Forestry Abbreviations

Forestry is the creation, conservation and exploitation of forests according to an orderly economic and technical planning . The core problem of forestry is the balance between long-term unpredictable human demands and the immutability of the environmental demands of forest .

An example of the different demands made by man is the post-war demand for wood production after a period of scarcity, as opposed to the contemporary demand for nature conservation in a period without wood shortage due to timber imports. An example from the tropics is the former demand for opening up and exploitation of rainforest when that forest still seemed inexhaustible, against the modern demand for protection now that this forest seems to disappear (→ deforestation ).

Forms of forestry. A good characteristic of a forestry system is the circulation, the period between two harvests, or between ‘birth’ and ‘death’ of a piece of forest.

The more urgent the human demands, the shorter the circulation, as with coppiceor pilot whales with orbits between four years (modern energy cultivation) and 20 years (old farming systems). Without short rotations, the specific biological coppice environment cannot be maintained. Such systems are closer to agriculture than to a natural ecosystem . The more emphasis on a permanent forest environment, with lesser known human requirements, the longer the circulation. Examples include Swiss mixed forests, German and Ned. deciduous forests with orbits of 80 years or more, or felling systems in which trees are felled, but the forest is never without trees (→ clear felling ). Without long turns or felling , the specific biological forest environment does not exist.

The longer the circulation, the more natural the life processes: the → forest ecosystem has time to develop. Forestry systems that most closely resemble nature are based either on long rotations or on felling. Sudden changes in management form mean unfavorable development shocks for the forest: conversions from one forestry system to another, or to natural forests, take a lot of time and must be gradual. French policy since about 1840 has been aimed at converting farmland to upright forest, from short to long rotation. This has now been achieved on approximately half the total area of ​​forest. The Polish ‘jungle’ Bialowieza still shows traces of the French armies around 1800 and of the German armies from 1914-1918.

Forestry areas. Forestry depends on the extent to which an area is urbanized, rural or covered with managed forest or natural forest. City zones require short rotations: energy cultivation with zoning plans that only cover 25 years. The countryside has agricultural forests with fairly short to short rotations, because production is always demanded: hedgerows, poplar groves. Short rotations over the long term also provide a biologically rich environment . Areas with a lot of forest and little agriculture allow natural forestry.

The success of these forestry forms determines the survival of natural forests: city and village residents who do not obtain forest products through forestry, get them from natural forests. The closer the population, the more difficult it is to maintain natural forests: this occurs in Nigeria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Java, England and the Sahel countries, among others. The transition from natural forest to city is quick and easy; the reverse is long and difficult, if at all possible.

Forestry economy. If one creates a forest now, it is unpredictable how this forest and its products will be valued financially in 50 years. A ‘worthless’ forest is at risk. To minimize this, cheap and efficient forestry work is needed. Loss-making forest risks its survival during economic recessions. This requires a completely different technical-economic approach in forestry than is customary in industry and agriculture.

From the French exploitre , to exploit is a verb that refers to the action of taking advantage of the riches of an industry or a business and of using the qualities of a person or circumstance in an abusive way. The action and effect of exploring are called exploration.

Forestry, from the Latin forestālis , it is said of what belongs or is related to woods (forests) and the use of firewood and other related resources. The cultivation of forests and the science associated with this cultivation are known as silviculture.

Forestry, therefore, is the extraction of resources from a forested area. This activity is generally carried out with a view to obtaining wood, fruit or cork.

It should be borne in mind that forestry has serious consequences for the forests. If it is not a matter of controlled and responsible exploitation, the very subsistence of the forest and the forest is threatened.

Forest exploitation often involves felling trees and burning large areas, which literally means the destruction of the forest and gives rise to the phenomenon known as deforestation.

When a forest is felled without a reforestation plan , the ecosystem suffers great damage and biodiversity is lost. In addition to the plant species that are directly affected, many animals are left without their habitat and even certain aboriginal communities are displaced. Forest exploitation also has negative consequences for the absorption of carbon dioxide and leads to soil erosion.

Control by the authorities and legislation is therefore essential so that forestry is not unsustainable.

List of Acronyms Related to Forestry