GLOSSARY

Biodiversity: The variety of life on Earth
Biome: A natural climatic and vegetation region
Centres of endemism: Areas with particularly high numbers of species found there and nowhere else on Earth
Endemic: An indigenous species with a very restricted natural distribution
Fossil fuels: Fuels like coal, oil and natural gas formed from ancient woody material laid down and buried by natural causes
General Circulation Model: A computer program used to simulate and predict climate
Global climate change: Changes in climate that affect the entire world
Greenhouse effect: The warming of the Earth's atmosphere caused by the presence of 'greenhouse gases'
Greenhouse gases: Gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides that absorb and trap the energy of sunlight within the Earth's atmosphere, causing it to warm up
Hotspot: A region with exceptionally large numbers of species, but also threatened by human activities
Indigenous: Occurring naturally in an area
Interglacial period: Warmer periods between ice ages
Speciation: The evolution of new species

FURTHER INFORMATION

References
Rowlands, I.H. (Ed. ) 1,998. Climate change cooperation in southern Africa. Earth scan.

Houghton, J. 1997. Global warming: The complete briefing. Cambridge University Press.

Berger, J.J. 2000. Beating the heat: Why and how we must combat global warming. Berkeley Hills Books.

Stevens, W.K. 1999. The change in the weather: People, weather and the science of climate. Delacorte Printers.

Gelbspan, R. 1998. The heat is on: The climate crisis, the cover-up, the prescription. Perseus Press.