Download Acronyms and abbreviations

Acronyms and
abbreviations
DECCDepartment of Environment and
Climate Change NSW
AAQ NEPMNational Environment Protection
Measure for Ambient Air Quality
DEWHADepartment of the Environment,
Water, Heritage and the Arts (Cwlth)
ABAREAustralian Bureau of Agricultural and
Research Economics
DIIDepartment of Industry and
Investment
ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics
AHIP
Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit
DLWCDepartment of Land and Water
Conservation (NSW)
AIG
Australian Industry Group
ALMFAboriginal Land Management
Framework
ANZECCAustralian and New Zealand
Environment and Conservation
Council
ARMCANZ Agriculture and Resource
Management Council of Australia
and New Zealand
AusRivAS
Australian River Assessment System
BASIX Building Sustainability Index
BioBankingBiodiversity Banking and Offsets
Scheme
BITREBureau of Infrastructure, Transport
and Regional Economics
DoH
NSW Health
DoP
Department of Planning (NSW)
DPIDepartment of Primary Industries
(NSW) (now DII)
DPSIRDriving Forces-Pressure-StateImpact-Response
DWEDepartment of Water and Energy
(NSW)
EC
electrical conductivity
EEA
European Environment Agency
EHC Act
E nvironmentally Hazardous Chemicals
Act 1985
ENSO
El Niño – Southern Oscillation (Index)
EPAEnvironment Protection Authority
(NSW)
BoM
Bureau of Meteorology
BRO
Better Regulation Office
EPHCEnvironment Protection and
Heritage Council
C&D
construction and demolition (waste)
EPI
Environmental Performance Index
C&I
commercial and industrial (waste)
ERA
Extended Regulated Area (waste)
CAP
catchment action plan
ESI
Environmental Sustainability Index
ETS
emissions trading scheme
FM Act
Fisheries Management Act 1994
FMZ
Forest Management Zone
FSANZ
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
GGAS
Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme
GMO
genetically modified organism
CARcomprehensive, adequate and
representative (reserve system
planning)
CCAP
Climate Change Action Plan
CCF
Climate Change Fund
CEI
Clean Energy Initiative
CLM Act
ontaminated Land Management
C
Act 1997
CMA
catchment management authority
COAG
Council of Australian Governments
CPI
Consumer Price Index
CSIROCommonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation
DCCDepartment of Climate Change
(Cwlth)
DECDepartment of Environment and
Conservation NSW
300
DECCWDepartment of Environment, Climate
Change and Water (formerly DECC)
NSW State of the Environment 2009
GMRGreater Metropolitan Region (see
also Glossary entries)
GSP
gross state product
HES
Household Expenditure Survey
HHT
Historic Houses Trust of NSW
HWC
Hunter Water Corporation
IBRAInterim Biogeographic
Regionalisation of Australia
IMCRAInterim Marine and Coastal
Regionalisation of Australia
OECDOrganisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development
IPA
PAH
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
PAS
priorities action statement
PCB
polychlorinated biphenyl
Indigenous Protected Area
IPCCIntergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change
ISO
International Standards Organisation
IUCNInternational Union for the
Conservation of Nature
PMSEICPrime Minister’s Science, Engineering
and Innovation Council
PVP
property vegetation plan
REP
regional environmental plan
RFS
Rural Fire Service (NSW)
RIS
regulatory impact statement
RTA
Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW
SCA
Sydney Catchment Authority
SD
statistical division
SEPP
state environmental planning policy
SLA
statistical local area
SLATS
Statewide Land and Tree Survey
SMA
Sydney Metropolitan Area (waste)
SMU
soil monitoring unit
SRA
Sustainable Rivers Audit
SSD
statistical subdivision
STA
State Transit Authority (NSW)
NEPCNational Environment Protection
Council
SWC
Sydney Water Corporation
TAP
threat abatement plan
NEPMNational Environment Protection
Measure
TSC Act
T hreatened Species Conservation Act
1995
NHMRCNational Health and Medical
Research Council
TSR
travelling stock route
KTP
key threatening process
Landsat
Land and Earth Observation Satellite
LBL
load-based licensing
LEP
local environmental plan
LGA
local government area
LWU
local water utility
MDBC
Murray–Darling Basin Commission
MDBMCMurray–Darling Basin Ministerial
Council
