Forest Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

adaptation
adjustment of plants and animals over time to a particular environment; a feature which helps a plant or animal to survive in its particular environment.

agriculture
the cultivation of land, including crop raising, stock-raising and forestry. Also see agroforestry.
agroforestry
the combination of timber production and agriculture on the same land; farming activities, such as livestock and cropping, are undertaken between widely spaced trees usually cultivated for timber, firewood and/or fodder. Also see farm forestry.
angiosperms
flowering plants; plants which produce seeds enclosed in an ovary. Also see gymnosperms, dicotyledons, monosotyledons.
backburning
a bushfire management technique which involves lighting a controlled bushfire to burn back towards the front of the bushfire. Also see bushfire, controlled burning, wildfire.
basal area (BA)
the cross-sectional area of a tree at breast height expressed in square metres (m2), BA = 0.00007854 x Diameter Breast Height2. This term can also be apply to the combined basal area of all trees in a given area, expressed in square metres per hectare (m2/ha). A tool used to calculate sustainable timber yield. Also see breast height, DBH.
biodegradable
material capable of being decomposed eg. wood.
biodiversity
the genetic variety of all life forms and their ecosystems; comprises genetic diversity (within species), species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Also see ecosystem.
blading off
the removal and stock piling of surface soil from log landings that is then used to rehabilitate the same sites after logging has been completed. Also see log landing.
breast height
1.3m above the ground. This is the standard height at which a tree diameter is measured. Also see basal area, DBH.
broadleaf forests
the general description of forests composed principally of trees and shrubs of the botanical group of flowering species (angiosperms) which is in contrast to conifers or pines (gymnosperms); often called hardwood forests, though in New South Wales broadleaf forests include both eucalypt forests (hardwood) and rainforest (brushwood or softwood). Also see forest type.
bushfire
a wildfire burning through bushland such as a State forest. Also see wildfire.

cable logging
logging method used where slopes are too steep for conventional logging machinery. Overhead cables are set up and the felled logs are attached and pulled up the slope to log landings. Also see integrated harvesting, salvage logging, selective logging.
canopy
the uppermost level of foliage formed by the branches and leaves of a tree.
captive carbon
once carbon dioxide has been used by a plant the carbon will stay captive (or stored) in the plant until it decomposes, is burnt or breaks down in some way. When a tree is harvested and made into a product, like furniture, it will stay captive in the wood even though the timber is no longer living. Also see carbon sequestration.
carbon
an element, contained in all organic molecules.
carbon dioxide (CO2)
a molecule made up of one carbon atom joined to two oxygen atoms; a gas in the Earth's atmosphere. Also see greenhouse gases.
carbon sequestration
the process where trees and other plants take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their leaves, branches, stems and roots. Plants sequester carbon dioxide as part of the growing process. Also see captive carbon.
carbon store/sink
see captive carbon.
catchment area
a drainage area which is the source of water for a river or reservoir. Also see drainage line.
cellulose
a large molecule made up of glucose units naturally produced by plants, provides the strength of plant cell walls.
chlorophyll
the pigment that gives plants their green colouring; it is required for the absorption of light during photosynthesis.
clearfelling
the removal of all or most of the tree cover and associated understorey from a forested or vegetated area, method used in the final harvesting of a pine plantation. Also see Pinus radiata.
clearing
an area where all or most of the tree cover and associated understorey have been removed and the land use changed eg. for agriculture or urban and industrial development. Also see deforestation.
closed forest
a forest with a canopy cover of greater than 70 per cent. Also see forest type.
code of forest practice
a set of rules designed to ensure that commercial timber growing and harvesting on public and private land is conducted in a manner compatible with the environmental values of a forest.
compartment
a land management unit within a State forest, usually defined by geographical boundaries.
cone
the fruit of coniferous trees, contains the seeds of the plant. Also see conifers.
conifers
evergreen trees and shrubs of the botancial group gymnosperms; plants which produce naked seeds usually in cones.
conservation
the management of the natural environment to ensure its survival ; a state of harmony between humans and the land; management of human use of the biosphere so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to present generations while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations; a term covering preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilisation, restoration and enhancement of the environment.
conservation for sustainable development
wise and planned use of the Earth's resources within the capacity of the Earth's essential ecosystems to support the needs of present and future generations; sustainable development takes account of social and ecological, as well as economic factors and the long and short term advantages and disadvantages of alternative actions.
controlled burning
See hazard reduction burning, backburning, fuel reduction burning, post-logging burn, prescribed burning.
copice
regrowth that grows from dormant buds under the bark of tree stumps after the tree has been felled. Eucalypts will copice. Also see epicormic shoot, lignotuber.
coupe
a small area of forest within a compartment that is harvested in a single operation.
crown
the top of a tree or group of trees; the leaves and living branches of a tree. Also see canopy.
crown cover
the area covered by the crowns of trees growing closely together, often expressed as a percentage for the combined crown cover of trees in a defined area.
Crown timber lands
public land for which Forests NSW maintain the timber rights. Also see Forests NSW.
cultural heritage
encompasses the qualities and attributes of places that have aesthetic, historic, scientific or social value for past, present or future generations. These values may be seen in a place’s physical features, but importantly can also be intangible qualities such as peoples associations with, or feelings for a place
cutting cycle
the time interval between successive harvesting operations on the same area or within a given management area. Also see sustainable yield.
cypress
an evergreen native coniferous tree which produces durable wood; also refers to the wood derived from a cypress tree.

