502 Glossary Family In the classification of evolutionary lineages, a category of related organisms that ranks above a genus and below an order A family usually contains many genera Farming intensity or intensification See INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE Fat body Storage tissue of arthropods that stores lipids and has endocrine and immunological functions Fauna The animal species living in a given area, along with the flora (plant species) Feedback A change in a system component that triggers effects which will eventually change the original component again Feedbacks can be positive (self-reinforcing) or negative (self-dampening) Feedback loop An ecological response to a human action having environmental consequences, followed by a human behavioral response to ecological changes having economic consequences Feed conversion The efficiency of farmed animals to incorporate given feed into biomass; usually expressed as the ratio of weight of feed provided to flesh biomass harvested Feedstock The plants or plant-derived products (e.g., pellets) that can be used to produce biofuels First-generation feedstocks are currently under wide cultivation for the production of ethanol and biodiesel, such as corn, soy, sugarcane, and palm oil Second-generation feedstocks (e.g., switchgrass) are currently not widely cultivated for biofuels but have high potential yields Fellfield Dry, windswept habitat of cold regions comprising mineral soil, gravels, stones, and rock, dominated by cryptogams (especially mosses and lichens) and, outside the Antarctic continent, by compact cushion-forming phanerogams and short grasses Felsic rock Continental crustal rocks relatively rich in silicon and aluminum Femtoplankton A classification of plankton according to size; those plankton of the smallest size (0.02–0.2 mm) Field-deployable Describing a sensor or other such instrument capable of operating outside of a conventional laboratory setting, exposed to the natural elements such as being submerged below the sea surface Final host See DEFINITIVE HOST Fingerprint A pattern produced by DNA fragments or lipids that represents a community or species Fire ecology The study of the occurrence of natural fires in a given ecosystem and the effect of this on the system; e.g., the fact of certain plants germinating via fire-activated seeds Fire regime The characteristic pattern of wildfire and bushfire in a given ecosystem, including type, frequency, intensity, severity, season, and extent Fire suppression An intentional effort to prevent wildfires in a forest ecosystem; can significantly disturb the natural functioning of the system First contact The initial human arrival on a landmass, followed by human colonization The initial interaction of two previously unconnected cultures; e.g., aboriginals and European settlers First-contact extinction A wave of extinction of species native to a continent or island, following the first arrival of humans in that area First (fundamental) theorem of welfare economics The mathematical proof that if competitive markets exist for all goods and there are no externalities or other market imperfections, then the market system leads to an outcome of PARETO EFFICIENCY (see) Fishery A collective effort to gather, collect, or catch wild aquatic wildlife or plants for recreational or commercial purposes, especially fish and shellfish for use as food A site where such an effort takes place Fishing effort The level of fishing activity quantified in terms of the number and power of vessels and duration of fishing Fissipedia The suborder of the Carnivora with divided toes, as distinguished from those with finned feet (Pinnipedia) Fitness The relative contribution of offspring to the next generation An individual, genotype, or phenotype whose progeny constitutes a large proportion of the succeeding generation has high fitness Fixation The process by which certain plants and microorganisms produce organic molecules from inorganic gases See NITROGEN FIXATION Fixation index (FST) An estimate of the extent of genetic variation among subpopulations It ranges from to 1, with higher measures indicating more genetic subdivision and lower values indicating less subdivision Flagship (species) A charismatic or well-known species that is associated with a given habitat or ecosystem and that may serve as a symbol and rallying point to increase public awareness of the need for conservation action or climate change remediation there; e.g., polar bears in the Arctic Flexibility The degree to which alternatives exist for the purpose of reaching a particular conservation goal Floodplain Broad, flat areas adjacent to rivers and streams that periodically become inundated during recurring floods Also spelled flood plain Flood-recession agriculture A pattern of agriculture in which crops are planted on floodplains as flood waters recede The growing plants benefit from several factors influenced by the flood, including moist soil, elevated water table, and freshly deposited soil and nutrients Flood resistance Submersion ability over a time span of weeks or months Flood tolerance Submersion ability over a time span of a few hours up to several days Floristic Having to with flowers or a flora Describing a plant community that contains a homogeneous suite of species sorted by some classificatory program Floristics The study of the type, number, and distribution of plants in a given geographical setting Fluctuating resources theory A theory formulated for plants, predicting that pronounced fluctuations in resource availability enhance community invasibility if they coincide with the availability of sufficient propagules to initiate an invasion In full, fluctuating resources theory of invasibility Flux the flow of any material measured as quantity per area per unit of time Focal landscape An area being evaluated in an HRV (historic range of variability) analysis Focal species A species that can be monitored and managed to maintain the integrity of the ecological system of which it is a part