Glossary

Biodiversity

The variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. This includes variation in genetic, phenotypic, phylogenetic, and functional attributes, as well as changes in abundance and distribution over time and space within and among species, biological communities and ecosystems.

Source: Diaz et al., 2015

Ecosystem Services (ES)

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems. In the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, ecosystem services can be divided into supporting, regulating, provisioning and cultural. This classification, however, is superseded in IPBES assessments by the system used under “Nature’s contributions to people”. This is because IPBES recognizes that many services fit into more than one of the four categories. For example, food is both a provisioning service and also, emphatically, a cultural service, in many cultures.

Source: IPBES core glossary, 2021

IUCN Category Ia

Category Ia areas are strictly protected to conserve biodiversity and geological features with minimal human impact. These reserves aim to preserve ecosystems in their natural state, free from modern human interference, serving as critical reference sites for scientific research and monitoring. Access is highly restricted to prevent disturbance, ensuring that ecological processes remain intact. Unlike wilderness areas (Ib), Ia areas are typically smaller and more rigorously controlled, excluding settlements and most human activities. They prioritize maintaining self-sustaining ecosystems without ongoing management, distinguishing them from Category IV or V areas that require active intervention.

Source: IUCN Guidelines, 2013

IUCN Category Ib

Category Ib protects vast, unmodified landscapes where natural processes dominate, and human influence is minimal. These areas retain their wild character, free from permanent infrastructure, and allow limited self-reliant visitation (e.g., hiking). Indigenous communities may practice low-impact traditional lifestyles. Unlike Category Ia, Ib areas are larger and tolerate some human presence, while differing from Category II by excluding mass tourism infrastructure. Their role includes conserving large-scale ecosystems, evolutionary processes, and providing solitude, making them vital for climate resilience and species migration.

Source: IUCN Guidelines, 2013

IUCN Category VI

Category VI conserves ecosystems through sustainable natural resource use, often in large, predominantly natural areas. Low-intensity, non-industrial activities (e.g., traditional fishing, agroforestry) are permitted if compatible with conservation. Unlike Category V’s cultural landscapes, VI areas prioritize biodiversity in near-natural settings while supporting local livelihoods. They may include zones of stricter protection (e.g., Ia cores) and are critical in regions where conservation depends on integrating human needs with ecological resilience.

Source: IUCN Guidelines, 2013

Land Use Land Cover (LULC)

Land Use

The human use of a specific area for a certain purpose (such as residential, agriculture, recreation, industrial, etc.). Influenced by, but not synonymous with, land cover. Land-use change refers to a change in the use or management of land by humans, which may lead to a change in land cover.

Land Cover

The physical coverage of land, usually expressed in terms of vegetation cover or lack of it. Related to, but not synonymous with, land use.

Source: Milenium Ecosystem Assessement, 2005

Modification of the Forest and Wildlife Law (Law No. 31973, 2023)

In late 2023, the Peruvian Congress approved Law No. 31973, which amends key provisions of the 2011 Forest and Wildlife Law. The modifications specifically alter Articles 29 and 33, suspending the mandate that forest zoning is required for granting enabling titles for permanent production forests. In addition, the law shifts the responsibility for approving forest zoning from the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI). This change has generated strong opposition from Indigenous organizations, civil society, and environmental experts, who argue that it may lead to increased deforestation, undermine ecosystem functions and biodiversity, and disregard the rights of Indigenous peoples. Critics warn that the reform could not only promote impunity and weaken environmental governance, but also hinder Peru’s ability to meet its international climate change commitments. Notably, the law does not take effect automatically as it still requires additional regulations.

Source: World Resources Institute, 2024

Nature’s Contribution to People (NCP)

Nature's contributions to people (NCP) are all the contributions, both positive and negative, of living nature (i.e. diversity of organisms, ecosystems, and their associated ecological and evolutionary processes) to the quality of life of people. Beneficial contributions from nature include such things as food provision, water purification, flood control, and artistic inspiration, whereas detrimental contributions include disease transmission and predation that damages people or their assets. Many NCP may be perceived as benefits or detriments depending on the cultural, temporal or spatial context.

Source: Pörtner et al., 2021

Nature Futures Framework (NFF)

A heuristic that captures diverse, positive values of human-nature relationships along three types of specific value perspectives on nature: intrinsic (also known as ‘nature for nature’), instrumental (‘nature for society’), and relational (‘nature as culture/one with nature’) values. These values of nature are not mutually exclusive and intricately intertwined by nature. In the context of Western science, these positive values can be located in a triangular space whose tips represent the three types of value perspectives on nature.

Source: IPBES, 2023

Normative Scenarios

Target-seeking scenarios (also known as “goal-seeking scenarios” or “normative scenarios”) are scenarios that start with the definition of a clear objective, or a set of objectives, specified either in terms of achievable targets, or as an objective function to be optimized, and then identify different pathways to achieving this outcome (e.g. through backcasting).

Source: IPBES core glossary, 2021

REDD+ Project

REDD+ (short for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation”) is an international climate initiative designed to curb forest-based greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. It offers incentives—often through carbon markets or other payment schemes—to protect or sustainably manage forests, rather than cutting them down. By doing so, REDD+ can help maintain biodiversity, since preserving a wide range of species and ecosystems typically goes hand in hand with keeping forests intact. However, as actors in Peru’s REDD+ process have noted, simply focusing on carbon storage won’t guarantee healthy habitats if social, economic, and governance issues aren’t addressed. For instance, unclear land rights can spark conflicts, and local communities may not see fair benefits unless safeguards are in place. When well designed, though, REDD+ can channel funds into conservation areas, bolster sustainable livelihoods, and foster cooperation among government agencies, indigenous peoples, NGOs, and private companies. Done right, it’s a chance to tackle both climate change and biodiversity loss together.

Source: Entenmann & Schmitt, 2013

Scenarios

Representations of possible futures for one or more components of a system, particularly for drivers of change in nature and nature’s benefits, including alternative policy or management options.

Source: IPBES, 2018