You're a member of an important group. Together, the private, non-industrial forest landowners control most of our state's natural resources. You and other private owners hold the key to the future of Louisiana 's forests.
As you begin or continue to manage your resources, you'll come in contact with foresters and biologists who may use terms with which you are unfamiliar. This publication will help you understand special terms and abbreviations commonly used in natural resource management. It will also help you make decisions about the productive management of your forestland.
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
Abstract of Land Title - A shortened history of the title to a tract of land
Acre - An area of land measuring 43,560 square feet. A square, 1-acre plot measures 209 feet by 209 feet; a circular acre has a radius of 117.75 feet.
Ad Valorem Tax - Annual taxes assessed on a land value (after productivity) standpoint.
Aesthetics - (a) Sensitivity to or appreciation of the forest's beauty through recognition of its unique and varied components. (b) Beauty through an orderly appearance.
Afforestation - The artificial establishment of forest crops by planting or sowing on land that has not recently grown trees.
All-age or Uneven-aged Management - The practice of managing a forest by periodically selecting and harvesting individual trees or groups of trees from the stand while preserving its natural appearance. Most common in hardwood forests. A forest stand composed of trees of different ages and sizes.
Allowable Cut - The volume of wood that can be cut from a forest during a period of time without exceeding the growth during that same period.
Amortization - The process by which the basis of certain assets, such as tax-qualifying reforestation expenditures, is recovered. The rate of tax recovery is based on a set period of time.
Annual - A plant in which the life cycle is completed in one year or one growing season
Annual Wildlife Seed Mixture - A mixture of soybean, millet, cow pea, sorghum, lespedeza, buckwheat and other seeds from which single-season plants are grown to serve as food or protective cover for wildlife. Some mixtures reseed naturally, but others require reseeding, light disking and fertilization.
Basal Area - (a) A measure of timber density. The cross-sectional area (in square feet) of a tree trunk at breast height (4.5 feet above the ground). For example. the basal area of a tree that measures 14 inches in diameter at breast height is about 1 square foot. (b) The sum of basal areas of the individual trees within one acre of forest. For example, a well-stocked pine stand might have a basal area of 80 to 120 square feet per acre.
Basis (Land and Timber) - In general, the amount paid for property, including expenditures made in connection with the purchase, is the basis of the property. The basis of property acquired may also be determined by the manner of acquisition (see Depletion on page 7).
Adjusted - The original basis less any reductions made because of depreciation, depletion, amortization or losses claimed, plus any additions made by capitalization of improvements, carrying charges or additions to the asset.
Allowable -The portion of the adjusted basis that can be offset
against the revenue received when standing timber is sold or
otherwise disposed of.
Stepped-up - Assets acquired by inheritance take as their
basis the fair market value of the asset on the deceased’s date of death or on the alternative valuation date. This value is generally greater than the basis of the assets in the hands of the deceased. The basis is therefore stepped-up increased) in passing from the deceased to the person inheriting it.
Bedding - Land prepared before planting in the form of small mounded rows. The prepared land concentrates topsoil and elevates the root zone of seedlings above temporary standing water. Fertilizer is often incorporated into the bedding row.
Benefit-Cost Ratio - The discounted present value of all revenues from an investment divided by the discounted value of all costs. It is usually expressed as a ratio such as 1.10 to 1.0 if the benefits were 10 percent greater than costs.
Best Management Practice(BMP) - A practice or combination of forestry practices that are effective and practicable means of controlling nonpoint source pollutants in water and that protect soils and air quality.
Biological Diversity - The variety of life and its processes in a given area. Diversity can be categorized in terms of the number of species, the variety in the area's plant and animal communities, the genetic variability of the animals or a combination of these elements.
Biota - The animal and plant life of a region or period.
Block (or compartment) - An area of land or timber that has been defined for management purposes. One block may be composed of stands of different species or ages.
Board Foot - A unit of wood measuring 144 cubic inches. A 1-inch-by-12-inch shelving board that is 1 foot long is equal to 1 board foot. Board foot volume is determined by: Length (feet) x width (inches) x thickness (inches) divided by 12.
Bole - The main trunk of a tree.
Bottomlands - Open grassland or forest area near a stream, river or other moving body of water. Bottomlands are often subject to periodic flooding from heavy rainfall or runoff.
Breast Height - 4 1/2 feet above ground level. See diameter breast height (DBH).