MER
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
MIL
monitoring investigation levels
MPA
Marine Parks Authority (NSW)
MRL
maximum residue limit
NABERSNational Australian Built
Environment Rating System
NLWRANational Land and Water Resources
Audit
NPWSNational Parks and Wildlife Service
(NSW)
UNESCOUnited Nations Environmental,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
UV-Bultraviolet radiation in the 280–320
nm wavelength band
NRA
Non-Regulated Areas (waste)
VASTvegetation assets, states and
transitions
NRC
Natural Resources Commission
VKT
vehicle kilometres travelled
NRM
natural resource management
VOC
volatile organic compound
NRMMCNatural Resource Management
Ministerial Council
VR1Stage 1 vapour recovery (motor
vehicle emissions)
NRSNational Reserve System
(Biodiversity chapter)
VR2Stage 2 vapour recovery (motor
vehicle emissions)
NRSNational Residue Survey (Land
chapter)
WCEDWorld Commission on Environment
and Development
NSWTI
NSW Transport and Infrastructure
WHO
NV Act
Native Vegetation Act 2003
NWI
National Water Initiative
WRAPPWaste Reduction and Purchasing
Policy
World Health Organization
Acronyms and abbreviations
301
Units
302
(10–6)
MWh
megawatt-hour
N
nitrogen
NO2
nitrogen dioxide
µ
micro
µg
microgram (10–6 grams)
NOx
oxides of nitrogen
µg/L
micrograms per litre
O3
ozone
µg/m3
micrograms per cubic metre
P
phosphorus
µm
micrometre
pH
measure of acidity or alkalinity
cm
centimetre
PJ
petajoule (1015 joules)
cm/y
centimetres per year
PM
particulate matter
CO2
carbon dioxide
CO2-e
carbon dioxide equivalent units
PM10particulate matter less than
10 micrometres
EC
electrical conductivity
GL
gigalitres (109 litres)
GL/y
gigalitres per year
GWh
gigawatt-hour
ha
hectare
ha/y
hectares per year
kg
kilogram
kg/y
kilograms per year
km
kilometre
km/h
kilometres per hour
km2
square kilometres
kWh
kilowatt-hour
L
litre
L/s
litres per second
m
metre
m3
cubic metre
mg
milligram (10–3 grams)
mg/kg
milligrams per kilogram
mg/L
milligrams per litre
ML
megalitre (106 litres)
mL
millilitre (10–3 litres)
ML/d
megalitres per day
ML/y
megalitres per year
mm
millimetre
Mt
megatonne (106 tonnes)
MW
megawatt (106 watts)
NSW State of the Environment 2009
PM2.5particulate matter less than
2.5 micrometres
ppb
parts per billion
ppm
parts per million
SO2
sulfur dioxide
t
tonne
t/ha
tonnes per hectare
t/ha/y
tonnes per hectare per year
t/y
tonnes per year
y
year
Glossary
biota: collectively, the plants, microorganisms and
animals of a region
acid sulfate soils: a mix of low-lying coastal clays
and sands that contain sulfur-bearing compounds
at concentrations above 0.05% in clays and 0.01%
in sands
bloom: dense and visible growth of organisms (algae
or other phytoplankton) in water, resulting from
proliferation caused by increased nutrients (such as
phosphorus), possibly toxic and generally resulting in
reduced oxygen in the water
acidification: a reduction in pH (increase in acidity)
in soil or water
adaptation: (biology) a physical, physiological or
behavioural pattern that enables an organism to
adjust to changes in environmental conditions and
improves its chances of surviving and reproducing
adaptive environmental water: water that
is committed to the environment through the
conditions on water access licences
adaptive management: a systematic process
for continually improving management policies
and practices by learning from the outcomes of
operational or monitoring programs
air toxics: gaseous, aerosol or particulate
contaminants present in ambient air in trace amounts
with characteristics (toxicity, persistence) which make
them a hazard to human health, plant and animal life
alluvium: clay, silt, sand, gravel or similar material
deposited by running water, especially during recent
geological time
anthropogenic: produced or caused by human
activity
aquaculture: cultivation of aquatic organisms
including fish, molluscs and plants in fresh or
salt water
aquifer: rocks and porous sediments which hold and
yield groundwater
ballast water: water carried in tanks to maintain
stability when a ship is lightly loaded and normally
discharged to the sea when the ship is loaded
with cargo
baseflow: see recharge
benthic: bottom-dwelling; usually refers to organisms
