Glossary of Forest-Related Terms

see also A Forest Landowner’s Guide to Internet Resources, Publications and Fact Sheets:  Glossary of Forest Terms

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(Note: The numbers in parenthesis at the end of each definition refer to the source provided in the bibliography at the end of the glossary.)

ACID RAIN:

rain that is more acidic than normal. Acid rain is a complicated problem. Caused by air pollution, acid rain's spread and damage involves weather, chemistry, soil, and the life cycles of plants and animals on the land and from acid rain in the water (6)

AIR QUALITY & CLIMATE CHANGE:

a) how clean or polluted our air is b) changes in extended weather patterns

ALPINE TUNDRA RESEARCH

research on plant and wildlife inhabiting upper elevation mountain regions

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE (BMP):

Recommendations for harvesting activities to reduce erosion and the resulting water pollution (1)

BIODIVERSITY (biological diversity):

the diversity of plants, animals, and other living organisms in all their forms and levels of organization, including genes, species, ecosystems, and the evolutionary and functional processes that link them. (2)

BIOMASS:

the dry weight of all organic matter in a given ecosystem. It also refers to plant material that can be burned as fuel. (2)

BIOMETRICS:

branch of biology which deals with its data statistically and by quantitative analysis (8)

BOTANICAL SURVEYS:

a survey of prescribed plants or fungi that occur naturally on Crown forest land. There are seven recognized categories: wild edible mushrooms, floral greenery, medicinal products, fruits and berries, herbs and vegetables, landscaping products and craft products. (2)

CLEARCUTING:

A harvesting and regeneration technique that removes the entire tree, regardless of size, on an area in one operation. Clearcutting is most often used with species like aspen or yellow poplar which require full sunlight to reproduce and grow well, or to create specific habitat for certain wildlife species. Clearcutting produces an even-aged forest stand (5)

CONTINUOUS FOREST INVENTORY (CFI)

Timber sampling system that provides for periodic remeasurement of specific stands or plots of individual trees; this shows status and periodic change overtime for the forest as a whole and major subdivisions therein (3)

DIAMETER LIMIT CUTTING:

The cutting of all the trees in a stand above a specified diameter, generally without regard to tree species, quality or individual tree location. The diameter limit may vary by species. In most instances, diameter limit cutting over time will degrade a forest for most ownership objectives. (5)

DISTURBANCE EFFECTS:

the aftermath of a discrete event, either natural or human-induced, that causes a change in the existing condition of an ecological system. (2)

ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT:

the use of an ecological approach to achieve productive resource management by blending social, physical, economic and biological needs and values to provide healthy ecosystems. (2)

ECOSYSTEM:

a functional unit consisting of all the living organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) in a given area, and all the non-living physical and chemical factors of their environment, linked together through nutrient cycling and energy flow. An ecosystem can be of any size-a log, pond, field, forest, or the earth's biosphere-but it always functions as a whole unit. Ecosystems are commonly described according to the major type of vegetation, for example, forest ecosystem, old-growth ecosystem, or range ecosystem (2)

EVEN-AGED:

Forest with trees having little age difference (<20 years) (1)

FERTILIZERS:

material put on or in soil to improve the quality and quantity of plant growth (8) FIRE IMPACT (S): the immediately evident effect of fire on the ecosystem in terms of biophysical alterations (e.g., crown scorch, mineral soil erosion, depth of burn, fuel consumption). (2)

FOREST ECOLOGY:

the relationships between forest organisms and their environment (2)

FOREST ECONOMICS

Generally, that branch of forestry concerned with the forest as a productive asset subject to economic principles (4)

FOREST INSECTS & PATHOGENS:

Organisms capable of causing damage including disease (1)

FOREST INVENTORY:

an assessment of forest resources, including digitized maps and a database which describes the location and nature of forest cover (including tree size, age, volume and species composition) as well as a description of other forest values such as soils, vegetation and wildlife features. (2)

FOREST MANAGEMENT:

the practical application of scientific, economic and social principles to the administration and working of a forest for specified objectives. Particularly, that branch of forestry concerned with the overall administrative, economic, legal and social aspects and with the essentially scientific and technical aspects, especially silviculture, protection and forest regulation. (2)

FOREST STRUCTURE:

structure is a pattern in three dimensions, which can be described both horizontally and vertically. And just like a building, the structure of a forest stand often relates or reveals something about the way in which it functions, or its purpose. In the horizontal level, patterns of openings, closed forest, tree size and species are part of the structure. In the third dimension, the number of layers between the ground surface and the uppermost canopy are a key component of structure (7)

FOREST TECHNOLOGY:

machinery and equipment used in forest management

FOREST TYPE:

a group of forested areas or stands of similar composition (species, age, height, and stocking) which differentiates it from other such groups. (2)

FORESTRY:

Science and art of managing forests to satisfy desires (1)

GENETICS:

The branch of biology that deals with heredity and variation in similar or related plants or animals (8)

GEOLOGY & SOILS:

a) the science dealing with structure of the earthÕs crust and formation and development of its various layers b) surface of earth supporting plant life (8)

