Outline of forestry

The following outline is provided as an overview of and guide to forestry:
Below is a structured list of topics in forestry.

Focus of forestry

Tree - organism, whose species, age, vitality, growth, health, and size, are considered individually or more often, as part of a whole;

Branches of forestry

Agroforestry – integration of forests into agricultural systems in order to optimize the production and positive effects within the system and minimize negative side effects of farming
Boreal forestry – analyzes the particular challenges of forestry in the world's boreal regions
Close to nature forestry - theory and practice that takes the forest as an ecosystem and manages it as such. It is based on reduced human intervention, that should be directed to accelerate the processes that nature would do by itself more slowly.
Dendrology – involves the study and identification of economically useful tree species
Forest ecology – studies the patterns and processes of a forest ecosystem
Forest hydrology – embodies the effects of changes in forest land use on the movement, distribution, and quality of water in the ecosystem
Forest pathology – study of diseases of woody plants, and of the interactions between trees and pathogens, pests, and other stressors that affect their health and function.
Silviculture – is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet specific objectives
Social forestry – addresses human-forest interactions, and the importance of community-based natural resource management
Sustainable forestry – providing for the needs of society in the form of forest products while maintaining the health of forests and their mitigation of climate change and biodiversity loss through forestry practices that mimic natural patterns of disturbance and regeneration, such as balancing the numbers of trees by age, to provide a layered canopy and sustainable yield as an alternative to clear cutting. Sustaining natural forest habitats also involves preserving their water quality, and protecting them from wildfire, pests, and diseases.
Tropical forestry – is particularly concerned with management and conservation of forests in the tropics
Urban forestry – entails the care and management of urban tree populations for the purpose of improving the urban environment

Forest management

Forest management - comprises the overall administrative, economic, legal, and social aspects of forest regulation

Analog forestry - a management focus that seeks to establish a tree-dominated ecosystem that is similar in architectural structure and ecological function to the naturally occurring climax and sub-climax vegetation community
Bamboo forestry - farming and harvesting bamboo for commercial purposes such as construction.
Community forestry - combination of forest conservation with rural development and poverty reduction objectives, accomplished through instating a legal framework that favors profitable and sustainable forest management
Continuous cover forestry
Ecoforestry - emphasizes practices which strive to protect and restore ecosystems
Forest economics – studies the impact of economics on forest management decisions
Energy forestry – includes specifically managing for the production of energy from biomass or biofuel derived from a fast-growing species of tree or woody shrub
* Short rotation forestry - managing a forest that utilizes fast-growing species as a bio-based energy crop for use in power stations, alone or in combination with other fuels such as coal
** Short rotation coppice - focus on species that are able to naturally regenerate through stump sprouts to maximize economic productivity
Hardwood timber production - process of managing stands of deciduous trees to maximize woody output
Forest inventory – incorporates quantitative measurements of the forest stand to determine stand timber volume and productivity/health, and provides a basis off which management decisions can be made
Mycoforestry – ecological forest management system implemented to enhance forest ecosystems and plant communities through the introduction of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi
Permaforestry – approach to the wildcrafting and harvesting of the forest biomass that uses cultivation to improve the natural harmonious systems. It is a relationship of interdependence between humans and the natural systems in which the amount of biomass available from the forest increases with the health of its natural systems.
Sustainable forest management - emphasizes practices that maintain forest biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, and vitality, while continuing to fulfill relevant ecological, economic and social functions
Tree farming - timber crop production in a privately owned forest or woodland
* Plantation forestry - industrial plantations are established to produce a high volume of wood in a short period of time. Some plantations are managed by state forestry authorities and others by paper and wood companies.

Types of trees and forests

Types of trees
* List of trees and shrubs by taxonomic family
** List of tree species by shade tolerance - tree grouped by shade tolerance, a determinant in successional status
* List of woods - commonly used in the timber and lumber trade
Types of forests
* By ecological factors
** Boreal forests - occupy the subarctic zone and are generally evergreen and coniferous
*** Coniferous forests
** Temperate forests - forests in temperate zones
*** Broadleaf forests, for example:
**** Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
*** Evergreen coniferous forests, for example:
**** Temperate coniferous forests
**** Temperate rainforests
*** Broadleaf evergreen forests - supported in warm temperate zones. Examples include:
**** Laurel forests
** Tropical and subtropical forests
*** Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
*** Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
*** Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
** By physical structure or developmental stage
*** Old growth forest
*** Secondary forest
** By dominant tree species, for example
*** Ponderosa pine forests
*** Douglas-fir forests
* List of types of formally designated forests - various institutionally designated types of forest areas, generally classified by use or ownership