Brood Habitat - Pertaining to those specific habitat conditions that furnish vegetative cover and food essential to the production of young wild birds (such as grassy openings as turkey brood habitat).
Browse- A collective term to describe the herbaceous or woody constituents in a cervid's (deer family) diet. Also, the selective feeding behavior to obtain plants or parts of plants, both herbaceous and woody, as opposed to grazing.
Buffer Strip - A designated zone or strip of land of a specified width along the border of an area. Buffer strips of standing trees may be used to shield an area from view, or strips of felled trees may be used to prevent the spread of forest pests.
C
Canopy - A layer or multiple layers of branches and foliage at the top or crown of a forest's trees.
Capital Account - An account used to keep track of the basis and quantity of such assets as land, timber. buildings and equipment.
Capital Gains - Profit on the sale of an asset such as timber, land or other property. Reporting timber sales as capital gains provides certain tax advantages over short-term gains or ordinary income.
Capitalize - The process of adding the amount paid for property and additional qualifying expenditures to a capital account. The capitalized amount is recoverable through depreciation, depletion, amortization or sale or exchange of property.
Carrying Capacity - The sustainable number of individuals in a population that a habitat can support in a normal condition. Carrying capacity is dynamic and influenced by the season of the year, age structure of the population and other environmental factors.
Casualty - An identifiable event of a sudden, unexpected and unusual nature. The complete or partial loss (destruction) of property resulting from a casualty is known as a casualty loss.
Chip-n-Saw - A processing cutting method used in cutting lumber from trees that measure between 8 and 12 inches diameter at breast height. The process chips off the rounded outer layer of a log before sawing the remaining cant or rectangular inside section into lumber. Chip-n-saw mills provide a market for trees larger than pulpwood and smaller than sawtimber to obtain both products.
Clear-cut - See Harvesting Methods.
Climax Community - A relatively stable and undisturbed plant community that has evolved through successful stages to a theoretical endpoint or continuous pattern of species with little change.
Code - Refers to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. This is the written law as enacted by the U.S. Congress. The Department of the Treasury issues regulations to interpret the Code. Revenue rulings published by the IRS provide information and guidance in applying the tax law and regulations correctly and uniformly.
Co-dominant - See Crown-class.
Competition - The struggle among organisms to obtain various resources necessary for growth. Affects others through space. moisture. nutrients, light, etc.
Conversion Cost - The cost of converting standing timber into a saleable product, such as logs, lumber and railroad ties. In the case of producing lumber, the costs include those incurred to cut down (fell) the trees, cut off the limbs, section the tree stem into logs (buck), move the logs to a point where they can be loaded on a truck (skid), transport the logs to a sawmill and saw the logs into lumber.
Conservation - The protection, improvement and wise use of natural resources for present and future generations.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - See Cost-share Assistance.
Controlled Burn - See Prescribed Burn.
Coppice - A natural generation system using stump sprouts after harvesting. Mostly used with hardwoods.
Cord - A stack of round or split wood containing 128 cubic feet including wood, bark and air space A standard cord measures 4 feet by 4 feet 8 feet. A face cord or short cord is 4 feet by 8 feet of any length wood less than 4 feet. A face cord is used in measuring and selling firewood.
Cost-share Assistance - An assistance program offered by various state and federal agencies that pays a fixed rate or percentage of the total cost necessary to implement some forestry or agricultural practice.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - A federal program
designed to remove highly erodible, marginal farmland from
production through a one-time cost-sharing payment to
establish trees, grass or other cover. The landowner receives a 10-year annual rental payment to maintain the cover.
Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) - A federal cost-sharing
program from the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), which provides payments to landowners who complete certain approved forest management practices such as future tree site preparation and planting. Also includes tree release programs.
Stewardship Incentives Program (SIP) - A cost-sharing program available to forest landowners who have a multiple resource forest stewardship plan. Practices include cost-sharing assistance for the enhancement of forest recreation,
fisheries, wildlife, timber production and the protection of soil
and water, wetlands, riparian zones, and rare and endangered
species.
Cover - (a) Any plant that intercepts raindrops before they reach the soil or that holds soil in place. (b) A hiding place or vegetative shelter that protects wildlife from predators or inclement weather.
Critical Area - A severely eroded or potentially erodible, sediment-producing area that requires special management to establish and maintain vegetation to stabilize the soil.
Critical Habitat - The area of land, water and airspace required for the normal needs and survival of a plant or animal species.
