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Deposit/Refund Systems

A surcharge paid when buying potentially polluting products is refunded when the product or container is returned for recycling or proper disposal. Examples include "Bottle bills" deposits on beverage bottles and cans, containerized hazardous or solid waste, such as motor vehicle batteries, oil, and tires, and deposit-refund systems for car batteries. Recycling and environmentally safe disposal increase because the user is "paid" for doing it right.

Deposition

Any accumulation of material, by mechanical settling from water or air, chemical precipitation, evaporation from solution, etc.

Depression storage

The volume of water contained in natural depressions in the land surface, such as puddles.

Deregulation

The lifting of government regulations to allow the market to function more freely.

Desertification

The progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover to form desert. This can occur due to overgrazing, deforestation, drought, and the burning of extensive areas. Once formed, deserts can only support a sparse range of vegetation. Climatic effects associated with this phenomenon include increased albedo, reduced atmospheric humidity, and greater atmospheric dust (aerosol) loading.

Desiccant

A chemical agent that absorbs moisture; desiccants can be used to control certain insect pests or mildew, and also to dry foliage before harvest (as with potatoes). Desiccants are regulated as pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

Designated uses of water

Water uses identified in state water quality standards that must be achieved and maintained as required under the Clean Water Act. Uses can include cold water fisheries, public water supply, irrigation, etc.

Desired plant community

The plant community that has been determined through a land use or management plan to best meet the plan’s objectives for a site. A desired plant community is consistent with the site’s capability to produce the required resource attributes through natural succession, management intervention, or a combination of both.

Developed Countries

The wealthiest nations in the world, including Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dew

Moisture that has condensed on objects near the ground, whose temperatures have fallen below the dewpoint temperature.

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