4632.0.55.001 - Discussion Paper: From Nature to the Table: Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, 2015-16 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/11/2017  First Issue
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

GLOSSARY

Afforestation

Afforestation is the increase in the stock of forest and other wooded land either due to the establishment of new forest on land that was previously not classified as forest land, or as a result of silvicultural measures such as planting and seeding (SEEA CF 5.291).

Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc. (SEEA CF, 5.409).

Aquatic resources

Aquatic resources comprise fish, crustaceans, molluscs, shellfish, aquatic mammals and other aquatic organisms that are considered to live within the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of a country throughout their life cycles, including both coastal and inland fisheries. Migrating and straddling fish stocks are considered to belong to a given country during the period when those stocks inhabit its EEZ. (SEEA CF, 5.393, 5.398).

Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC)

The Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) is the standard classification used in Australian and New Zealand for the collection, compilation, and publication of industry statistics.

Basic price

The basic price is the amount receivable by the producer from the purchaser for a unit of a good or service produced as output minus any tax payable, and plus any subsidy receivable, on that unit as a consequence of its production or sale. It excludes any transport charges invoiced separately by the producer. Output sold at prices that are not economically significant (see also Economically significant prices) is not valued at these prices. Rather, such output is valued at its cost of production.

Biochar

Biochar is a highly stable carbon-rich form of charcoal that is applied to soil and is produced from heating biomass like crop waste, grass, woodchips and manure in a high temperature, low oxygen process known as pyrolysis.

Black coal

Black coal is a sedimentary organic rock consisting of anthracite, bituminous and sub-bituminous coals. Black coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to generate electricity and for coke production within the steel making process.

Brown coal

Brown coal, also known as lignite, is a low quality, brownish-black coal, typically with a high moisture content.

Carbon stock

Carbon stock is the quantity of carbon held in a reservoir at a point in time.

Conversion loss

Energy lost in the transformation of a primary fuel to a derived (secondary) energy product.

Cultivated biological resource

Cultivated biological resources cover animal resources yielding repeat products and tree, crop and plant resources yielding repeat products whose natural growth and regeneration are under the direct control, responsibility and management of an institutional unit. (SEEA CF, 5.24).

Dolomite

Dolomite is calcium magnesium carbonate with a chemical composition of CaMg(CO3)2.

Economic asset

An economic asset is a store of value representing a benefit or series of benefits accruing to the economic owner by holding or using the entity over a period of time. It is a means of carrying forward value from one accounting period to another.

Electricity

Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. It is commonly derived from burning organic matter, especially coal and natural gas. Other sources include hydroelectricity, solar photovoltaic, wind and nuclear.

Emission

An emission is the release of a particular gas to the atmosphere as a result of a certain activity. Emissions can be of the following four types: 1) generated - the gross result of a process or activity; 2) recovered - the diversion of emissions for use in a secondary process, such as power generation; 3) sinks - the process of removing carbon from the atmosphere; and 4) net emissions - remaining gas released to the atmosphere after generation, recovery and sinks are taken into account.

Enteric Fermentation

The process in animals by which gases, including methane, are produced as a by-product of microbial fermentation associated with digestion of feed.

Environmental accounts

Environmental accounts are accounts produced using the principles of the SEEA. These accounts are produced in a systematic manner, using principles that allow their integration with information produced in accordance with the System of National Accounts. See also System of Environmental-Economic Accounting.

Environmental asset

Environmental assets are those naturally occurring living and non-living components of the Earth, together comprising the bio-physical environment, that may provide benefits to humanity.

Exports

Exports are goods and services provided by residents to non-residents.

Fisheries

Refers to Commonwealth, state and territory waters in which marine and freshwater animals are commercially caught or farmed, unless otherwise specified.

Forest

Forests in Australia are defined as a minimum of 0.2 hectares in land area with 20% tree crown cover and a minimum 2 metres tree height. See National Inventory Report 2015 Volume 3, Commonwealth of Australia 2017.

Fossil fuel

A fossil fuel is a natural fuel derived from decomposed or partly decomposed organic matter (e.g. oil, natural gas and coal).

Gigagram (Gg)

A gigagram (Gg) is one thousand tonnes.

Gigajoule (GJ)

A gigajoule (GJ) is a unit of energy equal to one billion (i.e. 1,000,000,000) joules, which is roughly equivalent to the energy content of 29 litres of petrol or 280 kilowatt hours of electricity.