DBH
abbreviation for the diameter of a tree at breast height (1.3 metres above ground level). Also see basal area.
deciduous
plants which shed their leaves annually.
deforestation
clearing of forested areas. Also see clearing, reforestation.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW - formed in July 2004, bringing together the former Departments of Mineral Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries & State Forests of NSW.
dicotyledons (dicots)
one of the two sub classes of flowering plants. There are two (di) cotyledons, or seed leaves, present in the seeds of these plants. Also see monocotyledons, angiosperms, gymnosperms.
dieback
the eventual death of trees from environmental stresses, such as pest attack, exposure to fungal disease, increasing soil salinity; general name for a significant decline in tree health and numbers, especially native trees; caused by a variety of agents, including insect attack, disease, pollution and other human-induced changes in the environment.
drainage line
a discernible natural depression along which surface water runoff concentrates and flows towards a stream, drainage plain or swamp. Also see filter strip.
dryland salinity
accumulation of salt in soil and water of non-irrigated areas; caused by clearing trees and vegetation on outflow zones for saline water tables; the uptake of water by plants is reduced allowing the water table with soluble salts to rise, killing plants and creating bare, erodible areas. Also see irrigation salinity.

ecologically sustainable forest management (ESFM)
is the guiding philosophy for forest conservation and management. It sees the forest managed for all values, with conservation and management undertaken on a long-term basis. Also see ecologically sustainable forest management plan.
ecologically sustainable forest management plan
provides the framework for forest management over a five year period. ESFM plans have been prepared for regions of NSW where Regional Forest Agreements have been completed. Also see regional forest agreements.
ecosystem
any biological community and its non-living environment, that is all the plants and animals in an area together with the air, land and water with which they interact; a self-sustaining and self-regulating community of organisms interacting with each other and with their environment; a community of living things and their surroundings; ecosystems contain a system of overlapping relationships called food webs, dependent on simpler food chains.
ecotourism
nature-based tourism which is ecologically sustainable.
ephemeral stream
a watercourse which flows infrequently.
epicormic shoot
a shoot which develops from a bud under the bark of a tree; an important survival adaptation of eucalypts which enables a tree to survive damage, such as fire. Also see lignotuber, copice.
eucalypts
plants of the genus Eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus
a botanical genus of plants, made up of about 700 species; the most important genus of Australian forest trees; abbreviation E. Also see angiosperms, sclerophyll, forest type.
exotic
an introduced species, especially one which is not of Australian origin. Also see Pinus radiata.