Crop Tree - Any tree selected to grow to final harvest or to a selected size. Crop trees are selected for quality, species, size, timber potential or wildlife value.
Crown - The branches and foliage of a treetop.
Crown-class - A tree classification system based on the tree's relative height, foliage density and ability to intercept light. Crown-class measures past growth performance and calls attention to crop trees that could benefit from future thinning and harvest.
There are four classifications:
Dominant Trees - Larger-than-average trees with broad,
well-developed crowns. These trees receive direct sunlight
from all sides and above.
Co-dominant Trees - Average-to-fairly large trees with
medium-sized crowns that form the forest canopy. These
trees receive full light from above but are crowded on the
sides.
Intermediate Trees - Medium-sized trees with small crowns
below the general top level of canopy. Intermediate trees
receive little direct light, are poor crop trees and should be
removed during thinning operations in most cases.
Suppressed or 0ver-topped Trees - Small trees that grow
below the tree canopy and receive no direct sunlight from
any direction. Except in a few cases they should be removed
when feasible.
Cruise - A survey of forestland to locate timber and estimate its quantity by species, products, size, quality or other characteristics; the estimate obtained in such a survey. Several different sampling techniques can be used in a cruise.
Cull - A tree or log made useless or undesirable because of shape, disease, insect infestation or injury.
Cut-over Land - Land that has been logged and the most desirable trees harvested.
Cutting Contract - A written, legally binding document used to sell standing timber. The contract specifies the provisions covering the expectations and desires of both buyer and seller.
Cutting Cycle - The planned time interval between major harvesting operations within the same stand. For example, on a 10-year cutting cycle in a hardwood stand, trees are harvested every 10 years.
D
Daylighting - A practice in which trees shading an access road are removed to increase the sunlight on the roadway and along its periphery.
DBH - Abbreviation for tree diameter at breast height (4 1/2 feet above the ground). DBH is usually measured in inches outside the bark.
Deciduous - Trees which shed all foliage annually. Usually restricted to hardwoods.
Deed - A written conveyance of land signed by the grantor to transfer title to the grantee.
Den Tree - A living or dead tree with a cavity suitable for animals to use for shelter, escape or a nursery.
Depletion - The using up or sale of value of taxable natural resource. In the case of timber, it is the recovery of the owner’s basis in timber referred to as "depletion allowance.” Used to reduce taxes from property income.
Depreciation - The process by which the basis of assets, such as equipment, buildings and fences, is recovered as the assets are used to produce income.
Diameter - The length of a straight line passing through the center of a tree trunk. usually at 4.5 feet.
Diameter-limit Cutting - See Harvesting Methods.
Direct or Broadcast Seeding - a) Sowing seed for broad coverage from the air or on the ground. b) Seeding of forest stands, roadways or specified plots for wildlife or erosion control.
Drum Chopping - A site preparation technique in which logging debris is leveled by a bulldozer pulling a large drum filled with water. Chopped areas are often burned to reduce debris and control sprouting before seedlings are planted.
E
Early Successional - A stage or stages that occur at or near the beginning of biotic succession, such as a clear cut. Describes a species adapted to the beginning stages of biotic succession, for example a species that does best in open areas and full sun. Often light-seeded plants that blow in by winds or float in with water.
Easement - A nonpossessory interest in land of another that is owned by one for limited purposes or uses.
Ecology - The science or study of the reiationships between organisms and their environments.
Economic Interest - This concept was developed by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine which taxpayers in addition to the fee owner of property qualify for certain tax benefits. Section 631(b) requires that an economic interest be retained in timber until it is sold at a mill to claim capital gains. A unit sale qualifies.
Ecotone - The zone where two different habitats meet to form a mixture of plants and habitat.
Edge - The transition between two or more different vegetative types, ages or structures. May also be affected by site factors such as wetlands.
Egress - An exit route; the right to leave or go out.
Endangered or Threatened Species - A species is endangered when the total number of remaining members may not be sufficient to reproduce enough offspring to ensure survival of the species. A threatened species exhibits declining or dangerously low populations but still has enough members to maintain or increase numbers.
Environment - The conditions created by the interaction of climate, soil, topography and biota in any given area. An organism's environment influences its form, behavior and survival.
Epicormic Branching - A branch that sprouts from a dormant bud on the stem of a woody plant.
Erosion - The wearing or movement away of land or soil by the action of wind, water or ice. Commonly caused by removing vegetation.