living on the substrate at the bottom of a water body
biodiversity: the variety of all life forms: the different
plants, animals and microorganisms, the genes they
contain and the ecosystems they form
biological control: use of organisms (predators,
herbivores, parasites and disease-producing
organisms) to control pests and weeds
biomass: the total mass of living material occupying
a specific part, or the whole of, an ecosystem at a
given time
blue-green algae: members of the cyanobacteria
(or Cyanophyta), characterised by blue-green
pigmentation and a lack of cellular organisation
buffer: an area of land separating two conflicting
activities or land uses
bycatch: species taken incidentally in a fishery along
with the target species; often discarded
chain volume measures: estimates of real growth
obtained by factoring in changing price relativities
from year to year
climate variation: long-term change in the patterns
of average weather of a region or the Earth as a whole
climate-corrected potable water consumption:
a model of water demand that adjusts actual
demand where weather conditions (temperature,
rainfall and an evaporation index) are significantly
above or below average for that period of the year;
such models do not normally remove the seasonal
variations in demand
CO2-equivalent (CO2-e): a metric measure
used to compare the global warming potential
(GWP) of various greenhouse gases relative to the
concentration of CO2 (which is defined as having
a GWP of 1). For example, methane is 21 times
more effective than CO2 at heating the atmosphere
and therefore has a GWP of 21; thus five tonnes of
methane is equivalent to 5 × 21 = 105 tonnes of CO2.
cogeneration: the production of two useful forms
of energy, such as high-temperature heat and
electricity, from the same process. For example, while
boiling water to generate electricity, the low-pressure
unused steam can be sold for industrial processes or
space heating.
cold water pollution: the discharge of cold water
from water storages into rivers or water bodies
at temperatures and in quantities that may be
detrimental to the local or downstream environment
Consumer Price Index: an Australian Bureau of
Statistics index that measures quarterly changes in
the price of a ‘basket’ of standard goods and services
Country: (Aboriginal) the term used to describe
both the land and waters, including the sea, to which
Aboriginal people have a cultural connection
covenant: pledge in formal agreement; to lay down
as a condition before signing
Glossary
303
cyanobacteria: see blue-green algae
diffuse source pollution: also known as non-point
source pollution, usually refers to multiple small
sources of pollution spread over a wide area; see also
point source pollution
dinoflagellate: member of the algal division
Dinophyta, a group of single-celled algae whose
cells are surrounded by a rigid, sculptured wall and
transported by two flagella; a major part of marine
and freshwater plankton
discharge: (hydrology) volume of water transported
per unit time; (pollution) something that is released
or unloaded
disturbance: (ecology) any discrete event in
time which disrupts ecosystem structure and
resource availability
diversion: volume of water taken from a stream
or aquifer on a sustained basis to supply water for
rural, urban and industrial use; includes diversions
undertaken by a water authority, private company
or a group of individuals authorised to act as a water
supply authority
ecological community: an aggregation of organisms
characterised by a distinctive combination of two or
more ecologically related species
ecological footprint: a measure of the impact of
direct and indirect consumption of resources and
production of wastes
ecosystem processes: the numerous interactions
between different components (both living and
non-living) of an ecosystem that support the
biological elements of the system, including the
storage and cycling of energy, nutrients and minerals;
predation and competition; disturbance; weathering;
and succession
ecosystem services: any functions provided by
an ecosystem that benefit humankind, such as the
provision of clean air and water, the maintenance of
soil fertility and the removal of wastes
ecosystem: a functional system which includes
communities of living organisms and their associated
physical, non-living environment, which interact to
form an ecological unit, such as a tidal rock pool,
wetland or forest
304
electrical conductivity (EC): a measure of charged
particles in water used to estimate salinity
emerging invasive species: a newly established
species whose distribution and abundance is expanding
emission intensity: a measure of greenhouse gas
emissions per unit of input or output
emissions trading: a scheme to provide for marketbased allocation of discharge opportunities; the
environmental regulator first determines total
acceptable emissions and then divides this total into
tradeable units (often called credits or permits); these
units are then allocated to scheme participants
emissions: gaseous or liquid discharge, or noise given
out by a source
endangered species: species or ecological
communities likely to become extinct unless
action is taken to remove the factors that threaten
their survival
environmental flows: flows of water (by volume
and season) necessary to maintain aquatic biota and
ecosystem processes
erosion: the loosening and transportation of soil,
chiefly by wind and running water
estuary: the transition zone between freshwater and
marine environments where rivers and creeks meet
the sea
eutrophication: the over-enrichment of a body
of water with nutrients, primarily nitrogen and
phosphorus, resulting in excessive growth of some
plants and algae and the subsequent depletion of
dissolved oxygen
e-waste: used (‘end-of-life’) electrical and electronic
equipment, commonly composed of many
component materials that are difficult and expensive
to separate before they can be reused. Many of these
materials, such as copper and gold, are valuable
non-renewable resources; others, such as heavy
metals, carbon black and brominated-flame
retardants, are hazardous.
exceedence: occasion on which results are greater
than a limit, goal or standard
exotic: a plant or animal that has been introduced to
a region in which it does not naturally occur
effluent: any discharge, but especially water
discharged after treatment in a sewage treatment plant
extraction: taking water from a water body or aquifer
for use (also called abstraction)
El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO): a natural
oscillation in the state of the ocean–atmosphere
system that leads to substantial changes in atmospheric
circulation throughout the Asia–Pacific region and
generally drier conditions in eastern Australia
faecal coliform bacteria: a group of bacteria found
in animal (including human) intestines and used as an
indicator of the sanitary quality of water
NSW State of the Environment 2009
fishing effort: the amount of fishing gear used in a
fishery over a unit of time, essentially fishing capacity
times fishing activity
floodplain: relatively flat valley floor subject to
inundation by the overflow of an adjacent river
green tape: the ‘red tape’ associated with
environmental regulation
food web: a network describing the feeding
interactions of the species in an area
greenhouse effect: the natural trapping of heat,
reflected from the Earth’s surface, by certain gases in
the atmosphere
fossil fuel: any hydrocarbon deposit that may be
used for fuel, such as petroleum, coal and natural gas
fragmentation: the division of continuous habitat by
vegetation clearance for human land-use activities,
which isolates the remnant patches of vegetation
and the species within them, and limits genetic flow
between populations
full fuel cycle: emissions resulting from end use
plus those resulting from feed stock extraction and
refining, power generation and energy distribution
global financial crisis: the crisis affecting economies
around the world, caused by the collapse of the
subprime market in the USA in 2008
global warming: the expected rise in global
temperatures caused by an increase in the
concentration of greenhouse gases mostly emitted as
a result of human activity
Great Artesian Basin: an enormous store of
underground water underlying much of the drier
regions of eastern Australia
greater metropolitan area (GMA): the area of
greater Sydney defined under the Protection of the
Environment Operations (Clean Air) Regulation 2002
