Glossary of Terms

Operational guidelines and regulations usually established at the state level for ensuring the responsible management of private working forests.

The leafed area of treetops that overlap and shade the forest floor.

Medium size softwood trees capable of supplying logs suitable for the production of dimension lumber and for chips that can be used for pulp, papermaking and the manufacturing of certain engineered wood products.

A harvesting technique that entails clearing all standing timber from a discrete forest stand. It is usually followed by a replanting approach that either emphasizes plantation tree cultivation or natural reforestation.

A legal agreement between a landowner and either a public or private conservation organization that grants that organization limited property rights over one’s ownership for purposes of protecting discrete conservation resources or attributes.  Among other things, these can include development rights, water quality protection, wildlife habitat protection and bio-diversity enhancement. Conservation easements are either donated or sold.

A mill or manufacturing facility where raw wood fiber, or its by-products, are converted to finished wood or paper products and then packaged for sale.

Harvesting trees, often using third-party logging contractors, and then selling the whole logs directly to manufacturing and milling facilities.

The practice of cultivating a forest with trees of a common age and a common species mix (usually pine, fir or hemlock) for the purpose of intensive timber production. The process usually entails planting seedlings in plantations, removing poor performing trees over time and ultimately clear-cutting the final, mature crop in preparation for replanting.

A designation usually granted to forest owners and managers by an independent organization that is tasked with auditing their forestry practices on the basis of their social and scientific sustainability.

A term used to describe the phenomenon of large forested landscapes being broken into separate ownerships - often for purposes of development.

A company that is strictly in the business of buying forestland for investment purposes and then managing it to generate revenue through a variety of means, including timber production and the sale or leasing of recreation, conservation, mineral and development rights. Such entities can take various corporate forms, including, among others, real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs), limited liability companies (LLCs) and C-corporations.

Trees with leaves and uneven branching patterns that tend to have long growing cycles (some common North American species include oak, ash, elm, beech, hickory, maple, cherry, poplar and cypress).

The use of chemical applications to control brush and competing vegetation in forested areas that are being managed intensively for the production of one or more tree species.

The parts of a tree that contain leaves or needles.

The process by which an area that has been harvested reforests itself through the spread of seed stock by remaining, adjacent or recently harvested trees.

The National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, an independent organization that tracks the investment performance of forest investments nationwide.

Ground wood fiber used for the production of paper and certain engineered wood products.

Smaller trees most suitable for the production of chips for pulp, papermaking and the manufacturing of certain engineered wood products.

A forestry practice that entails studying, quantifying and planning for the future management and productivity of a forested area or land base.

The timber that is left to continue growing in a forested area after a thinning or selective harvesting operation has taken place.

Mature trees capable of supplying large diameter logs for the production of dimension lumber (for framing, decking and flooring), veneer (for cabinetry and furniture) and other high-end wood products.

The practice of entering a forested landscape and harvesting only a portion of its trees to maintain an uneven-aged stand composition.

The scientific techniques and principles that underlie the practice of forestry.

Trees with needles that generally keep their foliage throughout the year (North American species include, among others, pine, fir and hemlock).

A measurable unit of standing timber usually characterized by a commonality of tree species and tree age.

The practices of sustainably managing forest resources with an emphasis on preserving and protecting their long-term environmental integrity.

A measure used to determine how much wood fiber is growing in a standing acre of timber.

An area adjacent to a stream or waterway where foresters are employing practices designed to protect and enhance water quality. This often includes leaving shade trees and brush in harvest areas to control water temperatures and sedimentation and to provide wildlife habitat.

The tacit approval the public provides to a landowner or forest manager based on its acceptance of their management practices and its recognition of their demonstrated commitment to sustainable forest stewardship.

A sometimes controversial term used to describe the extent to which a forest manager or landowner is operating and replenishing the resources in a forested landscape with due consideration for its long-term environmental integrity.

Selling timber on the stump to a third party, who is then responsible for harvesting and trucking it to its ultimate destination.

The practice of removing smaller, poor-performing trees from an area that is being used for intensive timber production. Thinning is usually undertaken to boost the growth and productivity of those trees left standing. Thinned trees are normally sold for the production of pulp and wood chips, thus providing an attractive way of generating short-term cash flow for the landowner.

Growing trees of varying ages and species side-by-side, and usually removing those that reach marketable maturity through various selective harvesting methods. Uneven-aged management is commonly used in hardwood growing regions and in regions with sensitive environmental or wildlife habitat characteristics.

Thin sheets of high quality, fine-grained wood fiber that is used for furniture, flooring and paneling. Veneer is produced from a process that entails peeling large diameter logs.

Large sheets of compressed wood fiber, usually produced from lower quality wood stocks, including chips and waste wood. It is commonly used for subsurface flooring and walls in new home and building construction. The various grades of wallboard include, among others, plywood, particle board, oriented strand board and medium density fiberboard.

A term used to describe regions and sub-regions of the country where the presence of industrial milling and manufacturing facilities provides markets for various types of wood fiber, including sawtimber, chip-n-saw and pulpwood.

An agreement between a landowner and a mill operator that designates how much wood, and of what quality, that landowner agrees to sell to the mill operator, at what price and over what time period.