Glossary O

The Environmental Glossary. Letter O +++ Popular Articles: 'Observation', 'Oxygen', 'Organism'

Deutsch: Überbevölkerung / Español: Superpoblación / Português: Superlotação / Français: Surpopulation / Italiano: Sovraffollamento

Over-crowding in the environmental context refers to a situation where the population density in a specific area exceeds the capacity of the environment to sustain it. This condition can apply to both human populations in urban settings and animal populations in natural habitats. Over-crowding leads to a range of environmental, social, and ecological issues, including resource depletion, habitat degradation, increased pollution, and reduced quality of life.

An over-development is expansion or development of land to the point of damage.

An over-fishing is fishing beyond the capacity of a population to replace itself through natural reproduction.

An over-grazing is grazing livestock to the point of damage to the land.

An Overall Confidence: is EPA has assigned an overall confidence level for each pollutant based on consideration of the combined uncertainties from emissions estimation, ambient concentration modeling, and exposure modeling.

Deutsch: Übernutzung / Español: Sobreexplotación / Português: Sobre-exploração / Français: Surexploitation / Italiano: Sovrasfruttamento

Overexploitation refers to the excessive use of natural resources at a rate that exceeds their natural replenishment, leading to the depletion or degradation of ecosystems. This environmental problem affects biodiversity, forests, fisheries, water resources, and other key components of the planet’s natural systems. Overexploitation often results from human activities such as unsustainable logging, overfishing, and excessive water use, which can disrupt ecosystems and threaten the survival of species.

Deutsch: Überfischung / Español: Sobrepesca / Português: Sobrepesca / Français: Surpêche / Italiano: Sovrappesca

Overfishing refers to the practice of catching fish from a body of water at a rate that is faster than the fish population can naturally replenish. In the environmental context, overfishing has severe consequences for marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and the sustainability of fish stocks, often leading to the depletion of species and disruption of marine food chains.

Deutsch: Überweidung / Español: Sobrepastoreo / Português: Sobrepastoreio / Français: Surpâturage / Italiano: Sovrapascolo

Overgrazing occurs when animals graze a particular area excessively, stripping the land of vegetation faster than it can naturally regenerate. This process leads to soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and other environmental issues, as the ecosystem struggles to recover from the overuse. It is a common problem in agricultural and pastoral regions where land management is not sustainable.

The Oversight is the independent assessment of the quality system and/or projects for conformance with requirements, effectiveness of requirements in maintaining quality, and ensuring or effecting appropriate corrective action.

German: Oxyidationsmittel
An Oxidant is a Chemical Compound that has the ability to remove, accept, or share Electrons from another chemical species, thereby oxidizing it.