The following outline is provided as an overview of and guide to forestry: Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. The science of forestry has elements that belong to the biological, physical, social, political and managerial sciences. Forest management plays an essential role in creating and modifying habitats, and affects ecosystem services provisioning. A practitioner of forestry is a forester. 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; Forest – defined as either a geographic area or delineated by the general composition of individuals; Biome – ecologically defined by its forest structure, leaf types, tree spacing, and climate
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 (SRC) – 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 Tree breeding – method of genetically modifying/selecting forest stock for improved growth or vigor characteristics 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 (for example, the Forestry Commission in Britain) and others by paper and wood companies (such as Weyerhaeuser, Rayonier and Plum Creek Timber in the United States, Asia Pulp & Paper in Indonesia).
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