Gigalitre (GL)

A gigalitre (GL) is a one thousand million litres.

Gigatonne (Gt)

A gigatonne (Gt) is one thousand million tonnes.

Greenhouse gases (GHG)

Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. The three key greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4).

Green manure

Green manure is organic matter from crop turned under.

Gross annual increment

The volume of increment over the reference period of all trees with no minimum diameter (also known as natural growth) (SEEA CF, 5.361).

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total market value of goods and services produced in Australia within a given period after deducting the cost of goods and services used up in the process of production but before deducting allowances for the consumption of fixed capital. Thus GDP is expressed in market prices. It is equivalent to gross national expenditure plus exports of goods and services less imports of goods and services.

Gross energy

Gross energy is the energy contained in primary energy (energy sourced directly from nature) as well as the energy derived from it.

Gross value added

Gross value added is the value of output at basic prices minus the value of intermediate consumption at purchasers' prices. The term is used to describe gross product by industry and by sector. Basic prices valuation of output removes the distortion caused by variations in the incidence of commodity taxes and subsidies across the output of individual industries.

Gross value of irrigated agricultural production (GVIAP)

The gross value of irrigated agricultural production (GVIAP) refers to the gross value of agricultural commodities that are produced with the assistance of irrigation.

Hardwood

Hardwood is wood or wood products from flowering trees (broadleaved tree species), such as eucalypts, irrespective of the physical hardness of the wood; also used to refer to the trees that have such wood, and plantations of such trees (SOFR, 2013).

Household

A household is a group of persons who share the same living accommodation, who pool some, or all, of their income and wealth and who consume certain types of goods and services collectively, mainly housing and food.

Hydropower

Hydropower is a process in which flowing water is harnessed to generate power, especially electricity.

Imports

Imports are goods and services provided by non-residents to residents.

Industry gross value added (IGVA)

Industry gross value added (IGVA) relates to the value of an industry’s output at basic prices, minus the value of goods and services consumed as inputs during the process of production. Basic prices valuation of output removes the distortion caused by variations in commodity taxes and subsidies across the output of individual industries.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to review and assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information about climate change and its consequences.

Intermediate consumption

Intermediate consumption consists of the value of the goods and services consumed as inputs by a process of production, excluding fixed assets whose consumption is recorded as consumption of fixed capital (SEEA CF, 2.32).

International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC)

ISIC is the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities. This classification is the international standard for the classification of productive economic activities. The main purpose is to provide a standard set of economic activities so that entities can be classified according to the activity they carry out.

Kilolitre (kL)

A kilolitre (kL) is one thousand litres.

Kilotonne (Kt)

A kilotonne (Kt) is one thousand tonnes.

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is an Intergovernmental agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which sets binding emission reduction targets for certain countries for a predefined commitment period.

Landfill

A site used for the disposal of solid material by burial in the ground between layers of earth is called a landfill site.

Limestone

Limestone is sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a combination of propane and butane, along with trace amounts of other compounds, recovered in either natural gas extraction or oil refining. The gases are transformed into a liquid to assist in transport.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is made up of units primarily engaged in the physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products (except agriculture and construction). The materials, substances or components transformed by units in this division are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining or products of other manufacturing units.

Margins

If the transactions are valued at basic prices, the margins are recorded as intermediate consumption (e.g. transport, wholesale trade) of the intermediate users or final buyers. If transactions are valued at purchasers’ prices the value of margins is included, along with taxes less subsidies on products with the purchasers’ price of the good to which the margin relates.

Megalitre (ML)

A megalitre (ML) is one million litres.

Megatonne (Mt)

A megatonne (Mt) is one thousand tonnes.

Mulch

Mulch is plant material not sourced from the paddock (area) of application.

Native Forest

Forest that is dominated by the suite of native tree species naturally associated with forest in that location and located within their natural range, and that is not a plantation (SOFR, 2013).

Natural gas

Natural gas is a combustible mixture of hydrocarbon gases. While natural gas is formed primarily of methane, its composition can vary widely, commonly including ethane, propane, butane and pentane.

Natural resources

On the national balance sheet, natural resources consist of naturally occurring resources such as land, water resources, uncultivated forests and deposits of minerals that have an economic value.

Natural Resource Management (NRM) region

56 regions across Australia based on catchments and bioregions.

Net annual increment

Average annual volume of over the given reference period of gross increment less that of natural losses (UNECE, 2005).

Net energy

Total net energy accounts for the conversion losses associated with transforming one form of energy into another form. In this way, estimates for total net energy avoid double-counting the amount of converted primary energy.

Output

Output consists of those goods and services produced within a business that become available for use outside that business, plus any goods and services produced for own final use.

Petajoule (PJ)

A petajoule is equal to one million gigajoules, or 1015 joules. Petajoules are typically used to measure national or industry energy production and consumption.

Petroleum

Petroleum is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon or mixture of hydrocarbons as oil or gas, or in solution, found in sedimentary rocks.

Plantation forest

Hardwood or softwood plantation supplying log resources to the wood processing industries as reported through the National Plantation Inventory, known as Industrial plantation in Australia's State of the Forest Report, 2013.

Production

Production is an activity that uses inputs of labour, capital, and goods and services to produce outputs of goods and services carried out under the responsibility, control and management of an institutional unit.

Purchasers' price

The purchaser's price is the amount paid by the purchaser, excluding any deductible tax, in order to take delivery of a unit of a good or service at the time and place required by the purchaser. The purchaser’s price of a good includes any transport charges paid separately by the purchaser to take delivery at the required time and place.

Recycling

Recycling is a resource recovery method involving the collection and/or processing of waste for use as a raw material in the manufacture of the same, or similar, non-waste product(s).

Reuse water

Reuse water is drainage, waste or storm water that has been used again without first being discharged to the environment. It may have been treated to some extent. It excludes ‘on-site’ recycling.

Roundwood

Roundwood is wood in round form, e.g. sawlogs, pulplogs, poles, piles, girders and posts (SOFR, 2013).

Slow-release fertiliser

Fertilisers that are compressed into hard pellets or encased in a special coating to slow down the nutrient release.

Softwood

Softwood is wood or wood products from conifers, irrespective of the physical softness of the timber; also used to refer to the trees that have such wood, and plantations of such trees (SOFR, 2013).

Soil enhancers

A material added to soil to improve plant growth and health. Enhancers are used to correct the soil’s deficiencies in structure and/or nutrients (e.g. compost, biochar, lime, dolomite).

Soil resources

Soil resources comprise the top layers (horizons) of soil that form a biological system (SEEA CF, 5.320).

Solar energy

Solar energy is the energy the Earth receives from the sun, primarily as visible light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Uses of solar energy include electricity generation (by photovoltaic conversion or solar thermal generation) and to heat water in solar hot water systems.

Spectrum

Radio spectrum is an asset that is recognised as being of economic value from the time a licence is issued to use it. Within the System of National Accounts, spectrum licences fall under contracts, leases and licences and are recorded on the national balance sheet.

Supply table

A supply table at purchasers’ prices consists of a rectangular matrix. The rows correspond to the same groups of products as the matching use tables and the columns correspond to the supply from domestic production valued at basic prices. There are also columns for imports and the valuation adjustments necessary to record total supply of each group.

System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA)

The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) is a framework used to develop environmental accounts by integrating environmental information into an accounting framework. The SEEA provides a framework to understand and describe the inter-relationship between the natural environment and the economy.

Timber resources

Timber resources are defined by the volume of trees, living or dead, and include all trees regardless of diameters, tops of stems, large branches and dead trees lying on the ground that can be used for timber or fuel (para 5.350 SEEA CF).

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty negotiated at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). The objective of the treaty is to ‘stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’.

Uranium

Uranium is a heavy, radioactive metallic element, used as a source of nuclear energy.

Use table

A use table at purchasers’ prices consists of a set of product balances covering all products supplied within an economy arranged in the form of a rectangular matrix with the products, valued at purchasers’ prices, appearing in the rows and the columns indicating the disposition of these products to various types of uses.

Waste

Waste consists of: any substance that is discarded, emitted or deposited in the environment in such volume, constituency or manner as to cause an alteration in the environment; any discarded, rejected, unwanted, surplus or abandoned substance; and/or any otherwise discarded, rejected, unwanted, surplus or abandoned substance intended for sale or for recycling, reprocessing, recovery, or purification by a separate operation from that which produced the substance.

Water consumption

Water consumption is that part of water use not distributed to other economic units and which does not return to the environment (to water resources, sea or ocean) because during use it has been incorporated into products, evaporated, transpired or otherwise consumed by households or businesses.

Wild catch fish

Marine or freshwater animals commercially taken from the wild rather than farmed.

Wind power

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into electricity using wind turbines.