Datalinker-Org.io

Data Glossary

Biophysical

Term	Synonyms	Definition	Data Type	Regulatory Context	Source	Data Specifications
Area Measurement	Area	Area of a surface determined from its geometrical dimensions, not including surface roughness. The area measurement specification shall include units (mandated or explicitly listed). International Units or UN-CEFACT units are preferred.	Object	RMA, Fresh water, Emissions, Biodiversity	View	View
Biodiversity area	Biodiversity area	An area set aside to protect and encourage the increase of natural biological system diversity, particularly native and endemic non-pest species.	Float	Biodiversity; Fresh water; Emissions		View
Biophysical Land Unit		An area of contiguous or non-contiguous land with similar natural and/ or biophysical characteristics. These units are based on the natural and modified biophysical characteristics of the land (i.e., modified through surface or sub-surface drainage and/or the addition of irrigation water) and should be described on a spatial basis.	String	Fresh water
Ecosystem		A system in which the interaction between different organisms and their environment generates a cyclic interchange of materials and energy.	String	Biodiversity	View
Geographic Coordinate System	Coordinate System, GPS Coordinates	Defines locations on the earth using a three-dimensional spherical surface. It is a reference system that uses latitude and longitude to identify locations on a spheroid or sphere. A datum, prime meridian, and angular unit are parts of a Geographic Coordinate System.	Coordinates	RMA, Fresh water, Emissions, Biodiversity	View
Inherent risk	Buit in risk, basic risk, potential risk	Background risk due to a particular combination of natural characteristics. Inherent risk does not consider best management practices applied to reduce any potential adverse impacts of the activity.	String	Fresh water	View
Land Cover	Land Cover Unit, Vegetation	observed (bio)physical cover on the Earth’s surface [SOURCE: UNFAO LCCS 2:2005] Note 1 to entry: Land cover is distinct from land use.	String	Fresh water; Emissions	View
Landform	Topography, geography, terrain	A specific geomorphic feature on the surface of the earth, ranging from large-scale features such as plains, plateaus, and mountains to minor features such as hills, valleys, and alluvial fans.	Object	Fresh water
Plant available water	Available water, profile available water	Amount of water plants can extract from the soil, the difference in moisture content between field capacity and permanent wilting point.	Float: mm, millimeters of water per meter of soil (mm/m)		View
Protected Site	wāhi tapu	An area designated or managed within a framework of international, Community and Member States’ legislation to achieve specific conservation objectives. In NZ, this could be used for QEII Conservation zones.	String	RMA	View
Saturation point		Point at which the soil can no longer hold water.	Float: mm, millimeters of water per meter of soil (mm/m).		View
Slope Class	Slope, Slope Classification	A classification forming part of the NZ Land Use Resource system that is applied to areas of similar slope range, such that each class item represents a define range of slope in degrees, and is described in natural language terms such as undulating or steep.	Float	Fresh water; Emissions	View
Slope Polygon	Slope, Slope Feature	A polygon delineating physiographic areas of relatively homogenous average slope class.		Fresh water; Emissions	View
Soil Body	Soil Type, Soil Zone, Soil Complex	Part of the soil cover that is delineated and that is homogeneous with regard to certain soil properties or characteristics.	String	Fresh water	View View
Soil Classification	Soil properties, Soil quality, Soil Class, NZSC, Soil Order, Soil Group	The New Zealand soil classification, which describes the characteristics, qualities and limitations of different soils. The top three levels of the NZSC classification - order, group, and subgroup - are defined by Hewitt (2010), the fourth and fifth levels (family and sibling) by Webb and Lilburne (2011). The fourth level (soilforms) by Clayden and Webb (1994) were replaced by the family and sibling.	String	Fresh water	View
Soil erosion	soil loss, Soil attrition, Soil disintegration, Soil abrasion, Soil decrease	The removal of material from the surface of the land (specifically soil) by weathering, running water, moving ice, wind and mass movement.	String	Fresh water; Biodiversity	View - Erosion, Accelerated Erosion
Water body	Lake, pond, pool, reservoir	An inland body of water	String	Fresh water	ISO 6107:2021(en), Water quality — Vocabulary
Watercourse	River, Stream	Channel on or below the earth’s surface, through which water may flow	String	Fresh water	ISO 6107:2021(en), Water quality — Vocabulary
Water holding capacity		Amount of water the soil can hold.	Float: mm, millimeters of water per meter of soil (mm/m).		View
Wetland	Marshland, marsh, fen, swamp, peatland	Land inundated with water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, that is static or flowing, brackish or salt [SOURCE: Ramsar Convention on Wetlands[17], Art.1, modified] Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and associated plant and animal life.	String	Fresh water; Emissions	View	View