Glossary
Protected Areas: Geographically defined areas, which are duly regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation and environmental service objectives, including protection of biodiversity, water resources and the soil.
Sensitive Areas: Areas that have less resistance or reduced ability to return to a state close to their original condition prior to being submitted to disturbances. In general, these include environments with a high level of biodiversity and also those that are the habitat for rare species, endemic species (exclusive to a given area) and endangered species facing possible extinction, characterized by the presence of economic and socio-cultural interest and hotspots (areas with a high level of biodiversity and under high antropic pressure).
Vulnerable Areas: Areas liable to suffer potential impacts due to stress agents such as the emission of substances that are potentially harmful to the environment.
Biodiversity: In accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity, this includes “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species (genetic), between species and of ecosystems”.
Ecoefficiency: Defined as "the production of goods and services at competitive prices, which meet human needs and enhance the quality of life, while progressively reducing environmental impacts and the intensity of natural resources used throughout their life cycle, to a level that is at least compatible with the capacity of the planet to supply such resources” (Montgomery, 1997). The principles of ecoefficiency include: a reduction of the quantity of raw material used in the production of goods and services; a reduction of the quantity of energy expended in the production of goods and services; a reduction of the production of pollutant residues; an increase in the recyclability of materials; the maximization of the energy efficiency and sustainable use of renewable resources; an increase in product durability; an increase in the intensity of product usage (Desimone & Popoff, 2000).
Ecological Plant Groups: Classification of plant species in accordance with their successional stage as pioneers, early secondary, late secondary and climax species.
Pressures on ecosystems: Influences generated by human activity that may generate environmental impacts of differeing degree.
External public: Communities in the area of influence of oil and gas exploration and production operations, suppliers, research and educational institutions, government bodies, NGOs and other civil society organizations.
Environmental Services: Benefits that humankind draws from ecosystems. These include provisioning services, such as water and food; regulatory services, such as the control of flooding and disease; cultural services, with spiritual, recreational and social benefits and support services, such as the recycling of nutrients, which maintain the conditions of life on Earth.