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Climate Change

Long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns, primarily due to human activities.

Vavilovian Centres

Areas where current crop species and varieties were first domesticated.

Albedo

A measure of reflectivity; the proportion of solar energy reflected by a surface.

Insolation

Incoming solar radiation received by the Earth.

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

The ability of soil to hold onto cations, which are positively charged plant nutrients.

Extensification

Bringing more land into agricultural production.

Intensification

Increasing productivity per unit of land.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural transformation featuring modern agricultural practices, such as high-yield crop varieties, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation.

Ecozone

A large area of land that shares similar biological and physical characteristics.

Biogeochemical Cycles

The cycles of chemical elements and compounds and their movement through various biological, geological, and chemical processes.

Euphoric Zone

The upper layer of a water body where there is sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis.

Nutrient Cycles

The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.

Soil Erosion

The removal of the topsoil layer by wind or water.

Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture that maintains the health of the soil, ecosystems, and people.

Eutrophication

The process whereby water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Extirpation

The local extinction of a species in a particular area.

Endangered Species

Species that are at risk of extinction.

Genetic Modification

The direct manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnological techniques.

Anthropocene

The current geological age viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.