prepare for the future. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts planning permission An authorization, license or equivalent control document issued by a government agency that approves a step by step method and process of defining, developing and outlining various possible courses of action to meet existing or future needs, goals and objectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Planning-Programming-Budgeting System A system to achieve long-term goals or objectives by means of analysis and evaluation of the alternatives. PPB is designed to solve problems by finding the most effective and most efficient solution on the basis of objective criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant breeding Raising a certain type of plant by crossing one variety with another to produce a new variety where the desired characteristics are strongest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant community Any group of plants belonging to a number of different species that co-occur in the same habitat or area and interact through trophic and spatial relationships; typically characterized by reference to one or more dominant species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant component The constituent parts of a plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant disease Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant equipment The equipment, including machinery, tools, instruments, and fixtures necessary for an industrial or manufacturing operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant genetics The scientific study of the hereditary material of plants for purposes such as hybridization, improved food resources and increased production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant health care Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant protection product Any substance or mixture of substances which through physiological action protects the plants against parasites, fungi, virus, or other damaging factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plantigrade Pertaining to mammals walking with the whole sole of the foot touching the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts planting The establishment of trees by planting seedlings, transplants, or cuttings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant physiology The study of the function and chemical reactions within the various organs of plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant protection Conservation of plant species that may be rare or endangered, and of other plants of particular significance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts testing of plant protection products Tests performed to establish the effectiveness of pesticides under a wide variety of climatic and other environmental conditions; to assess the possible side effects on animals, plants and humans and to determine the persistence of pesticide residues in the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant (biology) Any living organism that typically synthesizes its food from inorganic substances, possesses cellulose cell walls, responds slowly and often permanently to a stimulus, lacks specialized sense organs and nervous system, and has no powers of locomotion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant textile fibre Natural textile fibres of vegetal origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant trade Trade of plants is subjected to regulations established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plasma technology 1) Common name for a number of industrial applications of plasma, such as: etching of semiconductor chips, deposition of silicon for solar cell production, deposition of silicon dioxide for passivation of surfaces, activation of surfaces, melting and welding with plasma arcs as well as plasma chemistry. 2) Plasma technology consists of minute gas-filled cells, which emit light when an electric current is channelled through them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plastic A polymeric material (usually organic) of large molecular weight which can be shaped by flow; usually refers to the final product with fillers, plasticizers, pigments, and stabilizers included (versus the resin, the homogeneous polymeric starting material); examples are polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and urea-formaldehyde. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plastic waste Any discarded plastic (organic, or synthetic, material derived from polymers, resins or cellulose) generated by any industrial process, or by consumers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts platinum A ductile malleable silvery-white metallic element very resistant to heat and chemicals. It occurs free and in association with other platinum metals, especially in osmiridium; used in jewellery, laboratory apparatus, electrical contacts, dentistry, electroplating, and as a catalyst. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts playground A piece of land used for recreation, especially by children, often including equipment such as swings and slides. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plutonium A highly toxic metallic transuranic element. It occurs in trace amounts in uranium ores and is produced in a nuclear reactor by neutron bombardment of uranium-238. The most stable and important isotope, plutonium-239, readily undergoes fission and is used as a reactor fuel in nuclear power stations and in nuclear weapons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poaching To catch game, fish, etc. illegally by trespassing on private property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts point source Pollution from a discrete source, such as a septic tank, a sewer, a discharge type, a landfill, a factory or waste water treatment works discharging to a watercourse; stack emission from an industrial process; or spillage from an underground storage tank leaching into groundwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poison A substance which, when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed, or when applied to, injected into, or developed within the body, in relatively small amounts, may cause injury, harm, or destruction to organs, tissue, or life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poisoning The morbid condition produced by a poison which may be swallowed, inhaled, injected, or absorbed through the skin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polar ecosystem The interacting systems of the biological communities and their nonliving environmental surroundings located in the regions where the air temperature is perennially below 10° Celsius, usually at and near the North and South Poles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polar region Area relating to the earth's poles or the area inside the Arctic or Antarctic Circles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polder A generally fertile tract of flat, low-lying land (as in Netherlands and Belgium) reclaimed and protected from the sea, a lake, a river, or other body of water by the use of embankments, dikes, dams, or levees. The term is usually reserved for coastal areas that are at or below sea level and that are constantly protected by an organized system of maintenance and defense. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts police Branch of the government which is charged with the preservation of public order, the promotion of public health and safety, and the prevention, detection, and punishment of crimes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts police law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the employment and tactics of police or other civil agents organized to maintain order, prevent and detect crimes and promote obedience to civil regulations and authority. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts politics The theory and practice of acquiring and exercising the power to govern in a society in order to arbitrate values, allocate resources and establish and enforce rules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts policy guideline Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts policy instrument The method or mechanism used by government, political parties, business or individuals to achieve a desired effect, through legal or economic means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts policy integration The process of coordinating, harmonizing and unifying the goals and procedures of various offices or units of an organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conservation policy The guiding procedure, philosophy or course of action for preserving and renewing human and natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts policy planning The process of making arrangements or preparations to facilitate any course of action that may be adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political counselling Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political doctrine A policy, position or principle advocated, taught or put into effect concerning the acquisition and exercise of the power to govern or administrate in society. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political ecology Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political geography The study of the effects of political actions on human geography, involving the spatial analysis of political phenomena. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political organisation A group of persons organized to seek or exercise power in governmental or public affairs, by supporting candidates for office or by lobbying for action and mobilizing support for bills or governmental policies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political party An organized group that has as its fundamental aim the attainment of political power and public office for its designated leaders. Usually, a political party will advertise a common commitment by its leaders and its membership to a set of political, social, economic and/or cultural values. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political power The might, ability or authority of governments, citizens groups and other interested parties in enacting change or in influencing or controlling the outcome of governmental or public policies affecting a nation, region or municipality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollen Microspores of seed-producing plants. Each pollen grain contains a much-reduced male gametophyte. Pollen grains are transferred by wind, water, birds or other animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant Any substance, usually a residue of human activity, which has an undesirable effect upon the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant absorption The process by which a pollutant is physically incorporated into another substance or body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant accumulation The process by which concentrations of pollutants progressively increase in the tissues of living organisms in environments where these pollutants are present. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant analysis The determination of the composition of any substance that causes pollution, using classical laboratory techniques and other methods involving analytical chemistry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant assessment Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant behaviour Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant concentration A measure of the amount of a polluting substance in a given amount of water, soil, air, food or other medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant degradation The physical, chemical or biological breakdown of a complex polluting material into simpler components. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant deposition The act or process in which polluting agents settle or accumulate naturally in ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant dispersion The spreading of pollutants from a point of release in air, soil and water. The dispersion of air pollutants is heavily influenced by how and where the pollutant is emitted, e.g., by continuous low-level versus accidental releases, multiple stacks versus a few, or the height of the stacks. The nature of the local terrain meteorology and the chemistry of the released material strongly influence the pattern of regional and, finally, global dispersion and transport. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant distribution Arrangement, or pattern, associated with the occurrence of pollutants over a geographical area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant elimination The process of completely removing a pollutant's source as well as the pollutant itself. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant emission Release of polluting substances in the air, water and soil from a given source and measured at the immission point. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant exposure The act or state of being subjected to a substance that adversely affects human health, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant formation The act or process in which polluting agents are created, produced or formed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant immission The transfer of solid, liquid, or gaseous contaminants in the air, water, and soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant immobilisation The treatment process used to reduce the solubility of pollutants in order to minimize possible migration or leaching or to prepare for their disposal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant level A value representing the concentration of a polluting agent in a specified area, often determined by a measuring and recording device. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant load The amount of polluting material that a transporting agent, such as a stream, a glacier, or the wind, is actually carrying at a given time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant mobilisation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant monitoring Periodic or continuous determination of the amount of pollutants present in the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant pathway The retraceable route of a pollutant, from its source, through its interactions with the environment, and finally to its effect upon a target ecosystem or target organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant reduction All measures aimed at reducing pollutants often through physical or chemical removal of toxic, or potentially toxic, materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant remobilisation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant source identification Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polluted matter A solid, liquid or gas that has been contaminated, rendered impure or made unsafe for use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polluter-pays principle The principle that those causing pollution should meet the costs to which it gives rise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution The indirect or direct alteration of the biological, thermal, physical, or radioactive properties of any medium in such a way as to create a hazard or potential hazard to human health or to the health, safety or welfare of any living species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution abatement The reduction in degree or intensity of pollution in soil, rivers, lakes, seas, atmosphere, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution abatement equipment Equipment for the reduction in degree or intensity of pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution control Chemical and physical methods to lessen discharges of most pollutants; for carbon dioxide there is, at present, no economic or practical way to reduce the quantities discharged except by reduced fossil fuel usage. Most specific means for removing pollutants from emissions include flue-gas desulphurisation, fluidised combustion, catalytic converters and the redesign of equipment, such as furnace burners and car engines, to lessen the production of pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution control equipment Devices for the reduction and/or removal of those emissions to the environment which have the potential to cause pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution control regulation A body of rules or orders prescribed by government, management or an international organization or treaty in which limits are established for the emission of substances that harm or adversely alter the environment and human health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution control technology Methods used to reduce the amount of contaminants discharged from a source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution criterion Standard established for certain pollutants which limits their concentration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution effect The main pollution effects concern human health and cover all aspects of the physical environment - air, water and land, including the effects of climate change. Human activities which are sources of pollution arise from domestic, commercial, industrial and military sectors and their effects are influenced by various issues, trends and public sector programmes, such as safe water and food, management of waste, increasing use of chemicals in agriculture, and urbanization. Types of pollutants which are negatively impacting health include litter, toxic chemicals, nuclear waste, lead, spoil from mining, food and water contaminants; and the polluting effects of over-population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution indicator Organisms, mostly plants, which are most sensitive to slight changes in environmental factors. When identified their reaction can serve as an early warning of the endangerment of the health of a community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution liability Liability for injuries arising from the release of hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution load The amount of stress placed upon an ecosystem by pollution, physical or chemical, released into it by man-made or natural means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution measurement The assessment of the concentration of pollutants for a given time in a given point. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution monitoring The quantitative or qualitative measure of the presence, effect or level of any polluting substance in air, water or soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution norm Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution risk Probability of harm to human health, property or the environment posed by the introduction of an undesirable substance into the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution sink Vehicle for removal of a chemical or gas from the atmosphere-biosphere-ocean system, in which the substance is absorbed into a permanent or semi-permanent repository, or else transformed into another substance. A carbon sink, for example, might be the ocean (which absorbs and holds carbon from other parts of carbon cycle) or photosynthesis (which converts atmospheric carbon into plant material). Sinks are a fundamental factor in the ongoing balance which determines the concentration of every greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. If the sink is greater than the sources of a gas, its concentration in the atmosphere will decrease; if the source is greater than the sink, the concentration will increase. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts source of pollution The place, places or areas from where a pollutant is released into the atmosphere or water, or where noise is generated. A source can be classified as point source, i.e. a large individual generator of pollution, an area source, or a line source, e.g. vehicle emissions and noise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polybrominated biphenyl A chemical substance the composition of which, without regard to impurities, consists of brominated biphenyl molecules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polychlorinated biphenyl PCBs are a family of chemical compounds which do not exist in nature but which are man-made. Commercial mixtures are clear, pale yellow liquids, manufactured by the replacement of hydrogen atoms on the biphenyl molecule by chlorine. Because of their physical properties, PCBs are commonly found in electrical equipment which requires dielectric fluid such as power transformers and capacitors, as well as in hydraulic machinery, vacuum pumps, compressors and heat-exchanger fluids. Other uses include: lubricants, fluorescent light ballasts, paints, glues, waxes, carbonless copy paper, inks including newspapers, dust-control agents for dirt roads, solvents for spreading insecticides, cutting oils. PCBs are stable compounds and although they are no longer manufactured they are extremely persistent and remain in huge quantities in the atmosphere and in landfill sites. They are not water-soluble and float on the surface of water where they are eaten by aquatic animals and so enter the food chain. PCBs are fat-soluble, and are therefore easy to take into the system, but difficult to excrete. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polychlordibenzo-p-dioxin PCDD are formed (along with variants including furans) when compounds containing chlorine are burnt at low temperature in improperly operated/designed domestic refuse and industrial waste incinerators where PCDDs can be found in both the flue gases and the fly ash. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polychlorinated dibenzofuran A family containing 135 individual, colorless compounds known as congeners with varying harmful health and environmental effects. They are produced as unwanted compounds during the manufacture of several chemicals and consumer products such as wood treatment chemicals, some metals, and paper products; also produced from the burning of municipal and industrial waste in incinerators, from exhaust of leaded gasoline, heat, or production of electricity. They are hazardous to the respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, liver, musculoskeletal system, skin and nervous system; and are toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and contact. Symptoms of exposure include frequent coughing, severe respiratory infections, chronic bronchitis, abdominal pain, muscle pain, acne rashes, skin color changes, unexpected weight loss, nonmalignant or malignant liver disease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polychlorinated terphenyl Compounds consisting of three benzene rings linked to each other in either ortho, meta or para positions and substituted with chlorine atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon Hydrocarbons containing two or more closed rings of atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polycyclic hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon molecule with two or more nuclei; examples are naphtalene, with two benzene rings side by side, or diphenyl, with two bond-connected benzene rings. Also known as polynuclear hydrocarbon. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polyethylene terephtalate 1) A thermoplastic polyester resin made from ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid; melts at 265°C; used to make films or fibers. 2) Type of plastic used to make artificial fibres and plastic bottles, which can be recycled. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polymerisation 1) The bonding of two or more monomers to produce a polymer. 2) Any chemical reaction that produces such a bonding. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polymer Substance made of giant molecules formed by the union of simple molecules (monomers). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polyvinyl chloride Polymer of vinyl chloride; tasteless, odourless; insoluble in most organic solvents; a member of the family of vinyl resins. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pond A natural body of standing fresh water occupying a small surface depression, usually smaller than a lake and larger than a pool. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tailings pond Any collection of liquid effluents or wastewater drained or separated out during the processing of crops or mineral ores. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pool A small, natural body of standing water, usually fresh; e.g. a stagnant body of water in a marsh, or a still body of water within a cave. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population distribution The density, dispersal pattern and apportionment of the total number of persons in any area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population dynamics The process of numerical and structural change within populations resulting from births, deaths, and movements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population (ecological) A group of organisms of one species, occupying a defined area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population ecology The study of the interaction of a particular species or genus population with its environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population growth An increase in the total number of inhabitants of a country, city, district or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population movement Any shift or migration of a statistically significant number of persons inhabiting a country, district or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population structure The organization of, and inter-relationships among, inhabitants of a given region, country or city. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population trend The direction of change in the total number of persons inhabiting a country, city, district or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts post-treatment Treatment of treated water or wastewater to improve the water quality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts potash Any of several compounds containing potassium, especially soluble compounds such as potassium oxide, potassium chloride, and various potassium sulfates, used chiefly in fertilizers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rock salt mining Rock salt mining is an underground mining process in which the salt is physically dug out of the ground in an operation involving drilling, blasting and crushing the rock. The major percentage of this output is used for winter road maintenance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poultry Domesticated fowl grown for their meat and eggs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poultry farming One of the commonest of agricultural occupations. Many urban households and many farms maintain some chickens for both meat and eggs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poverty State in which the individual lacks the resources necessary for subsistence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts power company Company which is responsible for the supply and distribution of electric energy to a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts power-heat relation The ratio of the work done by an engine to the heat supplied. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts power station A stationary plant containing apparatus for large-scale conversion of some form of energy (such as hydraulic, steam, chemical, or nuclear energy) into electrical energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts precipitation (chemical) The process of producing a separable solid phase within a liquid medium; represents the formation of a new condensed phase, such as a vapour or gas condensing to liquid droplets; a new solid phase gradually precipitates within a solid alloy as a result of slow, inner chemical reaction; in analytical chemistry, precipitation is used to separate a solid phase in an aqueous solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts precipitation enhancement Increase of precipitation resulting from changes in the colloidal stability of clouds. This can be either intentional, as with cloud seeding, or unintentional, as with air pollution, which increases aerosol concentrations and reduces sunlight. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts predator Animal which kills and eats other animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prefabricated building Building whose sections are manufactured in specialized factories and later transported and assembled on a building site. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preliminary proceedings Any introductory action in the judicial process designed to determine the need for further court involvement or to expedite a motion that requires immediate attention. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts premium Amount to be paid for a contract of insurance or life assurance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preservation of evidence To maintain and keep safe from harm, destruction or decay any species of proof legally presented at the trial of an issue, including witnesses, records, documents, exhibits and concrete objects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preservative A chemical added to foodstuffs to prevent oxidation, fermentation or other deterioration, usually by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preserve No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts press Printed matter as a whole, especially newspapers and periodicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pressing The application of a pressure to squeeze out the juice or contents of a fruit, seed, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pressure A type of stress which is exerted uniformly in all directions; its measure is the force exerted per unit area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pressure group Any politically active group with a common set of values about resource use allocation. Pressure groups seek to influence decisions on resource use allocation in excess of their proportional representation in the planned-for populace by seeking preferential consideration for their resource use choices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preventive health measure Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts price The amount of money paid per unit for a good or service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pricing policy of resources The guiding procedure or philosophy for decisions regarding the monetary rate or value of a country or region's resources, including natural resources, human resources and capital, or man-made goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts primary education The first five or six years of instruction in elementary schools. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts primary energy consumption Consumption of energy used in the same form as in its naturally occurring state, for example crude oil, coal, natural gas, e.g. before it is converted into electricity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts primary sector That part of a country's or region's economy that makes direct use of natural resources, including agriculture, forestry, fishing and the fuel, metal and mining industries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts primate Order of mammals containing monkeys, apes, and human beings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts primary forest Forest which originally covered a region before changes in the environment brought about by people. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts precautionary principle Principle adopted by the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992) that in order to protect the environment, a precautionary approach should be widely applied, meaning that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to the environment, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts principle of sustainability Principle stated by the World Commission on Environment and Development (The Bruntland Commission) in 1987: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Sustainable development is a process of integrating economic, social and ecological goals, and should not mean a trade-off between the environment and development. Sustainable development should imply balance rather than conflict. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts printing industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the reproduction of written text or images in multiple copies such as books, periodicals, newspapers or other similar formats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts printing work The art, process or business of producing reproductions of written text or images in multiple copies, in book, periodical or newspaper formats, or in other similar formats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prior informed consent Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prior notification for hazardous waste transport A formal announcement and, often, a request for permission to the proper governmental authorities of the intention to convey across political borders potentially harmful materials that have been left over from manufacturing or testing processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private car Transportation mean belonging to an individual person. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private household Living quarters where a group of persons (family) live together. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private law The branch of law dealing with such aspects of relationships between individuals that are of no direct concern to the state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private sector Segment of the economy not run by government, including households, sole traders, partnerships and companies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private transport Transport performed with private means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts privatisation The transfer of ownership or control of a government enterprise or other governmental property to a non-public, non-official company, organization or individual, either through sale or through the establishment of a special enterprise outside direct government control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts proboscidean An order of herbivorous placental mammals characterized by having a proboscis, incisors enlarged to become tusks, and pillarlike legs with five toes bound together on a broad pad. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts procaryote Organisms (i.e. prokaryotes) whose genetic material (filaments of DNA) is not enclosed by a nuclear membrane, and that do not possess mitochondria or plastids. Bacteria and cyanophyta are the only prokaryotic organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts procedural law Law which prescribes method of enforcing rights or obtaining redress for their invasion. Laws which fix duties, establish rights and responsibilities among and for persons, natural or otherwise, are "substantive laws" in character, while those which merely prescribe the manner in which such rights and responsibilities may be exercised and enforced in a court are "procedural laws". Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts processing The act of converting material from one form into another desired form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts process technology Any technical strategies, methods or tools used for the conception, design, development or implementation of any system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts process water Water used in a manufacturing or treatment process or in the actual product manufactured. Examples would include water used for washing, rinsing, direct contact, cooling, solution make-up, chemical reactions, and gas scrubbing in industrial and food processing applications. In many cases, water is specifically treated to produce the quality of water needed for the process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts producer liability Obligations, responsibilities or debts imposed upon all members of an industry that manufactures or produces a product or service causing injury or harm to a consumer and apportioned according to each member's share of the market for the product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product Something produced by human or mechanical effort or by a natural process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product comparison Comparison of products or processes to identify those having reduced environmental impacts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product evaluation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product identification Attaching a notice to a product or container bearing information concerning its contents, proper use, manufacturer and any cautions or hazards of use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product information Factual, circumstantial and, often, comparative knowledge concerning various goods, services or events, their quality and the entities producing them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts productivity The amount of output or yield per unit of input or expenditure achieved by a company, industry or country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts productivity trend The general direction or tendency in the measurement of the production of goods and services having exchange value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product liability 1) The legal liability of manufacturers and sellers to compensate buyers, users, and even bystanders, for damages or injuries suffered because of defects in goods purchased. 2) A tort which makes a manufacturer liable if his product has a defective condition that makes it unreasonably dangerous to the user or consumer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product standard A standard which prescribes aspects of the physical or chemical composition of products which have potential for causing environmental damage or the handling, presentation and packaging of products, particularly those which are toxic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts profit An excess of the receipts over the spending, costs and expenses of a business or other commercial entity during any period. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prognostic data Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts programme Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts progress line A diagrammatic presentation of observed data in the sequence of their occurrence in time, in the context of water flow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prohibition An interdiction or forbidding of an activity or action by authority or law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts project The complex of actions, which have a potential for resulting in a physical change in the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts propagation process Process by which a disturbance at one point is propagated to another point more remote from the source with no net transport of the material of the medium itself; examples include the motion of electromagnetic waves, sound waves, hydrodynamic waves in liquids, and vibration waves in solids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts propellant A gas used in aerosol preparations to expel the liquid contents through an atomizer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts properties of materials The physical and chemical characteristics of the substances or parts of which a thing or object is made. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts property protection That benefit or safety which the government affords to the citizens to insure their individual or corporate right to exclusive enjoyment and disposal of property, money and any other thing tangible or intangible that represents a source of income or wealth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts propulsion technique Technique for causing a body to move by exerting a force against it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prosecution The pursuit of legal proceedings, particularly criminal proceedings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prosperity State of being prosperous; wealth or success. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protected area Portions of land protected by special restrictions and laws for the conservation of the natural environment. They include large tracts of land set aside for the protection of wildlife and its habitat; areas of great natural beauty or unique interest; areas containing rare forms of plant and animal life; areas representing unusual geologic formation; places of historic and prehistoric interest; areas containing ecosystems of special importance for scientific investigation and study; and areas which safeguard the needs of the biosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protected landscape Natural or man-made areas which have been reserved for conservation, scientific, educational and/or recreational purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protected species Threatened, vulnerable or endangered species which are protected from extinction by preventive measures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water protection area Area surrounding a water recovery plant in which certain forms of soil utilization are restricted or prohibited in order to protect the groundwater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protection from neighbours Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protection of birds Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protection of species Measures adopted for the safeguarding of species, of their ecosystems and their biodiversity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protection system A series of procedures and devices designed to preserve people, property or the environment from injury or harm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protein Any of a class of high-molecular weight polymer compounds composed of a variety of alfa-amino acids joined by peptide linkages. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protocol 1) The original draft of a document. 2) An international agreement of a less formal nature than a treaty. It is often used to amend treaties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protozoan A diverse phylum of eukaryotic microorganisms; the structure varies from a simple uninucleate protoplast to colonial forms, the body is either naked or covered by a test, locomotion is by means of pseudopodia or cilia or flagella, there is a tendency toward universal symmetry in floating species and radial symmetry in sessile types, and nutrition may be phagotrophic or autotrophic or saprozoic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts province A geographic area of some considerable extent, smaller than a continent but larger than a region, which is unified by some or all of its characteristics and which can therefore be studied as a whole. A faunal province, for example, has a particular assemblage of animal species, which differs from assemblages in different contemporaneous environments elsewhere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional authority The power of a government agency or its administrators to administer and implement laws and government policies applicable to a specific geographical area, usually falling under the jurisdiction of two or more states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts psychic effect A result or consequence stemming from mental processes that create or influence human consciousness and emotions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts psychological effect Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts psychological stress Strain or disequilibrium of the mind especially in its affective or cognitive functions, or the physical or mental stimulus, agent or experience that causes such an imbalance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts psychology The science that deals with the functions of the mind and the behaviour of an organism in relation to its environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts psychosomatic effect Any result pertaining to the influence of the mind or higher functions of the brain upon the operations of the body, particularly bodily disorders or diseases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts psychosomatic illness Illness arising from or aggravated by a mind-body relationship. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public access to land The right or permission for all persons of a community to use government owned geographic areas such as parks, campgrounds and historical sites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public action A measure or provision taken on behalf and with the consent of the general populace. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public bath A place having baths for public use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public building A building to which there is free access by the public and which is available for the use of a community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public domain That which can be accessed, used and shared by the general populace without restrictions, penalties or fees. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public emergency limit No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public finance The theory and practice of governmental money matters, including taxation, spending, transfer and property incomes, borrowing, debt and revenue management. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public financing The act of obtaining or furnishing money or capital for a program, purchase or enterprise from the general population of a community or state, usually through government allocation of tax revenues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public health The discipline in health science that, at the level of the community or the public, aims at promoting prevention of disease, sanitary living, laws, practices and a healthier environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public hearing Right to appear and give evidence and also right to hear and examine witnesses whose testimony is presented by opposing parties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public information Factual or circumstantial knowledge or the service, office or station providing this knowledge for an entire population or community, without restriction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public law A general classification of law, consisting generally of constitutional, administrative, criminal and international law, concerned with the organization of the state, the relations between the state and the people who compose it, the responsibilities of public officers to the state, to each other, and to private persons, and the relations of states to one other. The branch or department of law which is concerned with the state in its political or sovereign capacity, including constitutional and administrative law, and with the definition, regulation, and enforcement of rights in cases where the state is regarded as the subject of the right or object of the duty, - including criminal law and criminal procedure, - and the law of the state, considered in its quasi private personality, i.e., as capable of holding or exercising rights, or acquiring and dealing with property, in the character of an individual. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public opinion The purported, collective view of the public on some issue or problem, typically formulated by selective polling or sampling, and frequently used as a guide to action or decision. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public opinion polling The canvassing of a representative sample of a large group of people on some question in order to determine the general opinion of a group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public park Park with big trees, ornamental plants, alleys bordered by trees or bushes, fountains and statues situated in a town and whose access is free. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public participation The involvement, as an enfranchised citizen, in public matters, with the purpose of exerting influence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public-private partnership A joint venture between corporations and government or between community members and government or business beyond the course of normal interaction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public procurement The governmental process of purchasing supplies, equipment and services, or purchasing contracts to secure the provision of supplies, equipment and services, which are often sold by the private sector. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public prosecutor's office A government agency for which an elected or appointed attorney or staff of attorneys is vested with the authority by a constitution or statute to try cases on the government's behalf, to represent public interest or to take legal action against persons violating federal, state or local laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic route construction No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public sector Segment of the economy run to some degree by government, including national and local governments, government-owned firms and quasi-autonomous non-government organizations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public service An enterprise concerned with the provision to the public of essentials, such as electricity or water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public transport The act or the means of conveying people in mass as opposed to conveyance in private vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public transport vehicle Vehicle for conveying large numbers of paying passengers from one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public utility An enterprise concerned with the provision to the public of essentials, such as electricity or water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public works Structures, as roads, dams, or post offices, paid for by government funds for public use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pulmonary disease Any disease pertaining to the lungs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pulp The cellulosic material produced by reducing wood mechanically or chemically and used in making paper and cellulose products. Also known as wood pulp. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pulp industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in manufacturing and selling the soft, moist, slightly cohering mass deriving from wood that is used to produce paper sheets, cardboard and other paper products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pump A machine that draws a fluid into itself through an entrance port and forces the fluid out through an exhaust port. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pumping The removal of gases and vapors from a vacuum system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purchase The acquisition or the act of buying something by payment of money or its equivalent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purification The removal of unwanted constituents from a substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purification facility Equipment for the removal of impurities and unwanted constituents from a medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purification plant Installation where impurities are removed from waste water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purin Any of a number of nitrogenous bases, such as guanine and adenine, that are derivatives of purine and constituents of nucleic acids and certain coenzymes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pyrolysis The breaking apart of complex molecules into simpler units by the use of heat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quality assurance Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quality control The inspection, analysis, and other relevant actions taken to provide control over what is being done, manufactured, or fabricated, so that a desirable level of quality is achieved and maintained. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quality of life Quality of life is largely a matter of individual preference and perception and overlaps the concept of social well-being. Generally the emphasis is on the amount and distribution of jointly consumed public goods, such as health care and welfare services, protection against crime, regulation of pollution, preservation of fine landscapes and historic townscapes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quarry An open or surface working or excavation for the extraction of building stone, ore, coal, gravel, or minerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quarrying The surface exploitation and removal of stone or mineral deposits from the earth's crust. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts race relations The associations, tensions or harmony between two or more groups of people distinguished by history, culture, religion or physique: distinctions erroneously construed as being based on consistent biological differences and as representing, in effect, species of a human genus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radar A system using beamed and reflected radiofrequency energy for detecting and locating objects, measuring distance or altitude, navigating, homing, bombing and other purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation Emission of any rays from either natural or man-made origins, such as radio waves, the sun's rays, medical X-rays and the fall-out and nuclear wastes produced by nuclear weapons and nuclear energy production. Radiation is usually divided between non-ionizing radiation, such as thermal radiation (heat) and light, and nuclear radiation. Non-ionizing radiation includes ultraviolet radiation from the sun which, although it can damage cells and tissues, does not involve the ionization events of nuclear radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation damage Somatic and genetic damage to living organisms caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation dose The total amount of radiation absorbed by material or tissues, in the sense of absorbed dose, exposure dose, or dose equivalent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation effect Prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation from various sources can be harmful. Nuclear radiation from fallout from nuclear weapons or from power stations, background radiation from substances naturally present in the soil, exposure to X-rays can cause radiation sickness. Massive exposure to radiation can kill quickly and any person exposed to radiation is more likely to develop certain types of cancer than other members of the population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation exposure The act or state of being subjected to electromagnetic energy strong enough to ionize atoms thereby posing a threat to human health or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation monitoring The periodic or continuous surveillance or analysis of the level of radiant energy present in a given area, to determine that its prescribed amount has not been exceeded or that it meets acceptable safety standards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation physics The study of ionizing radiation and its effects on matter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation protection Precautionary actions, measures or equipment implemented to guard or defend people, property and natural resources from the harmful effects of ionizing energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation protection law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by government to establish measures to keep humans and natural resources safe from harmful exposure to energy waves released by nuclear materials, electromagnetic current and other sources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radiation sickness The complex of symptoms characterizing the disease known as radiation injury, resulting from excessive exposure of the whole body (or large part) to ionizing radiation. The earliest of these symptoms are nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea, which may be followed by loss of hair (epilation), hemorrhage, inflammation of the mouth and throat, and general loss of energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radio The process, equipment or programming involved in transmitting and receiving sound signals by electromagnetic waves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive contamination Contamination of a substance, living organism or site caused by radioactive material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive decontamination The removal of radioactive contamination which is deposited on surfaces or may have spread throughout a work area. Personnel decontamination is also included. Decontamination methods follow two broad avenues of attack, mechanical and chemical. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive dumping Waste generated by the emission of particulate or electromagnetic radiation resulting from the decay of the nuclei of unstable elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive emission The release of radioactive substances into the environment deriving from nuclear installations and from mining, purification and enrichment operations of radioactive elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive fallout The material that descends to the earth or water well beyond the site of a surface or subsurface nuclear explosion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive pollutant A substance undergoing spontaneous decay or disintegration of atomic nuclei and giving off radiant energy in the form of particles or waves, often associated with an explosion of a nuclear weapon or an accidental release from a nuclear power plant, holding facility or transporting container. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive substance Any substance that contains one or more radionuclides of which the activity or the concentration cannot be disregarded as far as radiation protection is concerned. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive tracer A radioactive isotope which, when injected into a biological or physical system, can be traced by radiation detection devices, permitting determination of the distribution or location of the substance to which it is attached. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive tracer technique Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive waste Any waste that emit radiation in excess of normal background level, including the toxic by-products of the nuclear energy industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactive waste management The total supervision of the production, handling, processing, storage and transport of materials that contain radioactive nuclides and for which use, reuse or recovery are impractical. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioactivity The property possessed by some atomic nuclei of disintegrating spontaneously, with loss of energy through emission of a charged particle and/or gamma radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radionuclide A nuclide that exhibits radioactivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radon A radioactive gaseous element emitted naturally from rocks and minerals where radioactive elements are present. It is released in non-coal mines, e.g. tin, iron, fluorspar, uranium. Radon is an alpha particle emitter as are its decay products and has been indicted as a cause of excessive occurrence of lung cancer in uranium miners. Concern has been expressed at radon levels in some housing usually adjacent to granite rocks or old tin mining regions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rag Discarded textile waste, either post-consumer waste or pre-consumer waste, such as manufacturing process scraps. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts railroad vehicle Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rail traffic The movement and circulation of vehicles transporting goods and people on railroad systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rail transport Transportation of goods and persons by railway. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts railway A permanent track composed of a line of parallel metal rails fixed to sleepers, for transport of passengers and goods in trains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rain Precipitation in the form of liquid water drops with diameters greater than 0.5 millimeter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rain forest A forest of broad-leaved, mainly evergreen, trees found in continually moist climates in the tropics, subtropics, and some parts of the temperate zones. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rainout Process by which particles in the atmosphere act as centres round which water can form drops which then falls as rain. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rain water Water which falls as rain from clouds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raising a site The building up of land by the deposition of allochthonous material, such as rocks, gravel, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts random test Tests which do not always yield the same result when repeated under the same conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rape (plant) A Eurasian cruciferous plant, Brassica napus, that is cultivated for its seeds, which yield a useful oil, and as a fodder plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rapid transit train Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rare species Species which have a restricted world range. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raw material A crude, unprocessed or partially processed material used as feedstock for a processing operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raw material consumption The developed countries depend on a stable supply of raw materials for their industries. Total resource requirements are increasing rapidly over the entire world. In developed countries, although population is increasing slowly, per capita use is increasing rapidly, while the opposite is happening in developing countries. Traditionally raw materials have been classified as non-renewable resources, but a distinction may be important between "loosable" resources, such as oil and coal, and "non-loosable" resources, such as metals, which can be used several times over by recycling processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raw material securing Measures used to ensure the provision of or the access to crude, unprocessed or partially processed materials used as feedstock for processing or manufacturing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reaction kinetics That branch of physical chemistry concerned with the mechanisms and rates of chemical reactions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reactor A device that introduces either inductive or capacitive reactance into a circuit, such as a coil or capacitor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reactor safety Those studies and activities that seek to minimise the risk of a nuclear reactor accident. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reforestation The planting of trees in forest areas which have been cleared. Reforestation has become increasingly important for preventing or reversing environmental degradation and for helping to maximize economic returns on commercially forested lands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reasonableness Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recombinant DNA technology Techniques and practical applications associated with recombinant DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid artificially introduced into a cell that alters the genotype and phenotype of the cell and is replicated along with the natural DNA). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recommendation Recommendation refers to an action which is advisory in nature rather than one having any binding effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recording of substances No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recovery of landscape Reclamation measures taken to restore the environmental quality level of a landscape to its predisturbed condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fauna restoration The process of returning wildlife ecosystems and habitats to their original conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recovery plan A formulated or systematic method for the restoration of natural resources or the reuse of materials and objects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recreation Activities that promote refreshment of health or spirits by relaxation and enjoyment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recreational area A piece of publicly owned land, especially in a town, used for sports and games. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recyclability Characteristic of materials that still have useful physical or chemical properties after serving their original purpose and that can, therefore, be reused or remanufactured into additional products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recyclable plastic Plastic waste that can be transformed into new products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recycled material Waste materials that are transformed into new products in such a manner that the original products may lose their identity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recycled paper Paper that has been separated from the solid waste stream for utilization as a raw material in the manufacture of a new product. Not all paper in the waste stream is recyclable. It may be heavily contaminated or otherwise unusable. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recycling A resource recovery method involving the collection and treatment of a waste product for use as raw material in the manufacture of the same or a similar product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts life-cycle management Management of all the stages involved in the life of a product such as raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, distribution and retail, use and re-use and maintenance, recycling and waste management, in order to create less environmentally harmful products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recycling management and waste law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by government to establish and regulate provisions for the minimization of waste generation through recovery and reprocessing of re-usable products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recycling potential Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts recycling ratio Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts redress An administrative or legal remedy that attempts to restore a person to his or her original or expected position prior to loss or injury, including breach of contract. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts red tide Sea water which is covered or discoloured by the sudden growth of algal bloom or by a great increase in single-celled organisms, dinoflagellates. Red tides are often fatal to many forms of marine life and, in some cases, can result in human deaths because the dinoflagellates are eaten by clams and mussels which concentrate the paralysing toxins which they produce. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical reduction Chemical reaction in which an element gains an electron. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reed Any of various types of tall stiff grass-like plants growing together in groups near water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reef A line of rocks in the tidal zone of a coast, submerged at high water but partly uncovered at low water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refinery A factory for the purification of some crude material such as ore, sugar, oil, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refining The processing of raw material to remove impurities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reflection The return of waves or particles from surfaces on which they are incident. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reflectometry The study of the reflectance of light or other radiant energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refrigerant A substance that by undergoing a change in phase (liquid to gas, gas to liquid) releases or absorbs a large latent heat in relation to its volume, and thus effects a considerable cooling effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refrigeration industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refrigeration The cooling of substances, usually food, below the environmental temperature for preservative purposes. Refrigeration is responsible for the largest and fastest-growing use of CFCs in the developing world. The industrial countries, and some developing countries, have taken exceptional steps to control and, eventually, ban the production of CFCs and other ozone-depleting materials by the year 2000. However, many developing nations have not signed the Montreal Protocol because they are afraid that the cost of changing over to alternative, ozone-friendly technology will be too high. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refrigerator An appliance, a cabinet, or a room for storing food or other substances at a low temperature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refuge A restricted and isolated area in which plants and animals persisted during a period of continental climatic change that made surrounding areas uninhabitable; especially an ice-free or unglaciated area within or close to a continental ice sheet or upland ice cap, where hardy biotas eked out an existence during a glacial phase. It later served as a center of dispersal for the repopulation of surrounding areas after climatic readjustment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refugee A person who is outside his country of origin and who, due to well-founded fear of persecution, is unable or unwilling to avail himself of that country protection. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refuse collection vehicle Special vehicles designed and equipped for the collection of wastes and their transportation to a waste disposal site. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refuse derived fuel Fuel produced from domestic refuse, after glass and metals have been removed from it, by compressing it to form briquettes used to fuel boilers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refuse-sludge compost Compost derived by the biodegradation of the organic constituents of solid wastes and wastewater sludges. The major public health issues associated with composting using solid wastes mixed with sewage sludge are pathogens, heavy metal, and odors. The heat generated during composting, as a result of the activities of thermophilic organisms, is capable of killing bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths present in sewage sludge. The metallic elements in sludge of greatest concern to human health are cadmium, lead, arsenic, selenium, and mercury. Only cadmium is normally found in sewage sludge at levels which, when applied to soils, can be absorbed by plants, and accumulate in edible parts, thereby entering the food chain. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regeneration The renewing or reuse of materials such as activated carbon, single ion exchange resins, and filter beds by appropriate means to remove organics, metals, solids, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts retrofitting of old plants Making changes to old industrial plants installing new equipment's and facilities for the disposal of gas emissions in the atmosphere, of waste water and waste material in soil and water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts region A designated area or an administrative division of a city, county or larger geographical territory that is formulated according to some biological, political, economic or demographic criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional convention An assembly of national, political party or organizational delegates representing persons or the interests of a specific geographic area, or the pact or the agreement that arises from such an assembly. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional development The progress or advancement for a large geographical territory or a designated division of a country or state, particularly in economic growth that leads to modernization or industrialization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional plan The plan for a region according to some physiographic, biological, political, administrative, economic, demographic, or other criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional planning The step by step method and process of defining, developing and outlining various possible courses of actions to meet existing or future needs, goals and objectives for a designated area or an administrative division of a city, county or larger geographical area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional regulation A body of rules or orders prescribed by government, management or an international organization or treaty pertaining to or effective within a specific territory of one or more states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional statistics No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional structure The organization or arrangement of a large geographical territory or a designated division of a country or state that may be formulated according to some administrative, biological, political, economic or demographic criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts registration An instance of or a certificate attesting to the fact of entering in an official list various pieces of information in order to facilitate regulation or authorization, including one's name, contact information and, in some instances, data concerning a specific possession or property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts registration proceeding The course of action or record in which an individual, company or an organization formally enrolls with a government agency or an authority in order to be granted certain rights, particularly trademark or copyright privileges, or the permission to sell and distribute a product. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts renewable raw material Resources that have a natural rate of availability and yield a continual flow of services which may be consumed in any time period without endangering future consumption possibilities as long as current use does not exceed net renewal during the period under consideration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regulation on maximum permissible limits A body of rules or orders prescribed by a government or an international organization or treaty establishing levels of hazardous materials in the environment or in ingestible substances beyond which human exposure is deemed health-threatening. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ordinance A rule established by authority; a permanent rule of action; a law or statute. In its most common meaning, the term is used to designate the enactment of the legislative body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regulative law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regulatory control Government supervision over the obligations and rights of an industry or enterprise for the purpose of providing the public with services that are considered important, vital or necessary to most members of a community or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rehabilitation A conservation measure involving the correction of past abuses that have impaired the productivity of the resources base. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rehousing To provide with new or different housing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reintroduction Reintroduction of exterminated species in an area; it is bound to fail if the chosen animal became extinct in the area too long ago and if the area itself has undergone too many changes. Reintroduction needs years of careful planning - the approval of local population, technical conditions of the release, feeding system, protection and breeding control - and even then some unexpected problems may arise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cause-effect relation The relating of causes to the effects that they produce. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts release of organisms The release of organisms in the environment creates the risk that once released they may exhibit some previously unknown pathogenicity, might take over from some naturally occurring bacteria or pass on some unwanted trait to such indigenous bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts religion The expression of man's belief in and reverence for a superhuman power recognized as the creator and governor of the universe. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts remote sensing 1) The scientific detection, recognition, inventory and analysis of land and water area by the use of distant sensors or recording devices such as photography, thermal scanners, radar, etc. 2) Complex of techniques for the remote measure of electromagnetic energy emitted by objects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts removal General term indicating the elimination of substances from a medium or from the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts renaturation A process of returning natural ecosystems or habitats to their original structure and species composition. Restoration requires a detailed knowledge of the original species, ecosystem functions and interacting processes involved. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts renewable energy source Energy sources that do not rely on fuels of which there are only finite stocks. The most widely used renewable source is hydroelectric power; other renewable sources are biomass energy, solar energy, tidal energy, wave energy, and wind energy; biomass energy does not avoid the danger of the greenhouse effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts renewable resource Resources capable of being continuously renewed or replaced through such processes as organic reproduction and cultivation such as those practiced in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rental housing Dwelling places occupied by tenants who make periodic payments to landlords or owners for use of the facilities as residences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts repair business Any commercial activity, position or site that involves work in restoring or fixing some material thing or structure, such as by replacing parts or putting together something torn, broken or detached. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts replacement Substitution of an atom or atomic group with a different one. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts replacement cost The amount of money involved to replace or have an item take the place of another item. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reporting process Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts representation Any conduct or action undertaken on behalf of a person, group, business or government, often as an elected or appointed voice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reprocessing Restoration of contaminated nuclear fuel to a usable condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reproduction (biological) Any of various processes, either sexual or asexual, by which an animal or plant produces one or more individuals similar to itself. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reproductive manipulation The technology involved in altering in some prescribed way the genetic constitution of an organism. Typically "useful" genes, i.e. very short sequence of DNA, are isolated from one organism and inserted into the DNA of a bacterium of yeast. These microorganisms multiply rapidly and can be cultured easily, enabling large quantities of the gene product to be obtained. Reproductive manipulation has been used for the large-scale production of antibiotics, enzymes, and hormones (e.g. insulin). Organisms into which foreign DNA has been artificially inserted are called "transgenic organisms". Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reptile A class of terrestrial vertebrates, characterized by the lack of hair, feathers, and mammary glands; the skin is covered with scales, they have a three chambered heart and the pleural and peritoneal cavities are continuous. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rescue service Service organized to provide immediate assistance to persons injured or in distress. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts research Scientific investigation aimed at discovering and applying new facts, techniques and natural laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts research centre Place where systematic investigation to establish facts or principles or to collect information on a subject is performed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts research project Proposal, plan or design containing the necessary information and data for conducting a specific survey. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological reserve An area of land and/or of water designated as having protected status for purposes of preserving certain biological features. Reserves are managed primarily to safeguard these features and provide opportunities for research into the problems underlying the management of natural sites and of vegetation and animal populations. Regulations are normally imposed controlling public access and disturbance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reservoir An artificial or natural storage place for water, such as a lake or pond, from which the water may be withdrawn as for irrigation, municipal water supply, or flood control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residential area Area that has only private houses, not offices and factories. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residential building A building allocated for residence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residential area with traffic calmings Residential zones where raised areas are built across roads so that vehicles are forced to move more slowly along it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residual amount of water Amount of water left in a water course after it has fed a hydropower plant in order to maintain a satisfactory dry-weather-flow for allowing the survival of biotic communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residual risk Remaining potential for harm to persons, property or the environment following all possible efforts to reduce predictable hazards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residual waste Material left after any waste treatment process, including industrial, urban, agricultural, mining or other similar treatments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residue analysis Analysis of residues from agricultural chemicals used in food crops and contained in foodstuff. The analyses use gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, immunoassays, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residue recycling Recycling of material or energy which is left over or wasted in industrial processes and other human activities. Examples include waste heat and gaseous pollutants from electricity generation, slag from metal-ore refining, and garbage. A residual becomes an output or input when a technological advance creates economic opportunities for the waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resin Any of a class of solid or semisolid organic products of natural or synthetic origin with no definite melting point, generally of high molecular weight; most resins are polymers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resistance (biological) 1) The ability of a plant to overcome, retard, suppress, or prevent infection or colonization by a pathogen, parasite, or adverse abiotic factor. 2) The ability of insects, fungi, weeds, or other pests to survive normally lethal doses of an insecticide, fungicide, herbicide, or other pesticide. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resolution (act) A formal expression of the opinion of an official body or a public assembly, adopted by vote, as a legislative resolution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resorption Absorption or, less commonly, adsorption of material by a body or system from which the material was previously released. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resource Any component of the environment that can be utilized by an organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resource appraisal Assessment of the availability of resources in a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resource conservation Reduction of overall resource consumption and utilization of recovered resources in order to avoid waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resource exploitation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resource reserve No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resources management A conscious process of decision-making whereby natural and cultural resources are allocated over time and space to optimize the attainment of stated objectives of a society, within the framework of its technology, political and social institutions, and legal and administrative arrangements. An important objective is the conservation of resources, implying a close and integrated relationship between the ecological basis and the socio-economic system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts respiration The process in living organisms of taking in oxygen from the surroundings and giving out carbon dioxide. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts respiratory air Air volumes inspired and expired through the lungs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts respiratory disease Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts respiratory protection apparatus Any of a group of devices that protect the respiratory system from exposure to airborne contaminants; usually a mask with a fitting to cover the nose and mouth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts respiratory system The structures and passages involved with the intake, expulsion and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the vertebrate body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts respiratory tract The structures and passages involved with intake, expulsion, and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the vertebrate body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts responsibility The obligation to answer for an act done, and to repair or otherwise make restitution for any injury it may have caused. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts impact reversal The counteracting or undoing of negative effects or influences on the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resting form Resistant structure that allows the organism to survive adverse environmental conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restoration The process of renewing or returning something to its original, normal or unimpaired condition, particularly works of art, cultural artifacts, furniture or buildings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restoration measure Procedure or course of action taken to reestablish or bring back to state of environmental or ecological health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restriction of production Any decision, action or policy which limits or constrains the making of valued goods or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restriction on use A limitation on the utilization of land or some other property, often inscribed in a deed or lease document. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts retail trade The sale of goods to ultimate consumers, usually in small quantities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts retarding basin A basin designed and operated to provide temporary storage and thus reduce the peak flood flows of a stream. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts retrofitting 1) Addition of a pollution control device on an existing facility without making major changes to the generating plant. 2) Providing a jet, an automobile, a computer, or a factory, for example, with parts, devices or equipment not in existence or available at the time of original manufacture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts return to nature Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reusable container Any container which has been conceived and designed to accomplish within its life cycle a minimum number of trips or rotations in order to be refilled or reused for the same purpose for which it was conceived. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reuse of materials Any re-utilization of products or components, in original form, such as when used glass bottles are sterilized and refilled for resale. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts revegetation Planting of new trees and, particularly, of native plants in disturbed sites where the vegetation cover has been destroyed, to stabilize the land surface from wind and water erosion and to reclame the land for other uses. Revegetation practices are employed in mined lands, roadsides, parks, wetlands, utility corridors, riparian areas, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reverse osmosis A method of obtaining pure water from water containing a salt, as in desalination. Pure water and the salt water are separated by a semipermeable membrane and the pressure of the salt water is raised above the osmotic pressure, causing water from the brine to pass through the membrane into the pure water. This process requires a pressure of some 25 atmospheres, which makes it difficult to apply on a large scale. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rice An erect grass, Oryza sativa, that grows in East Asia on wet ground and has drooping flower spikes and yellow oblong edible grains that become white when polished. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petition right A legal guarantee or just claim enabling a citizen or employee to compose and submit a formal written request to an authority asking for some benefit or favor or for intervention and redress of some wrong. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts right of property The legal guarantee or just claim inhering in a citizen's relation to some physical thing, but especially a plot of land, including the right to possess, use and dispose of it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts right to compensation A legally enforceable claim for payment or reimbursement to pay for damages, loss or injury, or for remuneration to pay for services rendered, whether in fees, commissions or salary. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts right to information The individual's right to know in general about the existence of data banks, the right to be informed on request and the general right to a print-out of the information registered and to know the actual use made of the information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ringing (wildlife) To attach a numbered ring to the leg of a bird so that its movements can be recorded. Ringing is a very common method of tracing bird movement and providing information about bird's ages. It can also cause stress to the birds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rinsing The removal of thin layers of surface material more or less evenly from an extensive area of gently sloping land, by broad continuous sheets of running water rather than by streams flowing in well-defined channels; e.g. erosion that occurs when rain washes away a thin layer of topsoil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts riparian zone 1) Terrestrial areas where the vegetation complex and microclimate are products of the combined pressure and influence of perennial and/or intermittent water... and soils that exhibit some wetness characteristics. 2) Zone situated on the bank of a water course such as a river or stream. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rising (geological) The slow vertical instability of the earth crust involving up-and-down movements as in the volcanic district west of Naples, Italy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rising sea level Sea level rises are a possible consequence of global warming. As the amount of free water in the ocean increases, and as the water becomes warmer, global warming will increase. In addition, according to theory, the heating at the poles may reduce the amount of water trapped in glaciers and ice caps. By the year 3000, the seas could rise between one and two metres. Such an event would clearly threaten low-lying areas, particularly in Asia, where million of people live and farm on river deltas and flood plains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk The expected number of lives lost, persons injured, damage to property and disruption of economic activity due to a particular natural phenomenon, and consequently the product of the probability of occurrence and the expected magnitude of damage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk analysis Technique used to determine the likelihood or chance of hazardous events occurring (such as release of a certain quantity of a toxic gas) and the likely consequences. Originally developed for use in nuclear and chemical industry where certain possible events, of low probability, could have extremely serious results. Attempts are being made to use concepts from probabilistic risk analysis to characterise environmental impacts, whose occurrence and nature are not easy to predict with any degree of accuracy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk assessment The qualitative and quantitative evaluation performed in an effort to define the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by an action or by the presence or use of a specific substance or pollutant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk-benefit analysis A systematic process of evaluating and assessing the hazards of loss versus the possibility of financial gain or profit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk communication The exchange of information about health or environmental risks among risk assessors and managers, the general public, news media, interest groups, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk perception A subjective appreciation by individuals which will more often than not bear little relation to the statistical probability of damage or injury. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk reduction Any act, instance or process lowering the probability that harm will come to an area or its population as the result of some hazard. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river A stream of water which flows in a channel from high ground to low ground and ultimately to a lake or the sea, except in a desert area where it may dwindle away to nothing. A river and all its tributaries within a single basin is termed a drainage system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river basin development Any growth, maturation or change in an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river channelling The alteration of a natural stream by excavation, realignment, lining or other means to accelerate the flow of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river pollution The direct or indirect human alteration of the biological, physical, chemical or radiological integrity of river water, or a river ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river water Water which flows in a channel from high ground to low ground and ultimately to a lake or the sea, except in a desert area where it may dwindle away to nothing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road A long piece of hard ground that people can drive along from one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road construction No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road maintenance The care or upkeep of streets, highways and other routes, including improvements in alignment, widening and markings, and work involving buried cables, water mains or gas mains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road safety Any measure, technique or design intended to reduce the risk of harm posed by moving vehicles along a constructed land route. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road salt Salt used against the formation of ice on roads; when excess salt washes off the roads, it can poison roadside vegetation or raise salt concentrations in streams and reserves of underground water. It also accelerates the deterioration of concrete and metal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road traffic Circulation of motor vehicles and people on the road network. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road traffic engineering Discipline which includes the design of highways and pedestrian ways, the study and application of traffic statistics, and the environmental aspects of the transportation of goods and people. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road transport Transportation of goods and persons by vehicles travelling on a road network. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rock Any aggregate of minerals that makes up part of the earth's crust. It may be unconsolidated, such as sand, clay, or mud, or consolidated, such as granite, limestone, or coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rock wool A generic term for felted or matted fibers manufactured by blowing or spinning threads of molten rock, slag, or glass. The material is used for thermal insulation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rodent Any of the relatively small placental mammals that constitute the order Rodentia, having constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts root The absorbing and anchoring organ of a vascular plant; it bears neither leaves nor flowers and is usually subterranean. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rotary furnace A heat-treating furnace of circular construction which rotates the workpiece around the axis of the furnace during heat treatment; workpieces are transported through the furnace along a circular path. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts route Any established or selected course for passage or travel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts route planning The activity of designing, organizing or preparing for the construction of boulevards, turnpikes, highways and other roads. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rubber A cream to dark brown elastic material obtained by coagulating and drying the latex from certain plants, especially the rubber tree. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rubber processing The systematic series of actions in which a solid substance deriving from rubber trees and plants is toughened and treated chemically to give it the strength, elasticity, resistance and other qualities needed for the manufacture of products such as erasers, elastic bands, water hoses, electrical insulation and tires. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rubber processing industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of natural or synthetic rubber products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rubber waste Any refuse or unwanted material made of synthetic or natural rubber, often the byproduct of rubber processing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts runoff Rate at which water is removed by flowing over the soil surface. This rate is determined by the texture of the soil, slope, climate, and land use cover (e.g. paved surface, grass, forest, bare soil). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural area Area outside the limits of any incorporated or unincorporated city, town, village, or any other designated residential or commercial area such as a subdivision, a business or shopping center, or community development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural environment Environment pertaining to the countryside. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural population The total number of persons inhabiting an agricultural or pastoral region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural settlement A collection of dwellings located in a rural area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agritourism Holidays organized in a farm: meals are prepared with natural products and guests are entertained with handicraft, sporting and agricultural activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural water supply Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety The state of being secure from harm, injury, danger or risk, often as a result of planned measures or preparations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety analysis The process of studying the need for or efficacy of actions, procedures or devices intended to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety measure An action, procedure or contrivance designed to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety rule A principle or regulation governing actions, procedures or devices intended to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety standard A norm or measure applicable in legal cases for any action, procedure or contrivance designed to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety standard for building A collection of rules and regulations adopted by authorities concerning structural and mechanical standards for safety. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety study Research, detailed examination and usually a written report on the need for or efficacy of actions, procedures or devices intended to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salamander Any of various urodele amphibians, such as Salamandra salamandra of central and S Europe. They are typically terrestrial, have an elongated body, and only return to water to breed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salination The accumulation of soluble salts by evaporation of the waters that bore them to the soil zone, in a soil of an arid, poorly drained region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salmonella General name for a family of microorganisms, one of the largest groups of bacteria, that includes those most frequently implicated in food poisoning and gastroenteritis. Unhygienic handling and inadequate cooking of poultry and meat, improper storage of cold meats and, more recently, contamination of battery-reared hen eggs, are the most common sources of salmonella infections. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt content Amount of salt contained in a solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt load Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt marsh Areas of brackish, shallow water usually found in coastal areas and in deltas. There are also inland marshes in arid areas where the water has a high salt level because of evaporation. They are environmentally delicate areas, extremely vulnerable to pollution by industrial or agricultural chemicals, or to thermal pollution, which often results when river water has been used as the coolant in power stations and industrial plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt meadow A meadow subject to overflow by salt water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt plug A mass of salt which is injected as a diapir (a dome in which the overlying rocks have been ruptured by the squeezing-out of plastic core material) into overlying sedimentary rocks, thereby piercing and deforming them. The mechanism is similar to that of an intrusive magma, with the salt deforming and behaving plastically under pressure. It is of great economic importance because it assists in the formation of a "trap" structure for oil accumulation, in addition to its associated deposits of anhydrite, gypsum and sulphur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt The reaction product when a metal displaces the hydrogen of an acid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salt water Water of the seas, distinguished by high salinity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salvage The act, process, or business of rescuing vessels or their cargoes from loss at sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sampling The obtaining of small representative quantities of material for the purpose of analysis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sampling technique Method of selecting items at random from a set in such a manner that the sample will be representative of the whole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sanction Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sand A loose material consisting of small mineral particles, or rock and mineral particles, distinguishable by the naked eye; grains vary from almost spherical to angular, with a diameter range from 1/16 to 2 millimeters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sand dune fixation Stabilization of dunes effected by the planting of marram grass (Ammophila arenaria), or rice grass, whose long roots bind the surface layers of sand and so hinder its removal by wind. A larger scale method of dealing with the same problem is by afforestation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sand dune An accumulation of loose sand heaped up by the wind, commonly found along low-lying seashores above high-tide level, more rarely on the border of large lakes or river valleys, as well as in various desert regions, where there is abundant dry surface sand during some part of the year. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sand extraction The extraction of sand by mining for building purposes and for the extraction of heavy minerals such as rutile and zircon. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sand pit A place where sand is extracted from the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sanitary fitting The set of furnishings designed for personal hygiene and the disposal of organic waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sanitary landfill An engineered method of disposing of solid waste on land in a manner that protects the environment, by spreading the waste in thin layers, compacting it to the smallest practical volume and covering it with compacted soil by the end of each working day or at more frequent intervals if necessary. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sanitation The study and use of practical measures for the preservation of public health. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sanitation plan Plans for the control of the physical factors in the human environment that can harm development, health, or survival. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts saprobic index Indication or measure of the level of organic pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts saprobe Referring to the classification of organisms according to the way in which they tolerate pollution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts satellite An object that orbits around a larger one. Artificial satellites orbiting the Earth are used for communications, the gathering of military intelligence, the monitoring of weather and other environmental phenomena, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts saving The amount of current income which is not spent for survival or enjoyment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sawdust Wood fragments made by a saw in cutting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts schistosomiasis A disease in which humans are parasitized by any of three species of blood flukes: Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, and S. japonicum; adult worms inhabit the blood vessels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts school An institution or building at which children and young people receive education. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts school teaching Instruction or training received in any educational institution, but especially to persons under college age. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts science The study of the physical universe and its contents by means of reproducible observations, measurements, and experiments to establish, verify, or modify general laws to explain its nature and behaviour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific and technical information Knowledge communicated or received pertaining to the systematic study of the physical world or to the mechanical or industrial arts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific co-operation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization, which promotes or determines the direction for the systematic study, research and experimentation of a particular aspect of the physical or material world, which may lead to scholarly contributions in a branch of knowledge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scoping procedure The prescribed step or manner of proceeding in an environmental impact assessment, by which a public discussion is held to discuss the information that needs to be developed, the alternatives that need to be considered and other important environmental issues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap material Recyclable material from any manufacturing process or discarded consumer products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap material market The trade or traffic in discarded or leftover materials that can be reused in some way. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap material price The amount of money or the monetary rate at which materials discarded from manufacturing operations can be bought or sold. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap metal Any metal material discarded from manufacturing operations and usually suitable for reprocessing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap vehicle Car which is delivered for breaking up or otherwise discarded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts screening The reduction of the electric field about a nucleus by the space charge of the surrounding electrons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea 1) In general, the marine section of the globe as opposed to that of the land. 2) The name given to a body of salt water smaller than an ocean and generally in proximity to a continent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea bed The bottom of the ocean. Also known as sea floor; sea bottom. The ocean floor is defined as the near-horizontal surface of the ocean basin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea bed exploitation Marine mineral resources extend far beyond those presently exploited; minerals are derived from two separate types of marine sources: from sedimentary deposits underlying the continental shelves and from inshore deposits on the surface of the continental shelves. By far the most valuable of the mineral resources exploited from marine environments is petroleum. Offshore placer deposits on the surface of the continental shelves yield gold, platinum, and tin. On the floors of the world's oceans manganese nodules are found as a result of pelagic sedimentation or precipitation; they are small, irregular, black to brown, friable, laminated concretionary masses consisting primarily of manganese salts and manganese-oxide minerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea bed mining The activity or processes involving the extraction of mineral deposits from the surface, or below the surface, of the ocean floor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea circulation Large-scale horizontal water motion within an ocean. The way energy from the sun, stored in the sea, is transported around the world. The currents explain, for example, why the UK has ice-free ports in winter, while St. Petersburg, at the same latitude as the Shetland Islands, needs ice breakers. Evidence is growing that the world's ocean circulation was very different during the last ice age and has changed several times in the distant past, with dramatic effects on climate. The oceans are vital as storehouses, as they absorb more than half the sun's heat reaching the earth. This heat, which is primarily absorbed near the equator is carried around the world and released elsewhere, creating currents which last up to 1.000 years. As the Earth rotates and the wind acts upon the surface, currents carry warm tropical water to the cooler parts of the world. The strength and direction of the currents are affected by landmasses, bottlenecks through narrow straits, and even the shape of the sea-bed. When the warm water reaches polar regions its heat evaporates into the atmosphere, reducing its temperature and increasing its density. When sea-water freezes it leaves salt behind in the unfrozen water and this cold water sinks into the ocean and begins to flow back to the tropics. Eventually it is heated and begins the cycle all over again. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea level The level of the surface of the ocean; especially, the mean level halfway between high and low tide, used as a standard in reckoning land elevation or sea depths. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea level rise Sea-level rises are a possible consequence of global warming. As the amount of free water in the oceans increases, and as the water becomes warmer, global warming will increase. In addition, according to theory, the heating at the poles may reduce the amount of water trapped in glaciers and ice caps. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sealing Luting, making watertight, waterproofing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seal (technical) Any device or system that creates a nonleaking union between two mechanical or process-system elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea outfall The point, location or structure where effluent discharges into a body of marine waters such as a sea, ocean, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea resource Marine resources include food, energy and minerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seashore The zone of unconsolidated material that extends landward from the low water-line to where there is marked change in material or physiographic form or to the line of permanent vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts season One of the four equal periods into which the year is divided by the equinoxes and solstices, resulting from the apparent movement of the sun north and south of the equator during the course of the earth's orbit around it. These periods (spring, summer, autumn and winter) have their characteristic weather conditions in different regions, and occur at opposite times of the year in the N and S hemispheres. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seasonal migration The periodic movement of a population from one region or climate to another in accordance with the yearly cycle of weather and temperature changes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea water Aqueous solution of salts in more or less constant ratio, whose composition depends on several factors among which predominate living organisms, detrital sedimentation and the related chemical reactions. Sea-water accounts for more than 98% of the mass of the hydrosphere and covers just over 70% of the globe. Because of the composition and stability of the oceans, and the way they are controlled, they are of great importance to the climate, and great attention has been given to studying the effects of pollution. Man's activities are believed to be accelerating the change in the composition of sea-water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea water desalination Removing salt from ocean or brackish water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea water protection Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts secondary biotope In the case of disruption of an existing biotope, secondary biotope can be created as a compensation and substitute measure for the loss of the natural one. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts secondary education The years of instruction following elementary school and until the end of high school. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts secondary sector The part of a country or region's economy that produces commodities without much direct use of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts second-hand goods Goods or products that have been used previously. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic sector A part of a country's or region's commercial, industrial and financial activity, delimited either by public, corporate and private organization of expenditures or by agriculture, manufacturing and service product types. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts security of installations Measures, techniques or designs implemented to protect from harm or restrict access to any apparatus, machinery or construction put in place or connected for use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sedimentary basin A geomorphic feature of the earth in which the surface has subsided for a prolonged time, including deep ocean floors, intercontinental rifts and elevated and interior drainage basins. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sedimentation (industrial process) The separation of an insoluble solid from a liquid in which it is suspended by settling under the influence of gravity or centrifugation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sedimentation (geology) The act or process of forming or accumulating sediment in layers, including such processes as the separation of rock particles from the material from which the sediment is derived, the transportation of these particles to the site of deposition, the actual deposition or settling of the particles, the chemical and other changes occurring in the sediment, and the ultimate consolidation of the sediment into solid rock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sediment Any material transported by water which will ultimately settle to the bottom after the water loses its transporting power. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sediment transport The movement and carrying- away of sediment by natural agents; especially the conveyance of a stream load by suspension, saltation, solution or traction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seed (biology) A mature fertilized plant ovule, consisting of an embryo and its food store surrounded by a protective seed coat (testa). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seed dressing A chemical applied before planting to protect seeds and seedlings from disease or insects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water seepage The slow movement of water through small openings and spaces in the surface of unsaturated soil into or out of a body of surface or subsurface water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seepage water Water that moves slowly through small openings of a porous material such as soil or the amount of water that has been involved in seepage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seismic activity The phenomenon of Earth movements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seismic monitoring The gathering of seismic data from an area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seismic sea wave A large seismically generated sea wave which is capable of considerable destruction in certain coastal areas, especially where submarine earthquakes occur. Although in the open ocean the wave height may be less than one meter it steepens to hights of 15 metres or more on entering shallow coastal water. The wavelength in the open ocean is of the order of 100 to 150 km and the rate of travel of a seismic sea wave is between 640 and 960 km/h. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seizure The official or legally authorized act of taking away possessions or property, often for a violation of law or to enforce a judgment imposed by a court of law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seizure of profits The official or legally authorized act of taking away monetary gain or surplus resulting from investments or property or from returns, proceeds or revenue in a business or business transaction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts selection of technology No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts selective breeding of animals Breeding of animals having desirable characters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts selective breeding of plants Breeding of plants having desirable characters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts selenium A highly toxic, nonmetallic element; used in analytical chemistry, metallurgy, and photoelectric cells. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts self-help programme A series of steps or a system of services or activities designed to enable an individual to help or improve one's self without depending on the aid of others. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts self-monitoring No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts self-purification A natural process of organic degradation that produces nutrients utilized by autotrophic organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts semi-arid land ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in regions that have between 10 to 20 inches of rainfall and are capable of sustaining some grasses and shrubs but not woodland. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts semiconductor A solid crystalline material whose electrical conductivity is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator and is usually strongly temperature-dependent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts semimanufactured product Product that has undergone a partial processing and is used as raw material in a successive productive step. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts semi-metal An element having some properties characteristic of metals and others of non-metals. Many metalloids give rise to an amphoteric oxide (e.g. arsenic or antimony) and many are semiconductors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sensitive area Areas of a country where special measures may be given to protect the natural habitats which present a high level of vulnerability. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sensitivity analysis A formalized procedure to identify the impact of changes in various model components on model output. Sensitivity analysis is an integral part of simulation experimentation and may influence model formulations. It is commonly used to examine model behaviour. The general procedure is to define a model output variable that represents an important aspect of model behaviour. The values of various inputs of the model are then varied and the resultant change in the output variable is monitored. Large changes in the output variable imply that the particular input varied is important in controlling model behaviour. Within this general definition, sensitivity analysis has been applied to a variety of model inputs including state variables, environmental variables and initial conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts separated collection The collection of individual components of solid waste from any source, usually separated into different collection containers, in order to recover, reuse or recycle the material or to facilitate its collection and disposal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts separation at source Segregating various wastes at the point of generation (e.g. separation of paper, metal and glass from other wastes) to make recycling simpler and more efficient. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts separator A machine for separating materials of different specific gravity by means of water or air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts septic tank A tank, usually underground, into which sewage flows, the deposited matter being wholly, or partially broken down through anaerobic action. The final effluent may be allowed to soak into the ground through a system of agricultural drains, if the soil is suitable. Alternatively, the tank must be emptied at regular intervals by a special road-tanker. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sequestration 1) A legal term referring generally to the act of valuable property being taken into custody by an agent of the court and locked away for safekeeping, usually to prevent the property from being disposed of or abused before a dispute over its ownership can be resolved. 2) The taking of someone's property, voluntarily (by deposit) or involuntarily (by seizure), by court officers or into the possession of a third party, awaiting the outcome of a trial in which ownership of that property is at issue. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts snake Any reptile of the suborder Ophidia, typically having a scaly cylindrical limbless body, fused eyelids, and a jaw modified for swallowing large prey: includes venomous forms such as cobras and rattlesnakes, large nonvenomous constrictors, and small harmless types such as the grass snake. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts service area The area served by a particular public facility such as school, library, police station, park, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts services The carrying out of work for which there is a constant public demand by the provision of labor and the utilization of tools. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts settlement concentration The distribution or total amount of communities, villages and houses within a specified geographic area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban sprawl The physical pattern of low-density expansion of large urban areas under market conditions into the surrounding agricultural areas. Sprawl lies in advance of the principal lines of urban growth and implies little planning control of land subdivision. Development is patchy, scattered and strung out, with a tendency to discontinuity because it leap-frogs over some areas, leaving agricultural enclaves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts settling tank A tank into which a two-phase mixture is fed and the entrained solids settle by gravity during storage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewage Any liquid-born waste that contains animal or plant matter in suspension or solution, soils and storm water, or chemicals in solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewage disposal Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewage farm Area of land on which sewage or any other type of waste water is distributed in order to purify it; it is a kind of waste water treatment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewage sludge A semi-liquid waste with a solid concentration in excess of 2500 parts per million, obtained from the purification of municipal sewage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewage treatment system Sewage treatment comes in two stages - primary and secondary treatment. The primary stage involves a process of screening solids from sewage, leaving a sludge and relatively clear water for further treatment or for disposal into rivers, the sea or on to the land. In the secondary stage the sludge is stirred constantly in vast tanks to get more oxygen into the mixture, allowing bacteria to break down the organic matter and leave a harmless residue that falls as a sediment to the bottom of the tank. After processing, the clear water on top of the tank is discharged into rivers and the sediment is used as landfill or discharged at sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sewerage system System of pipes, usually underground, for carrying waste water and human waste away from houses and other buildings, to a place where they can be safely get rid of. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shellfish Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shielding device Barriers devised for keeping away from people harmful substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shifting cultivation Agricultural practice using the rotation of fields rather than crops, short cropping periods followed by long fallows and the maintenance of fertility by the regeneration of vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ship A vessel propelled by engines or sails for navigating on the water, especially a large vessel that can not be carried aboard another, as distinguished from a boat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shipbuilding The art or business of designing and constructing ships. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shipping accident An unexpected incident, failure or loss involving a vessel or its contents in the course of commercial transport that poses potential harm to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ship garbage Domestic and operational wastes, disposed of continuously or periodically, that are generated during the normal operation of a ship; usually excluding fresh fish waste from fishing operations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ship waste disposal Discharging of ship waste into the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shooting range Area designed for target shooting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shop A place, especially a small building, for the retail sale of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shopping centre Enclosed area in which there is a variety of shops. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts show A performance, program or exhibition providing entertainment to a group of people, displayed either through some communication media, such as radio or television, or live at a museum or theater. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shredder A size-reduction machine which tears or grinds materials to a smaller and more uniform particle size. Shredding process is also called size reduction, grinding, milling, comminution, pulverisation, hogging, granulating, breaking, chipping, crushing, cutting, rasping. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts refuse shredder A machine used to break up refuse material into smaller pieces by tearing and/or impact. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shrub A woody perennial plant, smaller than a tree, with several major branches arising from near the base of the main stem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shunting yard Area where a car or a train can be shoven or turned off or moved from one track to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sick building syndrome A set of symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, eye irritation, and dizziness, typically affecting workers in modern airtight office buildings and thought to be caused by indoor pollutants, such as formaldehyde fumes, particulate matter, microorganisms, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts side effect Any secondary effect, especially an undesirable one. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts side effects of pharmaceutical drugs Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sieving The size distribution of solid particles on a series of standard sieves of decreasing size, expressed as a weight percent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts silencer Any device designed to reduce noise, especially the device in the exhaust system of a motor vehicle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts silicon A brittle metalloid element that exists in two allotropic forms; occurs principally in sand, quartz, granite, feldspar, and clay. It is usually a grey crystalline solid but is also found as a brown amorphous powder. It is used in transistors, rectifiers, solar cells, and alloys. Its compounds are widely used in glass manufacture, the building industry, and in the form of silicones. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts silo A large round tower on a farm for storing grain or winter food for cattle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts silt The fine mineral material formed from the erosion of rock fragments and deposited by rivers and lakes. Its particles are the intermediate form between sand and clay. The particles can range in size from 0.01-0.05 mm in diameter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts silver A very ductile malleable brilliant greyish-white element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. It occurs free and in argentite and other ores: used in jewellery, tableware, coinage, electrical contacts, and in electroplating. Its compounds are used in photography. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts simulation A representation of a problem, situation in mathematical terms, especially using a computer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sintering Forming a coherent bonded mass by heating metal powders without melting, used mostly in powder metallurgy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts site selection The process of choosing or picking a location or area for some designated purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sizing To fix the cross-section of structural components on the basis of statics and material strength. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts skiing Gliding over snow on skis, especially as a sport. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts skin The tissue forming the outer covering of the vertebrate body: it consists of two layers, the outermost of which may be covered with hair, scales, feathers, etc. It is mainly protective and sensory in function. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts skyline destruction Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts slag A nonmetallic product resulting from the interaction of flux and impurities in the smelting and refining of metals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts slaughterhouse A place where animals are butchered for food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts slaughterhouse waste Animal body parts cut off in the preparation of carcasses for use as food. This waste can come from several sources including slaughterhouses, restaurants, stores and farms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts slaughtering of animals Killing of animals for food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sleep A periodic state of physiological rest during which consciousness is suspended and metabolic rate is decreased. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sleep disturbance Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excavation side Sloping surface of an excavation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sludge 1) A soft, soupy, or muddy bottom deposit, such as found on tideland or in a stream bed. 2) A semifluid, slushy, murky mass of sediment resulting from treatment of water, sewage, or industrial and mining wastes, and often appearing as local bottom deposits in polluted bodies of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sludge digestion A treatment to stabilize raw sludge. The treatment can be either anaerobic process or aerobic process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sludge incineration A method used for drying and reducing sludge volume and weight. Since incineration requires auxiliary fuel to obtain and maintain high temperature and to evaporate the water contained in the incoming sludge, concentration techniques should be applied before incineration. Sludge incineration is a two-step process involving drying and combustion after a preceding dewatering process, such as filters, drying beds, or centrifuges. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sludge settling pond Pond for the removal of settleable solids through which wastewater is passed in a treatment works. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sludge treatment The processing of wastewater sludges to render them innocuous. This may be done by aerobic or anaerobic digestion followed by drying in sand beds, filtering, and incineration, filtering, and drying, or wet air oxidation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sluice Vertical sliding gate or valve to regulate the flow of water in a channel or lock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts small and medium sized industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Small Islands (political geography) Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts small-scale furnace Small enclosed structures containing a heat source, typically used for the purpose of intense heating. Most are lined with refractory material, the heat source is typically provided by electrical elements or the burning of gas, coke or coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts small-scale inducer A domestic source introducing small quantities of pollutants into a publicly owned waste-treatment system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts smog Air pollution consisting of smoke and fog. The air pollution caused by the action of sunlight on unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, mostly from car exhaust. It occurs over large industrial areas and urban complexes, and causes eye irritations, breathing problems and damage to plant life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts smog warning Action, device or announcement that serves to give caution or notice to the level of air pollutants typically associated with oxidants in a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts smoke An aerosol, consisting of visible particles and gases, produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based materials, such as wood and fossil fuels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts smoke prevention Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts smoking The inhalation and exhalation of carcinogenic fumes from burning plant material, usually tobacco. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colubrid Any snakes of the family of Colubridae, including many harmless snakes, such as the grass snake and whip belonging to the Colubridae. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts snow The most common form of frozen precipitation, usually flakes or starlike crystals, matted ice needles, or combinations, and often rime-coated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts snowslide An avalanche of relatively pure snow; some rock and earth material may also be carried downward. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soaking Absorption of liquid by a solid or a semisolid material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soap A cleansing agent, manufactured in bars, granules, flakes, or liquid form, made from a mixture of the sodium salts of various fatty acids of natural oils and fats. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social behaviour A person or community's general treatment, manner of conduct or action toward others as individuals or as members of variously identified groups. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social condition An existing circumstance, situation or state affecting the life, welfare and relations of human beings in community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social cost The price paid or the loss incurred to acquire, produce or maintain an objective or goal in a group, community or society. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internalisation of external costs The process of getting those who produce goods or services with adverse effects on the environment or on society to incorporate a knowledge of possible negative repercussions into future economic decisions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social development The state of nations and the hystorical processes of change experienced by them. The concept of development subsumes associated cultural and political changes as well as welfare measures which reflect distribution of goods, wealth and opportunities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social differentiation A concept associated with evolutionary theories of history and with structural functionalism. Societies are seen as moving from the simple to the complex via a process of social change based on structural differentiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social dynamics The pattern, change, development and driving forces of a human group, community or society. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social facility Any structure designed, built or installed to provide space for living or interaction among persons in a community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social group A collection of people who interact with one another and share a certain feeling of unity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social indicator Easily identified features of a society which can be measured, which vary over time, and are taken as revealing some underlying aspect of social reality. In general, the most commonly used indicators are derived from official statistics, and include unemployment figures, health and mortality data, and crime rates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social medicine Medicine as applied to treatment of diseases which occur in certain social groups. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social-minded behaviour Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social movement A organized effort by a significant number of people to change (or resist change in) some major aspect or aspects of society. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social participation Collective, civic action shared and performed by a significant number of the community or general population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization, which seeks to ensure that all people have acceptable working or living conditions by providing social security, welfare, health care, insurance, fair employment practices, low cost housing or educational opportunities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social problem A generic term applied to the range of conditions and aberrant behaviours which are considered to be manifestations of social disorganization and to warrant changing via some means of social engineering. Typically, these problems include many forms of deviant behaviour (such as crime, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, mental illness, drug addiction, suicide) and of social conflict (ethnic tension, domestic violence, industrial strife, and so forth). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social process A continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner and pertaining to the life, welfare, and relations of human beings in a community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social relief Public assistance especially financial given to persons in special need or difficulty. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social security Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social service Welfare activities organized by the state or a local authority and carried out by trained personnel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social structure A term loosely applied to any recurring pattern of social behaviour; or, more specifically, to the ordered interrelationships between the different elements or a social system or society. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social survey Data collections that employ both interviewing and sampling to produce quantitative data-sets, amenable to computer-based analysis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social system The concept of system appears throughout the social and natural sciences and has generated a body of literature of its own (general systems theory). A system is any pattern of relationships between elements, and is regarded as having emergent properties on its own over and above the properties of its elements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social value Regarding social values, distinctions are often drawn between values, which are strong, semi permanent, underlying, and sometimes inexplicit dispositions, and attitudes, which are shallow, weakly held, and highly variable views and opinions. Societies can usually tolerate highly diverse attitude, whereas they require some degree of homogeneity and consistency in the values held by people, providing a common fund of shared values which shape social and political consensus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social welfare The prosperity, well-being or convenience of a community. It embraces the primary social interests of safety, order, morals, economic interest, and non material and political interests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts society Human group of people, more or less large and complex, associated for some common interest and characterized by distinctive hierarchical relationships. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts socioeconomic aspect of human settlements Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts socioeconomic factor An essential element in a society's make-up, organization or behavior that combines financial dimensions with inter-personal or inter-group dynamics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts socioeconomic impact of biotechnologies Biotechnology is the application of biological and technical solutions to problems, and often refers to the industrial use of microorganisms (perhaps genetically altered) to perform chemical processing, for example of waste or water, or to manufacture hormones or enzymes for medicinal and commercial purposes. Biotechnology offers great potential to increase farm production and food processing efficiency, to lower food costs, to enhance food quality and safety and to increase international competitiveness. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sociological survey Research on social questions or problems, especially focusing on cultural and environmental factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sociology The study of the development, organization, functioning and classification of human societies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sociopolitical aspect Any part, feature or quality of society that combines governmental dimensions with inter-personal or inter-group dynamics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts softening Reduction of the hardness of water by removing hardness-forming ions (chiefly calcium and magnesium) by precipitation or ion exchange, or sequestering them as by combining them with substances such as certain phosphates, that form soluble but non-ionized salts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts softening agent 1) A substance added to another substance to increase its softness, pliability, or plasticity. 2) A substance, such as a zeolite, for softening water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts software Software is the general term used to describe all of the various programs that may be used on a computer system. Software can be divided into four main categories: systems software, development software, user interface software, applications software. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil The top layer of the land surface of the earth that is composed of disintegrated rock particles, humus, water and air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil acidification A naturally occurring process in humid climates that has long been the subject of research, whose findings suggest acid precipitation effects. The generally accepted impact of soil acidification on the productivity of terrestrial plants is summarised as follows: as soil becomes more acidic the basic cations (Ca, Mg) on the soil exchange are replaced by hydrogen ions or solubilized metals. The basic cation, now in solution, can be leached through the soil. As time progresses the soil becomes less fertile and more acidic. Resultant decreases in soil pH cause reduced, less-active population of soil microorganisms, which in turn slow decomposition of plant residues and cycling of essential plant nutrients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil air The air and other gases in spaces in the soil; specifically that which is found within the zone of aeration. Also known as soil atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil analysis The use of rapid chemical analyses to determine the fertility status of a soil. It is used to identify those nutrients or substances that are present in either insufficient or excessive quantities for optimum plant growth. Analyses are also used to monitor increases or decreases in soil fertility over time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil biology The study of the living organisms, mainly microorganisms and microinvertebrates which live within the soil, and which are largely responsible for the decomposition processes vital to soil fertility. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil capability The suitability of soils for various uses, e.g. sustained production of cultivated crops, pasture plants, etc., depending on depth, texture, kinds of minerals, salinity, kinds of salts, acidity, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil chemistry The study of the inorganic and organic components of the soil and its life cycles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil compaction An increase in bulk density (mass per unit volume) and a decrease in soil porosity resulting from applied loads, vibration, or pressure. More compacted soils (or other materials) can support greater loads (load-bearing capacity). Bulk density can be increased by controlling the moisture content, compaction forces and treatment procedures, as well as by manipulating the type of material being compacted. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil condition Description of the character of the surface of the ground at the time of observation, especially in relation to the influence of rain and snow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil conservation Management of soil to prevent or reduce soil erosion and depletion by wind and water. Preservation of soil against deterioration and loss by using it within its capabilities; application of conservation practices needed for its protection and improvement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil conservation legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to protect and prevent the loss of an area's surface layer of decomposed rock and organic material, valued for its nutrients and ability to support life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil damage Soil impaired as a consequence of human activity. A study financed by UNEP, reporting in 1992, found that about 10,5% of the world's vegetative surface had been seriously damaged by human activity since 1945. The study found that much of the damage had been masked by a general rise in global agricultural productivity resulting from expanded irrigation, better plant varieties, and greater use of production inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides. More than 1/3 of the damaged land was in Asia, almost 1/3 in Africa, and 1/4 in Central America. Some land had been damaged beyond restoration. The greatest sources of soil degradation were overgrazing, unsuitable agricultural practices, and deforestation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil decontamination Technologies employed in the removal of PCBs, PAH, pesticides and, more generally, of organic compounds by physical, chemical or biological treatments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil degradation Soil may deteriorate either by physical movement of soil particles from a given site or by depletion of the water-soluble elements in the soil which contribute to the nourishment of crop, plants, grasses, trees, and other economically usable vegetation. The physical movement generally is referred to as erosion. Wind, water, glacial ice, animals and tools in use may be agents of erosion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil erosion Detachment and movement of topsoil or soil material from the upper part of the profile, by the action of wind or running water, especially as a result of changes brought about by human activity, such as unsuitable or mismanaged agriculture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil fertility The status of a soil with respect to the amount and availability to plants of elements necessary for plant growth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil fertilisation The application of any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origins to a soil to supply one or more elements essential to the growth of plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil formation The combination of natural processes by which soils are formed. It is also known as pedogenesis. The most important soil-forming factors are parent material, terrain, climate, aspect, vegetation cover, microorganisms in the soil and the age of the land surface. Some pedologists would add to this list the influence of human activities. All the factors exhibit varying degrees of interrelationship and some are more important than others, with climate often being singled out as the most important. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil improvement Process of protecting the soil from excessive erosion and making soil more fertile and productive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil layer Distinctive successive layers of soil produced by internal redistribution processes. Conventionally the layers have been divided into A, B and C horizons. The A horizon is the upper layer, containing humus and is leached and/or eluviated of many minerals. The B horizon forms a zone of deposition and is enriched with clay minerals and iron/aluminium oxides from the A layer. The C layer is the parent material for the present soil and may be partially weathered rock, transported glacial or alluvial material or an earlier soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil loading In soil mechanics and civil engineering the term is used to denote the increased weight brought to bear on the ground surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil map A two-dimensional representation that shows the areal extent or the distribution of soils in relation to other features of the land surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil mechanics The study of the physical properties of soil, especially those properties that affect its ability to bear weight such as water content, density, strength, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil mineralogy Study of the formation, occurrence, properties, composition, and classification of the minerals present in the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil moisture 1) Water stored in soils. 2) One of the most important elements involved in pedological processes and plant growth. There are three basic forms: a) water adhering in thin films by molecular attraction to the surface of soil particles and not available for plants is termed hygroscopic water. b) Water forming thicker films and occupying the smaller pore spaces is termed capillary water. Since it is held against the force of gravity it is permanently available for plant growth and it is this type of soil water which contains plant nutrients in solution. c) Water in excess of hygroscopic and capillary water is termed gravitational water, which is of a transitory nature because it flows away under the influence of gravity. When the excess has drained away the amount of water retained in the soil is termed its field capacity, when some of its pore spaces are still free of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil moisture regime The water regime of the soil is determined by the physical properties and arrangement of the soil particles. The pores in a soil determine its water-retention characteristics. When all the pores are full of water, the soil is said to be saturated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil organism Organisms which live in the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil pollutant Solid, liquid and gaseous substances that detrimentally alter the natural condition of the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil pollution Modifications of soil features or, more generally, of its chemical and biological balance, caused by the discharge of polluting substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil process The major processes in soils are gains, losses, transfers, and transformations of organic matter, soluble salts, carbonates, silicate clay minerals, sesquioxides, and silica. Gains consist normally of additions of organic matter, and of oxygen and water through oxidation and hydration, but in some sites slow continuous additions of new mineral materials take place at the surface or soluble materials are deposited from groundwater. Losses are chiefly of materials dissolved or suspended in water percolating through the profile or running off the surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil profile A vertical section of a soil, showing horizons and parent material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil quality All current positive or negative properties with regard to soil utilization and soil functions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil resource No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil salination The accumulation of soluble mineral salts near the surface of soil, usually caused by the capillary flow of water from saline ground water. Where the rate of surface evaporation is high, irrigation can exacerbate the problem by moistening the soil and causing water to be drawn from deeper levels as water evaporates from the surface. The evaporation of pure water leaves the salts behind, allowing them to accumulate, and they can reach concentrations that are toxic to plants, thus sterilizing the land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil science The study of the properties, occurrence, and management of soil as a natural resource. Generally it includes the chemistry, microbiology, physics, morphology, and mineralogy of soils, as well as their genesis and classification. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil settling Compaction involves the close-packing of the individual grains mainly by the elimination of pore-space and expulsion of entrapped water; this is normally brought about by the weight of the overlying sediments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil stabilisation Chemical or mechanical treatment designed to increase or maintain the stability of a soil mass or otherwise to improve its engineering properties, as by increasing its shear strength, reducing its compressibility, or decreasing its tendency to absorb water. Stabilization methods include physical compaction and treatment with cement, lime, and bitumen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil structure The combination or aggregation of primary soil particles into aggregates or clusters, which are separated from adjoining peds by surfaces of weakness. Soil structure is classified on the basis of size, shape, and distinctness into classes, types, and grades. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil subsidence A sinking down of a part of the earth's crust, generally due to underground excavations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil surface sealing Any activity or process in which ground surface areas are packed or plugged to prevent percolation or the passage of fluids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil texture 1) Refers to the relative proportions of the various size groups (sand, silt and clay) of the individual soil grains in a mass of soil. 2) Classification of soil by the proportion and graduations of the three size groups of soil grains, i.e., sand, silt and clay, present in the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil type A phase or subdivision of a soil series based primarily on texture of the surface soil to a depth at least equal to plow depth (about 15 cm). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil use Functional utilization of soil for agriculture, industry, or residential building purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil water Water stored in soils. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar cell A device for converting sunlight into electrical power using a semiconductor sensitive to the photovoltaic effect. Solar cells are used on space satellites to power electronic equipment, and as their price falls they may come to be used to provide energy on the Earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar collector Device which converts the energy from light into electricity. The collector system contains a concentrator and a receiver. The concentrator redirects and focuses sunlight on the receiver by using mirrors or lenses, and the receiver absorbs solar radiation and converts it to heat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar energy The energy transmitted from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The most successful examples of energy extraction from the sun are so far solar cells used in satellites and solar collectors used to heat water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar energy technology Solar energy can be converted to useful work or heat by using a collector to absorb solar radiation, allowing much of the sun's radiant energy to be converted to heat. This heat can be used directly in residential, industrial, and agricultural operations; converted to mechanical or electrical power; or applied in chemical reactions for production of fuels and chemicals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar heating A domestic or industrial heating system that makes direct use of solar energy. The simplest form consists of a collector through which a fluid is pumped. The circuit also contains some form of heat storage tank and an alternative energy source to provide energy when the sun is not shining. The collector usually consists of a black surface through which water is piped, the black surface being enclosed behind glass sheets to make use of the greenhouse effect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar power station Plant where energy is generated using radiation from the sun. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solar radiation The electromagnetic radiation and particles emitted by the sun. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solid matter A crystalline material, that is, one in which the constituent atoms are arranged in a three-dimensional lattice, periodic in three independent directions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solid state The physical state of matter in which the constituent molecules, atoms, or ions have no translatory motion although they vibrate about the fixed positions that they occupy in a crystal lattice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solid waste Discarded solid materials. Includes agricultural waste, mining waste, industrial waste and municipal waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solid waste disposal The orderly discarding, release, collection, treatment or salvaging of unwanted or useless non-liquid, non-soluble refuse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solubility The ability of a substance to form a solution with another substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solvent Substance, generally a liquid, capable of dissolving another substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solvent recovery Solvent recovery is a widely practised form of recycling where spent solvents are distilled and reused. However, the cheaper solvents are often incinerated or dumped in hazardous waste landfill sites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts songbird Any passerine bird of the suborder Oscines, having highly developed vocal organs and, in most, a music call. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sonic boom A noise caused by a shock wave that emanates from an aircraft or other object traveling at or above sonic velocity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soot Impure black carbon with oily compounds obtained from the incomplete combustion of resinous materials, oils, wood, or coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sorption The taking up, usually, of a liquid or gas into the body of another material (the absorbent). Thus, for instance, an air pollutant may be removed by absorption in a suitable solvent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound Auditory sensation produced by the oscillations, stress, pressure, particle displacement, and particle velocity in a medium with internal forces; pressure variation that the human ear can detect. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound emission Diffusion into the environment of a sound emitted from a given source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound immission The introduction in the environment of noise deriving from various sources that can be grouped in: transportation activities, industrial activities and daily normal activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound level The sound pressure level (in decibels) at a point in a sound field, averaged over the audible frequency range and over a time interval. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound measurement Because of the large variations in sound magnitudes, and because the human hearing sensation seems to vary in a logarithmic way, logarithms are used in measurement of sound. The sound pressure level is given in decibels (dB). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soundproofing Reducing or eliminating reverberation in a room by placing sound-absorbing materials on the walls and ceiling. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound propagation The travelling of acoustic waves in the atmosphere with a speed independent of their amplitude. The speed only depends on the acoustic medium and is proportional to the square route of the absolute temperature for any given medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sound transmission Passage of a sound wave through a medium or series of media. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts South America A continent in the southern part of the western hemisphere, astride the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north and between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama, and divided into twelve countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts South Atlantic Ocean An ocean south of the equator between the eastern coast of South America and the western coast of Africa that extends southward to the Antarctic continent, including the Drake Passage, South Sandwich Islands and Falkand Islands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Southeast Asia A geographic region of continental Asia, south of China, west of the South Pacific Ocean, north of the Indian Ocean, and east of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian subcontinent, including the Indochina Peninsula, the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian and Philippine Archipelagos, and countries such as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Southern Africa A geographic region of the African continent astride the Tropic of Capricorn, including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and also the Kalahari Desert, Zambezi River and Orange River. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Southern Asia A geographic region of the Asian continent bordered in the north by the countries of Central Asia and in the south by the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, extending westward into Iran and eastward into China, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts South Pacific Ocean An ocean south of the equator between Southeast Asia and Australia in the Eastern hemisphere and South America in the Western hemisphere, extending southward to the Antarctic region, including the Tasman and Coral seas and numerous islands, such as Galapagos, Solomon, Easter, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga islands, and also New Zealand and its islands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts space (interplanetary) Space extending between the sun and the planets of the solar system. Interplanetary space is not empty, but contains dust, particles with an electric charge, and the magnetic field of the sun (also called the IMF, or Interplanetary Magnetic Field). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts space transportation Transportation by means of vehicles designed to operate in free space outside the earth's atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts space travel Travel in the space beyond the earth's atmosphere performed for scientific research purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts space waste Nonfunctional debris of human origin left in a multitude of orbits about the earth as the result of the exploration and use of the environment lying outside the earth's atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spasmodic croup Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spatial mobility The rate of moves or migrations made by a given population within a given time frame. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts special authorisation An exceptional granting of power or permission or a legislative act authorizing money to be spent on government programs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts specialisation (biological) Evolutionary adaptation to a particular mode of life or habitat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts special law One relating to particular persons or things; one made for individual cases or for particular places or districts; one operating upon a selected class, rather than upon the public generally. A law is special when it is different from others of the same general kind or designed for a particular purpose, or limited in range or confined to a prescribed field of action or operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts special waste Waste which must be handled in a particular manner and for which particular rules apply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts species A taxonomic category ranking immediately below a genus and including closely related, morphologically similar individuals which actually or potentially inbreed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conservation of species Controlled utilization, protection or development of selected classes of plants or animals for their richness, biodiversity and benefits to humanity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts species conservation programme An organized group of activities and procedures, often run by a government agency or a nonprofit organization, to preserve and protect living organisms designated as being at risk. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts species impoverishment Loss of species due to factors such as climate change or random events such as persistent drought, natural catastrophe, the emergence of a new predator, or genetic mutation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts species reintroduction Reintroducing wild animal and plant species to their natural habitat. The reintroduction of species in a region requires a preliminary study to establish the reasons of their disappearance and the modifications that might have occurred in the biotopes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spectroscopy The branch of physics concerned with the production, measurement, and interpretation of electromagnetic spectra arising from either emission or absorption of radiant energy by various substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts speed A scalar measure of the rate of movement of a body expressed either as the distance travelled divided by the time taken (average speed) or the rate of change of position with respect to time at a particular point (instantaneous speed). It is measured in metres per second, miles per hour, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts speed limit The maximum permitted speed at which a vehicle may travel on certain roads. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spider Any predatory silk-producing arachnid of the order Araneae, having four pairs of legs and a rounded unsegmented body consisting of abdomen and cephalothorax. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spillage The uncontrolled discharge, leakage, dripping or running over of fluids or liquid substances. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spoil dump Place where rubbish and waste minerals dug out of a mine are deposited. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts poriferan The sponges, a phylum of the animal kingdom characterized by the presence of canal systems and chambers through which water is drawn in and released; tissues and organs are absent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sport The complex of individual or group activities pursued for exercise or pleasure, often taking a competitive form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sports facility Buildings, constructions, installations, organized areas and equipment for indoor and outdoor sport activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spray can An aerosol can for applying paint, deodorant, etc., as a fine spray. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sprayed asbestos Asbestos emitted into the atmosphere in a spraying operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spring (hydrology, land) A place where ground water flows naturally from a rock or the soil onto the land surface or into a body of surface water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spring water Water obtained from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface, or would flow naturally to the surface if it were not collected underground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spurting Supplying water or pesticides to crops with a spray. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts square An open area in a town, sometimes including the surrounding buildings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts squatter settlement Settlement on land or property to which there is no legal title. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stabilisation lagoon Ponds in which wastes are allowed to decompose over long periods of time and aeration is provided only by wind action. Sunlight is allowed to fall on sewage to purify it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stable A building or structure usually with stalls that is used to house and feed horses, cattle or other animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stack The portion of a chimney rising above the roof. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts standard 1) Something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison. 2) An object regarded as the most common size or form of its kind. 3) A rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment. 4) An average or normal quality, quantity, or level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts standardisation The act of conforming to a rule. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts standard for building industry A norm or measure applicable in legal cases for any enterprise involved in the construction, remodeling or finishing of enclosed structures for habitation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts staple food The most commonly or regularly eaten food in a country or community and which forms the mainstay of the total calorie supply, especially in the poorer populations and at times of food shortage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts starch A polysaccharide which is a combination of many monosaccharide molecules, made during photosynthesis and stored as starch grains in many plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state A people permanently occupying a fixed territory bound together by common law, habits and custom into one body politic exercising, through the medium of an organized government, independent sovereignty and control over all persons and things within its boundaries, unless or until authority is ceded to a federation or union of other states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state of the art Everything made available to the public by means of a written or oral description, by use or in any other way before the date of the patent application, or an application filed in a foreign country the priority of which is validly claimed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data on the state of the environment No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts report on the state of the environment A written account on the level of integrity and conditions of the ecosystem and natural resources in a given region, usually presented by an official person or body mandated to protect human health and the environment in that region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state of waste Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state of matter One of the three fundamental conditions of matter: the solid, the liquid, and gaseous states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts station A place along a route or line at which a bus, train, etc. stops for fuel or to pick up or let off passengers or goods, especially with ancillary buildings and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statistical analysis The body of techniques used in statistical inference concerning a population. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statistical data No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statistics A branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste statistics Determination of the quantity and character of the wastes discarded by a community, by spot sampling procedure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts status of development The extent to which a society promotes human well-being in all dimensions of existence by forming people's capabilities, expanding choices and increasing opportunities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prescription statutory limitation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statutory public body An association, supported in whole or part by public funding, that is established to operate programs for the public, often with little interference from government in day-to-day business. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts steady noise Unceasing prolonged noise, without interruption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts steam generator A pressurized system in which water is vaporized to steam by heat transferred from a source of higher temperature, usually the products of combustion from burning fuels. Also known as steam boiler. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts steel Any of various alloys based on iron containing carbon (usually 0.1-0.7 per cent) and often small quantities of other elements such as phosphorus, sulphur, manganese, chromium, and nickel. Steels exhibit a variety of properties, such as strength, machinability, malleability, etc., depending on their composition and the way they have been treated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts steel industry Industry that deals with the processing of iron. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sterilisation (process) An act or process of destroying all forms of microbial life on and in an object. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts steroid A compound composed of a series of four carbon rings joined together to form a structural unit called cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incentive fund Money or financial resources set aside to stimulate, encourage, or incite action towards greater productivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stock (biological) A group of individuals of one species within a specified area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stock management The handling or controlling of accumulated materials or stored goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stocktaking The counting over of materials or goods on hand, as in a stockroom or store. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stone A general term for rock that is used in construction, either crushed for use as aggregate or cut into shaped blocks as dimension stone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts storage dam A barrier of concrete, earth, etc., built across a river to create a body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts storm An atmospheric disturbance involving perturbations of the prevailing pressure and wind fields on scales ranging from tornadoes to extratropical cyclones; also the associated weather and the like. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts storm damage Storms may cause flooding and damage to crops; uproot trees; damage roofs and chimneys; break windows, leading to rain damage; overturn trucks; affect transportation, communication and energy supplies; delay building construction and destroy traditional landmarks. In their more violent form, storms may cause severe damage and loss of life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stove A chamber within which a fuel-air mixture is burned to provide heat, the heat itself being radiated outward from the chamber; used for space heating, process-fluid heating, and steel blast furnaces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stratification The arrangement of a body of water, as a lake, into two or more horizontal layers of different characteristics, especially densities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stratosphere The layer of the atmosphere which is sandwiched between the troposphere and mesosphere. Of the energy that reaches the Earth from the sun, only 3% is absorbed in the stratosphere, but that includes the vitally important process of absorption of ultraviolet radiation by the stratospheric ozone layer. The stratosphere is cloudless and dust free, and almost unaffected by the turbulent conditions of the underlying level of the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stratospheric ozone depletion Damage of the ozone shield by chemicals released on Earth. The main chemicals that are depleting stratospheric ozone are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used in refrigerators, aerosols, and as cleaners in many industries, and halons which are used in fire extinguishers. The damage is caused when these chemicals release highly reactive forms of chlorine and bromine. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stream measurement The quantitative determination of the rate and amount of flow or discharge from a natural body of running water, such as a small river or brook. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts street cleaning The process of removing dirt, litter or other unsightly materials from city or town streets. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts strength of materials No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stress A stimulus or succession of stimuli of such magnitude as to tend to disrupt the homeostasis of the organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts strip mining Superficial mining, in which the valuable rock is exposed by removal of overburden. Coal, numerous nonmetals and metalliferous ores (iron and copper) are worked in this way. Sinonym: strip mining, opencast mining, openpit mining. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts strontium A soft silvery-white element of the alkaline earth group of metals, occurring chiefly as celestite and as strontianite. Its compounds burn with a crimson flame and are used in fire works. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts structural adjustment program A program for economic reforms aimed at improving or liberalizing an economy, which is advocated and imposed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on poor or developing countries in exchange for new loans. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts structure-activity relationship The association between a chemical structure and carcinogenicity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts structure-borne noise Sound that travels over at least part of its path by means of the vibration of a solid structure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts structure plan Metropolitan structure and land use plan intended to outline the general lines along which development should proceed in an area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts submarine morphology That aspect of geological oceanography which deals with the relief features of the ocean floor and with the forces that modify them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts submarine Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subsequent order Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subsidence 1) A sinking down of a part of the earth's crust, generally due to underground excavations. 2) The sudden sinking or gradual downward settling of the Earth's surface with little or no horizontal motion. The movement is not restricted in rate, magnitude, or area involved. Subsidence may be caused by natural geologic processes, such as solution, thawing, compaction, slow crustal warping, or withdrawal of fluid lava from beneath a solid crust; or by man's activity, such as subsurface mining or the pumping of oil or ground water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subsidy Any monetary grant made by the government to a private industrial undertaking or charitable organization, but especially one given to consumers or producers in order to lower the market price of some service or product and make it readily affordable to the public. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subsoil Soil underlying surface soil, devoid of plant roots. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subsoil drainage The removal of surplus water from within the soil by natural or artificial means, such as by drains placed below the surface to lower the water table below the root zone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts substitutability (chemistry) The capability of a substance of being replaced by another, for example sweeteners used in place of sugar. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts substitution of halogenated compounds Halogenated compounds, because of their toxical and persistent character, should be substituted by environmental friendly compounds, like water-based fat solvents in metal processing industry or water-based coating agents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts substitution of phosphate Replacement of phosphate in detergents by environmentally safer substances, such as zeolite. The substitute will not act as a nutrient, and so will not cause eutrophication as a result of the accelerated growth of plants and microorganisms if it is released into waterways. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts substrate cultivation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subtropical ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in regions bordering on the tropics or the regions between tropical and temperate zones. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts suburb A residential district situated on the outskirts of a city or town. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sugar (product) A sweet crystalline or powdered substance, white when pure, consisting of sucrose obtained mainly from sugar cane and sugar beets and used in many foods, drinks, and medicines to improve their taste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sugar industry Establishments primarily engaged in processing raw cane sugar, sugar beets or starches to finished sucrose, glucose or fructose. By-products of this industry include beet pulp and inedible molasses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphate A salt or ester of sulfuric acid, widely distributed in nature and often found in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphide Any compound that includes one or more sulfur atoms with a more electropositive element, either carbon, metal or some other nonoxygen atom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphur A nonmetallic element existing in a crystalline or amorphous form and in four stable isotopes; used as a chemical intermediate and fungicide, and in rubber vulcanization. It is deposited from volcanic vents and fumaroles and also is found in sedimentary rocks, particularly with gypsum and limestone, and associated with salt-domes. Native sulphur is the main source of sulphur for the sulphuric acid industry, followed by sour gas (natural gas containing hydrogen sulphide) and pyrite. Sulphur is an essential plant macronutrient. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphur concentration Sulphur content in a solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphur dioxide Emissions of the gas given off during the burning of fossil fuels in power stations and other boilers. Sulphur dioxide is created because sulphur is an impurity in most coal and oils. When the fuel is burned the hot sulphur reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere to form sulphur dioxide. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphuric acid A toxic, corrosive, strongly acid, colorless liquid that is miscible with water and dissolves most metals, and melts at 10C; used in industry in the manufacture of chemicals, fertilizers and explosives, and in petroleum refining. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphur oxide An oxide of sulphur, such as sulphur dioxide and sulphur trioxide; they are formed primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels; major air pollutants and cause of damage to the respiratory tract as well as vegetation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts supervision of building works The oversight or direction in the construction and maintenance of houses, facilities, offices and other structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts supervision of installation The oversight or direction over the process of setting up or making adjustments to a building or to a mechanical or electrical system or apparatus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts supervisory body An appointed or official group given the responsibility of overseeing or managing normal work operations, special projects or other functions of an organization or agency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts supply (trade) The willingness and ability to sell a range of quantities of a good at a range of prices, during a given time period. Supply is one half of the market exchange process; the other is demand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface-active agent A substance that, when used in small quantities, modifies the surface properties of liquids or solids. A surface-active agent reduces surface tension in a fluid or the interfacial tension between two immiscible fluids, such as oil and water. Surfactants are particularly useful in accomplishing the wetting or penetration of solids by aqueous liquids and serve in the manner of detergent, emulsifying, or dispersing agents. They are more effective than soap in certain situations and are used by conservators for such purposes as cleaning, wetting, and dispersing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface runoff Water that travels over the soil surface to the nearest surface stream; runoff of a drainage basin that has not passed beneath the surface since precipitation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface tension The force acting on the surface of a liquid, tending to minimize the area of the surface; quantitatively, the force that appears to act across a line of unit length on the surface. Also known as interfacial force; interfacial tension; surface intensity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface treatment Any method of treating a material (metal, polymer, or wood) so as to alter the surface, rendering it receptive to inks, paints, lacquers, adhesives, and various other treatments, or resistant to weather or chemical attack. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface water All waters on the surface of the Earth found in streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, marshes or wetlands, and as ice and snow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surgical waste Any tissue, blood or mucus removed during surgery or autopsy, soiled surgical dressings, or other materials requiring special disposal procedures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surplus The extent to which assets exceed liabilities, especially the profits remaining after operating expenses, taxes, interest and insurance costs are subtracted. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surveillance System that permits the continuous observation, measurement and evaluation of the progress of a process or phenomenon with the view to taking corrective measures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts survey A critical examination of facts or conditions to provide information on a situation. Usually conducted by interviews and/or on-site visitations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sustainable development Development that provides economic, social and environmental benefits in the long term having regard to the needs of living and future generations. Defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 as: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sustainable development indicator Statistical indicators used for measuring sustainable development that may be chosen among a wide range of themes as, for example, environmental capacity and quality of life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sustainable use Use of the environment and its living resources at a rate that does not exceed its capacity for renewal in order to ensure its availability for future generations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marsh An periodically inundated area of low ground having shrubs and trees, with or without the formation of peat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sweetener A sweetening agent, especially one that does not contain sugar. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts symbiosis A close and mutually beneficial association of organisms of different species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synecology Study of the ecology of organisms, populations, communities or systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synergism An ecological association in which the physiological processes of behaviour of an individual are enhanced by the nearby presence of another organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synergistic effect of toxic substances 1) A state in which the combined effect of two or more substances is greater than the sum of the separate effects. 2) An effect whereby two toxic substance together have more of an impact than anticipated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synthetic detergent An artificially produced solid or liquid cleansing substance that acts like soap but is stronger, and is capable of dissolving oily materials and dispersing them in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synthetic fibres industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synthetic material Material made artificially by chemical reaction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synthetic materials industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts synthetic textile fibre An artificially produced filament or threadlike strand used by manufacturers to produce clothes or other goods that require weaving, knitting or felting, including polyester, nylon, rayon and other similar material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts systems analysis A means of organizing elements into an integrated analytic and/or decisionmaking procedure to achieve the best possible results. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts systems comparison Analysis or estimate noting similarities and differences in the operations of businesses and organizations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts systems theory The science concerned with the general study of structures and behaviours of systems which may be applicable in different branches of learning. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts taking of evidence In criminal law and torts, the act of laying hold upon an evidence, with or without removing the same. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tanker (truck) A truck designed for bulk shipment of liquids or gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tanker (ship) A ship designed for bulk shipment of liquids or gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tank farm Storage space for containers of liquids or gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tannin One of a group of complex organic chemicals commonly found in leaves, unripe fruits, and the bark of trees. Their function is uncertain though the unpleasant taste may discourage grazing animals. Some tannins have commercial uses, notably in the production of leather and ink; used in tanning, as a mordant in dyeing, and in ink manufacture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tar A viscous material composed of complex, high-molecular-weight, compounds derived from the distillation of petroleum or the destructive distillation of wood or coal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts target group A collection of people selected and approached by some entity for a variety of purposes, including assistance, recruitment, information dissemination, marketing and research. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tariff A classified list or scale of charges made in any private or public business. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tar production The manufacture of dark, heavy, viscous substances or residue, which is obtained by the distillation of organic materials such as coal, wood and petroleum. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tar sand A sandstone in which hydrocarbons have been trapped; the lighter compounds evaporate, leaving a residue of asphalt in the rock pores. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tar use Any employment or utilization of dark, heavy, viscous substances or residue derived from the distillation of certain organic materials, often to produce benzene, soap, dyes, cosmetics and other products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tax An amount of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, most frequently levied upon income, property or sales. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts taxation The act or result of a government requiring money for its support or for specific facilities or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tax differentiation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tax law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government stipulating the sum of money and manner of collection it demands for governmental support, facilities and services, usually levied upon income, property, sales or other financial resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts taxonomy The branch of biology concerned with the classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structures, origin, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teaching The act of imparting knowledge or skill. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teaching method A procedure, technique or system with definite plans for instruction or imparting knowledge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technical regulation for dangerous substances Technical Guideline for Dangerous Substances: technical rules for handling dangerous materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technological change Changing of industrial methods by introducing new technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technological development No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technological hazard Any application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce capable of harming persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technological process No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technology Systematic knowledge of and its application to industrial processes; closely related to engineering and science. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technology acceptance The approval, favorable reception and ongoing use of newly introduced devices and systems, usually developed from recent advances in the engineering sciences or industrial arts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technology assessment The systematic analysis of the anticipated impact of a particular technology in regard to its safety and efficacy as well as its social, political, economic, and ethical consequences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technology transfer The transfer of development and design work: a) from a parent company to a subsidiary, perhaps in another nation where it will be paid for in repatriated profits or royalties; b) from one country to another as a form of aid to help promote development and sustainable growth. Many nations have made great progress on the strength of technology transfer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tectonics A branch of geology dealing with the broad architecture of the outer part of the Earth, that is, the regional assembling of structural or deformation features, a study of their mutual relations, origin and historical evolution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts telecommunications The conveyance of images, speech and other sounds, usually over great distances, through technological means, particularly by television, telegraph, telephone or radio. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts telematics The convergence of computing and communications technologies, thus the use of telephone or radio to link computers and the use of computers to send messages via telephone or radio links. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts telemetry The use of radio waves, telephone lines, etc., to transmit the readings of measuring instruments to a device on which the readings can be indicated or recorded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts television The process, equipment or programming involved in converting a succession of audiovisual images into corresponding electrical signals that are transmitted by means of electromagnetic waves to distant receivers or screens, at which the signals can be used to reproduce the original image. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temperate ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in regions of or related to moderate climates, intermediate between tropical and polar zones and having distinct warm to hot summer seasons and cool to cold winter seasons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temperate forest Mixed forest of conifers and broad-leaf deciduous trees, or mixed conifer and broad-leaf evergreen trees, or entirely broad-leaf deciduous, or entirely broad-leaf evergreen trees, found in temperate regions across the world; characterized by high rainfall, warm summers, cold winters occasionally subzero, seasonality; typically with dense canopies, understorey saplings and tall shrubs, large animals, carnivores dominant, very rich in bird species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temperate woodland Forest dominated by broad-leaved hardwoods, which occurs over large tracts in the mid-latitudes of Europe, N. America, and eastern Asia, but which is restricted in the southern hemisphere to Chilean Patagonia. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temperature A property that determines the direction of heat flow when an object is brought into thermal contact with other objects: heat flows from regions of higher to those of lower temperatures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temporary housing Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temporary shelter Simple facilities for asylum or provisional lodgings to individuals or groups in emergencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temporary storage Any deposit or holdings of goods, materials or waste in a facility, container, tank or some other physical location for a brief or short time period. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teratogenesis The process whereby abnormalities of the offspring are generated, usually as the result of damage to the embryonal structure during the first trimester of pregnancy, producing deformity of the fetus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teratogenesis screening Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teratogenicity The ability or tendency to produce anomalies of formation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teratogen Substances causing formation of a congenital anomaly or monstrosity in the embryo. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terminology The body of specialized words relating to a particular subject. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts termite A soft-bodied insect of the order Isoptera; individuals feed on cellulose and live in colonies with a caste system comprising three types of functional individuals: sterile workers and soldiers, and the reproductives. Also known as white ant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terrestrial area Subdivisions of the continental surfaces distinguished from one another on the basis of the form, roughness, and surface composition of the land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terrestrial biological resource Any source of supply derived from plants, animals or other wildlife inhabiting land or ground, which may be used by humans for food, clothes and other necessities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terrestrial ecosystem Any terrestrial environment, from small to large, in which plants and animals interact with the chemical and physical features of the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts territorial policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization, which determines the present and future use of each parcel of land in an area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts territory An area that an animal or group of animals defends, mainly against members of the same species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tertiary sector The part of a country or region's economy that produces services or assets lacking a tangible and storable form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts test To carry out an examination on (a substance, material, or system) by applying some chemical or physical procedure designed to indicate the presence of a substance or the possession of a property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts test animal Animals on which experiments are conducted in order to provide evidence for or against a scientific hypothesis, or to prove the efficacy of drugs or the reaction to certain products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts testing guideline No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts testing method No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts test organism Any animal organism used for scientific research. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts textile industry Industry for the production of fabrics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts textile A material made of natural or man-made fibers and used for the manufacture of items such as clothing and furniture fittings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thallium Bluish-white metal with tinlike malleability, but a little softer; used in alloys. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts theory of money A coherent group of general propositions about the supply and demand of money, interest rates, the flow of money's influence on the overall economy or the policies that should be adopted by institutions controlling the money supply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts theory of the welfare state A political conception of government in a capitalist economy where the state is responsible for insuring that all members of society attain a minimum standard of living through redistribution of resources, progressive taxation and universal social programs, including health care and education. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts therapy The treatment of physical, mental or social disorders or disease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal insulation The process of preventing the passage of heat to or from a body by surrounding it with a nonconducting material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal pollution The excessive raising or lowering of water temperature above or below normal seasonal ranges in streams, lakes, or estuaries or oceans as the result of discharge of hot or cold effluents into such water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal power plant A power-generating plant which uses heat to produce energy. Such plants may burn fossil fuels or use nuclear energy to produce the necessary thermal energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal sea power The concept of utilizing the temperature differences of 20°C or more that occur between the surface of an ocean and its depths to achieve a continuous supply of power; this temperature difference may be found in the tropical regions of the world. Various small plants have been constructed to demonstrate the principle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal treatment 1) Heating and cooling a metal or alloy to obtain desired properties or conditions. 2) Treatment of hazardous waste in a device which uses elevated temperatures as the primary means to change the chemical, physical, or biological character or composition of the hazardous waste. Examples of thermal treatment processes are incineration, molten salt, pyrolysis, calcination, wet air oxidation, and microwave discharge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal water Water, generally of a spring or geyser, whose temperature is appreciably above the local mean annual air temperature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermodynamics The branch of physics which seeks to derive, from a few basic postulates, relationships between properties of matter, especially those connected with temperature, and a description of the conversion of energy from one form to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermoselect process Trade-Mark-Name for a thermic waste processing technology. Gasification is emerging as an alternative to combustion in the treatment and energy recovery from Municipal Solid Waste. Several innovative processes and demonstration plants are trying to achieve higher electrical efficiencies and lower emissions using this technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thesaurus A compilation of terms showing synonyms, related terms and other relationships and dependencies, often used in a book format or as a standardized, controlled vocabulary for an information storage and retrieval system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts threshold value The maximum concentration of a particular substance to which a worker should be exposed in a given period of time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tidal power Mechanical power, which may be converted to electrical power, generated by the rise and fall of ocean tides. The possibilities of utilizing tidal power have been studied for many generations, but the only feasible schemes devised so far are based on the use of one or more tidal basins, separated from the sea by dams (known as barrages), and of hydraulic turbines through which water passes on its way between the basins and the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tidal water Any water whose level changes periodically due to tidal action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tide The periodic rise and fall of the water resulting from gravitational interaction between the sun, moon and earth. In each lunar day of 24 hours and 49 minutes there are two high tides and two low tides. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts timber industry Industry related with timber harvesting and processing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts time 1) The dimension of the physical universe which, at a given place, orders the sequence of events. 2) A designated instant in this sequence, as the time of day. Also known as epoch. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tin (element) A metallic element, occurring in cassiterite, that has several allotropes; the ordinary malleable silvery-white metal slowly changes below 13.2°C to a grey powder. It is used extensively in alloys, especially bronze and pewter, and as a noncorroding coating for steel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tissue A part of an organism consisting of a large number of cells having a similar structure and function. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts titanium A strong malleable white metallic element, which is very corrosion-resistant and occurs in rutile and ilmenite. It is used in the manufacture of strong lightweight alloys, especially aircraft parts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts titanium dioxide A white, water-insoluble powder that melts at 1560°C, and which is produced commercially from the titanium dioxide minerals ilmenite and rutile; used in paints and cosmetics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toad Any anuran amphibian of the class Bufonidae, such as Bufo bufo of Europe. They are similar to frogs but are more terrestrial, having a drier warty skin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tobacco Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tobacco smoke The grey, brown, or blackish mixture of gases and suspended carbon particles resulting from the combustion of tobacco. Tobacco smoke is inhaled and distributes toxins widely throughout the body and causes an enormous variety of illness among users and among non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tornado A rapidly rotating column of air developed around a very intense low-pressure centre. It is associated with a dark funnel-shaped cloud and with extremely violent winds (>300km/h) blowing in a counterclockwise spiral, but accompanied by violent downdraughts. The precise mechanisms are not fully understood but the following atmospheric conditions appear to be necessary for tornado development: a layer of warm moist air at low altitude; a layer of dry air at higher altitude with an inversion of temperature at about 1.000 m; a triggering mechanism, usually in the form of an active, intense cold front or solar heating of the ground which will create a vortex. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tortoise Any herbivorous terrestrial chelonian reptile of the family Testudinidae, of most warm regions, having a heavy dome-shaped shell and clawed limbs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts total parameter The sum of parameters that must be taken into account when assessing water quality (organoleptic factors, physico-chemical factors, toxic substances, microbiological parameters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tourism The temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places or work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations and the facilities created to cater for their needs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tourist facility All the services connected with tourism, especially when regarded as an industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts touristic zone Any section of a region which attracts travelers, often because of its scenery, objects of interest or recreational activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxic effect A result produced by the ingestion or contact of poisonous materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxicity The degree of danger posed by a substance to animal or plant life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxicity of pesticides Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxic metal Metals (usually heavy metals) which interfere with the respiration, metabolism or growth of organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxicological assessment The process of characterizing and evaluating the inherent toxicity of a chemical substance, a poison, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxicological testing Test for the determination of the inherent toxicity of a chemical. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxicology A science that deals with poisons, their actions, their detection, and the treatment of the conditions they produce. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxic product Any product which can cause acute or chronic injury to the human body or which is suspected of being able to cause disease or injury under some conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxic substance A chemical or mixture that may present a risk or injury to health or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxic waste Refuse posing a significant hazard to the environment or to human health when improperly handled; includes carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic or phytotoxic wastes, or wastes harmful to aquatic species, or poisonous wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxin A poisonous substance generally of plant or animal origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trace element Any of various chemical elements that occur in very small amounts in organisms and are essential for many physiological and biochemical processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trace material 1) Both metals and non-metals, essential for the metabolic processes of algae, invertebrates and vertebrates. Organisms that derive nearly all their energy via photosynthesis are especially dependent upon dissolved trace substances. 2) Impurities that are present at small but detectable levels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tracheophyte A large group of plants characterized by the presence of specialized conducting tissues (xylem and phloem) in the roots, stems, and leaves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tracking plan A formulated or systematic method for following or tracing environmentally related issues or concerns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade (services) The act or process of buying, selling or exchanging goods and services at either wholesale or retail, within a country or between countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tradeable permit Tradable emissions permits are used in an environmental regulatory scheme where the sources of the pollutant to be regulated (most often an air pollutant) are given permits to release a specified number of tons of the pollutant. The government issues only a limited number of permits consistent with the desired level of emissions. The owners of the permits may keep them and release the pollutants, or reduce their emissions and sell the permits. The fact that the permits have value as an item to be sold gives the owner an incentive to reduce their emissions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade and consumption The act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities and the use of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade barrier An artificial restraint on the free exchange of goods and services between nations. The most common types of trade barriers are tariffs, quotas, and exchange control. Such obstacles to trade are usually imposed by a country that wishes to protect domestic products in their home market against foreign competition, better its terms of trade, reduce domestic unemployment, or improve its balance-of-payments position. The raising of trade barriers by one country often provokes other nations position. Generally, the effect of a trade barrier is to reduce the volume of trade while increasing the domestic price of the protected good. Thus, it results in a relatively inefficient allocation of world resources and reduces the level of total world income and production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade (economic) The act or the business of buying and selling for money. Mercantile or commercial business in general or the buying and selling, or exchanging, of commodities, either by wholesale or retail within a country or between countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade impact on environment Trade impacts on the environment can be direct, such as trade of endangered species, of natural resources, of natural products such as tropical timber, etc., or indirect, such as deforestation, loss of habitats, pollution from mining, from energy production, oil spills, global warming, etc., increases in transport infrastructures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization, which promotes or determines the direction for the act or process of buying, selling or exchanging goods and services within a country or between countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade (profession) The act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities, at either wholesale or retail, within a country or between countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade relations Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade restriction Commercial discrimination that apply to the exports of certain countries but not to similar goods from other countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trades union An organization whose members are wholly or mainly workers and whose principal purposes include the regulation of relations between workers and employers or employers' associations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traditional culture Learned, nonrandom, systematic behavior and knowledge transmitted over several generations, especially customs and beliefs originating before the advent of modern science and technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traditional health care A system of treating and healing maladies based on cultural beliefs and practices handed down from generation to generation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic 1) The movement of vehicles, ships, aircraft, persons, etc., in an area or over a route. 2) The vehicles, persons, etc., moving in an area or over a route. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic accident An unexpected incident with potential for harm occurring through the movement or collision of vessels, vehicles or persons along a land, water, air or space route. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic control The organization of a more efficient movement of traffic within a given road network by rearranging the flows, controlling the intersections and regulating the times and places for parking. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic control measure Means of controlling the number and speed of motorvehicles using a road. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic emission Exhaust gases and vapours emitted by motorvehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic engineering The determination of the required capacity and layout of highway and street facilities that can safely and economically serve vehicular movement between given points. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic infrastructure The fundamental facilities and systems used for the movement of vehicles, often provided through public funding. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic jam A number of vehicles so obstructed that they can scarcely move. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic monitoring The periodic or continuous surveillance or analysis of the movement of persons, objects, vehicles or other conveyances along an area of passage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic noise Noise emitted by vehicles (heavy vehicles, cars and motorcycles, tyre/road interaction). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic noise control Traffic noise can be controlled by reduction at source, by fitting motor vehicles with silencers, by installing barriers which interrupt the direct path of sound or by insulating dwellings exposed to high noise levels, such as those related to motorways or airports. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic on water The movement of boats and other vessels over any water route or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic route No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts train A connected group of railroad cars, usu. pushed or pulled by a locomotive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts training The process of bringing a person or a group of persons to an agreed standard of proficiency, by practice and instruction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts training centre Place where people are prepared for a specific purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trajectory The path described by an object moving in air or space under the influence of such forces as thrust, wind resistance, and gravity, especially the curved path of a projectile. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transboundary pollution Polluted air and water, or any other contaminated waste, that is generated in one country and transmitted to others. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transitional arrangement Rules, guidelines or an agreement on the process of changing the administration, structure or constitution of a government or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transitional settlement A small village, community or group of houses, or other shelters, usually located in a thinly populated area and existing there for only a short time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transition element One of a group of metallic elements in which the members have the filling of the outermost shell to 8 electrons interrupted to bring the penultimate shell from 8 to 18 or 32 electrons; includes elements 21 through 29 (scandium through copper), 39 through 47 (yttrium through silver), 57 through 79 (lanthanum through gold), and all known elements from 89 (actinium) on. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transpiration The loss of water vapour from a plant, mainly through the stomata and to a small extent through the cuticle and lenticels. Transpiration results in a stream of water, carrying dissolved minerals salts, flowing upwards through the xylem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transportation business Any commercial venture involved in the processes of conveying things or people from one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transportation by pipeline Transportation of gases, liquids or slurries by a system of tubes, of steel or plastics. Petroleum, natural gas and products derived from them are the main substances transported by pipelines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transportation policy Comprehensive statements of the objectives and policies which a local transport authority intends to pursue; it includes and estimate of transport expenditure, a statement of transport objectives, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transportation The act or means of moving tangible objects (persons or goods) from place to place. Often involves the use of some type of vehicle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transport planning A programme of action to provide for present and future demands for movement of people and goods. Such a programme is preceded by a transport study and necessarily includes consideration of the various modes of transport. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transport (physics) Transfer of mass, momentum, or energy in a system as a result of molecular agitation, including such properties as thermal conduction and viscosity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transport system System of lines of movements or communication by road, rail, water or air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trapping To catch an animal in a mechanical device or enclosed place or pit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts travel Moving from one place to another generally by using a transportation mean. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts travel cost Expenditure of money or the amount of money incurred for journeying or going from one place to another by some mode of transportation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts treaty An international agreement in writing between two states or a number of states. Treaties are binding in international law; some treaties create law only for those states that are parties to them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tree Any large woody perennial plant with a distinct trunk giving rise to branches or leaves at some distance from the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tree nursery An area where trees, shrubs, or plants are grown for transplanting, for use as stocks for budding and grafting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trend The general drift, tendency, or bent of a set of statistical data as related to time or another related set of statistical data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts triazine Azines that contain three nitrogen atoms in their molecules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trickle irrigation Method in which water drips to the soil from perforated tubes or emitters. This irrigation technology is water conserving compared to flooding, furrows, and sprinklers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trinity of principles Three fundamental principles of environmental policy: precautionary principle, polluter pays-principle and cooperation principle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tritium The hydrogen isotope having mass number 3; it is one form of heavy hydrogen, the other being deuterium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trophic level Any of the feeding levels through which the passage of energy through an ecosystem proceeds; examples are photosynthetic plants, herbivorous animals, and microorganisms of decay. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropical ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in the land and water of the equatorial region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropical forest ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in forests found in tropical regions near the equator, which are characterized by warm to hot weather and abundant rainfall. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropical forest A vegetation class consisting of tall, close-growing trees, their columnar trunks more or less unbranched in the lower two-thirds, and forming a spreading and frequently flat crown; occurs in areas of high temperature and high rainfall. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropical rain forest The most valuable and the richest ecosystem on Earth. It plays a critical part in the Earth's life support systems and house 50%, and possibly as much as 90%, of all the species on Earth. It is a key storehouse of foods, oils and minerals, and a source of ingredients that make up a range of medical treatments. It also represents home and livelihood for many people. However, more than half of the rainforests have disappeared, chopped down for valuable tropical hardwoods, or cleared to provide areas for cattle grazing or human habitation. The forests play an important part in climate patterns, and deforestation is thought to be responsible for 18% of global warming. Furthermore, as they disappear there is also an albedo effect - a damaging increase in the sunlight reflected - which affects wind and rainfall patterns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropics The region of the earth's surface lying between two parallels of latitude on the earth, one 23°27' north of the equator and the other 23°27' south of the equator, representing the points farthest north and south at which the sun can shine directly overhead and constituting the boundaries of the Torrid Zone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts troposphere The lowest of the concentric layers of the atmosphere, occurring between the Earth's surface and the tropopause. It is the zone where atmospheric turbulence is at its greatest and where the bulk of the Earth's weather is generated. It contains almost all the water vapour and aerosols and three-quarters of the total gaseous mass of the atmosphere. Throughout the troposphere temperature decreases with height at a mean rate of 6.5°C/km and the whole zone is capped by either an inversion of temperature or an isothermal layer at the tropopause. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropospheric ozone Tropospheric ozone is a secondary pollutant formed from emissions of nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. Ozone scars lung tissue, makes eyes sting and throats itch. It has been implicated as a contributor to forest dieback, damage to agricultural crops, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trunk road A main road, especially one that is suitable for heavy vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tumour Any new and abnormal growth, specifically one in which cell multiplication is uncontrolled and progressive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tundra An area supporting some vegetation (lichens, mosses, sedges and low shrubs) between the northern upper limit of trees and the lower limit of perennial snow on mountains, and on the fringes of the Antarctic continent and its neighbouring islands. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tunnel A underground passageway, especially one for trains or cars that passes under a mountain, river or a congested urban area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts turbidity Cloudy or hazy appearance in a naturally clear liquid caused by a suspension of colloidal liquid droplets or fine solids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts turbine A fluid acceleration machine for generating rotary mechanical power from the energy in a stream of fluid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tween-deck tanker A sea-going vessel that includes space between two continuous floor-like surfaces or platforms, which is also designed for bulk shipments of liquids or gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts twin-hull craft Oil tank vessels provided with a double-hull to meet the regulatory safety requirements in oil transportation. Requirements include minimum values for depths and breadth of double bottoms. Also called double-hull tank vessel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts two-stroke engine An internal combustion engine whose cycle is completed in two strokes of the piston. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts type of business The class or category of an enterprise or organization involved in an economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts type of claim A class or category of interests or remedies recognized in law or equity that create in the holder a right to the interest or its proceeds, typically taking the form of money, property or privilege. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts type of management The different, specific methods of business administration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts typhoon A severe tropical cyclone in the western Pacific. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tyre A rubber ring placed over the rim of a wheel of a road vehicle to provide traction and reduce road shocks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ultrafiltration Separation of colloidal or very fine solid materials by filtration through microporous or semipermeable mediums. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ultrasound Sound waves having a frequency above about 20,000 hertz. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ultraviolet radiation The part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths shorter than light but longer than x-rays; in the range of 4-400 nm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts uncontrolled dump Place where waste is left on the ground and not buried in a hole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts landfill base sealing Sealing of a landfill with a relatively impermeable barrier designed to keep leachate inside. Liner materials include plastic and dense clay. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underground storage Storage located underground designed to hold gasoline or other petroleum products or chemical solutions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underground train A train for transportation of people, mostly beneath the surface of the ground, in order to lessen the traffic. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underprivileged people A segment of the population that does not have access to the rights or benefits granted to the rest of society, often because of low economic or social status. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts undertaking business Any commercial activity, position or site associated with the preparation of the dead for burial and the management and arrangement of funerals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underwater outlet Point of water disposal located below the sea surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts unemployment The condition of being without remunerative employment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ungulate Hoofed mammals, including the Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts United Nations A voluntary association of around 180 state signatory to the UN charter (1945), whose primary aim is to maintain international peace and security, solve economic, social, and political problems through international co-operation, and promote respect for human rights. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts unleaded petrol Petrol with a low octane rating, which has no lead additives in it and therefore creates less lead pollution in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clean air area Areas where significant reductions in ozone forming pollutants have been achieved through industrial initiatives to control and/or prevent pollution, through implementation of transportation improvement plans, national efforts to reduce automobile tailpipe emissions and lower the volatility (evaporation rate) of gasoline. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raw water Water that has not been treated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts upbringing Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Upper House The body of a bicameral legislature comprising either representatives of member states in a federation or a select number of individuals from certain privileged estates or social classes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts uranium A metallic element highly toxic and radioactive; used as nuclear fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban action program A planned, coordinated group of activities or services intended for improving urban centers in order to provide healthy and safe living conditions, efficient transport and communication, adequate public facilities and aesthetic surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban area Areas within the legal boundaries of cities and towns; suburban areas developed for residential, industrial or recreational purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban decay Condition where part of a city or town becomes old or dirty or ruined, because businesses and wealthy families have moved away from it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban design A plan, outline or preliminary sketch of, or for, a city or town. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban development Any physical extension of, or changes to, the uses of land in metropolitan areas, often involving subdivision into zones; construction or modification of buildings, roads, utilities and other facilities; removal of trees and other obstructions; and population growth and related economic, social and political changes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban development law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by government to regulate public services and the competing claims of residential, commercial and industrial interests in municipal areas generally characterized by moderate to high population density. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban ecosystem Towns and cities viewed as ecosystems, having an input of matter and energy, recycling within the system, and an output of matter and energy into the surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban facility Supply of essential services to the community, e.g. electricity, gas, water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban flows (resources) No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban green The complex of private and public gardens in an urban area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urbanisation The state of being or becoming a community with urban characteristics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban landscape The traits, patterns and structure of a city's specific geographic area, including its biological composition, its physical environment and its social patterns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban management The administration, organization and planning performed for cities or towns, particularly the process of converting farmland or undeveloped land into offices, businesses, housing and other forms of development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban planning The activity of designing, organizing or preparing for the future lay-out and condition of a city or town. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization, which seeks to improve or develop cities or towns through land use planning, water resource management, central city development, policing and criminal justice, or pollution control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban pollution Pollution of highly populated areas mainly deriving from motor vehicles, industrial plants, combustion and heating plants, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban population The total number of persons inhabiting a city, metropolitan region or any area where the sum of residents exceeds a designated amount. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban renewal A continuing process of remodelling urban areas by means of rehabilitation and conservation as well as redevelopment. Urban renewal programmes are generally undertaken by public authorities and concern those parts of the city which have fallen below current standards of public acceptability. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban sanitation The renovation or redevelopment of the decaying areas of cities by the demolition or up-grading of existing dwellings and buildings and a general improvement in environmental conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban settlement A collection of dwellings located in an urban area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban stress A state of bodily or mental tension developed through city living, or the physical, chemical, or emotional factors that give rise to that tension. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban structure The built-up components, the street system and the facilities which make up an urban unit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban study The study and theory of building and other physical needs in cities or predominantly urban cultures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban traffic Movements of vehicles and people within a city. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban water Water destined for private and public use in a town. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban water supply The distribution of water, including collection, treatment and storage, for use in a town, city or municipal area, and used generally for domestic and industrial needs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ursid A family of mammals in the order Carnivora including the bears and their allies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap tyre Recyclable material from discarded motor vehicle tyres. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts use of leisure time Making use of free time to carry out recreational activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts user advantage Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts utilisation of calorific value Calorific value is the heat per unit mass produced by complete combustion of a given substance. Calorific values are used to express the energy values of fuels; usually these are expressed in megajoules per kilogram. They are also used to measure the energy content of foodstuffs; i.e. the energy produced when the food is oxidized in the body. The units here are kilojoules per gram. Calorific values are measured using a bomb calorimeter (apparatus consisting of a strong container in which the sample is sealed with excess oxygen and ignited electrically. The heat of combustion at constant volume can be calculated from the resulting rise in temperature). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local resource utilisation The use of a source of supply from a municipal or regional area, which can be readily drawn upon when needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts utilisation of pesticides Use of chemical or biological substances to deliberately kill unwanted plants or animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resource utilisation No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indefinite legal concept A condition or extent of time in a government enforced contract, instrument or agreement that lacks precision, distinguishing characteristics or fixed boundaries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts valley Any low-lying land bordered by higher ground; especially an elongate, relatively large, gently sloping depression of the Earth's surface, commonly situated between two mountains or between ranges of hills or mountains, and often containing a stream with an outlet. It is usually developed by stream erosion, but may be formed by faulting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts valued ecosystem component An appraised, evaluated or estimated element or ingredient of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vanadium A silvery-white, ductile metal resistant to corrosion; used in alloy steels and as an x-ray target. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vandalism The deliberate or wanton destruction of personal or public property caused by a vandal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vanished species Species which have disappeared from an area because of adverse environmental conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vapour pressure The partial pressure of water vapour in the atmosphere. For a liquid or solid, the pressure of the vapour in equilibrium with the liquid or solid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts varnish A transparent surface coating which is applied as a liquid and then changes to a hard solid; all varnishes are solutions of resinous materials in a solvent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vector of human diseases An agent or organism that acts as a carrier or transmitter of a human illness. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetation cover Number of plants growing on a certain area of land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetable cultivation Cultivation of herbaceous plants that are used as food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant ecology Study of the relationships between plants and their environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant selection The selection by man of particular genotypes in a plant population because they exhibit desired phenotypic characters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetable oil An edible, mixed glyceride oil derived from plants (fruit, leaves, and seeds), including cottonseed, linseed, tung, and peanut; used in food oils, shortenings, soaps, and medicine, and as a paint drying oil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant reproduction Any of various processes, either sexual or asexual, by which a plant produces one or more individuals similar to itself. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant resource No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetable Any of various herbaceous plants having parts that are used as food. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetable waste Waste, comprised mainly of vegetable matter, which is capable of being decomposed by microorganisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetation 1) The plants of an area considered in general or as communities, but not taxonomically; the total plant cover in a particular area or on the Earth as a whole. 2) The total mass of plant life that occupies a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetation type A community of plants or plant life that share distinguishable characteristics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vehicle Any conveyance in or by which people or objects are transported. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vehicle exhaust gas An aeriform fluid of fine particles suspended in air, produced and vented as a byproduct of the operation of wheeled machines or conveyances self-propelled by internal combustion engines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vehicle inspection An official periodical examination of an automobile, truck, boat, airplane or other means of conveyance to determine compliance in design or operation with legal standards for safety or pollution emissions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vehicle manufacturing industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the manufacture and sale of equipment that conveys people, goods or materials by land, air or water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ventilation The process of supplying or removing air, by natural or mechanical means, to or from any space; such air may or may not have been conditioned. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vermin Small animals and insects that can be harmful and which are difficult to control when they appear in large numbers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vertebrate Any chordate animal of the subphylum Vertebrata, characterized by a bony or cartilaginous skeleton and a well-developed brain: the group contains fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts veterinary medicine The branch of medical practice which treats of the diseases and injuries of animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts viaduct A long high bridge, usually held up by many arches, which carries a railway or a road over a valley or other similar area at a lower level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vibration A periodic motion of small amplitude and high frequency, characteristic of elastic bodies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts video A format or system used to record and transmit visual or audiovisual information by translating moving or still images into electrical signals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts village A group of houses and other buildings, such as a church, a school and some shops, which is smaller than a town, usually in the countryside. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vinasse The residual liquid from the distillation of alcoholic liquors, specifically, that remaining from the fermentation and distillation of beet-sugar molasses, valuable as yielding potassium salts, ammonia, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts virology The study of submicroscopic organisms known as viruses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts virus Submicroscopic agents that infect plants, animals and bacteria, and are unable to reproduce outside the tissues of the host. A fully formed virus consists of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein and lipid (fat) coat. The nucleic acid of the virus interferes with nucleic acid-synthesizing mechanism of the host cell, organizing it to produce more viral nucleic acid. Viruses cause many diseases (e.g., mosaic diseases of many cultivated plants, myxomatosis, foot and mouth disease, the common cold, influenza, measles, poliomyelitis). Many plant viruses are transmitted by insects, some by eelworms. Animal viruses are spread by contact, droplet infection or by insect vectors and some are spread by the exchange of body fluids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts viscosity Energy dissipation and generation of stresses in a fluid by the distortion of fluid elements; quantitatively, when otherwise qualified, the absolute viscosity. Also known as flow resistance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vitamin An organic compound present in variable, minute quantities in natural foodstuffs and essential for the normal processes of growth and maintenance of the body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts viticulture That division of horticulture concerned with grape growing, studies of grape varieties, methods of culture, and insect and disease control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vocabulary A list of words or phrases of a language, technical field or some specialized area, usually arranged in alphabetical order and often provided with brief definitions and with foreign translations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vocational training A special training for a regular occupation or profession, especially, one for which one is specially suited or qualified. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volatile organic compound Organic compound readily passing off by evaporation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volatility The property of a substance or substances to convert into vapor or gas without chemical change. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volcanic area No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volcanic eruption The ejection of solid, liquid, or gaseous material from a volcano. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volcanism The processes by which magma and its associated gases rise into the crust and are extruded onto the Earth's surface and into the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volcano A vent in the surface of the Earth through which magma and associated gases and ash erupt; also, the form or structure, usually conical, that is produced by the ejected material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste income The total amount of refuse or unusable material that enters a process or system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts voluntary work Unpaid activities done by citizens often organized in associations, to provide services to others, particularly to elderly and poor people, handicapped, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vulcanisation A chemical reaction of sulfur (or other vulcanizing agent) with rubber or plastic to cause cross-linking of the polymer chains; it increases strength and resiliency of the polymer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vulnerable species (IUCN) Species which is likely to become endangered unless protective measures are taken. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Wadden Sea The Wadden sea is a shallow sea extending along the North Sea coasts of The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It is a highly dynamic ecosystem with tidal channels, sands, mud flats, salt marshes, beaches, dunes, river mouths and a transition zone to the North Sea, the offshore zone. Most parts of the Wadden Sea, in particular in The Netherlands and Lower Saxony, are sheltered by barrier islands and contain smaller or wider areas of intertidal flats. The present form of the Wadden Sea is the result of both natural forces and action by man. Twice a day, on average, 15 km3 of sea water enter the Wadden sea. With the water from the North Sea, large amount of sand and silt are imported which settle in places with little water movement. During low tides large parts of the Wadden Sea emerge. These so-called tidal flats cover about 2/3 of the tidal area and are one of its most characteristic features. Nowhere in the world can such a large unbroken stretch of tidal flats be found. They account for 60% of all tidal areas in Europe and North Africa. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wage system System which compensates the employees with a fixed sum per piece, hour, day or another period of time, covering all compensations including salary. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wall A vertical construction made of stone, brick, wood, etc., with a length and height much greater than its thickness, used to enclose, divide or support. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts war A conflict or a state of hostility between two or more parties, nations or states, in which armed forces or military operations are used. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts warm-blooded animal Animal which has a body temperature that stays the same and does not change with the temperature of its surroundings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts warning plan A scheme or method of acting developed in advance to notify as quickly as possible the affected population of any sudden, urgent and usually unexpected occurrence requiring immediate action. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts warning system Any series of procedures and devices designed to detect sudden or potential threats to persons, property or the environment, often utilizing radar technology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wastage Extravagant or useless consumption or expenditures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste Material, often unusable, left over from any manufacturing, industrial, agricultural or other human process; Material damaged or altered during a manufacturing process and subsequently left useless. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste air Exhaust or gaseous air given off by any industrial, manufacturing or chemical process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste air purification (gas) Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste analysis An investigation carried out to decide what arrangements are appropriate for dealing with different kinds of wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste assimilation capacity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste balance The inventory of all waste produced or recovered during a certain time period, classified by type and quantity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste bin A container for litter, rubbish, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts type of waste A grouping by type of unusable material left over from any process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste charge Imposed fee, expense, or cost for the management of refuse or unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste classification The arrangement of unwanted materials left over from manufacturing processes or refuse from places of human or animal habitation into a variety of categories based on chemical and microbiological constituents or other common characteristics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste collection The periodic or on-demand removal of solid waste from primary source locations using a collection vehicle and followed by the depositing of this waste at some central facility or disposal site. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste collection at source The gathering and transporting of refuse from its place of origin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste composition The component material types, by percentage or weight, emanating from any source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste conversion technique Any specialized procedure or method used to transform refuse from one state, form or chemical composition into another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste degasification The removal of gaseous components form waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste disposal The orderly process of discarding unwanted or useless material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste disposal act Law that settles the rules concerning the disposal, recycling and treatment of wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste disposal cost The amount of money incurred for the action of removing or getting rid of refuse or unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste disposal in the ground The planned discharge, deposit or burial of refuse or other unserviceable material into the surface of the earth, as in a landfill. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste disposal charge Imposed fee, expense, or cost for the action of removing or getting rid of refuse or unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste dump Area where wastes are deposited and burned. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste dumping The disposal of solid wastes without environmental controls. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste exchange Exchange of the recyclable part of wastes. This procedure allows to minimize waste volume and the cost relating to waste disposal. The basis of waste exchange is the concept that "one company's waste is another company's raw material". Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste export Transporting unwanted materials, including those leftover from a manufacturing processes, refuse, or trash to other countries or areas for the conduct of foreign trade. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste-fed heating and power plant Heating and power production plant where fuel is provided from refuse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste-fed heating plant Heating plant where fuel is provided from refuse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste-fed power station Power station that functions with refuse-derived fuel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste gas Any unusable aeriform fluid, or suspension of fine particles in air, given off by a manufacturing process or the burning of a substance in a enclosed area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste gas emission The direct or indirect discharge of exhaust gas into the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste gas examination Qualitative and quantitative analysis of exhaust gases emitted from vehicles, industrial plants, etc. in order to asses their composition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste gas reduction Reduction of the quantity of gaseous emissions in the atmosphere, from motorvehicles, industrial and heating plants, etc. by the adoption of clean technologies, the effectiveness of process operations, the improvement of fuel quality and the installment of chimney stacks high enough to ensure the dispersion of gases. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste glass Discarded material from the glass manufacturing process or from used consumer products made of glass. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste gypsum By-product of the wet limestone flue gas desulphurisation process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste heat Heat derived from the cooling process of electric power generating plants and which can cause thermal pollution of water courses, promoting algal bloom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste heat charge The release of heat generated as a byproduct from industrial or power generation processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste heat utilisation Waste heat applications include space heating and refrigeration in urban areas, thawing of ice-bound seaways, agricultural use to stimulate growth and to extend the growing season and in aquaculture to stimulate the growth of algae, shellfish, and other potential marine food sources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste importation permit An authorization, license or equivalent control document issued by a government agency that approves bringing in refuse or unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process from foreign countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste incinerator Establishment where waste is burnt. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the disposal of unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process or the refuse from places of human or animal habitation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste management The total supervision of waste production, handling, processing, storage, and transport from its point of generation to its final acceptable disposal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste minimisation Measures or techniques, including plans and directives, that reduce the amount of wastes generated. Examples of waste minimisation are environmentally-sound recycling and source reduction practices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste minimisation potential The capability of measures or techniques that reduce the amount of refuse or unwanted materials that is generated, particularly during industrial production processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste oil Oil arising as a waste product of the use of oils in a wide range of industrial and commercial activities, such as engineering, power generation and vehicle maintenance and should be properly disposed of, or treated in order to be reused. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste paper Newspapers, magazines, cartons and other paper separated from solid waste for the purpose of recycling. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste processing industry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste reclamation The process of collecting and separating wastes in preparation for reuse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste recovery The process of obtaining materials or energy resources from waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste recycling A method of recovering wastes as resources which includes the collection, and often involving the treatment, of waste products for use as a replacement of all or part of the raw material in a manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste reduction Practices that reduce the amount of waste generated by a specific source through the redesigning of products or patterns of production or consumption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste removal industry The aggregate of commercial enterprises primarily concerned with eliminating or getting rid of refuse from places of human or animal habitation or of unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste sorting Separating waste into different materials, such as glass, metal, paper, plastic, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste storage Temporary holding of waste pending treatment or disposal. Storage methods include containers, tanks, waste piles, and surface impoundments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste transport Transportation of wastes by means of special vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste treatment Any process or combination of processes that changes the chemical, physical or biological composition or character of any waste or reduces or removes its harmful properties or characteristics for any purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste treatment plant Place where waste material is treated to make it reusable or so it may be disposed of safely. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste use The incorporation of wastes into natural or artificial cycles, mainly in order to recover secondary raw materials or energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste volume The total amount of refuse or unusable material produced at any source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water Used water, or water that is not needed, which is permitted to escape, or unavoidably escapes from canals, ditches, reservoirs or other bodies of water, for which the owners of these structures are legally responsible. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water charge Imposed fee, expense, or cost for the management of spent or used water that contains dissolved or suspended matter from a home, community farm, or industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water discharge The flow of treated effluent from any wastewater treatment process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water disposal Collection and removal of wastewater deriving from industrial and urban settlements by means of a system of pipes and treatment plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wastewater from trade Liquid or waterborne wastes polluted or fouled by commercial operations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water legislation A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government to regulate the outflow and disposal of spent or used water from a home, community, farm or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water load The amount of spent or used water, often containing dissolved and suspended matter, that is found in a stream or some other body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water purification Processing of waste water for reuse. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water quality The state or condition of spent or used water that contains dissolved or suspended matter from a home, community farm or industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water reduction The act or process of lessening the volume of used or spent water that is discharged from homes, businesses or industries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water sludge The removed materials resulting from physical, biological and chemical treatment of waste water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water statistics No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water treatment Any process to which wastewater is subjected which would remove, or otherwise render harmless to human health and the environment, its constituent wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste water treatment plant Plant where, through physical-chemical and biological processes, organic matter, bacteria, viruses and solids are removed from residential, commercial and industrial wastewaters before they are discharged in rivers, lakes and seas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water analysis Study of the chemical, physical and biological properties of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological water balance The amount of ingoing and outgoing water in a system, which are assumed to be equal in the long term so that the water budget will balance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water body Any mass of water having definite hydrological, physical, chemical and biological characteristics and which can be employed for one or several purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water bottom The floor upon which any body of water rests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water collection The catching of water, especially rain water, in a structure such as a basin or reservoir. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water conservation The protection, development and efficient management of water resources for beneficial purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water consumption The utilization patterns and quantities entailed in a community or human group's use of water for survival, comfort and enjoyment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts watercourse A natural stream arising in a given drainage basin but not wholly dependent for its flow on surface drainage in its immediate area, flowing in a channel with a well-defined bed between visible banks or through a definite depression in the land, having a definite and permanent or periodic supply of water, and usually, but not necessarily, having a perceptible current in a particular direction and discharging at a fixed point into another body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water demand Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water distribution system The system of pipes supplying water to communities and industries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water endangering Can be caused by a variety of means, e.g. farm pollution from animal wastes and silage liquor (liquors from green leaf cattle food which has had molasses added to promote fermentation and preservation; they are highly polluting and can be a seasonal cause of fish deaths in small streams), leachate from landfill sites, and spoil heaps, solvent discharge to sewers or to land and inadequate sewage treatment works. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water erosion The breakdown of solid rock into smaller particles and its removal by water. As weathering, erosion is a natural geological process, but more rapid soil erosion results from poor land-use practices, leading to the loss of fertile topsoil and to the silting of dams, lakes, rivers and harbours. There are three classes of erosion by water. a) Splash erosion occurs when raindrops strike bare soil, causing it to splash, as mud, to flow into spaces in the soil and to turn the upper layer of soil into a structureless, compacted mass that dries with a hard, largely impermeable crust. b) Surface flow occurs when soil is removed with surface run-off during heavy rain. c) Channelized flow occurs when a flowing mixture of water and soil cuts a channel, which is then deepened by further scouring. A minor erosion channel is called a rill, a larger channel a gully. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water extraction Pumping of water for different purposes (i.e. agriculture, land reclamation, domestic and industrial use, etc.). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waterfall A perpendicular or steep descent of the water of a stream, as where it crosses an outcrop of resistant rock overhanging softer rock that has been eroded or flows over the edge of a plateau of cliffed coast. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water flea Fresh-water branchiopod crustaceans characterized by a transparent bivalve shell. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrologic flow The characteristic behaviour and the total quantity of water involved in a drainage basin, determined by measuring such quantities as rainfall, surface and subsurface storage and flow, and evapotranspiration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water for agricultural use Water used in agriculture for irrigation and livestock. Livestock watering is only 1 percent of the total water withdrawal for agricultural use. Of all functional water uses, irrigation is the largest agricultural use of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water for consumption Consumptive water use starts with withdrawal, but in this case without any return, e.g. irrigation, steam escaping into the atmosphere, water contained in final products, i.e. it is no longer available directly for subsequent use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water for industrial use Water used by industries for purposes such as fabrication, processing, washing and cooling, which is obtained from a public supply or through self-supplied sources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waterfowl Aquatic birds which constitute the order Anseriformes, including the swans, ducks, geese, and screamers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water hardness The amount of calcium and magnesium salts dissolved in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water hyacinth Floating aquatic plant, Eichornia crassipes of tropical America, having showy bluish-purple flowers and swollen leafstalks: family Pontederiaceae. It forms dense masses in rivers, ponds, etc., and is a serious pest in the southern U.S., Java, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Africa. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water level The level reached by the surface of a body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waterlogged land Waterlogging is an effect of canal irrigation; it occurs when the water table rises to within 3 meters of a crop's roots, impeding their ability to absorb oxygen and ultimately compromising crop yields. Many factors contribute to waterlogging. These include inadequate drainage, improper balance in the use of groundwater and surface water, seepage and percolation from unlined channels, overwatering, planting crops not suited to specific soils, and inadequate preparation of land before irrigation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water management Measures taken to ensure an adequate supply of water and a responsible utilization of water resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water monitoring Studies conducted to estimate the quantity and the quality of pollutants, nutrients and suspended solids contained in water bodies and to assess sources and factors associated with agricultural practices, industrial activities or other human activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water pollutant A chemical or physical agent introduced to any body of water that may detrimentally alter the natural condition of that body of water and other associated bodies of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water pollution The manmade or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological and radiological integrity of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water pollution prevention Precautionary measures, actions or installations implemented to avert or hinder human-made or human-induced alteration of the physical, biological, chemical and radiological integrity of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water protection Measures to conserve surface and groundwater; to ensure the continued availability of water for growing domestic, commercial and industrial uses and to ensure sufficient water for natural ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water protection directive Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water protection legislation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water pump A machine or apparatus used to lift water, usually from a well or borehole, which is powered manually or by engine, wind or some other source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water purification Any of several processes in which undesirable impurities in water are removed or neutralized. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water purification plant Plant where water, through physical and chemical processes, is made suitable for human consumption and other purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water quality A graded value of the components (organic and inorganic, chemical or physical) which comprise the nature of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water quality directive EC Directive establishing the rules relating to water for human consumption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water quality management Water quality management concerns four major elements: the use (recreation, drinking water, fish and wildlife propagation, industrial or agricultural) to be made of the water; criteria to protect those uses; implementation plans (for needed industrial-municipal waste treatment improvements) and enforcement plans, and an anti-degradation statement to protect existing high quality waters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water quantity management The administration or handling of the amount of available potable water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water regulatory authority The power of a government agency or its administrators to administer and implement regulations, laws and government policies relating to the preservation and protection of water resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water resource Water in any of its forms, wherever located - atmosphere, surface or ground - which is or can be of value to man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water resources conservation Controlled utilization or protection of any supply of water so that it is potentially useful for some purpose, such as for an economic, recreational or life-sustaining purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water resources development Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water reuse Use of process wastewater or treatment facility effluent in a different manufacturing process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water salination Process by which water becomes more salty, found especially in hot countries where irrigation is practised. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water saving Management of water resources aiming at ensuring the continued availability of water for human uses and natural ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water science The science that treats the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and properties of the waters of the earth, and their reaction with the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water (geographic) The liquid that forms streams, lakes, and seas, and issues from the ground in springs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts watershed management Use, regulation and treatment of water and land resources of a watershed to accomplish stated objectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts watershed The dividing line between two adjacent river systems, such as a ridge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waterside development Any physical extension of, or changes to, the uses of land in waterfront areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water statistics No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water (substance) Common liquid (H2O) which forms rain, rivers, the sea, etc., and which makes up a large part of the bodies of organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water supply A source or volume of water available for use; also, the system of reservoirs, wells, conduits, and treatment facilities required to make the water available and usable. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water transportation Transportation of goods or persons by means of ships travelling on the sea or on inland waterways. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water treatment Purification of water to make it suitable for drinking or for any other use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water utilisation Three types of water use are distinguished: a) withdrawal, where water is taken from a river, or surface or underground reservoir, and after use returned to a natural water body, e.g. water used for cooling in industrial processes. Such return flows are particularly important for downstream users in the case of water taken from rivers; b) consumptive, which starts with withdrawal but in this case without any return, e.g. irrigation, steam escaping into the atmosphere, water contained in final products, i.e. it is no longer available directly for subsequent uses; c) non-withdrawal, i.e. the in situ use of a water body for navigation (including the floating of logs by the lumber industry), fishing, recreation, effluent disposal and hydroelectric power generation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waterway A river, canal, or other navigable channel used as a means of travel or transport. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water well A well sunk to extract water from a zone of saturation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waterworks Plant for treating and purifying water before it is pumped into pipes for distribution to houses, factories, schools, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wave energy Power extracted from the motion of sea waves at the coast. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea wave A moving ridge or swell of water occurring close to the surface of the sea, characterized by oscillating and rising and falling movements, often as a result of the frictional drag of the wind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weapon An instrument of attack or defense in combat, as a gun, missile, or sword. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weather The day-to-day meteorological conditions, especially temperature, cloudiness, and rainfall, affecting a specific place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weather condition The complex of meteorological characteristics in a given region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weather modification The changing of natural weather phenomena by technical means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weather monitoring The periodic or continuous surveillance or analysis of the state of the atmosphere and climate, including variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity and barometric pressure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weather forecasting The act or process of predicting and highlighting meteorological conditions that are expected for a specific time period and for a specific area or portion of air space, by using objective models based on certain atmospheric parameters, along with the skill and experience of a meteorologist. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weed Any plant that grows wild and profusely, especially one that grows among cultivated plants, depriving them of space, food, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weed control Freeing an area of land from weeds by several means, such as herbicides, tillage, burning, mowing, and crop competition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weight The gravitational force with which the earth attracts a body. By extension, the gravitational force with which a star, planet, or satellite attracts a nearby body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts welding Joining two metals by applying heat to melt and fuse them, with or without filler metal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts well A hole dug into the earth to reach a supply of water, oil, brine or gas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts West Africa A geographic region of the African continent bordered in the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean, including the republics of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote D'ivoire, Gambie, Ghana, Guinee Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritanie, Niger, Nigeria, Sengegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Western Asia A geographic region of Asia that includes Turkey, Iran and other countries of the Middle East and the Arabian peninsula. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Western Europe A geographic region of the European continent surrounded by the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, including Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and other member countries of the Western European Union. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wetland Areas that are inundated by surface or ground water with frequency sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetative or aquatic life that requires saturated or seasonally saturated soil conditions for growth or reproduction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wetlands ecosystem Ecosystems of areas largely inundated with water but offering elevated lands as a habitat for wildlife. This areas include swamps, both seasonal and permanent, marsh, open fresh water, shallow saline lagoons, the estuaries of rivers, floodplains and coastal sand dunes. They provide food, breeding grounds, water and sanctuary for many forms of fish, birds and other animal and plant life. They are among the most productive ecosystems producing timber, peat moss and crops such as rice and a variety of berries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wet process Process used to remove particulate matter and/or gaseous pollutants by means of an aqueous stream or slurry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wet scrubber 1) An air cleaning device that literally washes out the dust. Exhaust air is forced into a spray chamber, where fine water particles cause the dust to drop from the air stream. The dust-ladden water is then treated to remove the solid material and is often recirculated. 2) Equipment through which a gas is passed to remove impurities (solid, liquid, or gaseous particles) by intimate contact with a suitable liquid, usually an aqueous medium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wet waste Organic refuse or material left over from a manufacturing process, which is characterized by the presence of moisture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts whale Large marine mammals of the order Cetacea; the body is streamlined, the broad flat tail is used for propulsion, and the limbs are balancing structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts whaling Catching whales to use as food or for their oil, etc. Whales are the largest mammals still in existence. They are caught mainly for their oils, though in some case for food. Some species of whale have become extinct because of overexploitation and the population of many of the existing species is dangerously low. Commercial whaling is severely restricted. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wholesale trade The business of selling goods to retailers in larger quantities than they are sold to final consumers but in smaller quantities than they are purchased from manufacturers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wild animal Not domesticated animals living independently of man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wildlife Animals and plants that grow independently of people, usually in natural conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wildlife conservation A series of measures required to maintain or restore the natural habitats and the populations of species of wild fauna and flora at a favourable status. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wildlife habitat Suitable upland or wetland areas promoting survival of wildlife. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wildlife population statistics The numerical facts or data collected through various methodologies, such as sighting surveys, which represent or estimate the size of any wildlife species for purposes such as analyzing population trends. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wildlife sanctuary 1) An area, usually in natural condition, which is reserved (set aside) by a governmental or private agency for the protection of particular species of animals during part or all of the year. 2) An area designated for the protection of wild animals, within which hunting and fishing is either prohibited or strictly controlled. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts running wild A state of nature or a quality or state of being undomesticated, untamed or uncultivated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wild plant Plants growing in a natural state (not cultivated). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts willingness-to-pay Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts willingness-to-pay analysis Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wind The motion of air relative to the earth's surface; usually means horizontal air motion, as distinguished from vertical motion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wind erosion The breakdown of solid rock into smaller particles and its removal by wind. It may occur on any soil whose surface is dry, unprotected by vegetation (to bind it at root level and shelter the surface) and consists of light particles. The mechanisms include straightforward picking up of dust and soil particles by the airflow and the dislodging or abrasion of surface material by the impact of particles already airborne. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts windmill A machine for grinding or pumping driven by a set of adjustable vanes or sails that are caused to turn by the force of the wind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wind power Energy extracted from wind, traditionally in a windmill, but increasingly by more complicated designes including turbines, usually to produce electricity but also for water pumping. The power available from wind is proportional to the area swept by the rotating place and the cube of the wind velocity, but less than half the available power can be recovered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wind power station Power station which uses wind to drive a turbine which creates electricity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts woman An adult human female. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts woman's status The social position, rank or relative importance of women in society. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts timber A wood, especially when regarded as a construction material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wood A dense growth of trees more extensive than a grove and smaller than a forest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts woodland clearance The permanent clear-felling of an area of forest or woodland. On steep slopes this can lead to severe soil erosion, especially where heavy seasonal rains or the melting of snow at higher levels cause sudden heavy flows of water. In the humid tropics it may also lead to a release of carbon dioxide from the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts woodland ecosystem The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings in wooded areas or land areas covered with trees and shrubs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wood preservation The use of chemicals to prevent or retard the decay of wood, especially by fungi or insects; widely used preservatives include creosote, pitch, sodium fluoride and tar; especially used on wood having contact with the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wood product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wood waste Waste which is left over after the processing of raw timber. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wool A textile fiber made from raw wool characterized by absorbency, resiliency and insulation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts work accident Accident occurring in the course of the employment and caused by inherent or related factors arising from the operation of materials of one's occupation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts worked-out open cut A mine where all the mineral that could be profitably exploited has been removed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts working condition All existing circumstances affecting labor in the workplace, including job hours, physical aspects, legal rights and responsibilities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts working hours The time devoted to gainful employment or job-related activities, usually calculated as hours per day or per week. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts working the soil Ploughing the soil for agricultural purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts workplace Any or all locations or environments where people are employed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts world The Earth with all its inhabitants and all things upon it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts world heritage site Sites of great cultural significance and geographic areas of outstanding universal value. They include the Pyramids of Egypt, the Grand Canyon of United States, the Taj Mahal of India, the Great Wall of China, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts write-off Accounting procedure that is used when an asset is uncollectible and is therefore charged-off as a loss. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wrongful act An act contrary to the rules of natural or legal justice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wrongful government act A deed performed by a government official or agent in exercise of police, constitutional, legislative, administrative or judicial powers that infringes upon the rights of another and causes damage, without protecting an equal or superior right. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts xenobiotic substance A substance which would not normally be found in a given environment, and usually means a toxic chemical which is entirely artificial, such as a chlorinated aromatic compound or an organomercury compound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts X ray A penetrating electromagnetic radiation, usually generated by accelerating electrons to high velocity and suddenly stopping them by collision with a solid body, or by inner-shell transitions of atoms with atomic number greater than 10; their wavelength ranges from about 10(-5) angstrom to 10(3) angstroms, the average wavelength used in research being 1 angstrom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts yeast Many species of unicellular fungi, most of which belong to the Ascomycetes and reproduce by budding. The genus Saccharomyces is used in brewing and winemaking because in low oxygen concentration it produces zymase, an enzyme system that breaks down sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Saccharomyces is also used in bread-making. Some yeasts are used as a source of protein and of vitamins of the B group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts yield (economy) Profit or income created through an investment or a business transaction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts infant A young child in the first years of life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts youth The state of being young; the period between childhood and adult age. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts youth work Job opportunities and employment for adolescents, either for financial reward or educational enrichment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts zinc A brittle bluish-white metallic element that becomes coated with a corrosion-resistant layer in moist air and occurs chiefly in sphalerite and smithsonite. It is a constituent of several alloys, especially brass and nickel-silver, and is used in die-casting, galvanizing metals, and in battery electrodes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts zoning Designation and reservation under a master plan of land use for light and heavy industry, dwellings, offices, and other buildings; use is enforced by restrictions on types of buildings in each zone. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts zoological garden Area in which animals, especially wild animals, are kept so that people can go and look at them, or study them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts zoology The study of animals, including their classification, structure, physiology, and history. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts zoonosis Diseases which are biologically adapted to and normally found in animals but which under some conditions also infect man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accounting Method of recording all the transactions affecting the financial condition of a business or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal life No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consumer product Economic good that directly satisfies human wants or desires. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental administration institution A central government organization that has authority or oversight over government activity relating to the preservation and safeguarding of ecological or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health effect of noise Noise consequences on human health consist in loss of hearing and psychological effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human body The entire physical structure of an human being. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human science Group of sciences including sociology, anthropology, psychology, pedagogy, etc. as opposed to the humanistic group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information transfer The communication or conveyance of data or materials for the purpose of enhancing knowledge from one person, place or position to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts juridical act Acts relating to the administration of justice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts meteorological research Study of meteorological elements such as wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, evaporation, solar radiation, visibility and cloud cover in order to collect data for weather forecast or for specific research purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural areas protection Active management of nature areas in order to ensure that wildlife is protected and the quality of its environment is maintained. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural risks prevention Precautionary measures, actions or installations implemented to avert the probability of harm to humans, property or natural resources posed by conditions or events in the environment neither initiated nor formed by human activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical chemistry A science dealing with the effects of physical phenomena on chemical properties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical measurement of pollution The quantitative determination of the presence, extent or type of pollutant substances in the environment using mechanical means, including optical, electrical, acoustical and thermodynamic techniques. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant life No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant production No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution type Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution prevention Eliminating the production of hazardous wastes and greenhouse gases at their source, within the production process. This can often be achieved through a variety of relatively simple strategies, including minor changes in manufacturing processes, substitution of non-polluting products for polluting products, and simplification of packaging. Companies practicing waste reduction have saved hundreds of millions of dollars, and used it to catalyze employee involvement and eliminate the need for expensive end-of-the-pipe filtering. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk management The process of evaluating and selecting alternative regulatory and non-regulatory responses to prepare for the probability of an accidental occurrence and its expected magnitude of damage, including the consideration of legal, economic and behavioral factors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts safety system A unified, coordinated assemblage or plan of procedures and devices intended to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seismic engineering The study of the behavior of foundations and structures relative to seismic ground motion, and the attempt to mitigate the effect of earthquakes on structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social science The study of society and of the relationship of individual members within society, including economics, history, political science, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface water management The administration or handling of water naturally open to the atmosphere (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, seas, etc.). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wildlife protection Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken to prevent or reduce harm to animals, plants and other organisms living in their natural state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts historic centre That part of a town or city in which the principal public and historic buildings are located. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts promotion of trade and industry Any activity that encourages or supports the buying, selling or exchanging of goods or services with other countries, which could include marketing, diplomatic pressure or the provision of export incentives such as credits and guarantees, government subsidies, training and consultation or advice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts masonry A construction of stone or similar materials such as concrete or brick. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sand flat A sandy tidal flat barren of vegetation. A tidal flat is an extensive, nearly horizontal, marshy or barren tract of land that is alternately covered and uncovered by the tide, and consisting of unconsolidated sediment (mostly mud and sand). It may form the top surface of a deltaic deposit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal species Species belonging to the animal kingdom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant species Species belonging to the plant kingdom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts folk tradition The common beliefs, practices, customs and other cultural elements of an ethnic or social group that are rooted in the past, but are persisting into the present due to means such as arts and crafts, songs and music, dance, foods, drama, storytelling and certain forms of oral communication. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law branch A subdivision of the body of principles and regulations established by a government or other authority, generally defined by its scope or application. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts judicial system Entire network of courts in a particular jurisdiction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical measurement of pollution The quantitative determination of the presence, extent or type of pollutant substances in the environment by studying the actions or reactions of known chemicals to those pollutants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts measuring instrument No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant evolution The process of cumulative reactive change following the introduction of a pollutant into the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban noise Noise emitted from various sources in an urban environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cleanliness (hygiene) The state of being clean and keeping healthy conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial environment (in general) Environment where the manifold activities connected with the production of goods and services take place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural risk Probability of harm to human health, property or the environment posed by any aspect of the physical world other than human activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural risk analysis Analysis of the probability of occurrence, within a specific period of time in a given area, of a potentially damaging phenomenon of nature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts major risk The high probability that a given hazard or situation will yield a significant amount of lives lost, persons injured, damage to property , disruption of economic activity or harm to the environment; or any product of the probability of occurrence and the expected magnitude of damage beyond a maximum acceptable level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rescue system Any series of procedures and devices used by trained personnel to provide immediate assistance to persons who are in danger or injured. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crisis management The technique, practice or science of handling or controlling situations of acute difficulty, danger or instability; or the total of measures taken to provide a solution for political, economic, environmental or other similar dangers and conflicts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tax system A co-ordinated body of methods or plan of procedures for levying compulsory charges for the purpose of raising revenue. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts concept of environment The development at any level of a general notion of the surrounding ecosystem, its foundational relationship to human life and the need to preserve its integrity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest ecology The science that deals with the relationship of forest trees to their environment, to one another, and to other plants and to animals in the forest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific ecology The study of the interrelationship among living organisms and between organisms and their environment, utilizing the methods or theories of science. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban ecology Concept derived from biology: the city is viewed as a total environment, as a life-supporting system for the large number of people concentrated there, and within this people organize themselves and adapt to a constantly changing environment. Regarded as the same as human ecology. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecozone A broad geographic area in which there are distinctive climate patterns, ocean conditions, types of landscapes and species of plants and animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental engineering Branch of engineering concerned with the environment and its proper management. The major environmental engineering disciplines regard water supply, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, hazardous waste, noise radiology, industrial hygiene, oceanography and the like. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts palaeoecology The application of ecological concepts to fossil and sedimentary evidence to study the interactions of Earth surface, atmosphere, and biosphere in former times. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological heritage The inheritance and preservation of the earth's or a particular region's balanced, integrated functionality as a natural habitat, with special concern for the water resources necessary to maintain the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts altitude 1) In general, a term used to describe a topographic eminence. 2) A specific altitude or height above a given level. 3) In surveying, the term refers to the angle between the horizontal and a point at a higher level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cove 1) A deep recess hollow, or nook in a cliff or steep mountainside, or a small, straight valley extending into a mountain or down a mountainside. 2) A valley or portion of lowland that penetrates into a plateau or mountain front. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts canyon A long deep, relatively narrow steep-sided valley confined between lofty and precipitous walls in a plateau or mountainous area, often with a stream at the bottom; similar to, but largest than, a gorge. It is characteristic of an arid or semiarid area (such as western U.S.) where stream downcutting greatly exceeds weathering. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts headland (geography) A cape or promontory jutting seawards from a coastline, usually with a significant sea cliff. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geographic circque A deep steep-walled half-bowl-like recess or hollow, variously described as horseshoe- or crescent-shaped or semi-circular in plan, situated high on the side of a mountain and commonly at the head of a glacial valley and produced by the erosive activity of a mountain glacier. It often contains a small round lake, and it may or may not be occupied by ice or snow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts continent A protuberance of the earth's crustal shell, with an area of several million square miles and sufficient elevation so that much of it above sea level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts barrier beach An elongated sand or shingle bank which lies parallel to the coastline and is not submerged by the tide. If it is high enough to permit dune growth it is termed a barrier island. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts creek A narrow inlet or bay, especially of the sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fault A fracture or a zone of fractures along which there has been displacement of the sides relative to one another parallel to the fracture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cliff A steep coastal declivity which may or may not be precipitous, the slope angle being dependent partly on the jointing, bedding and hardness of the materials from which the cliff has been formed, and partly on the erosional processes at work. Where wave attack is dominant the cliff-foot will be rapidly eroded and cliff retreat will take place, especially in unconsolidated materials such as clays, sands, etc., frequently leaving behind an abrasion platform at the foot of the cliff. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts open sea The high seas lying outside the exclusive economic zones of states. All states have equal rights to navigate, to overfly, to lay submarine cables, to construct artificial islands, to fish, and to conduct scientific research within the high seas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coral reef lagoon A coastal stretch of shallow saltwater virtually cut off from the open sea by a coral reef. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river bed The channel containing or formerly containing the water of a river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical environment The material surroundings of a system, process or organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alluvial plain A level or gently sloping tract or a slightly undulating land surface produced by extensive deposition of alluvium, usually adjacent to a river that periodically overflows its banks; it may be situated on a flood plain, a delta, or an alluvial fan. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts barrier reef An elongated accumulation of coral lying at low-tide level parallel to the coast but separated from it by a wide and deep lagoon or strait. The coral is thought to have formed initially on a flat surface: then as the sea-level rose in post-glacial times, thereby submerging the irregular wave-cut platform, the coral growth kept pace with the rising ocean level, so creating the great thickness witnessed today in such places as the Great Barrier Reef off the East coast of Queensland, Australia. This stretches for more than 1900 km and varies in width from about 30 km to 150 km. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts relief (land) The physical shape, configuration or general unevenness of a part of the Earth's surface, considered with reference to variation of height and slope or to irregularities of the land surface; the elevation or difference in elevation, considered collectively, of a land surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotope order An ordinance or decree regarding an area of ecological habitat that is characterized by a high degree of uniformity in its environmental conditions and in its distribution of plants and animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sensitive natural area Terrestrial or aquatic area or other fragile natural setting with unique or highly-valued environmental features. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental analysis No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts abiotic environment The non-living components of the environment (rocks, minerals, soil, water and climate). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aquatic environment Waters, including wetlands, that serve as habitat for interrelated and interacting communities and populations of plants and animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sensitive environment Any parcel of land, large or small, under public or private control, that already has, or with remedial action could achieve, desirable environmental attributes. These attributes contribute to the retention and/or creation of wildlife habitat, soils stability, water retention or recharge, vegetative cover, and similar vital ecological functions. Environmentally sensitive areas range in size from small patches to extensive landscape features. They can include rare or common habitats, plants and animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terrestrial environment The continental as distinct from the marine and atmospheric environments. It is the environment in which terrestrial organisms live. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine park A permanent reservation on the seabed for the conservation of species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regional natural park A park operated and managed by a region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reserve Any area of land or water that has been set aside for a special purpose, often to prevent or reduce harm to its wildlife and ecosystems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state biological reserve An area of land and/or of water designated as having protected status for purposes of preserving certain biological features. Reserves are managed primarily to safeguard these features and provide opportunities for research into the problems underlying the management of natural sites and of vegetation and animal populations. Regulations are normally imposed controlling public access and disturbance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest biological reserve Forest areas which are protected and guarded from deforestation because of the fragility of its ecosystems, and because they provide habitats for hundreds of species of plants and animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts voluntary natural reserve Area of national interest which is protected under the responsibility of its owner in order to safeguard wildlife, archeological and geological sites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts central park area The core area of a park or of a reserve where there can be no interference with the natural ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protected marine zone Sea area where marine wildlife is protected. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts peripheral park area A zone of the park where scientific research is allowed. Beyond this there is a buffer zone which protects the whole reserve from agricultural, industrial and urban development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alignment The selection and detailed layout of public transport routes in the light of construction, operation, service, technology, and economic criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bocage The wooded countryside characteristic of northern France, with small irregular-shaped fields and many hedges and copses. In the French language the word bocage refers both to the hedge itself and to a landscape consisting of hedges. Bocage landscapes usually have a slightly rolling landform, and are found mainly in maritime climates. Being a small-scale, enclosed landscape, the bocage offers much variations in biotopes, with habitats for birds, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and butterflies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts French formal garden No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts English garden A plot of ground consisting of an orderly and balanced arrangement of masses of flowers, shrubs and trees, following British traditions or style. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terraced garden No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts terraced landscape Landscape resulting from the method of cultivating land by cutting terraces or benches into slopes to create areas of flat land. The practice is common in mountainous areas where land is scarce and rainfall uncertain. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain protection Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts site protection Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken to prevent or reduce harm to the environmental integrity of a physical area or location. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coast protection A form of environmental management designed to allay the progressive degradation of the land by coastal erosion processes. Sea defence works can be undertaken to protect the land from erosion and encroachment by the sea and against flooding. These involve engineering solutions such as groynes, sea walls, bulkheads, revetments and breakwaters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts site rehabilitation The restoration of the ecological quality of an area or location. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts classified site Site which is declared protected because of its natural, landscape, artistic or archeological features in order to guarantee its conservation, maintenance and restoration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts registered site Area which is officially registered because of its unique features; a description is provided concerning its location, size, latitude, longitude, orientation, elevation, boundaries, wildlife, hydrological and soil characteristics, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban ecology charter A graphic representation of a city area or other densely populated region, portraying the location of groups or select types of people in their environment through various geographic techniques. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental citizenship The state, character or behavior of a person viewed as a member of the ecosystem with attendant rights and responsibilities, especially the responsibility to maintain ecological integrity and the right to exist in a healthy environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts integrated management Unified, combined and coordinated management of environmental problems which correlates relevant organisations, groups, individuals and disciplines by bringing the parts together for a complete approach. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sponsorship A person, firm, organization, etc. that provides or pledges money for an undertaking or event. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal environment plan A formulated or systematic method for the management of a city or town's natural or ecological resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public awareness campaign An organized, systematic effort through various communications media to alert the general population of a given area to anything of significant interest or concern. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts migratory fish Fishes that migrate in a body, often between breeding places and winter feeding grounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts felid Predatory mammal, including cats, lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, and cheetahs, typically having a round head and retractile claws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marine mammal Mammals which have adapted to live in the sea, such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ovine Horned ruminant mammals raised in many breeds for wool, edible flesh, or skin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shelter Cover or protection, as from weather or danger; place of refuge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nesting area A place where birds gather to lay eggs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal corridor Line corridors (roads, paths, and hedgerows) which lack interior habitat but may serve as movement groups for organisms. Corridors may also provide an efficient migratory pathway for animals. The presence or absence of breaks in a corridor may be a very important factor in determining the effectiveness of its conduit and barrier functions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal damage Harm caused to the environment by animals as, for instance, in the case of overgrazing, trampling, etc. Overgrazing damage is reduced by properly located watering facilities to decrease daily travel by livestock. Rotation of grazing areas allows time for recovery of grass. Some land can be easily restored if grazing is allowed only during one season. Animals may cause damage to crops when agriculture land borders on virgin territory or game reserves. In addition wild animals may bring disease in valuable domestic herds. Cattle overstocking has caused serious degradation of habitat, and cattle raising is thus, to some extent, counterproductive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal displacement The habit of many animal species of moving inside their habitats or of travelling, during migrations, to different biotopes, often considerable distances apart; in aquatic environments displacements can occur horizontally or vertically while in terrestrial environments animal populations that breed in the alpine or subalpine zones in summer, move to lower levels in winter; animal displacements usually follow circadian rhythms and are related to the necessity of finding breeding, resting and feeding areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spawning ground Area of water where fish come each year to produce their eggs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal habitat The locality in which an animal naturally grows or lives. It can be either the geographical area over which it extends, or the particular station in which an animal is found. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nesting The building of nests for egg laying and rearing of offspring. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal population A group of animals inhabiting a given area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal reproduction Any of various processes, either sexual or asexual, by which an animal produces one or more individuals similar to itself. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts survival The act or fact of surviving or condition of having survived. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts endemic species Species native to, and restricted to, a particular geographical region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts broad-leaved tree Deciduous tree which has wide leaves, as opposed to the needles on conifers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sea grass bed Seaweeds communities formed by green, brown and red macroscopic algae and by sea phanerogams such as Posidonia oceanica and Zostera noltii, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts macrophyte A large macroscopic plant, used especially of aquatic forms such as kelp (variety of large brown seaweed which is a source of iodine and potash). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts riverside vegetation Plants growing in areas adjacent to rivers and streams. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chestnut Any north temperate fagaceous tree of the genus Castanea, such as Castanea sativa, which produce flowers in long catkins and nuts in a prickly bur. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts graminaceous plant A very large family of plants including cereals such as wheat, maize, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts posidonia Plant with elongated, planar, green leaves which measure up to 1,5 m. The flowers come out in the autumn but not every year. The fruits are dark balls, which one often finds washed up on beaches after storms. The same happens with the leaves which wilt and separate from the plant at the end of summer. It grows on sandy substrates, and has a rhizome from which several plants grow. The compact form of its growths retains the sediments pulled by the currents along the sea bed. Neptunegrass forms extensive prairies, always on the continental shelf. The plant's presence, apart from constituting an excellent refuge and food reserve for many species, gives an indication of the maturity and good condition of the whole marine ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vegetation level A subdivision of vegetation characteristic of a certain altitude above sea level at a given latitude. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant population The number of plants in an area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts arboretum Collection of trees from different parts of the world, grown for scientific study. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chorology The study of the causal relations between geographical phenomena occurring within a particular region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts variety collection Assemblage of cultivated plants that are distinguished by any characteristics (morphology, physiology, etc.) significant for purposes of horticulture, agriculture or forestry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal conservatory Areas for the conservation of rare or endangered animal species. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts botanical conservatory Gardens for the conservation of rare species of plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts introduction of animal species Animals which have been translocated by human agency into lands or waters where they have not lived previously, at least during historic times. Such translocation of species always involves an element of risk if not of serious danger. Newly arrived species, depending on their interspecific relationships and characteristics, may act as or carry parasites or diseases, prey upon native organisms, display toxic reactions, or be highly competitive with or otherwise adversely affect native species and communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts introduction of plant species Plants which have been translocated by human agency into lands or waters where they have not lived previously, at least during historic times. Such translocation of species always involves an element of risk if not of serious danger. Newly arrived species may be highly competitive with or otherwise adversely affect native species and communities. Some may become a nuisance through sheer overabundance. They may become liable to rapid genetic changes in their new environment. Many harmful introductions have been made by persons unqualified to anticipate the often complex ecological interaction which may ensue. On the other hand many plants introduced into modified or degraded environments may be more useful than native species in controlling erosion or in performing other positive functions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal heritage The sum of the earth's or a particular region's non-human, non-vegetable, multicellular organisms viewed as the inheritance of the present generation, especially animal species deemed worthy of preservation and protection from extinction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant heritage The sum of the earth's or a particular region's herb, vegetable, shrub and tree life viewed as the inheritance of the present generation, especially plant species deemed worthy of preservation and protection from extinction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protection of animals Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal species reintroduction Attempts made to prevent the extinction of threatened species and populations by reintroducing them in their natural habitat. The reintroduction of species in a region requires a preliminary study to establish the reasons of their disappearance and the modifications that might have occurred in the biotopes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant species reintroduction Reintroducing wild plant species to their natural habitat. The reintroduction of species in a region requires a preliminary study to establish the reasons of their disappearance and the modifications that might have occurred in the biotopes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local afforestation The planting of trees in an area, or the management of an area to allow trees to regenerate or colonize naturally, in order to produce a forest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts windfall 1) Falling of old trees in a forest caused by a storm or strong wind. It plays an important role in the spontaneous regeneration of forest ecosystems. 2) A plot of land covered with trees blown down by the wind. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pruning The cutting off or removal of dead or living parts or branches of a plant to improve shape or growth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest exploitation Forests have been exploited over the centuries as a source of wood and for obtaining land for agricultural use. The mismanagement of forest lands and forest resources has led to a situation where the forest is now in rapid retreat. The main aspects of the situation are: serious shortages in the supply of industrial wood; the catastrophic erosion and floods accompanying the stripping of forests from mountainous land; the acute shortages of fuel wood in much of the developing world; the spread of desert conditions at an alarming rate in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world; and the many environmental effects of the destruction of tropical rainforests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain forest An extensive area of woodland that is found at natural elevations usually higher than 2000 feet. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state forest Forest owned and managed by the State. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Mediterranean forest Type of forest found in the Mediterranean area comprising mainly xerophilous evergreen trees. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private forest No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts timber forest Forest whose trees are all in the adult stage and have reached the reproductive period. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maquis A low evergreen shrub formation, usually found on siliceous soils in the Mediterranean lands where winter rainfall and summer drought are the characteristic climate features. It consists of a profusion of aromatic species, such as lavender, myrtle, oleander and rosemary and often includes abundant spiny shrubs. It has been suggested that the maquis is a secondary vegetation, occupying the lands cleared of their natural evergreen oak forests by human activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dry lawn No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nursery garden Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest protection Branch of forestry concerned with the prevention and control of damage to forests arising from the action of people or livestock, of pests and abiotic agents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural regeneration The replacement by an organism of tissues or organs which have been lost or severely injured. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resinous plant Plants yielding or producing resin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coppice with standards A traditional system of woodland management whereby timber trees are grown above a coppiced woodland. It is used in particular as a method of exploiting oakwoods, in which all the trees except a rather open network of tall, well-formed oaks - the standards at about fifty per hectare - are felled, leaving plenty of space for hazels and other underwood to grow and be coppiced at intervals of ten to fifteen years. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts game (play) An amusement or pastime; diversion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts big game Large wild animals that weigh typically more than 30 lb when fully grown, hunted for food, sport or profit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts shellfish farming Raising of shellfish in inland waters, estuaries or coastal waters, for commercial purposes. All commercial shellfish beds producing bivalve molluscs must be monitored for microbial contamination. Samples of water and shellfish flesh must be tested for the presence of algal toxins. Periodic monitoring of fish and shellfish must be carried out to check for the presence of contaminants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oyster farming There are two types of oyster farming: suspension culture, in which oysters are grown off bottom, in floating trays, is a labor-intensive form of cultivation that requires continuous tending and cleaning of both gear and shellfish, and bottom culture, which is similar to conventional crop farming on land; it involves selecting areas of the sea floor that provide a natural food supply, necessary currents, minimum exposure to predators, and proper temperature and then "seeding" the bottom with shellfish stock that are left to grow to market size. Then they are harvested with a bottom drag from a boat. Both suspension culture and bottom culture depend on natural food supplies for growing the shellfish being raised. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercial fishery Such fisheries belong to one of two groups: one catching demersal (bottom-living) fish, e.g. cod, haddock, plaice, sole; the other catching pelagic (surface-living) fish, e.g. anchovy, tuna, herring. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national fishing reserve Limited portion of a water body belonging to the State where angling is allowed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts socioeducational activity Instruction or events designed to offer learning or cultural experiences to populations without access to traditional educational institutions due to social or economic barriers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts competitive examination A test given to a candidate for a certificate or a position and concerned typically with problems to be solved, skills to be demonstrated, or tasks to be performed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts continuing education Various forms, methods, and processes of formal and informal education for the continued learning of all ages and categories of the general public. Oriented toward the continued learning/developmental processes of the individual throughout life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts initial training Any education, instruction or discipline occurring at the beginning of an activity, task, occupation or life span. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pedagogy The principles, practice, or profession of teaching. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental occupation Gainful employment or job-related activity pertaining to ecological concerns, including the preservation of natural resources and the integrity of the ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public function Activity carried out for the benefit of the community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organisation of work The coordination or structuring of work practices and production processes in order to influence the way jobs are designed and performed in the workplace. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leisure centre A building containing a swimming pool and a large room or other places where you can play sports. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts community facility Buildings, equipment and services provided for a community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cycle path Part of the road or a special path for the use of people riding bicycles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ski run A trail, slope, or course for skiing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts touristic route An established or selected course for travel consisting, typically, of secondary roads with significant scenic, cultural, historic, geological or natural features and including vistas, rest areas, and interpretive sites matching the scenic characteristics of the course. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecomuseum A private, non-profit facility where plants and animals can be viewed in a natural outdoor setting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts folklore The traditional and common beliefs, practices and customs of a people, which are passed on as a shared way of life, often through oral traditions such as folktales, legends, anecdotes, proverbs, jokes and other forms of communication. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public attendance No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tourist attendance No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts country lodge A small house or a hut located in the countryside. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lodging Provision of accommodation for rest or for residence in a room or rooms or in a dwelling place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public The community or people in general or a part or section of the community grouped because of a common interest or activity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts path A route or track between one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seaside footpath A route or track running along the coast. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts educational path A guided trail, designed to explain to children a piece of countryside, the type of soil, flora, fauna, etc. Such trails may be self-guiding, using either explanatory notices set up at intervals or numbered boards referring to a printed leaflet: in other cases parties may be led by a demonstrator or warden. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seaside resort A place near the sea where people spend their holidays and enjoy themselves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain resort A place in the mountains where people spend their holidays and enjoy themselves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts winter sports resort Resort where sports held in the open air on snow or ice, especially skiing are practiced. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts touristic unit No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts all-terrain vehicle A land carriage so constructed that it can be used on any kind of road or rough terrain and can be operated for many purposes, such as carrying goods, transporting the injured, conveying passengers, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts population density The number of people relative to the space occupied by them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts young Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts active population The number of people available and eligible for employment within a given enterprise, region or nation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts time allocation The act of assigning various hours of one's day, week or year to particular activities, especially those falling within the categories of work and leisure. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts durable goods Goods which have a reasonably long life and which are not generally consumed in use: e.g. refrigerator. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-durable goods A good bought by consumers that tends to last for less than a year. Common examples are food and clothing. The notable thing about nondurable goods is that consumers tend to continue buying them regardless of the ups and downs of the business cycle. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts goods A term of variable content and meaning. It may include every species of personal chattels or property. Items of merchandise, supplies, raw materials, or finished goods. Land is excluded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts goods and services The total of economic assets, including both physical or storable objects and intangible acts of human assistance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts time budget Determining or planning for allotment of time in hours, days, weeks, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts living environment External conditions or surroundings in which people live or work. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts product life cycle A product life cycle includes the following phases: acquisition of raw materials, production, packaging, distribution, use, recyling, and disposal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecolabel A mark, seal or written identification attached or affixed to products that provides specific ecological information allowing consumers to make comparisons with other similar products, or instructions on how to safely use or properly recycle or dispose of both products and packaging. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quality certification The formal assertion in writing that a commodity, service or other product has attained a recognized and relatively high grade or level of excellence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts living standard A measurement of the development level in a country or community, gauged by factors such as personal income, education, life expectancy, food consumption, health care, technology and the use of natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts supply and demand The relationship between the amount or quantity of a commodity that is available for purchase and the desire or ability of consumers to buy or purchase the commodity, which, in theory, determines the commodity's price in a free market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecological inequality Any imbalance or disparity among inhabitants of the same living environment deemed inappropriate, unjust or detrimental to that environment's integrity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social inequality Unequal rewards or opportunities for different individuals within a group or groups within a society. If equality is judged in terms of legal equality, equality of opportunity, or equality of outcome, then inequality is a constant feature of the human condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts myth A traditional or legendary story, usually dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, heroes or events, that is with or without determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, but is used to explain some practice, rite or phenomenon of nature, or to justify the existence of a social institution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts NIMBY aptitude Not In My BackYard: phrase used to describe people who encourage the development of agriculture land for building houses or factories, provided it is not near where they themselves are living. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social psychology Study of the effects of social structure on cognition and behavior, of processes of face-to-face interaction, and of the negotiation of social order. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social representation A system of values, ideas and practices established to orient individuals in their community and culture and to provide them with naming, classification and communication codes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts feeling for nature A consciousness, sensibility or sympathetic perception of the physical world and its scenery in their uncultivated state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts socioeconomics Economic and social structure of communities, tax rates, characteristic types of development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts access to administrative documents The legal right of access to administrative documents or the opportunity to avail oneself of the same. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative deed Any formal and legitimate step taken or decision made on matters of policy by a chief or other top-level officer within an organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts territorial government An administrative body or system in which political direction or control is exercised over a designated area or an administrative division of a city, county or larger geographical area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decision making support Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts minister competence The skill, knowledge, qualification, capacity or authority associated with the chief of an administrative department or other high ranking official selected by the head of state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts citizen A native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance, bears responsibilities and obtains rights, including protection, from the government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local government An administrative body or system in which political direction and control is exercised over the community of a city, town or small district. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts territorial community An infrastructure, body of people or homogenous constituency that is physically situated in a localized exurban area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts parliamentary debate Formal discussion or dispute on a particular matter among the members of the parliament. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motivation of administrative acts The underlying reason or cause, a psychological or social factor, that incites or stimulates managers, executives or supervisors to complete tasks that achieve organizational or company goals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic plan A design, scheme or project pertaining to the production, distribution and use of income, wealth and commodities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subsidiary principle The fundamental doctrine or tenet that policy making decisions should be made at the most decentralized level, in which a centralized governing body would not take action unless it it is more effective than action taken at a lower government level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial aid The transfer of funds from developed to underdeveloped countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international assistance Economic, military, technical or financial aid or support given to nations or countries in need, often from other governments or international or intergovernmental organizations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public aid Government aid in the form of monies or food stamps to the poor, disabled, aged or to dependent children. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national accounting Organised method of recording all business transactions in the national economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts satellite account A separate financial record or statement that discloses financial activity in a particular area and supplements existing financial records. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts household expenditure Any spending done by a person living alone or by a group of people living together in shared accommodation and with common domestic expenses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public expenditure Spending by national or local government, government-owned firms or quasi-autonomous non-government organizations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intervention fund Money or financial resources set aside to interpose or interfere in any business affair in order to affect an outcome. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial fund Monetary resources set aside for some purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Monetary Fund Fund organized by the European Monetary System in which members of the European Community deposit reserves to provide a pool of resources to stabilize exchange rates and to finance balance of payments in support of the pending full European Monetary Union. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts International Monetary Fund An international organization established in 1944, affiliated with the United Nations that acts as an international bank facilitating the exchange of national currencies and providing loans to member nations. It also evaluates the performance of the economies of the world's countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic incentive Rewards or penalties offered by government or management to induce an economic sector, company or group of workers to act in such a way as to produce results that plan objectives or policy goals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incentive tax Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gross domestic product The total output of goods and services produced by a national economy in a given period, usually a year, valued at market prices. It is gross, since no allowance is made, for the value of replacement capital goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exceptional tax Compulsory charges levied by a government unit in special or unique instances for the purpose of raising revenue to pay for services or improvements for the general public benefit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts process analysis Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts audit The periodic or continuous verification of the accounts, assets and liabilities of a company or other organization, often to confirm compliance with legal and professional standards. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural heritage assessment Evaluation of the natural structures, resources and landscapes to ensure their careful management and preservation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water cost The value or the amount of money exchanged for the production and sustained supply of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecomarketing The buying, selling, advertising, shipping, and storing of goods in compliance with ecological principles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts patrimonial management A type of leadership and management style attempting to gain the loyalty and support of subordinates by excessively providing for their needs and interests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution control investment Securities held for the production of income in the form of interest and dividends with the aim of controlling or reducing pollution or substances in the environment deemed harmful to human health and natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environment market Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antipollution premium A prize or bonus given as an inducement or reward for efforts to reduce the presence of pollution or substances in the environment deemed harmful to human health or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water pricing Applying a monetary rate or value at which water can be bought or sold. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts theory of the environment A structured simulation or explanation based on observation, experimentation and reasoning that seeks to demonstrate, characterize or explain the actions and interactions of the total surrounding conditions of a given system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trade activity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local development A stage of growth or advancement in any aspect of a community that is defined by or restricted to a particular and usually small district or area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market study The gathering and studying of data to determine the projection of demand for an item or service. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts free trade Trade which is unimpeded by tariffs, import and export quotas and other measures which obstruct the free movement of goods and services between states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts less developed country One of the world's poorest nations, typically small in area and population, with low per capita incomes, literacy levels and medical standards, subsistence agriculture and a lack of exploitable minerals and competitive industries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts North-South relationship The connections, associations or involvement of developed nations, found predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere, with developing nations, found predominantly in the Southern Hemisphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts calculation The act, process or result of calculating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts density The mass of unit volume of a substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spatial distribution A distribution or set of geographic observations representing the values of behaviour of a particular phenomenon or characteristic across many locations on the surface of the Earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic data No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts index A list of record surrogates arranged in order of some attribute expressible in machine-orderable form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts census survey An official periodic count of a population including such information as sex, age, occupation, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statistical series An ordered sequence of data samples in numerical form used to predict or demonstrate trends through time and space. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts opinion survey The canvassing of a representative sample of a large group of people on some question in order to determine the general opinion of a group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rate The amount of change in some quantity during a time interval divided by the length of the time interval. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seasonal variation In time series, that part of the movement which is assigned to the effect of the seasons on the year. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific committee An organized group of persons elected or appointed to discuss scientific matters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific dispute No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts applied research Research directed toward using knowledge gained by basic research to make things or to create situations that will serve a practical or utilitarian purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scientific research Systematic investigation to establish facts or principles concerning a specific scientific subject. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agronomy The principles and procedures of soil management and of field crop and special-purpose plant improvement, management, and production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agrosystem Ecosystem dominated by the continuous agricultural intervention of man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural disaster Violent, sudden and destructive change in the environment either affecting or caused by land cultivation or the raising of crops or livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural undervaluation The underrating or diminishing in value of agricultural or farming goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural development Any course destined to promote economic growth, modernization, increase in agricultural production and the creation of a framework in which to fulfill primary needs, such as education, health and supply of water in the rural areas. The attainment of such objectives depends in general on the type of administrative systems proposed for the various programmes and on the national political situation as regards, for instance land tenure, agrarian reform, the disbursement of assistance and food policy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural hydraulics Science and technology involved in the management of water resources, in the control of erosion and in the removal of unwanted water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts farming technique The business, art, or skill of agriculture. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forage crop Cultivation of crops for consumption by livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market gardening The business of growing fruit and vegetables on a commercial scale. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts seed (product) A fertilized ovule containing an embryo which forms a new plant upon germination. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crop treatment Use of chemicals in order to avoid damage of crops by insects or weeds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phytosanitary treatment Removal of heavy metals from water by the employment of plants or treatment by which plant organisms act to degrade hazardous organic contaminants or transform hazardous inorganic contaminants to environmentally safe levels in soils, subsurface materials, water, sludges, and residues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aviculture The raising, keeping, and care of birds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts breeding technique Term referring to the systems employed in animal rearing (extensive and intensive). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transhumance The seasonal migration of livestock to suitable grazing grounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral conditioner Any naturally occurring inorganic substances with a definite chemical composition and usually of crystalline structure, such as rocks, which are used to stabilize soil, improving its resistance to erosion, texture and permeability. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts draining The removal of water from a marshy area by artificial means, e.g. the introduction of drains. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts slash and burn culture A traditional farming system that has been used by generations of farmers in tropical forests and the savannah of north and east Africa. It is known to be an ecologically sound form of cultivation, and because the soil is poor in tropical rain forests it is a sustainable method of farming. It is still practised today, primarily in the developing countries. Small areas of bush or forests are cleared and the smaller trees burned. This unlocks the nutrients in the vegetation and gives the soil fertilizer that is easily taken up by plants. A few years later the soil is degraded and the farmer moves on to do the same at another site. The original ground is left fallow for anything up to 20 years so that the forest can regenerate. With the growth in population and in the subsequent need for more farming land to produce food, the method is increasingly being used today to clear large areas of tropical forests for cattle ranching, and in most cases the ground is not left fallow for long enough and, with modern mechanized farming systems, not enough tree stumps or suitable habitats for plant life are left to start the regeneration process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chalk A soft, pure, earthy, fine-textured, usually white to light gray or buff limestone of marine origin, consisting almost wholly (90-99%) of calcite, formed mainly by shallow-water accumulation of calcareous tests of floating microorganisms (chiefly foraminifers) and of comminuted remains of calcareous algae (such as cocoliths and rhabdoliths), set in a structureless matrix of very finely crystalline calcite. The rock is porous, somewhat friable, and only slightly coherent. It may include the remains of bottom-dwelling forms (e.g. ammonites, echinoderms, and pelecypods), and nodules of chert and pyrite. The best known and most widespread chalks are of Cretaceous age, such as those exposed in cliffs on both sides of the English Channel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogenous fertiliser Fertilizer materials, natural or synthesized, containing nitrogen available for fixation by vegetation, such as potassium nitrate or ammonium nitrate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts phosphatic fertiliser Fertilizer compound or mixture containing available (soluble) phosphate; examples are phosphate rock (phosphorite), superphosphates or triple superphosphates, nitrophosphate, potassium phosphate, or N-P-K mixtures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts potassium fertiliser A chemical fertilizer containing potassium. Potassium (K) is required by all plant and animal life. Plants require potassium for photosynthesis, osmotic regulation and the activation of enzyme systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purification through the soil The act or process in which a section of the ground is freed from pollution or any type of contamination, often through natural processes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil leaching The removal of water or any soluble constituents from the soil. Leaching often occurs with soil constituents such as nitrate fertilizers with the result that nitrates end up in potable waters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral matter Inorganic materials having a distinct chemical composition, characteristic crystalline structure, colour, and hardness. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic matter Plant and animal residue that decomposes and becomes a part of the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drainage system A surface stream, or a body of impounded surface water, together with all other such streams and water bodies that are tributary to it and by which a region is drained. An artificial drainage system includes also surface and subsurface conduits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts irrigation system A system of man-made channels for supplying water to land to allow plants to grow. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil salinity Measurement of the quantity of mineral salts found in a soil. Many semi-arid and arid areas are naturally salty. By definition they are areas of substantial water deficit where evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation. Thus, whereas in humid areas there is sufficient water to percolate through the soil and to leach soluble materials from the soil and the rocks into the rivers and hence into the sea, in deserts this is not the case. Salts therefore tend to accumulate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agronomic value The monetary or material worth at which buyers and sellers agree to do business for agricultural goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain management Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural management and planning The activity or process of overseeing and preparing for the future physical arrangement and condition of any agricultural or pastoral area, which may involve protecting and developing natural and human resources that affect an area's economic vitality. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts touristic activity management The administration, promotion, organization and planning for the business or industry of providing information, transportation, entertainment, accommodations and other services to travelers or visitors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forestry unit Any entity or group of individuals involved with the creation, management and conservation of an extensive area of woodland, often to produce products and benefits such as timber, clean water, biodiversity and recreation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts equipment plan A formulated or systematic method for the supply of material necessities such as tools, gear, provisions or furnishings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts approach The way or means of entry or access. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts railway station A place along a route or line at which a train stops to pick up or let off passengers or goods, especially with ancillary buildings and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bus station A place along a route or line at which a bus stops for fuel or to pick up or let off passengers or goods, especially with ancillary buildings and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road construction material The aggregation of components used for building streets, highways and other routes, such as asphalt, concrete, brick, sand and gravel. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts engineering work No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts railway network The whole system of railway distribution in a country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road network The system of roads through a country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts navigation The science or art of conducting ships or aircraft from one place to another, esp. the method of determining position, course, and distance travelled over the surface of the earth by the principles of geometry and astronomy and by reference to devices (as radar beacons or instruments) designed as aids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts merchant shipping Transportation of persons and goods by means of ships travelling along fixed navigation routes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combined transport Transport in which more than one carrier is used, e.g. road, rail and sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban community Body of people living in a town or city. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban development document A written or printed text furnishing proposals or procedures for the improvement of living conditions, especially housing, for the inhabitants of a city or densely populated area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts periurban space Any expanse of land or region located on the outskirts of a city or town. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts single family dwelling An unattached dwelling unit inhabited by an adult person plus one or more related persons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land use plan The key element of a comprehensive plan; describes the recommended location and intensity of development for public and private land uses, such as residential, commercial, industrial, recreational and agricultural. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban planning and development The activity or process of preparing for the future arrangement and condition of an urban center, particularly the development of its physical lay-out, which would include the construction, reconstruction, conversion, alteration or enlargement of buildings and other structures, and the extension or use of undeveloped land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land use regime Relation existing between the landowner and the tenant farmer who cultivates the land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts new town Any of several recent urban developments that constitute small and essentially self-sufficient cities with a planned ordering of residential, industrial, and commercial development. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pre-emption zone Areas that are subject to the pre-emption right which is a privilege accorded by the government to the actual settler upon a certain limited portion of the public domain, to purchase such tract at a fixed price to the exclusion of all other applicants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land-management intervention area Any expanse of land which requires a person or agency with authority to interpose or interfere in how it is used or administrated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural architecture No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traditional architecture No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building destruction The tearing down of buildings by mechanical means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal engineering Branch of engineering dealing with the form and functions of urban areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building restoration The accurate reestablishment of the form and details of a building, its artifacts, and the site on which it is located, usually as it appeared at a particular time. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statutory declaration A declaration made in a prescribed form before a justice of the peace, notary public, or other person authorized to administer an oath. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quality standard Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European standard A standard which has been approved pursuant to the statutes of the standards bodies with which the Community has concluded agreements. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ISO standard Documented agreements containing technical specifications or other precise criteria to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics, to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technical regulation A government or management prescribed rule that provides detailed or stringent requirements, either directly or by referring to or incorporating the content of a standard, technical specification or code of practice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts codification The process of collecting and arranging systematically, usually by subject, the laws of a state or country, or the rules and regulations covering a particular area or subject of law or practice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts doctrine (law) A rule, principle, theory, or tenet of the law, as the doctrine of merger, the doctrine of relation, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transport law Rules concerning the movement of goods or persons by sea, railway or road. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural law A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by a government pertaining to matters of importance to residents of sparsely populated regions, especially agricultural and other economic issues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal rights Just claims, legal guarantees or moral principles accorded to sentient, non-human species, including freedom from abuse, consumption, experimentation, use as clothing or performing for human entertainment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rights of future generations The moral, legal or ethical claims of posterity on present people, based on the recognition that the young and unborn are vulnerable to contemporary decision-making, especially decisions having long-term effect on the societies and environment they inherit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts citizen rights Rights recognized and protected by law, pertaining to the members of a state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts notice Factual information, advice or a written warning communicated to a person by an authorized source, often conveyed because of a legal or administrative rule requiring transmission of such information to all concerned parties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts circular mail A memorandum, letter or notice in either paper or electronic format distributed widely throughout an organization or to a general list of interested parties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Community ruling Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts order 1) A direction or command of a court. In this sense it is often used synonymously with judgment. 2) The document bearing the seal of the court recording its judgment in a case. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative instructions Education in the theories and practices of managing an office, business or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technical instruction The education, instruction, or discipline pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law (corpus of rules) A body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority, and having binding legal force. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hunting licence Official permission granted to individuals or commercial enterprises allowing and regulating by time, location, species, size or amount the wild animals or game that can be killed and taken from lands within a particular jurisdiction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building permit Authorization required by local governmental bodies for the erection of an enclosed structure or for the major alteration or expansion of an existing edifice. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing licence Official permission granted to individuals or commercial enterprises allowing and regulating by time, location, species, size or amount the fish that can be caught from rivers, lakes or ocean waters within a particular jurisdiction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law draft The form in which proposed statutes, resolutions or special acts are introduced into a legislative body, before they are enacted or passed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regulation The act of regulating; a rule or order prescribed for management or government; a regulating principle; a precept. Rule of order prescribed by superior or competent authority relating to action on those under its control. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transposition of directive Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts concession Any rebate, abatement, voluntary grant of or a yielding to a demand or claim, typically made by a government or controlling authority to an individual or organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public discussion Consideration, commentary by argument or informal debate on some issue that is open and of concern to the general populace. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts declaration of public utility Administrative Act giving the right to take private property for public use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private domain Generally, land and water owned by individuals or corporations as opposed to the state; in French civil law, any government property capable of being owned by non-public entities, which cannot be seized and which is restricted to the stipulated ownership and use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public waterways domain Rivers, canals and lakes owned by the state as opposed to individuals or corporations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public maritime domain eas or ocean areas owned by the state as opposed to individuals or corporations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts right of access Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public benefit inquiry An investigation, especially a formal one conducted into a matter of public utility by a body constituted for that purpose by a government, local authority, or other organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public inquiry An investigation, especially a formal one conducted into a matter of public utility by a body constituted for that purpose by a government, local authority, or other organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts delegated management The process of assigning or transferring authority, decision making or a specific administrative function from one entity to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts state control The power or authority of a government to regulate or command industry, organizations, programs, initiatives and individuals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts easement The rights of use over the property of another; a burden on a piece of land causing the owner to suffer access by another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crime Any act done in violation of those duties which an individual owes to the community, and for the breach of which the law has provided that the offender shall make satisfaction to the public. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts police power Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts criminal law procedure The rules of law governing the procedure by which crimes are investigated, prosecuted, adjudicated, and punish. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts judgement (sentence) The official and authentic decision of a court of justice upon the respective rights and claims of the parties to an action or suit therein litigated and submitted to its determination. The final decision of the court resolving the dispute and determining the rights and obligations of the parties. The law's last word in a judicial controversy, it being the final determination by a court of the rights of the parties upon matters submitted to it in an action or proceeding. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts conflict A state of opposition or disagreement between ideas, interests, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts litigation A judicial contest, a judicial controversy, a suit at law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative court (administration) An independent, specialized judicial tribunal in which judges or officials are authorized by a government agency to conduct hearings and render decisions in proceedings between the government agency and the persons, businesses or other organizations that it regulates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Court of Justice of the European Communities Institution set up under Treaty of Rome to ensure that in interpretation and application of the Treaty the law is observed. It consists of judges from each member state, appointed for 6-year periods, assisted by three Advocates General. It sits in Luxembourg, expressing itself in judgements when called upon to do so in proceedings initiated by member states, institutions of the EC and natural or legal persons. Procedures are generally inquisitorial. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts justice The correct application of law as opposed to arbitrariness. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trial A judicial examination and determination of issues between parties to action; whether they need issues of law or of fact. A judicial examination, in accordance with law of the land, of a cause, either civil or criminal, of the issues between the parties, whether of law or fact, before a court that has proper jurisdiction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts court An organ of the government, belonging to the judicial department, whose function is the application of the laws to controversies brought before it and the public administration of justice. The presence of a sufficient number of the members of such a body regularly convened in an authorized place at an appointed time, engaged in the full and regular performance of its functions. A body in the government to which the administration of justice is delegated. A body organized to administer justice, and including both judge and jury. An incorporeal, political being, composed of one or more judges, who sit at fixed times and places, attended by proper officers, pursuant to lawful authority, for the administration of justice. An organized body with defined powers, meeting at certain times and places for the hearing and decision of causes and other matters brought before it, and aided in this, its proper business, by its proper officers, attorneys and counsel to present and manage the business, clerks to record and attest its acts and decisions, and ministerial officers to execute its commands, and secure due order in its proceedings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lease Any agreement which gives rise to relationship of landlord and tenant (real property) or lessor and lessee (real or personal property). Contract for exclusive possession of lands or tenements for determinate period. Contract for possession and profits of lands and tenements either for life, or for certain period of time, or during the pleasure of the parties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts certification The formal assertion in writing of some fact. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts homologation The approval given by the judge of certain acts and agreements for the purpose of rendering them more binding and executory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts notification Information concerning a fact, actually communicated to a person by an authorized person. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pre-emption The right of first refusal to purchase land in the event that the grantor of the right should decide to sell. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prescription Acquisition of a personal right to use a way, water, light and air by reason of continuous usage. Prescription is a peremptory and perpetual bar to every species of action, real or personal, when creditor has been silent for a certain time without urging his claim. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts repression The act, as by power or authority, of arresting or inhibiting the communication of ideas or facts as expressed in a practice, movement, publication or piece of evidence in a court proceeding. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts devolution The act of assigning or entrusting authority, powers or functions to another as deputy or agent, typically to a subordinate in the administrative structure of an organization or institution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant flow The forward continuous motion or diffusion of polluting substances, or the rate or quantity in which polluting substances move from one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean-air interface The sea and the atmosphere are fluids in contact with one another, but in different energy states - the liquid and the gaseous. The free surface boundary between them inhibits, but by no means totally prevents, exchange of mass and energy between the two. Almost all interchanges across this boundary occur most effectively when turbulent conditions prevail. A roughened sea surface, large differences in properties between the water and the air, or an unstable air column that facilitates the transport of air volumes from sea surface to high in the atmosphere. Both heat and water (vapor) tend to migrate across the boundary in the direction from sea to air. Heat is exchanged by three processes: radiation, conduction, and evaporation. The largest net exchange is through evaporation, the process of transferring water from sea to air by vaporization of the water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollutant migration Uncontrolled movement, caused by percolation or other processes, of liquid or gaseous polluting materials from an original source area into other parts of an ecosystem. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incidental pollution Pollution caused by oil spills, by the accidental release of radioactive substances, by the immission in water bodies or in the atmosphere of chemical substances deriving from industrial activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bacteriological pollution Contamination of water, soil and air with pathogen bacteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts diffuse pollution Pollution from widespread activities with no one discrete source, e.g. acid rain, pesticides, urban run-off etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts domestic pollution Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral pollution Pollution deriving from all classes of mining operations and having an adverse effect on aquatic life, water supplies and the recreational use of waters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic pollution Pollution caused by animal or plant material derived from living and dead organisms that may contain pathogenic bacteria and negatively influences the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photochemical pollution Air pollution containing ozone and other reactive chemical compounds formed by the action of sunlight on nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, especially those in automobile exhaust. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land-based marine pollution Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts toxic pollution Pollution by toxic substances that produce a harmful effect on living organisms by physical contact, ingestion, or inhalation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river disposal Discharge of solid, liquid or gaseous waste into a river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underground disposal The discharge, dumping or emission of wastes below the surface of the soil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban pollutant Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prevention measure Measures taken in advance to prevent the occurrence of disasters or similar emergencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protective measure Any precautionary action, procedure or installation conceived or undertaken to guard or defend from harm persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts strong acidity High degree of ionization of an acid in water solution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biomarker A normal metabolite that, when present in abnormal concentrations in certain body fluids, can indicate the presence of a particular disease or toxicological condition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological contamination The presence in the environment of living organisms or agents derived by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and mammal and bird antigens that can cause many health effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical contamination The addition or presence of chemicals to, or in, another substance to such a degree as to render it unfit for its intended purpose. Also refers to the result(s) of such an addition or presence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological effect of pollution Effects of pollution on living systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts irreversibility of the phenomenon That quality of a process that precludes a prior state from being attained again. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quality objective Any goal or target established for a product, service or endeavor that aspires to attain a relatively high grade or level of excellence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts solid particle Any tiny or very small mass of material that has a definite volume and shape and resists forces that would alter its volume or shape. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts purifying power Regenerative capacity of a system, of soils, water, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sensor The generic name for a device that senses either the absolute value or a change in a physical quantity such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, or pH, or the intensity of light, sound, or ratio waves and converts that change into a useful input signal for an information-gathering system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts instrumentation Designing, manufacturing, and utilizing physical instruments or instrument systems for detection, observation, measurement, automatic control, automatic computation, communication, or data processing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metrology The science of measurement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts observation satellite Man-made device that orbits the earth, receiving, processing and transmitting signals and generating images such as weather pictures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atrazine Herbicide belonging to the triazine group, widely employed and particularly in maize crops. It is highly toxic for phytoplancton and freshwater algae and, being highly soluble in water, it easily contaminates aquifers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organic nitrogen Essential nutrient of the food supply of plants and the diets of animals. Animals obtain it in nitrogen-containing compounds, particularly aminoacids. Although the atmosphere is nearly 80% gaseous nitrogen, very few organisms have the ability to use it in this form. The higher plants normally obtain it from the soil after microorganisms have converted the nitrogen into ammonia or nitrates, which they can then absorb. This conversion of nitrogen, known as nitrogen fixation, is essential for the formation of amino acids which, in turn, are the building blocks of proteins. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts halogenated compound A substance containing halogen atoms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sulphur monoxide A gas at ordinary temperatures; produces an orange-red deposit when cooled to temperatures of liquid air; prepared by passing an electric discharge through a mixture of sulfur vapor and sulfur dioxide at low temperature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pyralene Chemical compound belonging to the polychlorinated biphenyls family, used in the production of electrical equipment which requires dielectric fluid such as power transformers and capacitors, as well as in hydraulic machinery, vacuum pumps, compressors and heat-exchanger fluids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts asbestosis A non-malignant progressive, irreversible, lung disease, characterized by diffuse fibrosis, resulting from the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genotoxicity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intoxication The state of being poisoned; the condition produced by a poison which may be swallowed, inhaled, injected, or absorbed through the skin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological test The laboratory determination of the effects of substances upon specific living organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts total organic carbon The amount of carbon covalently bound in organic compounds in a water sample. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical degradation The act or process of simplifying or breaking down a molecule into smaller parts, either naturally or artificially. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts laboratory test Tests, examinations or evaluations performed in a laboratory. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotic index Scale for showing the quality of an environment by indicating the types of organisms present in it (e.g. how clean a river is). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oxidisable material Substance that can undergo a chemical reaction with oxygen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dissolved oxygen The amount of oxygen dissolved in a stream, river or lake is an indication of the degree of health of the stream and its ability to support a balanced aquatic ecosystem. The oxygen comes from the atmosphere by solution and from photosynthesis of water plants. The maximum amount of oxygen that can be held in solution in a stream is termed the saturation concentration and, as it is a function of temperature, the greater the temperature, the less the saturation amount. The discharge of an organic waste to a stream imposes an oxygen demand on the stream. If there is an excessive amount of organic matter, the oxidation of waste by microorganisms will consume oxygen more rapidly than it can be replenished. When this happens, the dissolved oxygen is depleted and results in the death of the higher forms of life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photodegradation The capability of being decomposed by prolonged exposure to light. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insoluble substance Substance incapable of forming a solution, especially in water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-volatile substance Substance that is not capable of changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts weakly degradable substance A substance that is not easily converted to another, usually less complex compound. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volatile substance A substance capable of readily changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour; having a high vapour pressure and a low boiling point. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical corrosivity The tendency of a metal to wear away another by chemical attack. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physicochemical analysis Analysis based on the physical changes associated with chemical reactions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts experimental study Study based on experimentation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts granulometry 1) The determination of the different grain size in a granular material. 2) The proportion by weight of particles of different sizes in granular material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drawing To cause to discharge from an abscess or wound or to obtain a sample of tissue or organic liquid for examination. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chemical product A substance characterized by definite molecular composition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flammable product Material having the ability to generate a sufficient concentration of combustible vapors to produce a flame, if ignited. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organoleptic property Properties that can be perceived by sense organs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hearing system The system that is concerned with the perception of sound, is mediated through the organ of Corti of the ear in mammals or through corresponding sensory receptors of the lagena in lower vertebrates, is normally sensitive in man to sound vibrations between 16 and 27.000 cycles per second but most receptive to those between 2.000 and 5.000 cycles per second, is conducted centrally by the cochlear branch of the auditory nerve, and is coordinated especially in the medial geniculate body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cardiovascular system Those structures, including the heart and blood vessels, which provide channels for the flow of blood. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts enterovirus Any of a subgroup of the picornaviruses infecting the gastrointestinal tract and discharged in feces, including coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and polioviruses; may be involved in respiratory disease, meningitis, and neurological disease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal biology The scientific study of the natural processes of animals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts plant biology The scientific study of the natural processes of plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetic pool The total number of genes or the amount of genetic information possessed by all the reproductive members of a population of sexually reproducing organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hearing acuity Effectiveness of hearing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decibel A unit used to express relative difference on power, usually between acoustic or electric signals, equal to ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of the two level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustical quality The characteristics of a confined space that determines its ability to enable music and speech to be heard clearly within it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise spectrum The range of frequencies occurring in the noise emitted by a source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mechanical vibration A motion, usually unintentional and often undesirable, of parts of machines and structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts airborne noise Noise caused by the movement of large volumes of air and the use of high-pressure air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts background noise Noise coming from source other than the noise source being monitored. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rolling noise Deeply resounding, reverberating noise caused by the friction between car tyres and road surfaces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts neighbourhood noise General noise from a local source (such as the noise of a factory) which is disturbing to people living in the area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts acoustic comfort Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise exposure plan A formulated or systematic method to prevent the effects of being subjected to loud or harsh sounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tidal power station Power station where the generation of power is provided by the ebb and flow of the tides. The principle is that water collected at high tide behind a barrage is released at low tide to turn a turbine that, in turn, drives a generator. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydroelectric energy The free renewable source of energy provided by falling water that drives the turbines. Hydropower is the most important of the regenerable energy sources because of its highest efficiency at the energy conversion. There are two types of hydroelectric power plants: a) run-of-river power plants for the use of affluent water; b) storage power plants (power stations with reservoir) where the influx can be regulated with the help of a reservoir. Mostly greater differences in altitudes are being used, like mountain creeks. Power stations with reservoirs are generally marked by barrages with earth fill dam or concrete dams. Though hydropower generally can be called environmentally acceptable, there exist also some problems: a) change of groundwater level and fill up of the river bed with rubble. b) Risk of dam breaks. c) Great demand for land space for the reservoir. d) Diminution, but partly also increase of value of recreation areas. As the hydropowers of the world are limited, the world energy demand however is rising, finally the share of hydropower will decrease. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts small power station Power station of small size for the generation of energy at local level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water mill A mill whose power is provided by a large wheel which is turned by moving water, especially a river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts power station derating The process by which a power plant is finally taken out of operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radioelement An element that is naturally radioactive. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fast reactor Nuclear reactor which produces more fissile material than it consumes, using fast-moving neutrons and making plutonium-239 from uranium-238, thereby increasing the reactor's efficiency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts contaminated area Any site or region that is damaged, harmed or made unfit for use by the introduction of unwanted substances, particularly microorganisms, chemicals, toxic and radioactive materials and wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric aerosol Particulate matter suspended in the air. The particulate matter may be in the form of dusts, fumes, or mist. Aerosols in the atmosphere are the form in which pollutants such as smoke are dispersed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biofuel A gaseous, liquid, or solid fuel that contains an energy content derived from a biological source. The organic matter that makes up living organisms provides a potential source of trapped energy that is beginning to be exploited to supply the ever-increasing energy demand around the world. An example of a biofuel is rapeseed oil, which can be used in place of diesel fuel in modified engines. The methyl ester of this oil, rapeseed methyl ester (RME), can be used in unmodified diesel engines and is sometimes known as biodiesel. Other biofuels include biogas and gasohol. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forest deterioration Reduction of tree population in forests caused by acidic precipitation, forest fires, air pollution, deforestation, pests and diseases of trees, wildlife, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ethanol A colorless liquid, miscible with water, used as a reagent and solvent. Also known as alcohol; ethyl alcohol; grain alcohol. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts motor vehicle pollution Pollution caused by gases vented to the atmosphere by internal-combustion-engine driven vehicles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric fallout The sedimentation of dust or fine particles from the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clean air car Vehicles that function without emitting pollutants in the atmosphere. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts palaeoclimatology The study of paleoclimates throughout geologic time, and of the causes of their variations, on either a local or a worldwide basis. It involves the interpretation of glacial deposits, fossils and sedimentologic and other types of data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts continental climate A climate characterized by hot summers, cold winters, and little rainfall, typical of the interior of a continent. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts desert climate A climate type which is characterized by insufficient moisture to support appreciable plant life; that is, a climate of extreme aridity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts equatorial climate Climate characterized by constant temperatures, abundant rainfall and a very short dry season. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Mediterranean climate A type of climate characterized by hot, dry, sunny summers and a winter rainy season; basically, this is the opposite of a monsoon climate. Also known as etesian climate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain climate Very generally, the climate of relatively high elevations; mountain climates are distinguished by the departure of their characteristics from those of surrounding lowlands, and the one common basis for this distinction is that of atmospheric rarefaction; aside from this, great variety is introduced by differences in latitude, elevation, and exposure to the sun; thus, there exists no single, clearly defined, mountain climate. Also known as highland climate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oceanic climate A regional climate which is under the predominant influence of the sea, that is, a climate characterized by oceanity; the antithesis of a continental climate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts temperate climate The climate of the middle latitudes; the climate between the extremes of tropical climate and polar climate. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropical climate A climate which is typical of equatorial and tropical regions, that is, one with continually high temperatures and with considerable precipitation, at least during part of the year. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric inversion A temperature inversion in the atmosphere in which the temperature, instead of falling, increases with height above the ground. With the colder and heavier air below, there is no tendency to form upward currents and turbulence is suppressed. Inversions are often formed in the late afternoon when the radiation emitted from the ground exceeds that received from the sinking sun. Inversions are also caused by katabatic winds, that is cold winds flowing down the hillside into a valley, and by anticyclones. In inversion layers, both vertical and horizontal diffusion is inhibited and pollutants become trapped, sometimes for long periods. Low-level discharges of pollutants are more readily trapped by inversions than high level dischargers, hence the case for high stacks. Furthermore, high level discharges into an inversion tend to remain at a high level because of the absence of vertical mixing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thunderstorm A storm caused by strong rising air currents and characterized by thunder and lightning and usually heavy rain or hail. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts glaze A coating of ice, generally clear and smooth but usually containing some air pockets, formed on exposed objects by the freezing of a film of supercooled water deposited by rain, drizzle, or fog, or possibly condensed from supercooled water vapour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exploitation of underground water The process of extracting underground water from a source. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water infiltration into the ground The movement of surface water into soil or rock through cracks and pores. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water table Water that occupies pores, cavities, cracks and other spaces in the crustal rocks. It includes water precipitated from the atmosphere which has percolated through the soil, water that has risen from deep magmatic sources liberated during igneous activity and fossil water retained in sedimentary rocks since their formation. The presence of groundwater is necessary for virtually all weathering processes to operate. Phreatic water is synonymous with groundwater and is the most important source of any water supply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water catchment protection Precautionary actions, procedures or installations undertaken to prevent or reduce harm to the environmental integrity of drainage areas used to catch water, such as reservoirs or basins. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water table protection Water table is inherently susceptible to contamination from landuse activities. Remediation is very expensive and often impractical. Prevention of contamination is therefore critical in effective groundwater management. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flood runoff The total quantity of water flowing from the catchment during the period of the flood. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts silting up The filling or partial filling with silt of a reservoir that receives fine-grained sediment brought in by streams and surface runoff. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrometry The science and technology of measuring specific gravities, particularly of liquids. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flood forecast The hydrological processes generating river floods have been studied extensively and several modelling concepts have been proposed. The standard procedure for flood forecasting consists of calibrating the parameters of the model of a particular river basin on a representative set of historical hydrometric data and subsequently applying this calibrated model in a real-time environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrographic network The configuration or arrangement in plan view of the natural stream courses in an area. It is related to local geologic and geomorphologic features and history. Synonym: drainage pattern. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sedimentology The scientific study of sedimentary rocks and of the processes by which they were formed; the description, classification, origin, and interpretation of sediments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrographic basin 1) The drainage basin of a stream. 2) An area occupied by a lake and its drainage basin. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bathing freshwater Freshwater in which bathing is explicitly authorised or in which bathing is not prohibited and is traditionally practised by a large number of bathers. Water in such areas must meet specified quality standards relating to chemical, microbiological and physical parameters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts demesnial water A body of water that is owned and maintained by a national governmental body or agency. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts non-demesnial water A body of water that is owned and maintained by an individual or entity other than the national government. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bog A commonly used term in Scotland and Ireland for a stretch waterlogged, spongy ground, chiefly composed of decaying vegetable matter, especially of rushes, cotton grass, and sphagnum moss. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water desalination Any mechanical procedure or process where some or all of the salt is removed from water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bathing seawater Sea waters in which bathing is explicitly authorised or in which bathing is not prohibited and is traditionally practised by a large number of bathers. Water in such areas must meet specified quality standards relating to chemical, microbiological and physical parameters. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean outfall The mouth or outlet of a river, drain, sewer or any other place at which drainage or wastewater is discharged into a body of oceanic water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ocean exploitation The utilization of the ocean for its food resources, mineral resources, and energy and water sources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts swell A regular movement of marine waves created by wind stress in the open ocean which travels considerable distances away from the generating field and into another wind field. The waves are characterized by relatively smooth, generally unbroken, crests and a fairly regular wavelength, but swell increases in wavelength and decreases in wave height as it moves away from the generating area. Local wind waves may be superimposed upon swell waves as they approach a coastline, thereby creating sharper crests and a choppy sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estuary pollution Contamination of the generally broad portion of a stream near its outlet which is influenced by the tide of the water body into which it flows. Many estuaries have become badly contaminated by wastes that have been generated from heavily populated areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts river management The administration or handling of a waterway or a stream of flowing water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flushing Removing lodged deposits of rock fragments and other debris by water flow at high velocity; used to clean water conduits and drilled boreholes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts canal lock A chamber with gates on both ends connecting two sections of a canal or other waterway, to raise or lower the water level in each section. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water weed cutting Cutting down by scythe or machine at intervals the vegetation growth and grasses on banks and berms of irrigation and drainage channels or cropped areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bank protection Engineering work which aims at the protection of banks of a river, or slopes of embankments along it, from erosion by the current of flow, from floods, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts retaining reservoir Basin used to hold water in storage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dam draining The drawing of water from a reservoir by means of draining pipes located at the bottom of the basin and controlled by a system of sluices which ensure, if necessary, the emptying of the basin in a given period of time in respect of downstream conditions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water corrosivity Complex series of reactions between the water and metal surfaces and materials in which the water is stored or transported. The corrosion process is an oxidation/reduction reaction that returns refined or processed metal to their more stable ore state. With respect to the corrosion potential of drinking water, the primary concerns include the potential presence of toxic metals , such as lead and copper. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water quality improvement Progress in, or betterment of, the environmental condition and integrity of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water taste Taste in water can be caused by foreign matter, such as organic compounds, inorganic salts or dissolved gases. These materials may come from domestic, agricultural or natural sources. Some substances found naturally in groundwater, while not necessarily harmful, may impart a disagreeable taste or undesirable property to the water. Magnesium sulphate, sodium sulphate, and sodium chloride are but a few of these. Acceptable waters should be free from any objectionable taste at point of use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green tide A proliferation of a marine green plankton toxic and often fatal to fish, perhaps stimulated by the addition of nutrients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts suspended matter Matter suspended in a fluid by the upward components of turbulent currents or by colloidal suspension. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water salinity The degree of dissolved salts in water measured by weight in parts per thousand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts catchment A structure in which water is collected. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fountain A stream of water that is forced up into the air through a small hole, especially for decorative effect or the structure in a lake or pool from which this flows. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water reservoir Artificial or natural area of water, used for storing water for domestic or industrial use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water demineralisation The removal of minerals from water by chemical, ion-exchange, or distillation procedures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts on-site wastewater treatment A process in which used or spent water is treated at the point of origin or where it was produced, by using a septic tank or some other system to remove or reduce the impact of constituent wastes on human health and the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts collective wastewater treatment Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts storm water basin Basin used to hold water which falls as rain during a storm. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rain water sewer system Channels for clearing away rain water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts separate sewer system Sewer system having distinct pipes for collecting superficial water and sewage water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts combined sewer system A sewer intended to serve as a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer, or as an industrial sewer and a storm sewer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water aeration Addition of air to sewage or water so as to raise its dissolved oxygen level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts individual wastewater treatment The process of using a natural system or mechanical device to collect, treat and discharge or reclaim wastewater from an individual dwelling without the use of community-wide sewers or a centralised treatment facility. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sedimentation basin A basin in which suspended matter is removed either by quiescent settlement or by continuous flow at high velocity and extended retention time to allow deposition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trickling filter A system of secondary sewage treatment which is similar to self-purification action of streams; it is more accurately a biological oxidizing bed; the effluent is placed on the stones in the bed and microorganisms present consume the solids as a food supply. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts used water Wastewater or utilized water from a home, community, farm or industry, which is often discharged after utilization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban wastewater The liquid wastes deriving from domestic, commercial and industrial activities of an urban settlement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste treatment effluent Partially or completely treated water or waste water flowing out of a waste treatment plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological wastewater treatment Types of wastewater treatment in which biochemical or bacterial action is intensified to oxidize and stabilize the unstable organic matter present. Examples of this type of treatment use intermittent sand filters, trickling filters, and activated sludge processes and sludge digestion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts lagooning The process in which sunlight, bacterial action and oxygen cause self-purification in waste water, Usually taking place in a shallow pond, or system of such ponds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water regeneration A process in which naturally occurring microorganisms, plants, trees or geophysical processes break down, degrade or filter out hazardous substances or pollutants from a body of water, cleansing and treating contaminated water without human intervention. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water resources management Measures and activities concerning the supply of water, the improvement of efficiency in its use, the reduction of losses and waste, water-saving practices to reduce costs and to slow the depletion of the water supply to ensure future water availability. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste sorting unit Centralized recycling centres to which waste materials are brought and where they are separated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scrap dump Area where waste material, especially metal, is dumped. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reclamation industry Industry for the transformation of solid waste into useful products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts use of waste as energy source Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts use of waste as material Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts beach cleansing The process of removing dirt, litter or other unsightly materials from shore line property or surrounding areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bulky waste Large items of waste material, such as appliances, furniture, large auto parts, trees, branches, stumps, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts alkaline battery A primary cell that uses an alkaline electrolyte, usually potassium hydroxide, and delivers about 1.5 volts at much higher current rates than the common carbon-zinc cell. Also known as alkaline-manganese cell. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electric battery A direct-current voltage source made up of one or more units that convert chemical, thermal, nuclear, or solar energy into electrical energy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution abatement waste Wastes resulting from the operations of pollutant removal from industries, cleaning processes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health-care activities waste Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts special industrial waste Discarded material produced in any industrial process for which there is no specified mode of disposal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts metal waste Metal material discarded during manufacturing or processing operations which cannot be directly fed back into the operation; Worn or discarded metal materials removed from service at the end of its useful life. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral waste Waste material resulting from ore extraction that is usually left on the soil surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wreck The hulk of a wrecked or stranded ship; a ship dashed against rocks or land and broken or otherwise rendered useless. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mineral oil Oil which derives from petroleum and is made up of hydrocarbons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts whey The watery liquid that separates from the curd when the milk is clotted, as in making cheese. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sinking of waste A manner of waste disposal in which refuse or unwanted material is dumped or submerged beneath the surface of a body of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residue of grinding Dust or other residue left after reducing a material to very small particles. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts treatment residue Material left over from the treatment of any type of waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts incineration residue Any material, solid or semisolid, left after processing in a device designed to reduce waste volume by combustion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts clearing sludge Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dehydrated sludge Sludge whose water content has been reduced by physical means. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts residual waste sludge The excess, unusable semi-solids or sediment resulting from a wastewater treatment or industrial process. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thickening Any process beyond gravity sedimentation that increases the concentration of solids in sludge with or without the use of chemical flocculants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sludge stabilisation Usually anaerobic sludge digestion, a treatment that stabilizes raw sludge. Fully digested sludge has little readily biodegradable organic matter. It is not smelly and about 50% of the solids are inorganic. Sludge can also be digested aerobically. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial activity Operations, functions and processes involved in industrial production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial wasteland Area of land which is no longer usable for cultivation or for any other purpose after having been the site of an industrial plant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts classified facility Facility that is forbidden to be disclosed outside a specified ring of secrecy for reasons of national security. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts quartering The act of dismembering the carcass of an animal with the production of organic waste which if improperly disposed cause problems of pollution and fawl smells. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts piggery A place where pigs are kept and reared. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oil production (chain) The petroleum industry is a complex industry utilizing complex combination of interdependent operations engaged in the storage and transportation, separation of crude molecular constituents, molecular cracking, molecular rebuilding and solvent finishing to produce petrochemical products. Treatment may involve oil separation, precipitation, adsorption, and biological treatment. The refining operations can be divided into four major steps: separation, conversion, treating, and blending. The crude oil is first separated into selected fractions (gasoline, kerosine, fuel oil, etc.). Some of the less valuable products such as heavy naphtha, are converted to products with a greater sale value such as gasoline. The final step is the blending of the refined base stocks with each other and various additive to meet final product specifications. The major pollutants emitted are sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and malodorous materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hydrocarbon storage tank A container or a reservoir for the storage of hydrocarbons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts drilling for oil Boring a hole for extracting oil. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aggregate extraction Extraction of crushed rock or gravel screened to sizes for use in road surfaces, concretes, or bituminous mixes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mechanical industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of enterprises is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of mechanical apparatuses for commercial or industrial usage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts timber producing chain All interrelated steps of the lumber manufacturing process including tree felling, the removal of tops, branches and bark, the piling and sawing of logs, and the transportation and loading of finished boards or other products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts packing industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biofiltration The distribution of settled sewage on a bed of inert granular material through which it is allowed to percolate. In doing so, the effluent is aerated thus allowing aerobic bacteria and fungi to reduce its biochemical oxygen demand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dechlorination Removal of chlorine from a substance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts engineering The science by which the properties of matter and the sources of power in nature are made useful to humans in structures, machines, and products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts methanisation The process of deriving methane from any source, including livestock manure, landfills, coal mines, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerobic treatment The introduction of air into sewage so as to provide aerobic biochemical stabilization during a detention period. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts anaerobic treatment Breakdown of organic material without the presence of oxygen, a treatment which permanently removes the unpleasant odour of many organic wastes so that they can be used on agricultural land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological treatment Process that uses microorganisms to decompose organic wastes either into water, carbon dioxide, and simple inorganic substances, or into simpler organic substances, such as aldehydes and acids. The purpose of a biological treatment system is to control the environment for microorganisms so that their growth and activity are enhanced, and provide a means for maintaining high concentration of the microorganisms in contact with the wastes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physicochemical treatment Any processing of wastewater, toxic substances or other materials involving a combination of physical and chemical methods, such as physical processes including air-stripping or filtration and chemical processes including coagulation, chlorination or ozonation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical treatment Processes that separate components of a waste stream or change the physical form of the waste without altering the chemical structure of the constituent materials. Physical treatment techniques are often used to separate the materials within the waste stream so that they can be reused or detoxified by chemical or biological treatment or destroyed by high-temperature incineration. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts primary treatment Removal of floating solids and suspended solids, both fine and coarse, from raw sewage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts secondary treatment Stage of the process of waste water treatment: following primary treatment by sedimentation, the second step in most wastewater systems in which biological organisms decompose most of the organic matter into a innocuous, stable form. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tertiary treatment The process which remove pollutants not adequately removed by secondary treatment, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus; accomplished by means of sand filters, microstraining, or other methods (referring to wastewater treatment). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vitrification Formation of a glassy or noncrystalline material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underground quarry Quarry located below the surface of the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geotechnics The application of scientific methods and engineering principles to civil engineering problems through acquiring, interpreting, and using knowledge of materials of the crust of the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rock mechanics The theoretical and applied science of the physical behavior of rocks, representing a "branch of mechanics concerned with the response of rock to the force fields of its physical environment". Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bush clearing The removal of brush using mechanical means, either by cutting manually or by using machinery for crushing, rolling, flailing, or chipping it, or by chemical means or a combination of these. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prevention of forest fires Precautionary actions, measures or installations implemented to avert the possibility of an unexpected conflagration of any large wooded area having a thick growth of trees and plants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flood protection Precautionary measures, equipment or structures implemented to guard or defend people, property and lands from an unusual accumulation of water above the ground. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land restoration in mountain areas Measures adopted to control erosion and degradation phenomena in the mountain regions caused by the loss of forest cover due to acid rain, uncontrolled forest cutting, winter skiing resorts construction, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts soil stability Soil stability depends on its shear strength, its compressibility and its tendency to absorb water. Stabilization methods include physical compaction and treatment with cement, lime, and bitumen. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts volcanology The branch of geology that deals with volcanism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts antiseismic regulation Rules for minimizing or containing the risks deriving from earthquakes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts civil safety Actions and measures undertaken, often at a local level, to ensure that citizens of a community are secure from harm, injury, danger or risk. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial safety Measures or techniques implemented to reduce the risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment in any facility or place involving the manufacturing, producing and processing of goods or merchandise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk exposure The situation or set of circumstances where the probability of harm to an area or its population increases beyond a normal level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hazard area Any site or region in which there is a physical or chemical agent capable of causing harm to property, persons, animals, plants or other natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technological accident An unexpected incident, failure or loss occurring through the application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce that poses potential harm to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ecocatastrophe A sudden, widespread disaster or calamity causing extensive damage to the environment that threatens the quality of life for people living in the affected area or region, potentially leading to many deaths. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear hazard Risk or danger to human health or the environment posed by radiation emanating from the atomic nuclei of a given substance, or the possibility of an uncontrolled explosion originating from a fusion or fission reaction of atomic nuclei. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts major risk installation Installations whose functioning involves the possibility of major hazards such as chemical plants, nuclear, coal and oil power production plants, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dangerous installation Installations whose functioning involves the possibility of major hazards such as chemical plants, nuclear, coal and oil power production plants, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biotechnological hazard A danger to humans, animals or the environment posed by the application of advanced biological techniques in the manufacture of industrial products, such as the risk or harm that results from exposure to infectious bacteria, viruses or fungi. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nuclear risk A risk connected to the functioning of nuclear power plants, by the storage or transportation of radioactive materials and involving the release of potentially dangerous levels of radioactive materials into the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dangerous materials transport Type of transport regulated by special safety rules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts disaster zone Zone that has been stricken by a disaster and where measures must be taken to reduce the severity of the human and material damage caused by it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts danger analysis The process of evaluating the scale and probability of harm caused by any hazard to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preventive information Data communicated or received concerning the recommended means of averting risk of an accident, disaster or other undesirable and avoidable incident. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts risk exposure plan A scheme or method of acting that takes effect if the probability of harm to an area or its population increases beyond a normal level. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts damage insurance A commercial product which provides a guarantee against damage to property in return for premiums paid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution insurance A commercial agreement which provides protection against the risks, or a particular risk, associated with pollution, toxic waste disposal or related concerns. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts water damage Water damage can be caused by flooding, severe storms, tidal waves, seismic seawaves, storm surges, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts damage assessment The evaluation or determination of losses, harm and injuries to persons, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts appraisal An expert or official valuation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts compensation for damage Equivalent in money or other form for a loss sustained for an injury, for property taken, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public institution Institution for the management of public issues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public institution of administrative nature Public institution for the management of administrative issues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public institution of industrial and commercial nature Public institution for the management of industrial and commercial issues. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts consultancy The position or practice of a qualified person paid for advice or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts patent A grant of right to exclude others from making, using or selling one's invention and includes right to license others to make, use or sell it. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts press release An official statement or announcement distributed to members of the media by a public relations firm, government agency or some other organization, often to supplement or replace an oral presentation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts speech An address or form of oral communication in which a speaker makes his thoughts and emotions known before an audience, often for a given purpose. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental study A document submitted by an applicant in support of an undertaking which identifies the environmental impacts of the proposed undertaking and its alternatives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cinematographic film Any motion picture of a story, drama, episode or event, often considered as an art form or used as a medium for entertainment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts documentary film Any motion picture or movie in which an actual event, era or life story is presented factually, with little or no fiction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts flora (document) A work systematically describing the flora of a particular region, listed by species and considered as a whole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts report to the minister A written account or statement describing in detail observations or the results of an inquiry into an event or situation and presented to any person appointed or elected to a high-level position within some political entity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts parliamentary report A written account describing in detail observations or the results of an inquiry into an event or situation and presented to an official, deliberative body with legislative powers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statutory text A document or a portion thereof expressing an official enactment of a legislative body, with emphasis on the document's precise wording or language. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thesis A dissertation on a particular subject, in which original research has been done, usually by a candidate for a diploma or degree, or a proposition put forward for consideration, to be discussed and proved or maintained against objections. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts CD-ROM A compact disc on which a large amount of digitalised read-only data can be stored. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information centre Any facility devoted to the collection, maintenance and distribution of materials or data compiled to convey knowledge on some subject, often with trained staff persons available to answer questions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts technical information Factual data, knowledge or instructions relating to scientific research or the development, testing, evaluation, production, use or maintenance of equipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information network A system of interrelated persons and/or devices linked to permit the exchange of data or knowledge. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts assay Qualitative or quantitative determination of the components of a material, such as an ore or a drug. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts method A way of proceeding or doing something, especially a systematic or regular one. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts iron and steel industry Sector of the metallurgical industry dealing with the production of cast iron, steel and iron alloys. Emissions from these industries tend to settle quickly from the atmosphere and can lead to rising concentrations in the soil. The main raw material input to the production process is iron ore. Also recycled scrap is used. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban habitat The resulting effects and interrelationships of human population concentrations, the built environment, and the biophysical environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wild fauna Not domesticated animals living independently of man. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land management and planning Operations for preparing and controlling the implementation of plans for organizing human activities on land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rural habitat The biotopes located in areas where agriculture is practiced. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts groundwater quality Groundwater accounts for over 95% of the earth's useable fresh-water resources; over half the world's population depends on groundwater for drinking-water supplies. This invisible resource is vulnerable to pollution and over-exploitation. Effective conservation of groundwater supplies requires the integration of land-use and water management. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts target setting Establishing or determining environmental goals or objectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ontogenesis The entire sequence of events involved in the development of an individual organism. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land tax Property tax. A tax laid upon the legal or beneficial owner of real property, and apportioned upon the assessed value of his land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts open lawn Any relatively unobstructed field of cultivated and mown grass, especially near a house or in a park. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts biological cycle A series of transformations or biological events which follow one after the other one, reaching at the end of the cycle the initial conditions, as in the life cycle of many animal and plant organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts human habitat Any of the conditions in which people live. Also all human settlements in villages, towns or major cities, which require environmental management to provide water, public spaces, remove public wastes, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts urban concentration A process in which an increasing proportion of a country's population is concentrated in urban areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts home garden A plot of cultivated ground adjacent to a dwelling and usually devoted in whole or in part to the growing of herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables for household use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts photography The process of forming visible images directly or indirectly by the action of light or other forms of radiation on sensitive surfaces. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bottle cap No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts iron scrap Waste pieces or disused articles of wrought iron (wrought-iron scrap) suitable for reworking for rolling or forging. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts voting The act of formally expressing an opinion or choice in some matter or for some candidate, usually by voice or ballot. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural structure The buildings, machinery, facilities, related to agricultural production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts budget policy The programmatic use of a government's spending and revenue-generating activities to influence the economy and achieve specific objectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts co-operation policy Political course of action aiming at establishing trade agreements among the states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international balance A system in which nations or blocs of nations strive to maintain an equilibrium of power to prevent dominance by any single nation or to reduce conflict or the possibility of war. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Community finance The financial resources or income of the European Community, a body of people organized into a political unity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organisation of the legal system The specific manner, form and institutions by which a government's ability to make, enforce and interpret laws are brought together into a coordinated whole. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rights 1) Title to or an interest in any property. 2) Any interest or privilege recognized and protected by law. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic structure The underlying framework, including transportation and communications systems, industrial facilities, education and technology, that enables a country or region to produce goods, services and other resources with exchange value. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts distributive trade Distribution of material goods to consumers, through retailing and wholesaling. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monetary relations The different modes in which countries, nations, etc., are brought together by financial, currency, or pecuniary interests. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts monetary economics The study, policies or system of institutions and procedures by which a country or region's commerce is supplied with notes, coins, bank deposits or other equivalent mediums of exchange. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts free movement of capital The unrestrained flow of cash, funds, and other means of wealth between countries with different currencies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social framework The underlying structure that connects and supports the various members and parts of a community or human organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social protection The monies and programs a society enacts through either public or private entities to provide economic security and general welfare for its members, often on account of old age, unemployment, health, disability or death of a spouse, parent or other benefactor. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organisation of teaching A group or association of persons united to address the concerns, methods and professional status of instructors or educators. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts business organisation A particular legal arrangement for owning a firm, the principal forms are sale trades, partnerships and companies/corporations; collective term for the system, function, process of planning, providing, coordinating, directing all efforts and resources in a business in order to achieve its goals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts business classification The categorization of enterprises or organizations involved in an economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal form of organisations The type, structure or purpose of an institution as arranged, required and defined by local or national laws to determine the appropriate governmental regulations, privileges and tax status applicable to that institution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultivation of agricultural land Cultivation of land for the production of plant crops. Agricultural land may be employed in an unimproved state with few, if any, management inputs (extensive rangeland), or in an intensively managed state with annual inputs of fertilizer, pest, control treatments, and tillage. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts means of agricultural production No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts processed agricultural produce No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agri-foodstuff Industry dealing with the production, processing, and supply of agricultural food products. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic geography The geography of people making a living, dealing with the spatial patterns of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. The development of economic geography over the past three decades has witnessed the substitution of analysis for description, leading to an identification of the factors and an understanding of the processes affecting the spatial differentiation of economic activities over the earth's surface. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts credit The financial facility or system by which goods and services are provided in return for deferred, instead of immediate, payment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts freedom The quality or state of being free, especially to enjoy political and civil liberties. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial structure No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts stock (trade) Stored products ready for sale. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sterilisation (biological) Procedure by which a human or other animal is made incapable of reproduction. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental economics of firms The use of financial resources for the purpose of incorporating ecological principles in the operations of businesses and companies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts yield (agricultural) The accumulated volume or biomass remaining from gross production after accounting for losses due to respiration during production, herbivory, litterfall, and other factors that decrease the remaining available biomass. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental problem solving The activity of finding solutions for troublesome or perplexing situations involving ecological or natural resources. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fodder plant Plants used to feed livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial plant (organism) Plants employed in industry, e.g. cotton, flax, hemp, peanuts, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts textile plant Plant producing material suitable to be made into cloths. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tropical plant Plants growing in tropical areas in conditions of constant rain and high temperature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural real estate Property of agricultural land and anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, fences, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts agricultural holding As defined by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an agricultural holding is simply a basic unit for agricultural production. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts type of tenure The manner in which land is owned and possessed, i.e. of title to its use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geophysical environment The physical earth and its surroundings, consisting of the oceans and inland waters, lower and upper atmosphere, space, land masses and land forms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts petrochemical Chemicals manufactured from the products of oil refineries, based largely on ethylene, propylene and butylene produced in the cracking of petrol fractions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts speciality chemical Various fine chemical products like glue, adhesives, resins, rubber, plastic compounds, selective herbicide, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts protein product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts processed foodstuff Food which has been treated to improve its appearance or to prevent it going bad. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts convenience food Food so prepared and presented as to be easily and quickly ready for consumption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining product No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts root crop Plants which store edible material in a root, corm or tuber; root crops used as food vegetables or fodder include carrots, parsnips, swedes and turnips; starchy root crops include potatoes, cassavas and yams. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cultivation system Any overall structure or set-up used to organize the activity of preparing land or soil for the growth of new crops, or the activity of promoting or improving the growth of existing crops. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts crop production The act or process of yielding produce from farmland, for livestock or human consumption. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fisheries structure Refers to all the structures (fishing vessels, trawling nets, factory ships, catcher boats, etc.) used in fishing industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts fishing ground Area of sea or freshwater where fish are caught. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coal industry Industry related with the technical and mechanical activity of removing coal from the earth and preparing it for market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts energy industry Industry which converts various types of fuels as well as solar, water, tidal, and geothermal energy into other energy forms for a variety of household, commercial, transportation, and industrial application. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts communications industry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information technology industry A sector of the economy in which an aggregate of commercial enterprises is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of electronic machines designed to accept information or data that is easily manipulated for some result based on a program or some set of instructions, and the technology or materials used with these machines, such as storage devices, terminals and peripheral equipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vacuum industry Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts preparation for market The containment, protection, handling and presentation of goods for the market. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts precision engineering Research and development, design, manufacture and measurement of high accuracy components and systems. It is related to mechanical, electronic, optical and production engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer and materials science. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts materials technology Any technical means or equipment used for the production and optimization of material goods that consist of any of a diverse range of properties, either alone or in combination, such as glass, metal, plastics and ceramics. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts military equipment Equipment necessary to the performance of military activities, either combat or noncombat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts audiovisual equipment Equipment designed to aid in learning and teaching by making use of both hearing and sight. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts machinery A group of parts or machines arranged to perform a useful function. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mechanical equipment Machines and tools employed in manual and mechanical labour. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pressure equipment Equipment operating with an internal pressure greater than atmospheric. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts thermal equipment Equipment related to the production of heat. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts industrial manufacturing To make or process (a raw material) into a finished product, especially by means of a large-scale industrial operation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts size of business No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts business activity Any profit-seeking undertaking or venture that involves the production, sale and purchase of goods or services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts branch of activity A specialized division of a business or other organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative occupation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts building service The aggregation of services, including construction, development, maintenance and leasing, performed for human-occupied properties, such as office buildings and apartment houses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mode of transportation Type of vehicle used for moving from one place to the other. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts destination of transport The targeted place to which persons, materials or commodities are conveyed over land, water or through the air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts degradation of the environment The process by which the environment is progressively contaminated, overexploited and destroyed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Community budget A schedule of revenues and expenditures for a specific time period that is devised by the European Community, a body of people organized into a political unity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic support Any form of financial assistance or inducement for persons or institutions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts accounting system The system of setting up, maintaining, and auditing the books of a firm and of analyzing its financial status and operating results. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic forecasting The production of estimates of future financial and commercial trends, based on econometric models or surveys. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts customs tariff An official list or schedule setting forth the duties imposed by a government on imported or exported goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts commercial transaction The conduct or carrying on of trade, business or a financial matter to a conclusion or settlement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pay policy A course of action or procedure regarding compensation or recompensation for work done or services rendered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts European Monetary System An organization established in Europe in 1979 to coordinate financial policy and exchange rates for the continent by running the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) and assisting movement toward a common European currency and a central European bank. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts money market A financial market that trades Treasury bills, commercial paper and other short-term financial instruments. This market is often used by businesses when they need short-term funds to bridge the gap between paying operating costs and collecting revenue from product sales. As such, the term "money" in money market indicates that businesses are using highly liquid instruments to raise the money need for operating expenses. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exchange policy Course of action or procedure by government, business, or an individual concerning trade activities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts credit policy An official course of action adopted by a business, financial institution or state to regulate, restrict or increase deferred payment arrangements for goods, services or money. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public debt The total amount of all government securities outstanding. This is also frequently termed government debt. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tax on consumption A sum of money demanded from businesses by a government, usually based on a percentage of total sales of select goods and services, and generally passed on to consumers with each individual purchase. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts tax on capital A government imposed levy on the wealth or assets gained by an individual, firm, or corporation for the purpose of raising revenue to pay for services or improvements for the general public benefit. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts income tax A tax on the annual profits arising from property, business pursuits, professions, trades or offices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts taxation policy The use of government tax and spending policies to achieve desired macroeconomic goals. Accordingly, they involve discretionary efforts to adjust governmental tax and spending to induce changes in economic incentives and, hence, to stabilize fluctuations in aggregate demand. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts farm price The amount of money or monetary rate at which agricultural goods and services can be bought or sold. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts market price The price actually given in current market dealings; the actual price at which given stock or commodity is currently sold in the usual and ordinary course of trade and competition between sellers and buyers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transport cost The outlay or expenditure involved in moving goods from one place to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts prices policy The guiding procedure, philosophy, or course of action for decisions regarding the monetary rate or value for goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic concentration The extent to which a market is taken up by producers within a given industry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts company structure The type of organization of a company. Three kinds of structure are usually recognized: centralized, formal or hierarchical. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts financial management The management of acquisitions and the use of long- and short-term capital by a business. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts management accounting The collection and processing of financial information to assist with the handling, direction, or control of an organization. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts business policy The guiding procedure, philosophy or course of action for an enterprise or company organized for commercial purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restriction on competition Article 85(1) of the EEC Treaty prohibits all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade between member states and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market. All such arrangements are automatically null and void under Article 85(2), unless exempted by the Commission pursuant to Article 85(3). The text of Article 85 is as follows: "1. The following shall be prohibited as incompatible with the common market: all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade between member states and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market, and in particular those which: (a) directly or indirectly fix purchase or selling prices or any other trading conditions; (b) limit or control production, markets, technical development, or investment; (c) share markets or sources of supply; (d) apply dissimilar conditions to equivalent transactions with other trading parties, thereby placing them at a competitive disadvantage; (e) make the conclusion of contracts subject to acceptance by the other parties of supplementary obligations which, by their nature or according to commercial usage, have no connection with the subject of such contracts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts private international law The part of the national law of a country that establishes rules for dealing with cases involving a foreign element. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public international law The general rules and principles pertaining to the conduct of nations and of international organizations and with the relations among them. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international economic law The recognized rules guiding the commercial relations of at least two sovereign states or private parties involved in cross-border transactions, including regulations for trade, finance and intellectual property. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts criminal liability Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public contract Any contract in which there are public funds provided though private persons may perform the contract and the subject of the contract may ultimately benefit private persons. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts customs regulation A body of rules or orders generally issued by the executive authority of a government to establish and direct the taxes, duties or tariffs payable upon merchandise exported or imported. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts family law Branch of specialty of law, also denominated "domestic relations" law, concerned with such subjects as adoption, annulment, divorce, separation, paternity, custody, support and child care. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts traffic regulation A body of rules or orders prescribed by government or management for the safe and orderly movement of vehicles on land, sea or in the air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts regulation of agricultural production A body of rules or orders prescribed by government, management or an international organization or treaty pertaining to the cultivation of land, raising crops, or feeding, breeding and raising livestock. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts law relating to prisons Binding rules and regulations pertaining to the construction, use and operation of jails, penitentiaries and other places of legal confinement and punishment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts estate rental The service provided by an owner agreeing to grant the temporary possession of specific housing in return for the payment of rent from the tenant. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data processing law Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts competition law That part of the law dealing with matters such as those arising from monopolies and mergers, restrictive trading agreements, resale price maintenance and agreements involving distortion of competition affected by EU rules. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restrictive trade practice Business operation or action that confines or limits the free exchange of goods and services within a country or between countries, which may include discrimination, exclusive dealings, collusion agreements or price fixing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts EC Treaty Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts transport regulation A rule or order prescribed by government or management for the safe and orderly conveyance of persons, materials or commodities over land, water or through the air. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Community legal system The directly applicable legislation of the European Community regulating the relations of member states. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Community act Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ruling A judicial or administrative interpretation of a provision of a statute, order, regulation, or ordinance. May also refer to judicial determination of admissibility of evidence, allowance of motion, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal procedure Term includes all proceedings authorised or sanctioned by law, and brought or instituted in a court of legal tribunal, for the acquiring of a right or the enforcement of a remedy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts access to the courts The right of citizens to access to the organs of the governments where justice is administered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts organisation (law) Term used in commercial law, including a corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, two or more persons having a joint or common interest, or any other legal or commercial entity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal profession A body of persons whose occupation is concerned with advising clients in matters of law, representing them in court or assisting them through the judicial process, including, in the first instance, lawyers and, by extension, judges, legal assistants and court employees. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legal system The organization and network of courts and other institutions, procedures and customs, officers and other personnel concerned with interpretation and enforcement of a country's law or with advice and assistance in matters pertaining to those laws. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative organisation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislative procedure Any prescribed step or manner of proceeding that a law making body takes in proposing laws, resolutions or special acts before they can be enacted or passed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts management technique systematic approach or method of performance for the accomplishment of administrative goals or tasks. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts institutional structure An organization's complex system of mutually connected and dependent elements or parts, which make up a definite manner of arrangement. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts institutional activity The specific tasks, undertakings or functions that governments, businesses and other organizations perform. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts common commercial policy The set of uniform trade principles or practices established by an European Community customs union, which implements common tariff rates, tariff and trade agreements with non-member countries, import and export policies, and export promotion. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts common tariff policy A course of action adopted and pursued by member countries, in which it is agreed to impose a system of duties or tax charges on imports from non-member countries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts research policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts construction policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government, business or some other organization, which plans or organizes for the maintenance, development and erection of houses, offices, bridges or other building structures. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts communications policy Measures and practices adopted by governments relating to the management of communication media. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts production policy Measures and activities promoted by governments aiming at the structural definition of the productive apparatus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts space policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government or some other organization, which seeks to support research and the exploration of planets, asteroids and other elements in the region beyond earth's atmosphere or beyond the solar system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic region A district or an administrative division of a city or territory that is designed according to some material, distributive or productive criteria. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aid policy A course of action adopted and pursued by government or some other organization that promotes or determines the allocation of assistance, support or relief, often from one country to another. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts humanitarian aid The support or relief given to save human lives or to alleviate suffering, including public health efforts and the provision of financial resources and food, often when governmental authorities are unable or unwilling to provide for such assistance. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international conflict A controversy, disagreement, quarrel or warfare between or among two or more nations or countries, often requiring involvement or monitoring by other members of the global community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts peacekeeping The activities to prevent, contain, moderate and/or terminate the hostilities between or within States, through the medium of an impartial third party intervention, organised and directed internationally. This intervention is conducted using military forces, police and civilians with the consent of the main belligerents, to complement the diplomatic conflict resolution process and, to restore and maintain peace. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pollution control measure Procedure or course of action taken to curb or reduce human-made or human-alteration of the physical, biological, chemical and radiological integrity of air, water and other media. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts level of education A position along a scale of increasingly advanced training marking the degree or grade of instruction either obtained by an individual, offered by a some entity or necessary for a particular job or task. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts general education Informal learning or formal instruction with broad application to human existence beyond the domain of any particular subject or discipline, often equated with liberal arts in the university setting and contrasted to courses required for a specific major or program. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts schoolwork The material studied in or for an educational institution, comprising homework and work done in the classroom. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts school life Any part or the sum of experiences had while attending an instructional institution, or the amount of time spent in such a program. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teaching material An article or device used to facilitate the learning process in an instructional setting. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts documentary system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources providing written, printed or digitized items that furnish or substantiate information or evidence. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts means of communication The agents, instruments, methods or resources used to impart or interchange thoughts, opinions or information. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts communications system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources designed to exchange information and data by means of mutually understood symbols. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data processing system An assembly of computer hardware, firmware and software configured for the purpose of performing various operations on digital information elements with a minimum of human intervention. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts social analysis No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts behavioural science The study of the behaviour of organisms. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts health care profession Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts artificial reproductive technique Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal health Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts war victim A person that suffers from the destructive action undertaken as a result of an armed conflict between two or more parties, particularly death, injury, hardship, loss of property or dislocation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internal migration A population shift occurring within national or territorial boundaries, often characterized by persons seeking labor opportunities in more advantageous areas. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geographical distribution of population The number of inhabitants in or spread across designated subdivisions of an area, region, city or country. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts composition of population The constituent groupings and proportions of the total inhabitants of a given nation, area, region or city, as seen from various perspectives. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts rights of the individual Just claims, legal guarantees or moral principles accorded to each and every member of a group or state, including the freedom to do certain things and the freedom from certain intrusions imposed by the collective body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts economic rights The just claims and legal guarantees to access, participate in and profit from the production, distribution and use of property, intellectual property, income and wealth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts trend of opinion The general movement, drift or direction of change in a viewpoint collectively and purportedly held by a significant number of people. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts political ideology A belief system that explains and justifies a preferred economic and governmental order for society, offers strategies for its maintenance or attainment and helps give meaning to public events, personalities and policies. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts marital status The standing of an individual with regard to a legally recognized conjugal relationship, either in the present or past. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts socio-cultural group A collection of people who interact and share a sense of unity on account of a common ethnic, ancestral, generational or regional identity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts employment structure The organization and proportions of the various job types and skill levels in an enterprise or economy. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts occupational status Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts termination of employment The act or instrument by which the binding force of a contract is terminated, irrespective of whether the contract is carried out to the full extent contemplated or is broken off before complete execution. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts working population engaged in agriculture The number of a particular region or nation's working population gainfully employed or otherwise occupied with the production of crops, livestock or poultry. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts leave on social grounds Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts labour force Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts camp 1) A place where tents, cabins, or other temporary structures are erected for the use of military troops, for training soldiers, etc. 2) Tents, cabins, etc., used as temporary lodgings by a group of travellers, holiday-makers, Scouts, Gypsies, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bank (land) The sloping side of any hollow in the ground, especially when bordering a river. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wood hauling The process of removing forest produce, particularly timber, fuelwood and bamboos, from its place of growth to some permanent or major delivery point, either for further transport or further manufacture, i.e. secondary conversion, or both. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts royalty Compensation for the use of a person's property, based on an agreed percentage of the income arising from its use. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chart (act) A formal written record of transactions, proceedings, etc., as of a society, committee, or legislative body. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal excrement Waste matter discharged from the body of an animal. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts allowance Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts maintenance (technical) The upkeep of industrial facilities and equipment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts paint room A portion of space within a commercial establishment that is used for applying coloring substances to certain products or materials, providing a decorative or protective coating. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts salina A place where crystalline salt deposits are formed or found, such as a salt flat or pan, a salada, or a salt lick. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hiking trail A trail in the country along which one can walk, usually for pleasure or exercise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts overflow (outlet) Any device or structure that conducts excess water or sewage from a conduit or container. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cutting (vegetative propagation) In plant propagation, young shoots or stems removed for the purpose of growing new plants by vegetatively rooting the cuttings. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts eco-balance An eco-balance refers to the consumption of energy and resources and the pollution caused by the production cycle of a given product. The product is followed throughout its entire life cycle, from the extraction of the raw materials, manufacturing and use, right through to recycling and final handling of waste. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nitrogen oxide A colorless gas that, at room temperature, reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide; may be used to form other compounds. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts oven An enclosed heated compartment usually lined with a refractory material used for drying substances, firing ceramics, heat-treating, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bovine Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts approval Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts cleansing The act or process of washing, laundering or removing dirt and other unwanted substances from the surface of an object, thing or place. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inner city 1) Part of a city at or near the centre, especially a slum area where poor people live in bad housing. 2) City centres of many industrialized countries which exhibit environmental degradation. The numerous and highly competitive activities entailing land use overwhelm the limited space and create a situation of overcrowding, functional incompatibility and cultural degradation. Inner city areas have a high level of commercial specialization, a large number of offices and a sizeable daytime population. At the same time, city centres generally remain a sort of ghetto for a permanent, low-income population living in run-down housing and enjoying little in the way of public services and civic amenities. The concentration of service industries inevitably entails the replacement of traditional housing and shops by office blocks, the provision of basic utilities at the expense of civic amenities and the provision of major access roads which eat up urban space. Structures of historic origin are often unable to meet modern requirements and, notwithstanding their value, frequently face demolition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sluice-gate A valve or gate fitted to a sluice to control the rate of flow of water. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts noise effect Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deciduous wood Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mixed woodland Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts penal sanction Punishment for the commission of a specific crime, such as fines, restitution, probation and imprisonment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coniferous tree Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts emergency lodging Housing or dwelling space provided for victims of a sudden, urgent and usually unexpected occurrence, especially when harm has been done to human life, property or the environment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sorting at source The classification and separation of solid waste, according to type, at the location where it is generated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coastal management Measures by way of planning, prior approval of works, prohibition of some activities, physical structures, and restoration efforts to protect the coastline against the ravages of nature and haphazard and unplanned developments. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts ministry building Any structure or edifice occupied by a body of top government administrators or other high ranking public officials selected or appointed by a head of state to manage certain aspects of a state's affairs. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts aerial photography No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts swamp A permanently waterlogged area in which there is often associated tree growth, e.g. mangroves in hot climates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts legislative process The entire course of action necessary to bring a law, resolution or special act to an authoritative, legally binding status. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts returnable container Container whose return from the consumer or final user is assured by specific means (separate collection, deposits, etc.), independently on its final destination, in order to be reused, recovered or subjected to specific waste management operations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste gas dispersion The process of breaking up and producing a diffuse distribution of the unusable aeriform fluid or suspension of fine particles in air resulting from a manufacturing process or the burning of a substance in an enclosed area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts intermediate product Product that has undergone a partial processing and is used as raw material in a successive productive step. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mutagenic substance Agents that induce a permanent change in the genetic material. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts teratogenic substance Substances capable of causing abnormal development of the embryo and congenital malformations. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts municipal heating network System of heating all houses in a urban district from a central source (as from hot springs in Iceland or by cooling water from a power station). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts excise Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts dipteran Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts coniferous wood Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underground railway An electric passenger railway operated in underground tunnels. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts government contracting Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts genetically modified organism An organism that has undergone external processes by which its basic set of genes has been altered. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pleasure cruising The activity of rowing, sailing or using a boat over a particular region of water, for amusement or enjoyment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts surface active compound Any soluble substance composed of two or more unlike atoms held together by chemical bonds that reduces interfacial tension between liquids or a liquid and a solid, often used as detergents, wetting agents and emulsifiers. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pH-value Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts craft industry No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts animal remain Any substances or components left over from animal life, including body parts and, later, decomposed materials. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts chart (nautical) A map for navigation that delineates a portion of the sea, indicating the outline of the coasts and the position of rocks, sandbanks and other parts of a sea. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts nature conservation policy Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts environmental sanitation Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts green fiscal instrument Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mining The act, process or industry of extracting coal, ores, etc. from the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Black Sea No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Caspian Sea No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Mediterranean Sea The largest inland sea between Europe, Africa and Asia, linked to the Atlantic Ocean at its western end by the Strait of Gibraltar, including the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Aegean and Ionian seas, and major islands such as Sicily, Sardina, Corsica, Crete, Malta and Cyprus. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indigenous knowledge Local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society, which is the basis for local-level decision making in agriculture, health care, education and other matters of concern in rural communities. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts professional society A group of persons engaged in the same profession, business, trade or craft that is organized or formally structured to attain common ends. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts subject No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts persistant organic pollutant Organic pollutants that do not break down chemically and remain in the environment. Pollutants with higher persistence may produce more harmful environmental effects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sediment mobilisation The transport or setting in motion by wind or water of insoluble particulate matter. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts habitat destruction Destruction of wildlife habitats by increasing pressure for land by fast-growing human populations, pollution and over-exploitation. Whole species or populations of plants and animals have disappeared causing a loss of genetic resource that is not only regrettable from an aesthetic or philosophical point of view but also threatens man's food supply. Habitat loss takes several forms: outright loss of areas used by wild species; degradation, for example, from vegetation removal and erosion, which deprive native species of food, shelter, and breeding areas; and fragmentation, when native species are squeezed onto small patches of undisturbed land surrounded by areas cleared for agriculture and other purposes. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts land-based activity Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts physical alteration Any change in a body or substance that does not involve an alteration in its chemical composition. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sectoral assessment Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information infrastructure The basic, underlying framework and features of a communications system supporting the exchange of knowledge, including hardware, software and transmission media. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geo-referenced information Data delimiting a given object, either physical or conceptual, in terms of its spatial relationship to the land, usually consisting of points, lines, areas or volumes defined in terms of some coordinate system. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts data centre An organization established primarily to acquire, analyze, process, store, retrieve, and disseminate one or more types of data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internet service provider A business or organization that supplies connections to a part of the Internet, often through telephone lines. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electronic information network A system of interrelated computer and telecommunications devices linked to permit the exchange of data in digital or analog signals. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts wide area network A system of interrelated computer and telecommunications devices linking two or more computers separated by a great distance for the exchange of electronic data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Internet A global consortium of local computer networks that uses the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocol to connect machines to each other, providing access to the World Wide Web, Gopher, electronic mail, remote login and file transfer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts World Wide Web A graphical, interactive, hypertext information system that is cross-platform and can be run locally or over the global Internet. The Web consists of Web servers offering pages of information to Web browsers who view and interact with the pages. Pages can contain formatted text, background colors, graphics, as well as audio and video clips. Simple links in a Web page can cause the browser to jump to a different part of the same page or to a page on a Web server halfway around the world. Web pages can be used to send mail, read news, and download files. A Web address is called a URL. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts homepage The preset document that is displayed after starting a World Wide Web browser, or the main World Wide Web document in a series of related documents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts hypertext The organization of information units typically containing visible links that users can select or click with a mouse pointer or some other computer device to automatically retrieve or display other documents. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bulletin board system An assemblage of computer hardware and software that can be linked by computer modem dialing for the purpose of sharing or exchanging messages or other files. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts newsgroup A discussion group on a specific topic maintained on a computer network, frequently on the Internet. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electronic mail Information or computer stored messages that are transmitted or exchanged from one computer terminal to another, through telecommunication. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts multimedia technology Any technical means used to combine text, sound, still or animated images and video in computers and electronic products, often allowing audience interactivity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts audio-visual presentation An exhibition, performance, demonstration or lecture utilizing communication media directed at both the sense of sight and the sense of hearing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information kit A set or collection of materials compiled to convey knowledge on some subject and usually placed in some type of container. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts exhibit A display of an object or collection of objects for general dissemination of information, aesthetic value or entertainment. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts newsletter A printed periodical bulletin circulated to members of a group. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts radio programme A performance or production transmitted in sound signals with electromagnetic waves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts television programme A performance or production transmitted in audiovisual signals with electromagnetic waves. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts public relations The methods and activities employed by an individual, organization, corporation, or government to promote a favourable relationship with the public. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bibliographic information system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources organized for the exchange of data pertaining to the history, physical description, comparison, and classification of books and other works. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts bibliographic information Data pertaining to the history, physical description, comparison, and classification of books and other works. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts referral information system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources organized to provide directions leading people to sources known to provide knowledge or assistance on a specified topic or request. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts referral information Directions leading someone to another source that is known to provide knowledge or assistance on the specified topic or request. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statistical information system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources enabling the exchange of numerical data that has been collected, classified or interpreted for analysis. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts statistical information Knowledge pertaining to the collection, classification, analysis and interpretation of numerical data. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts library service The duties of an establishment, or a public institution, charged with the care and organizing of a collection of printed and other materials, and the duty of interpreting such materials to meet the informational, cultural, educational, recreational or research needs of its clients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts reference service The provision of aid by library staff trained to interpret library materials and library organizational structures to meet the informational, educational, cultural, recreational or research needs of the library's clients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts indexing of documentation A service which creates a special contents list, containing titles, authors, abstracts, subject headings and other information, to describe a large number of publications and to be used in searchable, machine-readable (or printed) look-up tables. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts document lending The service provided by a library in which the library's clients are temporarily allowed to use books and other printed materials outside the library. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts inter-library loan The service provided by one library in which a second library's clients are temporarily allowed to use books and other printed materials belonging to the first library; and consequently the system providing rules and infrastructure for this service to a group of libraries. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts selective dissemination of information A service provided by a library or other agency that periodically notifies users of new publications, report literature or other data sources in subjects in which the user has specified an interest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts CD-ROM search service The provision of special aid by library staff trained to query bibliographic or other information contained on an electronic storage medium, usually to meet the research needs of the library's clients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts internet search service The provision of special aid by library staff trained to query bibliographic or other information contained on the Internet, a large distributed electronic system, usually to meet the research needs of the library's clients. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information clearing-house A central institution or agency for the collection, maintenance, and distribution of materials or data compiled to convey knowledge on some subject. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decision-support system A coordinated assemblage of people, devices or other resources that analyzes, typically, business data and presents it so that users can make business decisions more easily. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts software development No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts information exchange A reciprocal transference of data between two or more parties for the purpose of enhancing knowledge of the participants. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts relational database A collection of digital information items organized as a set of formally described tables from which the information can be accessed or reassembled in different ways without reorganizing the tables. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts multispectral scanner A remote sensing term referring to a scanning radiometer that simultaneously acquires images in various wavebands at the same time. A multispectral scanner can be carried aboard an aircraft or satellite. The Landsat multispectral scanner records images in four wavebands of visible and near infrared electromagnetic radiation to enable objects with different reflectance properties to be distinguished. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts resolution (parameter) A remote sensing term which has three separate applications: a) spatial resolution, which refers to the ability of a sensor to distinguish between objects that are spatially close to each other. It is a measure of the smallest angular or linear separation between two objects. b) Spectral resolution which refers to the ability of a sensor to distinguish between objects which are spectrally similar. It is a measure of both the discreteness of wavebands and the sensitivity of the sensor to distinguish between electromagnetic radiation intensity levels. c) Thermal resolution which refers to the ability of a sensor to distinguish between objects with a similar temperature. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pixel A contraction of the words 'picture element'. The smallest unit of information in an image or raster map. Referred to as a resolution cell in an image or grid. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts spectral band Closely grouped bands of lines characteristic of molecular gases of chemical compounds (spectroscopy). Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts scene identification A numeric string which uniquely identifies an image component of a geographical information system database. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts image processing digital system A coordinated assemblage of computer devices designed to capture and manipulate pictures stored as data in discrete, quantized units or digits. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts digital image processing technique Techniques employed in the calibration of image data, the correction or reduction of errors occurring during capture or transmission of the data and in various types of image enhancement-operations which increase the ability of the analyst to recognize features of interest. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts pattern recognition A remote sensing term referring to an automated process through which unidentified patterns can be classified into a limited number of discrete classes through comparison with other class-defining patterns or characteristics. Pattern recognition is an essential part of the classification of remotely sensed images and is used as an aid to image interpretation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mosaic A composite photograph consisting of separate aerial photographs of overlapping surface areas, producing an overall image of a surface area too large to be depicted in a single aerial photograph. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts image filtering A remote sensing term related to image enhancement that refers to the removal of a spatial component of electromagnetic radiation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts image enhancement In remote sensing, the filtering of data and other processes to manipulate pixels to produce an image that accentuates features of interest or visual interpretation. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geometric correction A remote sensing term referring to the adjustment of an image for geometric errors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts image registration The process of linking map coordinates to control points with known earth-surface coordinates. Related term: coordinate systems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts image classification Processing techniques which apply quantitative methods to the values in a digital yield or remotely sensed scene to group pixels with similar digital number values into feature classes or categories. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts supervised image classification A graphical representation processing technique by which an analyst selects groups of pixels, determines their spectral response signature and trains a computer system to recognize pixels based on this spectral response pattern. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts unsupervised image classification Unsupervised classification is a kind of classification which takes place with minimum input from the operator; no training sample is available and subdivision of the feature space is achieved by identifying natural groupings of the measurement vectors. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts colour composition A remote-sensing term referring to the process of assigning different colours to different spectral bands. The colour picture formed by this process is called a "colour composite" (a colour image produced through optical combination of multiband images by projection through filters) and is produced by assigning a colour to an image of the Earth's surface recorded in a particular waveband. For a Landsat colour composite, the green waveband is coloured blue, the red waveband is coloured green and the infrared waveband is coloured red. This produces an image closely approximating a false colour photograph. Colour composite images are easier to interpret than separate images recording different wavebands. US national experimental crop inventories are based upon visual interpretation of Landsat colour composites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts atmospheric correction The removal from the remotely sensed data of the atmospheric effects caused by the scattering and absorption of sunlight by particles; the removal of these effects improves not only the quality of the observed earth surface imaging but also the accuracy of classification of the ground objects. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts GIS digital system An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information that can be drawn from different sources, both statistical and mapped. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts GIS digital format The digital form of data collected by remote sensing. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vector One of the two major types of internal data organization used in GIS. Vector systems are based primarily on coordinate geometry and take advantage of the convenient division of spatial data into point, line, and polygon types. Vector structures are especially suited to storing definitions of spatial objects for which sharp boundaries exist or can be imposed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts point A position on a reference system determined by a survey. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts line Term used in GIS technologies in the vector type of internal data organization: spatial data are divided into point, line and polygon types. In most cases, point entities (nodes) are specified directly as coordinate pairs, with lines (arcs or edges) represented as chains of points. Regions are similarly defined in terms of the lines which form their boundaries. Some vector GIS store information in the form of points, line segments and point pairs; others maintain closed lists of points defining polygon regions. Vector structures are especially suited to storing definitions of spatial objects for which sharp boundaries exist or can be imposed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts polygon In the vector type of GIS internal data organization spatial data are conveniently divided into point, line and polygon types. Some vector GIS store information in the form of points, line segments and point pairs; others maintain close lists of points defining polygon regions. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raster One of the two major types of internal data organization used in GIS. Raster systems superimpose a regular grid over the area of interest and associate each cell-or pixel, to use the image term- with one or more data records. The values associated with each grid cell may represent either real values or any scalar or nominal data values associated with the cell coordinates. Among the strengths of the raster method is its ability to accept data directly from remote sensing systems and to represent transitional information. Raster systems tend to be relatively storage-intensive and this imposes practical limits on the area of coverage, the resolution, or both of these. Capacity constraints are, however, becoming less significant as computer memory and storage become more powerful and as data compression techniques become more readily available. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts attribute A distinctive feature of an object. In mapping and GIS applications, the objects are points, lines, or polygons that represent features such as sampling locations, section corners (points); roads and streams (lines); lakes, forest and soil types (polygons). These attributes can be further divided into classes such as tree species Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine) for forest types and paved and gravel for road types. Multiple attributes are generally associated with objects that are located on a single map layer. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts GIS digital technique The transformation to digital form of data collected by remote sensing, traditional field and documentary methods and of existing historical data such as paper maps, charts, and publications. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts interpolation A process used to estimate an intermediate value of one (dependent) variable which is a function of a second (independent) variable when values of the dependent variable corresponding to several discrete values of the independent variable are known. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts gridding A system of uniformly spaced perpendicular lines and horizontal lines running north and south, and east and west on a map, chart, or aerial photograph; used in locating points. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts raster to vector Methods to convert remotely sensed raster data to vector format. A number of raster-to-vector and vector-to-raster conversion procedures have been developed and introduced to current releases of many GIS packages. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts vector to raster Methods to convert remotely sensed raster data to vector format. A number of vector-to-raster and raster-to-vector conversion procedures have been developed and introduced to current releases of many GIS packages. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts national boundary The line demarcating recognized limits of established political units. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts sub-national boundary The line demarcating a territory located within the limits of a State. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts administrative boundary A limit or border of a geographic area under the jurisdiction of some governmental or managerial entity. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geo-referenced data Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts geographical projection A representation of the globe constructed on a plane with lines representative of and corresponding to the meridians and parallels of the curved surface of the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts co-ordinate system A reference system used to measure horizontal and vertical distances on a planimetric map. A coordinate system is usually defined by a map projection, a spheroid of reference, a datum, one or more standard parallels, a central meridian, and possible shifts in the x- and y-directions to locate x, y positions of point, line, and area features. A common coordinate system is used to spatially register geographic data for the same area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts latitude An angular distance in degrees north or south of the equator (latitude 0°), equal to the angle subtended at the centre of the globe by the meridian between the equator and the point in question. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts longitude Distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian at 0° measured by the angle between the plane of the prime meridian and that of the meridian through the point in question, or by the corresponding time difference. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts remote sensing centre Centre where remote sensing data are stored, handled and analyzed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts GIS laboratory A laboratory where GIS data drawn from different sources are stored, handled, analyzed and updated. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts on-line service Service providing an active connection with a communications network. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts underground dump Any subterranean or below-ground site in which solid, or other, waste is deposited without environmental controls. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts business economics The art of purchasing and selling goods from an economics perspective or a perspective involving the scientific study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deterrence Punishment aiming at deterring the criminal from repeating his offences or deterring others from committing similar acts. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts old hazardous site Abandoned or disused dumps and refuse tips, stockpiles and landfill sites, disused petrol service stations, closed-down coking plants and former industrial and commercial premises, etc., from which considerable risks not only to the soil and to the groundwater, but also to humans and nature, can arise. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts outer space (allocation plan) Area out of closed settlements or building. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts deep sea mining The most valuable of the marine mineral resources is petroleum. About 15% of the world's oil is produced offshore, and extraction capabilities are advancing. One of the largest environmental impacts of deep sea mining are discharged sediment plumes which disperse with ocean currents and thus may negatively influence the marine ecosystem. Coal deposits known as extensions of land deposits , are mined under the sea floor in Japan and England. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts semi-liquid manure No definition needed. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts electrical goods industry Economic activity for manufacturing electric material and devices. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts services providing company Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts restoration of water Any treatment process in which contaminated water is cleansed or corrected, particularly by use of a pump-and-treat approach. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts local heat supply The provision of heating fuel, coal or other heating source materials, or the amount of heating capacity, for the use of a specific local community. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts forwarding agent A person or business that specializes in the shipment and receiving of goods. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts waste avoidance All measures by which production and consumption processes are caused to generate less (or no waste), or to generate only those wastes that can be treated without causing problems. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts natural independence law The inviolable, moral claim of non-human organisms and their habitats to exist unharmed or unchanged by human activity as postulated by certain environmental ethicists. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts offence against the environment Unlawful acts against the environment, such as water contamination, hazardous waste disposal, air contamination, unpermitted installation of plants, oil spills, etc. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts provincial/regional law (D) Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts provincial/regional authority (D) The power of a government agency or its administrators to administer and implement laws and government policies applicable to a specific political subdivision or geographical area within the state. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts international transaction Any agreement or act involving two or more countries in which business dealings, negotiations or other affairs are settled or concluded. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts road setting The establishing of boulevards, turnpikes, highways and other routes on land. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts air quality monitoring Regular checking and recording of air quality in a given area. The following pollutants must be considered: carbon monoxide, benzene, butadiene, lead, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulates. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts citizen initiative Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts area under stress Areas that are flooded by rising number of tourists or other kinds of pressure and suffer from insufficient or inappropriate planning and management. Damage frequently arises from a lack of understanding or interest of the value of such sites. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts storage (process) A series of actions undertaken to deposit or hold goods, materials or waste in some physical location, as in a facility, container, tank or dumping site. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts mountain refuge Any shelter or protection from distress or danger located in a predominantly mountainous area. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts space research Research involving studies of all aspects of environmental conditions beyond the atmosphere of the earth. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts red list The series of publications produced by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). They provide an inventory on the threat to rare plants and animal species. Information includes status, geographical distribution, population size, habitat and breeding rate. The books also contain the conservation measures, if any, that have been taken to protect the species. There are five categories of rarity status: endangered species; vulnerable organisms, which are those unlikely to adapt to major environmental effects; rare organisms, which are those at risk because there are few of them in the world, such as plants which only grow on mountain peaks or on islands; out of danger species, which were formerly in the above categories, but have had the threat removed because of conservation actions; and indeterminate species, which are the plants and animals probably at risk, although not enough is known about them to assess their status. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts insulating material Material that prevents or reduces the transmission of electricity, heat, or sound to or from a body, device or region. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts decantation Sizing or classifying particulate matter by suspension in a fluid (liquid or gas), the larger particulates tending to separate by sinking. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Proposed: Hydraulic fracturing Induced hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracturing, also commonly known as fracking or fraccing) is a mining technique in which a liquid (in most cases water) is mixed with sand and chemicals and the resultant mixture is injected at high pressure into a wellbore. This creates small fractures in the deep rock formations, typically less than 1mm wide, along which gas, petroleum and brine may migrate to the well. Hydraulic pressure is removed from the well, then small grains of proppant (sand or aluminium oxide) hold these fractures open once the rock achieves equilibrium. Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Perfluorocarbon Common in GHG reporting Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Hydrofluorocarbon A.k.a HFC. Common in GHG reporting Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts Sulphur hexafluoride Common in GHG reporting Valid Data Dictionary Vocabularies Eionet Data Dictionary GEMET Concepts