Escrow - A condition existing where a deed is held conditionally by a third party.
Estate - An interest one possesses in land or real property.
Evapotranspiration - The evaporation of water from the soil and the transpiration of water from the plants that live in that soil. About one-fourth of a forest's annual rainfall returns to the air through evapotranspiration.
Even-aged Forest - A forest of trees which are about the same age (usually within 10 years). An even-aged forest may be a natural or an artificially regenerated stand.
Even-aged Management - Forest management with periodic harvesting of all trees on part of the forest at one time or in several cuttings over a short time to produce stands containing trees all the same or nearly the same age. This type of management is often applied to conifers and to some hardwoods.
Execution (of the contract) - The performance of the contractual obligations by the parties of the contract.
Expensing - Recovery of expenses by deducting them in full in the year they are paid or incurred.
Evergreen - See Softwood.
F
Fair Market Value - The price at which property would change hands if placed on the open market.
Firebreak - Any nonflammable barrier used to slow or stop fires. Types of firebreaks include mineral soil barriers, barriers of green, slowburning vegetation and mechanically cleared areas.
Flashboard Riser - A versatile water control device used to manage water levels of impoundments.
Forage - Vegetation such as leaves, stems, buds and some types of bark that are eaten by wildlife for food and energy.
Forb(es) - Any herb other than grass.
Foreclosure - The extinguishment of the rights of the one (mortgagor) holding the mortgage in the property that is the subject of the mortgage.
Forest - A large area of land primarily covered with trees as well as the other organisms, soil, water and air associated with them.
Forest Acreage Tax - A special tax levied on all timbered and uncultivatable lands in the county or parish.
Forestland - Tract of land with trees and woody plants generally covering the landscape.
Forest Management - (a)Proper care and control of wooded land to maintain health, vigor, product flow and other values (soil condition, water quality, wildlife preservation and beauty) to accomplish specific objectives. (b) The practical application of scientific, economic and social principles to forest property.
Forest Management Plan - Written guidelines for current and future management practices recommended to meet an owner’s objectives.
Forest Stewardship Plan - A written document listing activities that enhance or improve forest resources (wildlife, timber, soil, water, recreation and aesthetics) on private land during a 5-year period.
Forest Stewardship Program - A cooperative, technical-assistance program designed to encourage multiple resource management on private forestland. Authorized under the 1990 Farm Bill, the program is based on national guidelines, but specific guidelines are set by individual states.
Forest Type - Groups of tree species commonly growing in the same stand because their environmental requirements are similar. Some Louisiana examples include loblolly pine, mixed hardwood, longleaf pine, cypress-tupelo, shortleaf pine and oak-hickory.
Forestry - The science, art and practice of managing and using trees, forests and their associated resources for human benefit.
Forester - A professional trained in the art and science of forestry.
Forty - A subdivision of a government survey, consisting of 40 acres of land, in the general form of a 1/4 mile square.
Free and Clear Title - A condition existing when the title to real property is not encumbered or attached by any liens (claims).
Fuel Loading - A buildup of fuels, especially easily ignited, fast-burning fuels such as pinestraw and grasses.
Fully Stocked Stand - See Stands, Timber.
Fusiform Rust - A disease resulting in a canker or swollen area on the limbs or trunks of pine trees from orange spores produced by infected oak leaves. Fusiform rust degrades stem quality and tree value, often leading to breakage, disfigurement and eventual death of the tree.
G
Girdling (frilling) - A physical cutting or disruption of the cambial sap flow within a tree. Girdling by humans, animals or insects can often kill a tree.
Girdling - The process of encircling the trunk of a tree with a cut that stops the flow of nutrients between leaves and roots, thus killing the tree.
Good Title - A land title that is marketable or merchantable without claims or liens.
Grading - Sorting and evaluating trees according to size and quality.
Grant, Bargain and Sell - Words of conveyance of land in a deed.
Grantee - The person to whom the land is conveyed (buyer).
Grantor - The person who makes the conveyance of land (seller).
Green Tree Reservoir (GTR) - A wooded area intentionally flooded to benefit migratory ducks and waterfowl. The GTR can be an effective, low-cost method of luring waterfowl into forested tracts.
Group Selection - See Harvesting Methods.
H
Habitat - The natural environment of a specific plant or animal. An area containing necessary resources for the plant or animal to live, grow and reproduce.
Habitat Diversity - see Plant Diversity.