Geography of forests

List of countries by forest area - using data from the CIA's World Factbook, presents the total area in km² and the percentage of land covered by forests
Lists of forests
* List of old growth forests - by continent, country, province; with various descriptive information

Map of biomes

[Image:Vegetation-no-legend.PNG|thumb|center|800px|
This map shows the locations of forest biomes (taiga, etc.) in relation to the other biomes of the world.
]

List of life zones by region

Occupations in forestry

Arborist - professional responsible for the maintenance of individual trees in an urban forest also called a tree surgeon.
Donkey puncher was the operator of a small steam donkey, a machine used in logging in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Fire lookout - person assigned to spot for fires/smoke atop a fire lookout tower
Forest ecologist - studies patterns, processes, flora and fauna in forest ecosystems
Forest economist - model and analyze economic aspects of forest growth, utilization, and conservation
Forest engineer - civil engineer specializing in all aspects of timber and forest operations, including road-building, railways, log transport, etc.
Forest ranger - responsible for managing and policing human use of the forest; sometimes also acts as educator and interpreter
Forest sociologist - applied social scientist working with a wide variety of stakeholders interested in forests
Forest technician - individual primarily responsible for the marking of timber sales and on-ground land management, often requires a two-year Associate of Science degree
Forester - professional chiefly responsible for the management of forests, requires a Bachelor of Science degree in most countries
* Master forester - forestry expert responsible for forest management and training
Hotshot crew/Handcrew - a group of wildland firefighters specialized in fire suppression tactics
Lumberjack - the typical feller of trees and harvester of the lumber, duties can also include:
Resin extractor - laborer who extracts resin from pine trees
Rubber tapper - laborer who extracts natural rubber from tropical rubber trees
Smokejumper - firefighters who parachute into remote areas to fight wildland fires
Timber cruiser - responsible for assessing forest growth, health, and valuation
Tree planters - help reestablish forests after logging, fires, and other events and circumstances

Silvicultural methods

Silviculture - practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values. Silviculture also focuses on making sure that the treatment of forest stands are used to preserve and to better their productivity.
Site preparation

Controlled burn - use of fire in order to eliminate weeds, brush, or slash, or to release on-site seeds of fire-dependent species
Stump harvesting - removal of tree stumps either for biomass or to free up space in the soil
Drum chopping - knocking down small trees and brush to clear the ground for planting

Planting

Broadcast seeding - scattering of seed either by hand or mechanically over a relatively large area
Aerial seeding - dispersing of seed from an aircraft, used especially in mountainous areas
Treeplanting - transplanting of juvenile seedlings into the ground at a predetermined spacing

Intermediate treatments

Weeding - removal or reduction of herbaceous or woody species around seedlings
Cleaning - removal of competing saplings of similar age in order to favor saplings of desirable growth characteristics
Liberation cutting - removal of older and established overtopping trees from desirable saplings
Thinning - removal of trees to favor the growth of select trees in order to maximize timber production
Ecological thinning - removal of trees to favor the growth of select trees in order to favor the development of wildlife habitat
Pruning - removal of the lateral branches on the trees in order to improve wood quality
Pollarding - annual removal of lateral branches or main stem in order to encourage growth of branches to provide for firewood, or fruit production

Harvest rotations

Environmental issues pertaining to forests

Afforestation - the process of establishing a forest on previously unforested land, for reasons of timber harvesting, conservation of biodiversity, or soil decontamination, among many
Biodiversity conservation - examines forests broader role in supporting a variety of ecological systems
Carbon sequestration - focus on forests' broader ecological functioning in consumption of carbon dioxide
Conservation - focus on sustainability of forest resources and preservation of forest-based biodiversity
Deforestation - the removal of trees in a forested area without sufficient regeneration, resulting in desertification in arid areas and loss of habitat and biodiversity
* Deforestation by region
Ecological restoration - the role of trees in restoring degraded natural and built environments
Flood control - addresses forests ecological role in natural regulation of rainfall
Forest dieback - where trees on the periphery of a stand are killed by acid rain or parasites
Forest fragmentation - occurring when forests are cut down in a manner that leaves relatively small, isolated patches of forest, resulting in high amounts of edges and subsequent loss in wildlife habitat and biodiversity
Forest transition - shift from a period of net forest area loss to a period of net forest area gain for a given region or country
High grading - type of selective logging that removes the highest timber quality trees, resulting in poor genetic stock for subsequent generations
Illegal logging - the unlawful harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber, contributing to deforestation, corruption, and destabilization of international markets