and comprising the:
(a) Central Coast Metropolitan Area
(b) Newcastle Metropolitan Area
(c) Sydney Metropolitan Area
(d) Wollongong Metropolitan Area
(e)local government areas of Blue Mountains,
Cessnock, Kiama, Lithgow, Maitland,
Mid-Western Regional, Muswellbrook, Port
Stephens, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Wingecarribee
and Wollondilly
greater metropolitan region (GMR1): the area of
greater Sydney defined by the Australian Bureau of
Statistics comprising all statistical local areas and local
government areas in the Sydney Statistical Division,
Newcastle Statistical Subdivision, and Wollongong
Statistical Subdivision
greater metropolitan region (GMR2): comprising
the Sydney, Illawarra and lower Hunter regions
greater metropolitan region (GMR3): (Air Emissions
Inventory) the area of NSW having Australian Map
Grid (AMG) coordinates at the south-west corner
at Easting: 210000, Northing: 6159000, Zone 56
and north-east corner at Easting: 420000, Northing:
6432000, Zone 56
greenhouse gases: atmospheric gases, including
carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons,
nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapour, which trap
heat reflected from the Earth’s surface
gross domestic product (GDP): the total market
value of all final goods and services produced for
money in a nation within a given period of time, after
deducting the cost of goods and services used in the
process of production, but before depreciation
gross state product (GSP): the GDP of a state
groundwater dependent ecosystems: ecosystems
that are wholly or partially dependent on
groundwater for their survival
groundwater management areas (GMAs):
zones within groundwater provinces; may be
linked hydrologically (mutually dependent aquifer
systems) or independent; they are locations where
management measures may be needed to control
groundwater extraction and reduce the risk
of depletion
groundwater: all subsurface water, especially the
part that is in the zone of saturation
habitat: defined in the Threatened Species
Conservation Act 1995 as an area or areas occupied,
or periodically or occasionally occupied, by a species,
population or ecological community, including any
biotic or abiotic component
hazard reduction burning: the deliberate burning
of the understorey by controlled fire kept at cooler
temperatures, usually in winter, to reduce ground fuel;
part of forest management to reduce the incidence
of summer wildfires thereby preventing damage to
property and wildlife (also called ‘prescribed burning’)
herbivore: an animal that consumes plants only
household: a social unit comprised of those living
together in the same dwelling place
hydrology: the science of water; its occurrence,
circulation, distribution, properties and reaction with
the environment
Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD): a coupled oceanic and
atmospheric phenomenon in the Indian Ocean that
affects Australia’s climate
indicator: a measurable item or unit used to monitor
and report changes
Glossary
305
infrastructure: the system of essential services,
utilities and public and community facilities necessary
to enable human communities to function
mosaic: (vegetation) a combination of distinct
vegetation types within a spatial unit that cannot be
discriminated by the mapping techniques employed
intertidal: between the levels of low and high tide;
see also littoral zone
natural resource management (NRM): the
sustainable management of natural resources,
including matters related to water, native vegetation,
salinity, soil, biodiversity, coastal protection, marine
environments and forestry
invasive species: a plant or animal that has been
introduced into a region in which it does not naturally
occur and that becomes established and spreads at
the expense of naturally occurring species
invertebrates: animals without backbones, such as
insects, worms, snails, mussels, prawns and cuttlefish
land capability: a classification system for rural land,
which delineates the ability of the land to remain
productive under particular land uses
likely: indicates that there is a greater than 66%
probability of occurrence, based on the definitions in
IPCC 2007a and DECCW in prep.