Hardwoods - Trees with broad, flat leaves as opposed to coniferous or needled trees. Wood hardness varies among the hardwood species, and some are actually softer than some softwoods.
Heir - One who inherits either real or personal property.
Herbicide - A chemical substance or preparation used to kill undesirable plants. See pesticide.
High Grading - A harvesting technique that removes only the biggest and most valuable trees from a stand and provides high returns at the expense of future growth potential. Poor-quality, shade-loving trees tend to dominate in these continually high-graded sites.
Harvesting Methods
Clearcut - A harvesting and regeneration method which
removes all the trees (regardless of size) on an area.
Clearcutting is commonly used with species like pine which
require full sunlight to reproduce and grow well. Clearcutting
produces an even-aged forest stand.
Diameter Cutting - A selection method in which all marketable
trees above a specified diameter are harvested. In some
cases, minimum diameter may be the stump diameter. This
cutting method is a form of high grading and is not
recommended for timber stands, especially hardwood stands.
Group Selection - (a) The removal of small groups of trees to
regenerate shade-intolerant trees in the opening (usually at least 1/4 acre). (b) A specific type of selective cutting.
Salvage Cut - The harvesting of dead or damaged trees or of trees in danger of being killed by insects, disease, flooding or other factors to save their economic value.
Seed Tree Cut - Removing all trees from the harvest area at one time except for a few scattered trees left to provide seed to establish a new forest stand. Use with light-seeded species.
Shelter Wood Cut - Removing trees on the harvest area in a series of two or more cuttings so new seedlings can become established from the seed of older trees. This method produces an even-aged forest. May be used to regenerate heavier-seeded species.
Thinning - Cutting or removing certain trees to allow those remaining to grow faster. Usually a commercial operation in younger stands, which brings an income to the landowner while improving a forest.
Home Range - The area occupied by an animal to satisfy its requirements for cover, food and water.
I
Improvement Cut - See Harvesting Methods.
Income
Active Income - Income generated by a trade or business activity in which the taxpayer materially participates.
Ordinary Income - Income received in the form of wages, salary, rent, etc.
Passive Income - Income generated by a trade or business activity in which the taxpayer does not materially participate.
Involuntary Exchange - The exchange of an asset, for money or other property, when the exchange results from a cause beyond the control of the owner, such as a casualty, theft or condemnation. Can provide tax benefits.
Intolerant - A species of tree that cannot grow in the shade of other trees and in competition with them.
Intermediate Trees - Trees shorter than dominant and co-dominant trees but with crowns extending into the crown cover formed by the dominant and co-dominant trees. These trees receive little light from above and none from the sides. They usually have small crowns and are considerably crowded on the sides.
Invitee - One invited on the property of another for the benefit of the invitor.
Inventory - See Cruise.
J
J-Root or L-Root - An improperly planted seedling that takes a J-shaped configuration in the planting hole. Such seedlings often die prematurely, grow poorly and are susceptible to windthrow.
K
KG and Pile - A site preparation method in which stumps are pushed up, sheared off or split apart by a specially designed blade mounted on a bulldozer. Debris is then piled or placed in long rows (windrows) so an area can be bedded or flat planted.
KG Blade - A type of bulldozer-mounted blade used in forestry and land-clearing operations. A single spike, called a stinger, splits and shears stumps at the base on some blades.
L
Late Successional - Describes a species adapted to the later stages (those approaching the climax community) of biotic succession.
Lease - A contract for the use or possession of land for a determined period of time with stipulated conditions.
Legal Title - Land title recognized as complete, enforceable and perfect.
Legumes - Plants that produce organic nitrogen from nitrogen gas in the air. These plants, which typically form seeds in pods, include clover, soybeans, peas, alfalfa, lespedeza and locust.
Lessee - The person to whom the lease is made. For example. the timber company in the case of a timberland owner who leases land to a timber company.
Lessor - The person granting the lease. For example, a timberland owner who leases to a timber company the right to cut and grow timber on the land.
Licensee - One who lawfully enters the land of another to further his own purposes.
Lien - A claim or incumbrance on the land or property.
Lime - Material used to neutralize soil acidity and to furnish calcium and magnesium as essential elements for plant growth. The most commonly used forms of agricultural lime are ground limestone, hydrated lime, burnt lime and oyster shells.
Limiting Factor - The element essential to an animal's survival that is in least supply.
Log - Part of the stem of a tree, usually 16 feet long.