Forest resource assessment

Forest inventory - systematic collection of data and forest information for assessment or analysis. An estimate of the value and possible uses of timber is an important part of the broader information required to sustain ecosystems.

Stand growth assessment

'''Economics'''

Harvesting

Logging - cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. The term is sometimes used in a narrow sense to mean moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard. However, in common usage, the term may be used to indicate a range of forestry or silviculture activities...

Harvesting methods

Felling - process of cutting down a tree
Bucking - splitting of a felled and delimbed trees into logs
Scaling - measurement of felled trees to determine the volume of merchantable wood
Skidding - transportation of logs from the site of felling to the landing along the ground
Forwarding - transportation of logs from the site of felling to the landing above the ground, usually to minimize soil disturbance but limits the size or amount of logs that can be moved at once
Hauling - long-distance transportation of logs from the landing to their final destination, usually with a semi-truck but occasionally with a train
Woodchipping - grinding of logs into chips for engineered wood, mulch, paper, or fuel
Cut-to-length logging - an expensive but efficient system where trees are felled, delimbed, and bucked to scale directly at the felling site
Cable logging - skidding using a wire cable attached to the felled trees, most common in areas with steep topographic relief, variations include
Shovel logging - transport of multiple logs close to the logging road using a stationary loader, often used to minimize soil disturbance
Heli-logging - transport of logs from the forest to the landing via helicopter, most commonly used in inaccessible areas or to minimize impact on the soil
Log driving - transportation of individual logs on a waterway to a mill or port downstream
Timber rafting - transportation downstream of multiple logs bundled together into a raft, considered less dangerous than log driving

Harvesting tools

Timber felling tools

Hand
Mechanized

Log transportation tools

Ground
Water

Forest products

Forest product - any material derived from a forest for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or forage for livestock. Wood is by far the dominant forest product, used for fuel, structural materials in the construction of buildings, or as a raw material, such as wood pulp used in the production of paper. All non-wood products derived from forest resources are called non-timber forest products.

Primary forest products

Lumber - structural material for the construction of buildings or furniture making
Paper - made from wood pulp derived from the timber stock pulpwood
Paperboard - a thick packaging material derived from paper, cardboard is the generic term
Veneer - thin layers of high-quality wood, often decorative but also the primary product in plywood
Multilaminar veneer - like veneer, but utilizes plantation wood in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management
Oriented strand board - mainly used in structural insulated panels, has largely replaced plywood
Fiberboard - a cheaper and denser form of plywood, used when cost is considered most important. Often used as the underlying structure in car dashboards
Drywall - a gypsum plaster placed inside two sheets of paper, used commonly as the finishing step in construction of interior walls and ceilings
Wood-plastic composite - made from recycled materials, is crack- and split-resistant and used commonly outdoors

Secondary forest products

Fuel

* Firewood - the most unprocessed form of wood fuel, supplies the majority of the developing world's energy needs
* Pellets - a byproduct from sawmilling, is formed from compacted sawdust, easy to transport and has a high combustion efficiency
* Cellulosic ethanol and Biomethanol - second generation biofuels that are a potential replacement for gasoline
* Charcoal - derived from tar, is used extensively in cooking, industry, and water purification, among others
* Black liquor - a byproduct from pulp production, can be gasified and used as a syngasByproducts
* Cork - used to stop wine bottles and as the core in baseballs
* Tar - mainly used as a sealant for shingles and watercraft hulls
* Turpentine - derived from tar, historically used extensively to thin oil-based paints and a protective furniture wax
* Rubber - wide range of commercial and industrial uses, tires and tubes are the largest consumer uses
* Creosote - historically been used as a disinfectant, laxative, and to treat coughs
* Tall oil - a cheap alternative for use in soaps, lubricants, and drilling fluidEcosystem services
* Carbon sequestration - a technique for long-term storage of carbon to combat global warming
* Water purification - riparian forests act as biofilters to capture and biologically degrade pollutants
* Outdoor recreation - provides the natural infrastructure needed for ecotourism
* Land rehabilitation - the restoration of degraded land to its former state, largely accomplished through phytoremediation

