Glossary

“Used land” refers to areas that have been directly and permanently changed by humans for construction, transport, leisure, other purposes through construction or through mining areas and have lost their biological productivity.

A development plan defines the way land can be developed and the use of the areas to be kept free from development. It also contains regulations on the permissible construction methods, construction heights and construction lines as well as the course and width of traffic areas. Development plans are based on a zoning plan and

In chemistry, the group of substances that consists only of carbon and hydrogen is called hydrocarbons. They are mainly found in fossil fuels. The molecular formula is CmHn.

Soil degradation describes the destruction or permanent change of the natural characteristics of a soil. This can be caused, among other things, by anthropogenic influences or climate changes.

Cradle-to-Grave describes the path taken by a substance from manufacture to disposal.

A plant species is referred to as a “pioneer plant” in that it can adapt well to the colonisation of new areas that are still bare of vegetation.

The stem of a plant not only grows in length, but also in girth. This increases the stability of the plant on the one hand and improves the transport capacity on the other.

Volatile organic compounds – VOCs for short – are organic substances with a low boiling point. They are found in many solvents, woods, paints and sealants.

Fossils are the remains of living things or traces of living things that are more than 10,000 years old. The formation of fossils is called “fossilisation”. Fossils are formed when dead living beings are sealed off from oxygen in sediment and no more change processes take place in the earth’s crust.

Manure is a faecal mixture of faeces and urine.

Dioxin is a collective term for chemically similar, chlorine-containing and persistent organic substances, which are highly toxic even in small quantities. They are found everywhere in the environment and are ingested through food. Because of their high fat solubility, they accumulate in humans, animals and the environment.

Biomass-based fuels (e.g., from grain, corn, sugar cane), which can be used for engines and are sometimes mixed with fossil fuels in Austria.

A volcanic eruption describes the partially explosive emergence of magma from a volcano.