farm forestry
commercial tree production on farmland. Also see agriculture, joint venture.
fauna
the animal life of a region.
feller buncher
a logging machine that fells trees, debranches, cuts to length and groups them ready to be removed with a forwarder or skidder.
feral animal
wild exotic animal; usually refers to introduced animal species, like foxes, cats and pigs, in Australia.
filter strip
a strip of permanent retained vegetation, 10-50 metres wide, along each side of a drainage line or the banks of streams, to retard the flow of runoff water, thereby retaining transported material like soil, leaf litter and debris, and reducing sediment movement into the stream, area defined to protect a water-way (no tree is allowed to fall across the waterway during logging and no harvesting machinery is allowed to enter any filter strip)
fire
the active principle of burning or combustion.
fire regime
the history of fire at a particular place; the frequency, intensity and season of burning; the strategy for fuel reduction burning.
flora
the plant life of a region.
flora reserve
an area of special flora value; a form of forest land tenure managed by Forests NSW.
flower
the blossom of a plant; the reproductive structure of angiosperms.
forest
an area of land covered by trees and understorey vegetation, sometimes mixed with pasture; forests are described in terms of crown cover, such as closed forest, open forest, woodland and open woodland, and in terms of height of the tallest stratum, such as tall (over 30 metres), medium (10-30 metres) and low trees (under 10 metres). Also see forest type.
Forest Management Zone (FMZ)
this is a forest planning system which sets out in map format the way in which Forests NSW manages forest areas across the entire State forest estate. The FMZ system is a landscape management tool that clearly identifies those areas of the forest managed as conservation reserves, recreation areas, historical sites and those areas manged for timber production. FMZ maps are important for the development of the more detailed harvest plan. Also see ecologically sustainable forest management.
forest products
any raw material yielded by a forest, including timber, timber products and other forest materials (such as rock, stone, clay, sand, gravel). Also see pulpwood, quota sawlog, sawlog, woodchip.
Forests NSW
The trading name of the public trading enterprise of the Department of Primary Industries NSW. See also State Forests of NSW.
forest type
a group of plants dominated by trees which has a general similarity in species composition and character; a forest containing specific types or species of trees, native forests are usually classified into one of the following types: coniferous, temperate (moist and dry eucalypt, deciduous), tropical (rainforest, moist deciduous, mangrove). Also see closed forest, broadleaf forests, mallee, open forest, open woodland, rainforest, subtropical, woodland.
forester
a person involved and trained in forestry and forest management, usually with a degree in forest science.
forestry
the management of forests for the benefit of the community; the theory and practice of the management of forests for whatever purpose the owner requires and the sustainable utilisation of its products and services; it involves the practical application of scientific, economic and social principles to the management of a forest estate for specific objectives, including the provision of wood products, wildlife habitat, water resources, recreational opportunities, or other requirements above or in combination; is not limited to managing the existing forest estate; includes the reforestation (or afforestation) of non-forested or cleared land. See Forests NSW.
Forestry Commission
former name of Forests NSW; (see Forests NSW).
forwarder
rubber tyred vehicle that loads felled logs on to a trailer to remove them from the forest. See feller buncher, skidder.
fuel load
the amount of fuel available for burning. Also see hazard reduction burning, fuel.
fuel reduction burning
see hazard reduction burning, controlled burning.

genus
a class or kind of living things; a group of species very similar to one another and closely related; a sub-division of a family or subfamily.
geographic information system (GIS)
a computer information technology which stores, analyses and displays geographic data.
global warming
the expected consequence of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases by human activity (see greenhouse gases).
greenhouse effect
the warming effect due to radiated energy; refers to the predicted warming of the Earth's surface through increases in the atmospheric concentration of several gases, particularly carbon dioxide, due primarily to the combustion of fossil fuels; the greenhouse effect is predicted to have major effects on the world's pattern of climate, serious implications for agriculture and cause polar ice caps to melt, subsequently causing rises in sea levels.
greenhouse gases
atmospheric gases which enhance the natural greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapour; atmospheric gases which prevent the escape of solar radiation radiated from the Earth's surface.
group selection
logging process where small groups of mature trees are removed at regular intervals (cutting cycles).
gymnosperms
non-flowering plants; seeds not enclosed in an ovary, enclosed in a cone. See cypress, Pinus radiata.

