GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS
of terms related to the biodiversity

reagent

A substance used to cause a reaction, especially to detect another substance.

recalcitrant

A term applied to pollutants which are not biodegradable or are only biodegradable with difficulty.

recalcitrant seed

Seed that cannot withstand either drying or temperatures of less than 10° C and cannot therefore be stored for long periods as orthodox seeds can.

recombinant DNA (r-DNA)

- Any DNA molecule formed by joining DNA segments from different sources. - A strand of DNA synthesised in the laboratory by splicing together selected parts of DNA strands from different organic species, or by adding a selected part to an existing DNA strand.

recombinant DNA technology

The process of excising segments of DNA from one species of organism and inserting them into the DNA of another species.

recurrent selection

A breeding method aimed at increasing the frequency of favourable genes(gene) through repeated cycles of selection and selected crossing of individuals.

red tide

Reddish-brown discoloring of surface water from blooming populations of dinoflagellate phytoplankton; since long associated with nutrient pollution.

rehabilitation

The recovery of specific ecosystem services(ecosystem service) in a degraded ecosystem or habitat.

resource

A substance or place required by an organism for its growth, maintenance and reproduction.

restoration

The return of an ecosystem or habitat to its original community structure, natural complement of species and natural functions.

Rio Earth Summit (see: Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro)

riparian

Related to living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse, usually a river, sometimes a lake or tidewater

risk

The outcome of an action is said to involve risk where: the set of all possible outcomes of that action is known, and where the probability distribution of all possible outcomes is also known.

risk assessment

- The use of scientific data to identify and characterize the nature and magnitude of hazards, if any, and the likelihood of hazards being realized. - The measure to estimate what harm might be caused, how likely it would be to occur and the scale of the estimated damage.

risk management

Refers to the ways that appropriate methods are applied in order to minimize identified risks and should not be determined by and in proportion to the results of the risk / safety analysis. It does not include broader considerations of a political, socio-economic, value and/or ethical nature.