littoral rainforest: rainforest found next to, and
influenced by, the sea, especially adapted to salt
and wind
littoral zone: the specific zone of the sea floor lying
between low tide and high tide (also known as the
‘intertidal zone’)
load-based licensing (LBL): a pollution control
system where licence fees are linked to emission levels
local environmental plan (LEP): a plan to guide local
government land-use planning decisions through
zoning and development controls
long-term average extraction limit: the level of
groundwater that can be extracted from an aquifer
sustainably on an annual basis
low-carbon economy: an economy that has minimal
output of greenhouse gases
macroinvertebrate: an invertebrate visible to the
naked eye, having a body length exceeding 1 millimetre
mangrove: a plant (belonging to any of a wide range
of species, mainly trees and shrubs) that grows in
sediment regularly inundated by seawater, or a
community (forest, woodland, shrubland) of such plants
methane: a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas,
lighter than air, which reacts violently with chlorine
and bromine in sunlight
microorganism: a microscopic organism, including
bacteria, protozoans, yeast, viruses and algae
minimum fire interval: (ecology) the minimum
interval between fires for specified vegetation
formations to maintain biodiversity
more likely than not: indicates that there is a greater
than 50% probability of occurrence, based on the
definitions in IPCC 2007a and DECCW in prep.
306
NSW State of the Environment 2009
naturalised: introduced species which have become
established
new invasive species: any introduced species
that has not been recorded previously and whose
impacts are likely to be significant or a species that
has previously been recorded and has since
exhibited invasiveness
non-woody vegetation: vegetation formations that
are less than two metres high or with less than 20%
canopy cover (mainly grasslands, arid shrublands
and woodlands)
nursery: (ecology) a relatively sheltered area of
habitat suitable for the early growth and development
of juvenile fish
out-gassing (also ‘off-gassing’): the slow release of
a gas from a solid material, such as by evaporation,
desorption or chemical alteration
ozone: a gas made of three oxygen atoms, occurring
naturally in the stratosphere where it protects life
on Earth from harmful levels of solar ultraviolet
radiation; ozone in the troposphere is due to
anthropogenic emissions and is a major component
of photochemical smog
pathogen: a disease-causing organism
perennial: a plant that lives for more than one year,
dying back seasonally and producing new growth
each year
phytoplankton: microscopic drifting aquatic plants
(mainly algae)
plankton: microscopic drifting aquatic plants or animals
planned environmental water: water that
is committed to the environment through
environmental flow rules in water sharing plans
point source pollution: a source of pollution that
can be pinpointed, such as a pipe outlet or chimney
stack; see also diffuse source pollution)
potential acid sulfate soils: soils generally found less
than five metres above sea level that produce sulfuric
acid when drained; the acid can affect groundwater
and surface waters, with impacts on urban areas,
farming productivity, plants and animals
prescribed burning: see hazard reduction burning
productivity: (biology) the rate of accumulation of
organic material in an ecosystem
sequestration: the long-term storage of
carbon dioxide
projection: (climate change) model-derived
estimates of climate change
sewage: waste matter discharged to a
sewerage system
radiation: the emission and propagation of waves
or particles transmitting energy through space or
through some medium; when unqualified, usually
refers to electromagnetic radiation
sewerage: works for collecting, treating and
disposing of sewage
Ramsar convention: common name for the
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, signed in Ramsar, Iran,
in 1971
Ramsar wetland: a wetland classified as
internationally important under the Ramsar convention
recharge: the process whereby surface water from
rain, irrigation or streams infiltrates into groundwater;
the amount of water added to or absorbed into a
groundwater system; or groundwater that feeds
surface waters (also known as ‘baseflow’)
regulated rivers: (NSW) those rivers proclaimed
under the Water Act 1912 as having their flows
controlled by the major dams; ‘regulated’ means that
flows along the length of these rivers are controlled
by releases from major dams to meet the needs of
licensed users; (hydrology) rivers affected by major
dams, weirs, canalisation and water transfers
remnant: (ecology) a small, fragmented portion of
a vegetation type that once covered an area before
being cleared
remote sensing: a means of acquiring information
using airborne equipment and techniques to
determine the characteristics of an area, commonly
using aerial photographs from aircraft and images
from satellites
riparian zone: situated on or belonging to a river or
a stream bank
riparian: occurring on or adjacent to a river, stream