habitat
the native environment where an animal or plant naturally lives or grows.
hardwood
timber from broad-leaved, flowering trees (angiosperms), short fibred woods, for example eucalyptus.
harvesting
the felling of trees, either as a group selection operation or a thinning or a clearfelling operation. See harvesting plan.
harvesting plan
a detailed plan of a forest area to be logged, describing the forest area and planned operations, including details of flora and fauna species, cultural heritage sites, soil types, drainage lines, forest types and recreation sites in the area and environmental considerations. Also see multiple use forest management.
hazard reduction burning
burning of accumulated fuels (mainly ground fuels) in a planned manner, to reduce fire fuel and thereby reduce the risk and impact of wild-fire; part of the management of a vegetated area to prevent or reduce wildfire damage; a preventative fire lit in colder months and well planned for strategic effect to make bushfire fighting safer and more effective. Also see controlled burning.

integrated harvesting
removal of more than one product from a forest at the same time, for example both large sawlogs and pulpwood. See harvesting.
inventory
the process and product of a survey that assesses a resource. May also be termed forest inventory, stand inventory or plantation inventory.
irrigration salinity
accumulation of salts in the soil; occurs in irrigated areas where (1) irrigation water contains large quantities of dissolved salts and poor drainage or inefficient irrigation practices result in the build-up of salts in the soil, or (2) poor drainage and large quantities of irrigation water are used and the irrigation water brings dissolved salts to the surface. Also see dryland salinity.

joint venture
an enterprise in which different partners provide different resources in order to achieve a common goal. In agroforestry it would be common for a farmer to provide the land and routine maintenance of a stand, while an investor or forest company would provide the trees, expertise and marketing opportunities. Also see plantation.

land capability
the ability of the land to sustain a type and intensity of use without permanent damage.
leaf
part of a plant which grows from the stem, makes up the plant's foliage; photosynthetic organ.
leaf litter
mixture of fallen and dead plant material on the forest floor, made up of leaves, bark, stems and branches.
lignotuber
swollen underground root structure developed by most eucalypts, capable of sprouting new shoots if the tree is damaged. See copice, epicormic shoots.
log
to cut trees into logs; to cut down trees for timber; a portion of cut tree trunk or branch
log landing
area where logs are accumulated prior to loading on trucks
logging
the process of cutting down trees for timber. Also see harvesting.

mallee
dwarf forms of eucalypts that have several stems which grow above ground level from a lignotuber, and generally grow up to ten metres high and on shallow infertile soils; scrubby even-height forests dominated by a few dwarfed species of eucalypts; geographical areas occupied largely by these multi-stemmed dwarfed eucalypts. Also see forest type.
monocotyledons (monocots)
one of the two sub classes of flowering plants. There there is one (mono) cotyledon, or seed leaf, present in the seeds of these plants. See dicotyledons, gymnosperms, angiosperms.
monoculture
one type (species) of plant cultivated in an area, for example, plantations of a single species of tree.
multiple use forest management
the management of a forest area for a balanced range of different benefits, for example wood production, recreation, water catchment protection, preservation of flora and fauna and landscape. Also see harvesting plan, Forest Management Zone.

national park
areas which contain representative samples of major natural regions, features of scenery of national or international significance, plant and animal species, geomorphological sites and habitats which are of special scientific, educational, cultural and recreational significance. Also see State forest.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)
Part of the Department of Environment and Conservation, an agency of the NSW government. NPWS are responsible for developing and maintaining the parks and reserve system, and conserving natural and cultural heritage.
Native Forest Management System
guidelines to ensure that the amount of timber harvested from a forest each year equals the amount that is regrown each year. Only a small percentage of forests in NSW are harvested each year (in 2000/2001 only 2.9% of the total area of State forests was harvested). Also see sustained yield.

old growth forest
an unlogged area of forest which is ecologically mature and characterised by relatively large old trees with extensive hollows, no significant increase in biomass, stable nutrient cycle, high litter levels, slow rates of change in composition, structure and function; forest in which the upper stratum is ecologically mature and has been subjected to negligible unnatural disturbance such as logging, road building and clearing.
open forest
a forest with a canopy cover of between 30 and 70 per cent; the most abundant forest form in New South Wales. Also see forest type.
open woodland
lightly wooded country, with tree canopy covering an average of less than 10 per cent of the area (see woodland, forest type).
outrow
a row of trees felled in a plantation in order to allow travel of processing, snigging or forwarding machinery in the performance of their functions. See plantation.
overmature trees
trees which are well beyond the age of full development and are no longer producing a net growth of wood due to a decline in vigour and health and an increase in decay.