GROUP SELECTION:

Trees are periodically removed in small groups (1)

HABITAT MANAGEMENT:

management of the forest to create environments which provide habitats (food, shelter) to meet the needs of particular organisms (2)

HABITAT:

the place where an organism lives and/or the conditions of that environment including the soil, vegetation, water, and food (2)

HARVEST OR HARVEST CUT:

(a) In general use, the removal of some or all of the trees on an area. (b) Technical Definition- a harvest cut is the removal of trees on an area to develop the environment necessary to regenerate the forest, to obtain products and/or income, and to achieve some specific ownership objectives such as the development of special wildlife habitat. (5)

HERBICIDE:

chemical substances or living organisms (called bioherbicides) used to kill or control vegetation such as brush, weeds, and competing or undesirable trees. (2)

HERPETOLOGY:

the study of reptiles (8) HIGHGRADING: the removal of only the best trees from a stand, often resulting in a residual stand of poor quality trees. (2)

HORIZONTAL PLOT CRUISING:

The process of estimating the quality, quantity and characteristics of trees in a forest, (5)

HYDROLOGY:

the science that describes and analyzes the occurrence of water in nature, and its circulation near the surface of the earth. (2)

IMPROVEMENT CUTTING:

the removal of trees of undesirable species, form or condition from the main canopy of the stand to improve the health, composition and value of the stand (2)

INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS:

a survey of a forest area to determine such data as area, condition, timber, volume and species for specific purposes such as planning, purchase, evaluation, management or harvesting (2)

MULTIPLE USE:

a system of resource use where the resources in a given land unit serve more than one user (2)

NUTRIENTS:

Elements necessary for growth and reproduction. Primary plant nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. (3)

ORNITHOLOGY:

the branch of zoology dealing with birds (8)

PATCH CUTTING:

a silvicultural system that creates openings less than 1 hectare in size and is designed to manage each opening as a distinct even-aged opening. (2)

PESTICIDE:

Any chemical used to kill or control pests (3)

RECREATION:

any physical or psychological revitalization through the voluntary pursuit of leisure time. Forest recreation includes the use and enjoyment of a forest or wildland setting, including heritage landmarks, developed facilities, and other biophysical features. (2)

REGENERATION:

the renewal of a tree crop through either natural means (seeded on-site from adjacent stands or deposited by wind, birds, or animals) or artificial means (by planting seedlings or direct seeding) (2)

REMOTE SENSING:

any data or information acquisition technique that utilizes airborne techniques and/or equipment to determine the characteristics of an area. (2)

SELECTION CUTTING:

Periodic removal of single trees (1)

SHELTERWOOD CUT:

Gradual removal of the entire stand over a period of partial cuttings. An even-aged stand regenerates in the partial shade of the overstory (1)

SILVICULTURE:

Science and art of cultivating forests for needs and desires (1) STRIP CUTTING: Narrow clearcuts (1)

SUCCESSION:

1) Change in vegetation (tree species) over time. Often following a disturbance 2)Natural replacement of one plant community by another over time (1)

SUGAR MAPLE RESEARCH:

Range of issues around sugar maples and the production of maple syrup.

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY:

Managing forests without compromising the needs of future generations (1) THINNING: Partial harvest made to accelerate growth of residual trees, without starting the growth of new trees (1)

TIMBER HARVESTING IMPACTS:

looking at the impact of the removal of some or all of the trees in an area

UNEVEN-AGED:

Stands composed of intermingling trees that differ markedly in age within a minimum range of 10 to 20 years. (1)

WATERSHED:

an area of land that collects and discharges water into a single main stream through a series of smaller tributaries (2)

WHOLE TREE HARVESTING:

a tree harvesting process that includes removing the trunk, branches and in some instances the roots from a forested site. In Canada this process is used to control root diseases. (2)

WILDLIFE BEHAVIOR:

The manner in which wildlife reacts to their surroundings (stresses etc. )

WILDLIFE HABITATS:

part or all of a specific place occupied by a wildlife species or a population of such species and recognized as being essential for the maintenance of the population. (2)

WILDLIFE RESTORATION:

the return of wildlife habitats to their original community structure, natural complement of species and natural functions. (2)

Bibliography

1) University of Maine Cooperative Extension
http://www.ume.maine.edu/~woodlot/definitions.htm

2) Government of British Columbia Ministry of Forests Glossary of Terms
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/pab/publctns/glossary/glossary.htm

3) Forestry Terminology and Glossaries
http://forestry.about.com/science/forestry/cs/glossary/

4) Renewable Resource Data Center Glossary of Terms Used in Timber Harvesting and Forest Engineering
http://rredc.nrel.gov/

5) Forest Resource Management Terminology North Central Regional Extension Publication No. 478

6) US EPA Acid Rain Program
http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain/index.html

7) USDA Forest Service Concepts In Ecosystem Management Forest Structure
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/ecomgt/unecosys/structur.htm

8) Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary