Dictionary of Environment and Ecology

Dictionaries contribute to communication by providing definitions which deliver consistency of meaning. But consistency is not the same as constancy. With the passage of time, new dictionaries, or new editions of old ones, are necessary, because new subject areas develop, new terms are introduced or the meanings of words change. Examples of all of these developments are to be found in the following pages, as is to be expected in such dynamic fields of study as environment and ecology. In documenting change, dictionaries not only record developments in language and human endeavour, but also reflect the reality of the natural world.