Key Terms

More definitions can be found at the Chesapeake and Coastal Service webpage.

Adaptation: the process of adjusting to current or expected climate change and its effects

Adaptive management: the understanding that ecological and biological conditions are changing, and modifying decisions and management strategies as necessary in response

Assisted migration: the process of helping flora and fauna transition to safe habitats in the face of habitat loss due to climate change

Climate change: a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels

Dune migration: the process of migration by erosion on the windward side and deposition on the lee side

Ecosystem services: the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living

Land manager: the area lead responsible for program implementation and decision making on site

Mitigation: avoiding and reducing the emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide

Resilience: the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate

Rare, threatened, and endangered animals: abbreviated as RTE, these animals include species occurring in Maryland that are on the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), species currently on the State’s Threatened and Endangered Species list, and additional species that are considered rare or under assessment by the Wildlife and Heritage Service

Public lands: lands owned and managed by government entities for public access such as hunting and recreating

Saltwater Intrusion: the movement of brackish water into freshwater, including surface waters, aquifers, and water within soils

Sea level rise: the combination of the increase in volume of water as a result of global warming and decrease in size of the ocean basins due to mid-ocean ridge spreading

State Forest: forested lands that are managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to protect forest ecosystems and offer recreational opportunities

State Park: parks or protected areas that are established and managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential

Tide Gauge: a device for measuring the change in sea level relative to a vertical datum

Vulnerability: the degree to which a system is susceptible to or unable to cope with adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability or extremes
Wetland migration: the movement of wetlands inward as sea level rises

Wildlife Management Area: state lands managed by Maryland DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service with the mission to conserve and enhance diverse wildlife populations and associated habitats while providing for public enjoyment of the State’s wildlife resources through hunting and other wildlife-dependent recreation