parasites
organisms which obtain their nutrients by feeding off other organisms.
photosynthesis
the light-requiring reaction (chemical process) which produces food (glucose) in green plants; the reaction also requires carbon dioxide and water to produce the food needed by the plant. Also see chlorophyll, leaf.
pine
any member of the genus Pinus, evergreen coniferous trees. See conifers.
Pinus radiata
one species of the genus Pinus; a coniferous tree, native of California; the major source of softwood timber grown in New South Wales. See exotic.
plantation
a planted forest of either native or exotic species.
post-logging burning
a forest management technique practiced to remove logging debris which could fuel a bushfire it also stimulates regeneration in the logged area (see hazard reduction burning, controlled burning).
prescribed burning
(see hazard reduction burning, controlled burning).
pruning
the removal of selected shoots or branches from a tree to improve tree form or wood quality; mainly carried out in pine forests (plantations).
pulp
wood fibre processed to make paper. ‘Pulp’ logs are processed into wood chips or pulp for wood based panels, paper and paper products.
pulpwood
timber cut and prepared primarily for the manufacture of wood pulp and for further processing to make paper or reconstituted wood product such as fibreboard. Also see woodchip.

quota
an annual allocation of sawlog volume, made for a particular management area to a sawmill where each log must meet specific criteria; the allocation has a continuing basis but is subject to annual review or, in the case of a wood supply agreement, at intervals specified in the agreement.
quota sawlog a log having dimensions and quality which are equal to or greater than those specified by agreement; the volume forms part of a sawmill's annual sawlog allocation (quota).

radiata pine
Pinus radiata, a coniferous tree, native of California; the major source of softwood timber grown in New South Wales.
rainforest
a dense evergreen forest which grows in tropical and temperate areas of high humidity with heavy rainfall occurring throughout the year. Also see forest type.
reforestation
replanting of a forest on cleared or destroyed forest areas.
regeneration
new growth, naturally or as a result of management practices, such as natural regeneration from seed fall, copice or lignotuber growth or artificially from sowing seed on prepared seedbeds or planting stock raised from local, regional or imported sources.
Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs)
are 20 year plans for the conservation and sustainable mangement of Australia’s native forests. The Agreements provide certainty for forest based industries, forest dependent communities and conservation. They are the result of years of scientific study, consultation and negotiation covering a diverse range of interests. Also see ecologically sustainable forest management plan.
regrowth
a forest stand established by natural regeneration after logging.
renewable
can be renewed or replaced eg trees. See sustainable yield.
remnant vegetation
a small fragmented portion of vegetation remaining after an area has been mainly cleared for human land use.
resource
material required or needed, stock that can be drawn on; anything for which there is a perceived present or future use; can be either renewable (can obtain more, like water, air or timber) or non-renewable (can be used only once, no more can be obtained, like coal, bauxite, natural oil and gas from fossil sources). Also see timber.
resource management
the considered use of renewable and non renewable resources bearing in mind both the needs of people and the conservation of the resource base for the future.
retention strip
See filter strip, drainage line.
rotation
the cycle of a plantation from planting of one stand (group of trees), through the growth period to final harvesting.
root
the part of a plant which grows in soil.
royalty
a payment made for the value of timber harvested.
runoff
the proportion of rain falling in a catchment which flows across the surface rather than infiltrating the soil; a major agent of water erosion.

