silviculture
The art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis
silvics
The study of the life history and general characteristics of forest trees.
cultural treatment
The manipulation of vegetation to meet silvicultural objectives.
extensive forestry
The practice of forestry on a basis of low operating and investment costs per acre, typically on a longer rotation.
intensive forestry
managing a forest to obtain a high level of productivity through the application of the best techniques of silviculture and management, typically on a shorter rotation.
silvicultural system
A planned process spanning a whole rotation whereby a stand is tended, harvested, and reestablished.
rotation
In an even-aged system, the period between regeneration establishment and final cutting, in uneven-aged systems, the approximate time it takes to regenerate the entire area
even-aged system
A planned sequence of treatments designed to maintain and regenerate a stand with one age class. The range of tree ages is usually less than 20% of the rotation.
two-aged system
A planned sequence of treatments designed to maintain and regenerate a stand with 2 age classes.
Uneven-aged system
A planned sequence of treatments designed to maintain and regenerate a stand with three or more age classes.
Succession
A series of dynamic changes by which organisms replace one another through a series of plant community stages
Disturbance
Any relatively discrete event in time that disrupts ecosystem, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment
Density dependent mortality
The process whereby a tree loses vigor and dies due to competition for light, nutrients, or water.
Density independent mortality
The process whereby a tree dies due to stochastic disturbance events.
Stand dynamics
The study of changes in forest structures and composition over time and the processes that cause these changes.
Stand initiation
A stage of stand dynamics in which individuals and species continue to appear for several years following a disturbance, and stands are young and dense.
Stem exclusion
A stage of stand dynamics whereby after several years new trees stop appearing and already established individuals begin to die; those that survive grow and begin to manifest differences in height and diameter
Understory Reinitiation
A later stage in stand development when forest floor herbaceous species, shrubs, and advanced regeneration all appear and survive in the understory because large dominant trees are dying due to insects, disease, lightning, windthrow, or other causes, form
Old growth
The late successional stage of forest development characterized by heterogeneous stand structural elements such as large live trees, dead trees, diverse composition, multiple age classes and complex canopy characteristics.
Structure
The horizontal and vertical distribution of the physical components of a forest stand.
Shade tolerance
The relative capacity of a plant to become established and grow beneath overtopping vegetation.
Stand Density
A quantitative, absolute measure of tree occupancy per unit of land area in such terms as numbers of trees, basal area, or volume.
Relative Stand density
The ratio, proportion, or percent of absolute stand density to a reference level defined by some standard level of competition.
Stocking
units TPA, BA; growing spacing indicator
Site Quality
Productive capacity of a site, expressed as volume production
Site Index
A measure of actual or potential forest productivity
Stand
contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in age class distribution, composition, structure
Stand Composition
proportion of each tree species in a stand
Plantation
a stand originating from planted trees
Regeneration method
a cutting method by which a new age class is created
Pure stand
one tree species
monoculture
pure stand that is even-aged
Stratum
distinct layer of vegetation within a forest community
Stand establishment
initiation of tree cover, either by afforestation, reforestation, or regeneration
Regeneration
seedlings or saplings existing in a stand of the act of establishing young trees naturally or artificially
artificial regeneration
an age class created by direct seeding or by planting seedlings or cuttings
natural regeneration
age class created from natural seeding, sprouting
site preparation
hand, chemical or mechanical manipulation of a site designed to enhance the success of regeneration
scarification
mechanical disturbance of the soil surface designed to enhance reforestation
shearing
using the blade of a dozer to mechanically fell trees or level stumps to the ground
chopping
dozer drawn drum fitted with fins which compact and break slash and logging debris
piling
accumulating slash and logging debris near the deck during a harvest operation or during site prep
windrowing
slash piled along a line to clear the intervening ground for regeneration at the risk of reducing site productivity by removing the litter layer
bedding
to raise mound in wet areas with a specialized plow during site preparation on which seedlings are planted
disking
a plow drawn by a tractor or skidder having one or more heavy, round, concave, sharpened, freely rotating steel disks angled to till the soil surface
ripping or subsoiling
a shank drawn by a skidder or dozer have a long pointed fixed bar that runs deep into the soil to break up pan layers and reduce compaction
combination plowing
a skidder or dozer drawn implement that typically includes a disk bedder and a ripping shank
liberation
a release treatment made in a stand not past the sapling stage to free crop trees from competition of older trees
Weeding
A release treatment made in a stand past the sapling stage that eliminates vegetation competition regardless of crown position
release
a treatment designed to free young trees from undesirable, usually overtopping, competing vegetation
cleaning
a release treatment made in a an age class not past the sapling stage to free favored trees from less desirable individuals of the same age class that overtop them
herbicide
a pesticide used for killing or controlling the growth of plants
tree injection
deliberate introduction of pesticide by pressure or simple absorption into the sapstream of a living tree
girdle
continuous incisions around a living stem
broadcast
to spread or apply seed, fertilizer, or pesticide evenly over an entire area
banding
applying seed, fertilizer, or pesticides to onlya portion of an area, typically in rows where the crop is located
basal spray
the application of a pesticide, usually a herbicide for controlling brush or weed trees, directed at the lower portion of the stem
seed orchard
a plantation consisting of clones or seedlings from selected trees for early and abundant production of seed
open pollinated
seed or seedlings derived from a single know mother tree in a seed rchard that was pollinated by one or more unknow paternal trees
controlled pollination
seed or seedlings derived from the transfer of pollen from a known male tree to a know mother tree, all other pollen being excluded.
varietal
same as clone
provenance
original geographic source of seed or pollen
seed source
locality where a seed was collected, nut not necessarily where the genetics are best adapted
nursery
an area set aside for the raising of young trees including bareroot and container seedlings
j-root
the result of improper planting
seed tree
even-aged system where majority of dominant and codominant are removed
silvicultural control
threats to the stand are identified, monitored and controlled
plantation
a group of trees originating from planted trees
seed tree
an even-aged regeneration method in which a new age class develops from seeds that germinate from a small number of trees left to provide seed. These trees are removed after seedlings are established.
shelterwood
an even-aged regeneration in which a new age class develops beneath the residual trees. includes 1) prep cut 2) establishment cut 3)removal cut
crop tree
any tree that is selected to become a component of a future commercial harvest
snag
a stand dead tree from which the leaves and most of the branches have fallen
wolf tree
dominant tree with a broad, spreading crown that occupies more growing space than its more desirable neighbors
selective cutting
a partial cutting that generally has no silvicultural intent other than to remove valuable trees, which leads to high grading
diameter-limit cutting
removal of all merchantable trees above or below a specified DBH, often results in high grading
high grading
removal of the most commercially valuable trees, often leaving a residual stand composed of trees of poor condition or species composition
salvage cutting
removal of dead or dying trees due to injuries other than competition to recover value
sanitation cut
removal of trees to improve stand health by stopping or reducing the spread of insects or disease
signal word
how toxic it is to humans and the environment
label
what is on the container
labelling
how the manufacturer communicates to the use over the proper use of a pesticide
PPE
personal protective equipment
delayed effects
must be on the label; deals with tumors or reproductive problems
allergic effects
skin irritation, asthma
restricted use pesticide
pesticide known to cause harm to humans or the environment
unclassified pesticide
sold over the counter
RTU
ready to use
silvipasture
combining livestock and forestry, agroforestry
mensuration
forest measurements