Chapter 3 Key Terms
Biomass
• Definition: a mass of organisms in an
ecosystem: the mass of living organisms
within a particular environment, measured in
terms of weight per unit of area
Vegetation
• Definition: plants in general or the mass of
plants growing in a particular place
• Vegetating is the process of vegetation
Agriculture
• Definition: Farming: the occupation, business
or science of cultivating the land, producing
crops, and raising livestock
Biofuel
• Definition: Fuel made from biological
materials: a renewable fuel that is derived
from biological matter
Climate Change
• Definition: change in global weather patterns:
long-term alteration in global weather
patterns, especially increases in temperature
and storm activity, regarded as a potential
consequence of the greenhouse effect
Incorporate Biochar
• Definition: charcoal and fish bones used to
fertilize the soil. It creates a perfect
environment for growing crops.
Soil Tillage
• Definition: the cultivation of land. Arable land
that is worked by plowing, sowing, and raising
crops.
Perennial Grains
• Definition: plants that are lasting or active
throughout the year or through many years.
They appear again and again.
Intensive Rotational Grazing
• Definition: innovative grazing systems with
alternatives to extensive grazing systems and
confined feed lots, thus reducing GHG’s and
increasing productivity
Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Degradation(REDD)
• Definition: a mechanism that would require
methodical, institutional and government
challenges to help curb a country’s emissions
and deforestation
Anaerobic Biogas Digester
• Definition: manure and food waste put into a
digester. Microbial action breaks down waste
into low-odor, nutrient rich sludge. This can
eventually be used for heat and electricity or
fertilizer.
Reforestation
• Definition: Reestablishing a forest by planting
or seeding an area from which forest
vegetation has been removed
• Example from text: These reforestation
efforts also have major climate benefits.
Biodiversity
• Definition: the diversity of plant and animal
life within a region. It is often used as a
measure of the health of biological systems.
• Example from text: The last 20 years have
seen the rise of a variety of “green” certified
products beyond organic, such as “birdfriendly” and “shade-grown,” that have clear
biodiversity benefits.
Ecoagricultural Landscapes
• Definition: landscapes that produce both human
food and ecosystem services, including habitat for
wild biodiversity
• Example from text: It is essential to invest in
building capacity at local levels to manage
ecoagricultural landscapes—to enable
multistakeholder platforms to plan, implement,
and track progress in achieving climate-friendly
land use systems that benefit local people,
agricultural production, and ecosystems.