or other waterway
runoff: water that flows across the land surface and
does not soak into the ground; it can be a major
agent of soil erosion and carry pollutants
salinity: the level of dissolved salts in soil or water
sclerophyll: vegetation type consisting of plants
with hard, short and often spiky leaves, adapted
to the low-phosphorus soil conditions often found
in Australia
sedimentation: deposition of material of varying
size, both mineral and organic, away from its origin by
the action of water, wind, gravity or ice
species diversity: a measure of the number of
individuals and their relative abundance in an area
species: a group of organisms which are biologically
capable of breeding and producing fertile offspring
state environmental planning policy (SEPP):
policy prepared under the Environmental Planning
and Assessment Act 1979; examples include policies
for managing urban bushland, coastal wetlands,
littoral rainforest, hazardous developments and
cattle feedlots
stormwater: the runoff from rainfall in urban areas
stratification: (hydrology) the formation of more-orless distinct layers in a body of water having differing
characteristics, such as temperature or salinity
subtidal: below low-water level
suspended sediments: see suspended solids
suspended solids: any solid substances present in
water in an undissolved state, usually contributing
directly to turbidity
sustainability: environmentally sound resource use;
use that does not degrade ecosystems or affect the
quality of the resource
Sydney Statistical Division (SSD): defined by the
ABS as the area bounded by Gosford and Wyong,
Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains, Campbelltown,
Wollondilly and Sutherland local government areas
temperature anomaly: the difference between an
annual average temperature and the climatological
average, which by World Meteorological Organization
convention is the average over 1961–90
threatened species: a species facing one or more
threatening processes, such as extensive destruction
of habitat, that may jeopardise its survival, abundance
or evolutionary development in the wild
threatening process: a process that threatens, or
may have the capability to threaten, the survival or
evolutionary development of species, populations or
ecological communities
tipping points: (climate change) thresholds where
a relatively slight rise in the Earth’s temperature can
result in more dramatic changes to climate systems
Glossary
307
toxins: any of various poisoning substances that
are specific products of the metabolic activities of
living organisms
translocated native species: a plant or animal that
occurs naturally in some part of Australia but has been
introduced to another region in which it does not
naturally occur
transpiration: the loss of water by evaporation from
the leaves of plants
turbidity: a measure of the amount of suspended
solids (usually fine clay or silt particles) in water and
thus the degree of scattering or absorption of light in
the water
unregulated rivers: rivers in NSW that do not have
major storages and those with storages that do
not release water downstream; (hydrology) rivers
without major dams or regulating structures; see also
regulated rivers
upwelling: divergence of water currents or the
movement of warm surface water away from land
leading to a ‘welling up’ of deeper water that is
commonly richer in nutrients, with the combination
of nutrients and warmth leading to abundant plant
algal growth
vehicle kilometres travelled: a function of the
number of motor vehicles on the road and the
average distance travelled by each vehicle
very likely: indicates that there is a greater than 90%
probability of occurrence, based on the definitions in
IPCC 2007a and DECCW in prep.
virtually certain: indicates that there is a greater
than 99% probability of occurrence, based on the
definitions in IPCC 2007a and DECCW in prep.
vulnerable species: species that may become
endangered if causal factors (habitat destruction, overexploitation and other environmental disturbances)
continue
wetlands: land areas inundated either temporarily or
permanently with shallow, slow-moving or stationary
water, either fresh, brackish or saline
widespread invasive species: an introduced species
that is widely distributed
wilderness: an area which, together with its plant and
animal communities, is in a state that has not been
substantially modified by humans, or that is capable
of being restored to such a state, and is of sufficient
size to make its maintenance in such a state feasible;
it can provide opportunities for solitude and selfreliant recreation
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NSW State of the Environment 2009
woodheaters: controlled, or ‘slow’, combustion
heaters comprising an enclosed firebox, controlled
under standards AS/NZS 4013 (1999) and AS/NZS
4012(1999); excludes outdoor fireplaces and heaters
such as chimineas
woody vegetation: vegetation formations (mainly
woodlands and forests) that are over two metres high
and with more than 20% canopy cover; also known as
detectable native forest