Forestry by region

Forestry in Africa

Forestry in the Americas

Forestry in Asia

Forestry in Europe

Forestry in Oceania

History of forestry

History of forestry, by period

Ancient forestry

Early modern forestry

Modern forestry

Contemporary forestry

History of forestry institutions

History of forestry law

History of forestry agencies

History of forestry agencies

History of forestry organizations

History of forestry science and technology

Forestry education

Forest research institutes - formal forest research institutes around the world
Forestry technical schools - specializing in technical or practical training in forestry
Forestry universities and colleges - institutions worldwide providing graduate and/or undergraduate education leading to a degree in forestry
Historic schools of forestry - schools of forestry throughout history

Forestry organizations

Confederation of Forest Industries

Governmental forestry agencies

List of forestry ministries - government forestry agencies, by country

International forestry organizations

Forestry publications

List of forestry journals - academic journals in forestry and related fields

Notable people

John Evelyn - known for his knowledge of trees, and his treatise Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber
- Austro-Hungarian founder of the, 1809, later to become the Mining and Forestry Academy, in what today is Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia
Heinrich Cotta - German silviculturist and pioneer of modern scientific forestry, founder of the Royal Saxon Academy of Forestry
Georg Ludwig Hartig - prominent forest manager, author, and founder of one of the first dedicated schools of forestry in Europe; affiliated in his later years with the University of Berlin
Alfonse Romanovich Vargas de Bedemar - "one of the founders of the Russian school of forest mensuration"
Franklin B. Hough, MD - chief of the United States Division of Forestry, the "father of American forestry"
Sir Dietrich Brandis - considered the "father of tropical forestry"
Sir William Schlich - founder of Oxford University's forestry program
Bernhard Fernow - laid the groundwork for the United States Forest Service, founding dean of the first professional forestry school in the United States
Gifford Pinchot - first chief of the United States Forest Service and proponent of the Wise Use Movement
Carl A. Schenck - responsible for incorporating German scientific management techniques into American forest management, and founder of Biltmore Forest School, the first forestry school in the United States
Károly Bund - early academic and practical forester whose work in the Hungarian National Forestry Association increased treeplanting and intensified efforts to protect natural forests, indigenous tree species, and forestry workers in Austria-Hungary
Robert Scott Troup - founder of Oxford's Imperial Forestry Institute
Theodore Salisbury Woolsey, Jr. - used scientific forestry to help France address timber shortages during World War I
Aldo Leopold - cofounder of The Wilderness Society along with Robert Marshall, prominent naturalist writer and environmental ethicist
Kenneth Dupee Swan - notable photographer for the USDA Forest Service
Bob Marshall - cofounder of The Wilderness Society, which helped pass the Wilderness Act, which created the first legal definition of wilderness and conserved some of national forest land in the United States
Walter Bitterlich - world-renowned Austrian scientist, best known for the invention of variable plot sampling
Jack C. Westoby - Chief Forester, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, "father of world forestry"
Sakari Pinomäki - pioneer of mechanized forest harvesting vehicles, decreasing the time required for harvesting and risk to loggers
Stephen C. Sillett - revolutionized the approach and methodology of studying plant and animal life in old growth canopies of large trees

Allied fields

Botany - study of plant life and development that explains the biological basis of trees, such as structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, response to disease, and chemical properties
Conservation biology - conscientious management of forests can preserve or enhance biodiversity of dependent species
Dendrochronology - method of scientific dating based on the analyses of tree-ring growth patterns, analysis of long-lived individual trees can provide insight into climatic conditions of the past
Ecology - whose principles are the main scientific basis of forestry
Ecophysiology - study of an organism's physiology to environmental conditions that explains the success of a particular tree species' growth, reproduction, survival, and abundance
Forest history - documents natural and human history of forests and forest use
Natural resource management - brings together planning, management, conservation and sustainability of human use of natural resources, including forests
Rural sociology - studies human perceptions, interactions and use of forests and associated resources
Soil science - physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil greatly determines the success of tree species and individuals