Glossary

The AnaEE Glossary

A dictionary to speak the same language

Agro-ecosystem : Managed ecosystem with agriculture (cf. ​ecosystem).
Analytical facility : Facility that offers advanced biological, physical and chemical analyses for a deeper insight into processes.
Analytical installation : Equipment that offers advanced biological, physical and chemical analyses for a deeper insight into processes.
Analytical platform (historical) : Facility that offers advanced biological, physical and chemical analyses for a deeper insight into processes. Historical term - Analytical installation or facility to be used.
Aquacosm : aquatic mesocosm that allows manipulations (cf.​mesocosm​). In AnaEE, all aquacosms are in fresh waters.
Anthropic Stress : Pressure of human origin that reduces ecosystem state and/or ecosystem functioning below optimal.
Ecosystem : A system that includes all living organisms (biotic component) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic component)
Ecotron : A set of enclosed experimental units hosting replicas of a given ecosystem (from few dm​3​ toseveral m​3​) where environmental conditions are tightly controlled and multiple ecosystem processes are automatically monitored. Ecotrons allow ecologists to run for several months to years experiments with controlled environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, greenhouse gases, pollutants, etc. Cf. ​ecosystem​, ​experiment, enclosed platform​.
Enclosed facility : Controlled environment facility where replicas of a given ecosystem (from few dm³ to several m³) can be experimentally exposed to tightly controlled environmental conditions in enclosed units.
Enclosed platform (historical) : Controlled environment facility where replicas of a given ecosystem (from few dm³ to several m³) can be experimentally exposed to tightly controlled environmental conditions in enclosed units. Historical term - enlosed facility to be used.
Experimentation : The act, process, practice, or an instance of making experiments (CollinsEnglishDictionary). In AnaEE manipulation of the conditions or environment of the ecosystem under study (either open-air or enclosed) to explore its behaviour.
Experiment : At est, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc. (CollinsEnglishDictionary). Cf. manipulation.
Manipulation : A manipulation of the environment or conditions of an ecosystem in order to simulate environmental pressures such as climate warming, changes in rainfall regime, elevated atmospheric CO​2​, different management practices, etc. Cf. ​experiment.
Macrocosm : Large experimental object physically representing an ecosystem in enclosed platforms, consisting offor example several m³ of soil with vegetation or a water body with aquatic organisms. Macrocosms are simplified ecosystems used to simulate and predict the behaviour of real ecosystems under controlled conditions.
Mesocosm : Medium-sized experimental object physically representing an ecosystem in enclosed platforms, consisting of for example several dm³ of soil with vegetation or a water body with aquatic organisms. Mesocosms are simplified ecosystems used to simulate and predict the behaviour of real ecosystems under controlled conditions.
Microcosm : Microscale experimental object physically representing an ecosystem in enclosed platforms, consisting of for example at est tube with microorganisms in soil or water. Microcosms are simplified ecosystems used to simulate and predict the behaviour of real ecosystems under controlled conditions.
Modelling installation : A user interface allowing to run numerical models in ecology to compute the behaviour of a simulated ecosystem under several initial conditions and measured (or simulated) experimental parameters. A modelling platform can host the models on its own computers or elsewhere.
Modelling platform (historical) : A user interface allowing to run numerical models in ecology to compute the behaviour of a simulated ecosystem under several initial conditions and measured (or simulated) experimental parameters. Historical term - modelling installation to be used instead.
Observation : Observation is the action or process of carefully watching someone or something (CollinsEnglishDictionary). In the context of AnaEE and more generally environmental sciences, the process of monitoring or surveying objects or phenomenaon Earth or in the Universe without direct intervention on them (e.g. measuring the greenhouse gases over time).
Open-air facility : An experimental facility in open-air conditions (​in natura​) allowing the manipulation of several environmental pressures (e.g. rainfall, heating, management practices). The platforms can be installed in several ecosystem types (forest, grassland, peatland, fields, unmanagedland, etc.), as well as several climate types (mediterranean, sub-arctic, alpine, etc.).
Open-air platform (historical) : An experimental platform in open-air conditions (​in natura​) allowing the manipulation of several environmental pressures (e.g.rainfall, heating, management practices, etc.). Historical term - open-air facility to be used instead.
Platform (historical) : In the AnaEE context the unit where the activity (experimental, analytic or modelling) is performed; platforms are not belonging to AnaEE, but linked to it thanks to a Service Legal Agreement. Cf. ​enclosed platform​ and ​open-air platform.
Service Centre : one of the AnaEE centres where additional services are provided to the users, stakeholders or to the platforms.
Service Legal Agreement : A legal agreement binding AnaEE and a (group of) platform. Services, such as experiment accommodation, data and metadata production and open access, are provided by the platform to AnaEE and the users. In turn, AnaEE provides services to the platform such as visibility, open and FAIR access to the data, technological expertise, modelling, transnational access, link with other platforms and RIs, etc.
User : The external commissioner of services from AnaEE.