salvage logging
logging carried out to use trees that have been damaged by fire or storm (see logging, harvesting).
sawlog
a log considered suitable in size and quality for producing sawn timber, veneer, poles or sleepers
sclerophyll
hard, leathery-leafed plants, such as eucalypts. Also see eucalyptus.
seed
the viable part of a plant from which a new plant can grow.
seed orchard
collection of seed-producing trees; trees cultivated for the production of seeds (trees selected to provide seeds for the growth of improved and better quality trees). See harvesting.
selective logging
the principal style of logging employed in native forests by Forests NSW. Only selected trees within an area nominated for logging are logged while other trees are retained to maintain the forest structure and wildlife habitat and to maximise future commercial potential of retained trees.
senescent trees
see overmature trees.
shrub
a woody plant smaller than a tree, usually divided into separate stems near the ground. Also see understorey.
silviculture
the science and art of the cultivation of forests; the growing and tending of trees.
skidder
a rubber tyred tractor for dragging felled logs to a loading area. See forwarder, feller buncher.
snig
to haul logs along the ground from tree stump to log landing.
snigging
the method of removing logs from site after felling operations, by dragging.
snig track
a track along which logs are snigged, usually from felling point to a nearby log landing.
softwood
generally refers to trees of the botanical group gymnosperms, for example conifers; also refers to the softer and longer fibred structure of the wood produced by such trees; does not relate to the texture or density of the timber. Includes pines and cypresses. See pine.
species
the lowest taxonomic classification in use; a group of organisms with some identifiable common characteristics, they are capable of reproducing and producing fertile offspring. Also see genus.
stand
a group (or cluster) of upright trees.
State forest
a form of public land tenure in NSW; managed by Forests NSW for recreation, biodiversity, cultural heritage, forest products like timber, catchment protection, research and education.
State Forests of NSW
the former registered trading name of the Forestry Commission of New South Wales which was established under the Forestry Act 1916. The organisation manages the publicly-owned State forests for a range of environmental, social and economic values for the long term; a public trading enterprise within the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
stem
part of a plant; a stalk which supports a leaf, flower or fruit.
subtropical
a type of rainforest occurring between the tropics and temperate geographic regions; found between tropic and temperate conditions (see forest type).
sustainable land use
the use of land in a way that does not reduce its future productive capacity. Also see conservation for sustainable development.
Sustainable yield (forestry)
the maximum level of commercial timber (or product mix) that can be maintained under a given management regime.
sustained yield
the principle of managing a plant or animal population to achieve a balance between what is removed and its replacement by natural growth so that the population is not depleted; the yield a forest can produce continuously at a given intensity of management; harvesting of a forest as a renewable resource at a level in line with its productive capacity.

thinning
the removal of poorer and mature trees from a forest to improve the growth, hygiene or composition of the remaining trees.
threatened species
a species facing possible extinction if measures are not taken to ensure its survival, such as removal of predators, reduced competition for food, retaining and maintaining its habitat. Also see fauna, flora.
timber
the general term used to describe sawn wood suitable for building and other purposes.
total catchment management (TCM)
the coordinated management of natural resources within a catchment area; relies on an integrated approach to balance the way resources are used and conserved within a catchment. See catchment area.
tree
a perennial plant having a self-supporting woody stem or trunk which usually develops woody branches (under the Soil Conservation Act, 1938 a tree includes sapling, shrub or scrub).

understorey
the layer of forest vegetation between the overstorey or canopy and the ground layer. Also see shrub.
urban forestry
the cultivation and management of trees and forests within cities for their present and potential contribution to the physiological, sociological and economic wellbeing of urban society.

value-added
the increased value of a forest product as a result of processing; producing a product of higher quality and having more monetary value.
visual protection
strip a strip of forest where harvesting of forest products is minimised in order to maintain views and visual aspects, usually along roadways and scenic lookouts. Also see Forest Management Zone.

wilderness
an area of land that has been least modified by modern technological society; the most intact and undisturbed expanses of our remaining natural landscapes. Also see Forest Management Zone.
wildfire
a grass or bush fire which burns out of control; fire which destroys areas of grassland or bush and can destroy buildings and cause the death of vegetation, animals and humans. See bushfire.
wildlife corridor
a strip of vegetation retained between areas of used and unused land to allow wildlife to move from sites of activity to other habitat sites. See Forest Management Zone.
windrow
a row of debris collected after the harvesting of a plantation; debris collected to be burnt to prepare the site for replanting.
wood
the hard, fibrous inner part of tree trunks, branches and stems; tissue that lies underneath the bark of a plant; a source of timber.
woodchip
(see pulpwood)
woodland
plant communities dominated by trees whose crowns shade less than 30 per cent of the ground; wooded country with tree canopy covering an average of 10 to 30 per cent of the area; vegetation type that covers the driest and poorest soil areas of New South Wales. Also see forest type.