Forestry

Forestry as a science Over the past centuries, forestry was regarded as a separate science. With the rise of ecology and environmental science, there has been a reordering in the applied sciences. In line with this view, forestry is a primary land-use science comparable with agriculture. Under these headings, the fundamentals behind the management of natural forests comes by way of natural ecology. Forests or tree plantations, those whose primary purpose is the extraction of forest products, are planned and managed to utilize a mix of ecological and agroecological principles. In many regions of the world there is considerable conflict between forest practices and other societal priorities such as water quality, watershed preservation, sustainable fishing, conservation, and species preservation. Dendrology and silviculture Dendrology is a subset of botany; it is the scientific discipline that studies woody plants (trees, shrubs, and lianas), specifically, their taxonomic classifications. Silviculture on the other hand is the commercial practice of forest management , primarily for the production of timber. Genetic diversity in forestry The provenance of forest reproductive material used to plant forests has a great influence on how the trees develop, hence why it is important to use forest reproductive material of good quality and of high genetic diversity. is the differences in DNA sequence between individuals as distinct from variation caused by environmental influences. The unique genetic composition of an individual (its genotype) will determine its performance (its phenotype) at a particular site. Genetic diversity is needed to maintain the vitality of forests and to provide resilience to pests and diseases. Genetic diversity also ensures that forest trees can survive, adapt and evolve under changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, genetic diversity is the foundation of biological diversity at species and ecosystem levels. Forest genetic resources are therefore important in forest management. About 98 million hectares of forest were affected by fire in 2015; this was mainly in the tropical domain, where fire burned about 4 percent of the total forest area in that year. More than two-thirds of the total forest area affected was in Africa and South America. Insects, diseases and severe weather events damaged about 40 million hectares of forests in 2015, mainly in the temperate and boreal domains. The marginal populations of many tree species are facing new threats due to the effects of climate change. Most countries in Europe have recommendations or guidelines for selecting species and provenances that can be used in a given site or zone. == Forest management ==

Forest management is the branch of forestry concerned with the administration and running of commercial forests. It addresses silviculture, forest protection, and regulation. Its goals include management for timber, aesthetics, recreation, urban values, watershed management, wildlife, inland and nearshore fisheries, wood products, plant genetic resources, and other forest resource values. Economic and policy decision-making tends to prioritise market-based benefits such as timber production which has led to recent frameworks emphasising that forest management must account for non-market ecosystem services such as cultural, social, and ecological functions which are often underrepresented. For example, forest management often involves addressing wildlife-forest interactions. Deer populations have been shown to limit forest regeneration and alter species composition by grazing on young saplings. As a result, forest management involves studying and accounting for these interactions. A follow up study looked at using understory plants such as Trillium grandiflorum as an indicator species to estimate deer browsing pressure and predict long-term impacts on forest health == Urban forestry ==

Urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry involves both planning and management, including the programming of care and maintenance operations of the urban forest. == Forestry education ==

Forestry education includes training in general biology, ecology, botany, genetics, soil science, climatology, hydrology, economics and forest management. Education in the basics of sociology and political science is often considered an advantage. Professional skills in conflict resolution and communication are also important in training programs. In the United States, postsecondary forestry education leading to a Bachelor's degree or Master's degree is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. In Canada the Canadian Institute of Forestry awards silver rings to graduates from accredited university BSc programs, as well as college and technical programs. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations is the international organization that coordinates forest science efforts worldwide. == History ==

The first major works about forestry in the English language included Roger Taverner's Booke of Survey (1565), John Manwood's A Brefe Collection of the Lawes of the Forrest (1592) and John Evelyn's Sylva (1662). File:Sylva paper 1662.jpg|The first book edition of Sylva File:Land Army girls sawing larch poles for use as pit props at the Women's Timber Corps training camp at Culford in Suffolk. TR912.jpg|Women of the Land Army cutting felled logs during World War II Silvologists • Gabriel Hemery • Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf == See also ==