First commitment period

The totality of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere and their interactions.

The word ‘biome’ – ‘bios’ (from Ancient Greek βίο, meaning ‘life’) and ‘ome’ (a variation of ōma, from Ancient Greek ωμα, meaning ‘mass’ or ‘group’) – was first used in 1943 by the American botanist Frederic Edward Clements, to define a biological unit or...

Time at which carbon stored by sequestration remains in a carbon pool without being rereleased. Only permanent carbon pools are acceptable for climate policy purposes.