<!--- Terms I-L --->

Inbreeding

A mating system involving the mating or breeding of closely related individuals, the most extreme form of which is self-fertilization. It is used to "fix" economically useful genetic traits in genetically improved populations; however, it also can result in fixation of deleterious recessive alleles.

Inbreeding depression

A reduction in fitness or vigor as a result of fixation of deleterious, recessive alleles from consistent inbreeding in a normally outbreeding population.

Indicator species

A species whose status provides information on the overall condition of the ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem.

Indigenous peoples

People whose ancestors inhabited a place or country when persons from another culture or ethnic background arrived on the scene and dominated them through conquest, settlement, or other means and who today live more in conformity with their own social, economic, and cultural customs and traditions than with those of the country of which they now form a part (also: native peoples or tribal peoples).

In situ conservation

A conservation method that attempts to preserve the genetic integrity of gene resources by conserving them within the evolutionary dynamic ecosystems of the original habitat or natural environment.

Intellectual property right (IPR)

A right enabling an inventor to exclude imitators from the market for a limited time.

Introduced species

A species occurring in an area outside of its historically known natural range as a result of intentional or accidental dispersal by human activities. Also known as alien species.

In vitro

Storage of plant or animal germplasm in tissue-culture form in glass containers.

Keystone species

A species whose loss from an ecosystem would cause a greater than average change in other species populations or ecosystem processes.

Landraces

A crop cultivar or animal breed that evolved with and has been genetically improved by traditional agriculturalists, but has not been influenced by modern breeding practices.

Life form

Characteristic structure of a plant or animal.

<!--- Terms M-P --->

Minimum viable population

The smallest isolated population having a good chance of surviving for a given number of years despite the foreseeable effects of demographic, environmental, and genetic events and natural catastrophes. (The probability of persistence and the time of persistence are often taken to be 99 percent and 1000 years, respectively.)

Mutualism

Relationship between two or more species that benefits all parties.

Mycorrhizal fungi

A fungus living in a mutualistic association with plants and facilitating nutrient and water uptake.

National income accounts

System of record by which the vigor of a nation's economy is measured. (Results are often listed as Gross National Product, or Gross Domestic Product.)

Native species

Plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms that occur naturally in a given area or region.

Nitrogen fixation

A process whereby nitrogen fixing bacteria living in mutualistic associations with plants convert atmospheric nitrogen to nitrogen compounds that plants can utilize directly.

Nectarivore

An animal that eats nectar.

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

A non-profit group or association organized outside of institutionalized political structures to realize particular social objectives (such as environmental protection) or serve particular constituencies (such as indigenous peoples). NGO activities range from research, information distribution, training, local organization, and community service to legal advocacy, lobbying for legislative change, and civil disobedience. NGOs range in size from small groups within a particular community to huge membership groups with a national or international scope.

Orthodox seed

Seed that can be dried to moisture levels between 4 and 6 percent and kept at low temperatures.

Parataxonomists

Field-trained biodiversity collection and inventory specialists recruited from local areas.

Patent

A government grant of temporary monopoly rights on innovative processes or products.

Pathogen

A disease-causing microorganism; a bacterium or virus.

Phenotype

The morphological, physiological, biochemical, behavioral, and other properties of an organism that develop through the interaction of genes and environment. (See genotype.)

Phylogenetic

Pertaining to the evolutionary history of a particular group of organisms.

Phylum

In taxonomy, a high-level category just beneath the kingdom and above the class; a group of related, similar classes.

Population

A group of individuals with common ancestry that are much more likely to mate with one another than with individuals from another such group.

Predator control

A predator-prey interaction in which the predator controls the prey population size; that is, in which the predator population is the limiting factor for the prey population size.

Primary [or natural] forest

A forest largely undisturbed by human activities.

Primary productivity

The transformation of chemical or solar energy to biomass. Most primary production occurs through photosynthesis, whereby green plants convert solar energy, carbon dioxide, and water to glucose and eventually to plant tissue. In addition, some bacteria in the deep sea can convert chemical energy to biomass through chemosynthesis. Primary production refers to the amount of material produced. Net primary production is the measure of the actual accumulation of biomass after some of the products of photosynthesis (or chemosynthesis) are expended for the plant's own maintenance. Productivity, or the rate of production, is affected by various environmental factors, including the amount of solar radiation, the availability of water and mineral nutrients, and temperature.

Protected area

A legally established land or water area under either public or private ownership that is regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.