Logging - The practice of harvesting timber to produce a product.
Log Rule or Log Scale - A table based on a diagram or mathematical formula used to estimate volume or product yield from logs and trees. Three log rules are used today for measuring standing trees: Scribner is the common scale used by some, Doyle is the most common scale, and the International 1/4" Rule best measures mill output, although it is used less frequently than the other log scales. Mills use a log scale to measure the volume in a log after the tree has been cut.
M
Marginal Land - Land that does not consistently produce a profitable crop because of infertility, drought or other physical limitations such as shallow soils or flooding.
Marketing - The process of selling timber or other forest resources. Successful sellers seek a satisfactory price through competition, skillful negotiation, knowledge of timber markets and the help of a competent broker or consultant.
Marking - (a) The physical process of selecting trees to be cut or left during a harvest. Marking is usually done by spraying a spot of paint on the tree trunk at eye level and another spot on the trunk at ground level. (b) Delineating a boundary.
Mast - Fruits or nuts used as a food source by wildlife. Soft mast include most fruits with fleshy coverings such as persimmon, dogwood seed or black gum seed. Hard mast refers to nuts such as acorns and beech, pecan and hickory nuts.
Material Participation - The act of participating in the operations of a trade or business activity on a regular. continuous and substantial basis for tax purposes.
Mature Tree - A tree that has reached a desired size or age for its intended use. Size, age or economic maturity varies, depending on the species and intended use.
MBF - Abbreviation denoting 1,000 board feet. MBF is a typical unit of trade for lumber and sawtimber stumpage. (It takes 11 MBF of wood to build an average 1,900-square-foot house.)
Mensuration or Biometrics - (a) The measurement and calculation of volume, growth and development of individual trees or stands and their timber products. (b) A measurement of forestlands.
Merchantable Height - The stem length, normally measured from the ground to a 10-, 6- or 4-inch diameter top, above which no other saleable product can be cut. Diameter, local markets, limbs, knots and other defects influence merchantable height.
Mineral Rights - Ownership of minerals on or below land. Usually coal, oil, gas, gold, salt, gravel.
Mixed Stand - See Stands. Timber.
Mulch - A layer of natural or artificial materials to stabilize soil and conserve soil moisture to provide suitable conditions for plant germination and growth.
Multiple Use - The management of land or forest for more than one purpose, such as wood production, water quality, wildlife, recreation, aesthetics and clean air. (See Stewardship.)
N
Natural Stand (Natural Regeneration) - A stand of trees grown from natural seed fall or sprouting (coppice).
Net Present Value - The discounted present value of all revenues and all costs associated with an investment.
Nutrients - Elements necessary for growth and reproduction. Primary plant nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
O
Old Field Stand - See Stands. Timber.
On the Stump - Standing, uncut timber.
Overstocked Stand - See Stands. Timber.
P
Perennial - Plants that persist and reproduce for more than one year. Some resprout from a root system or reseed themselves every year.
Perennial Wildlife Mixture - A mixture of all or some of these: shrub lespedeza. partridge pea, cowpea, annual lespedeza, reseeding soybeans and other perennial plants beneficial to wildlife.
Pest - Any organism that causes stress or harm to a desired organism.
Pesticide - Any chemical used to kill or control pests.
pH - A number designating the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a soil. A pH of 7 is neutral. Lower numbers are acidic; higher than 7 is basic.
Phosphate -A chemical compound that aids root growth and is essential in energy transfer. An ingredient in fertilizer. Is sometimes low in forests.
Pioneer Species - A plant capable of invading disturbed areas and persisting until replaced by successor species. Many pioneer species are also shade intolerant.
Plant or Habitat Diversity - The variety of plants or plant communities in an area. A variety of food or cover for wildlife. Variation may occur at one point or over a period such as during the course of a season. Seasonal diversity of food and cover is often critical to the survival of a species.
Plantation - Planted pines or hardwoods, typically in an ordered configuration such as equally spaced rows.
Pole Timber Stand - See Stands, Timber.
Predator - An animal that preys on and devours other animals.
Predator Guard - A physical barrier used to keep one animal from eating another organism. Usually refers to protection devices on nest boxes.
Prescribed or Controlled Burn - The use of fire under specific environmental conditions to achieve forest management objectives. Used to reduce hazardous fuel levels, control unwanted vegetation, favor desired vegetation and improve visibility and wildlife habitat. It is critical to the survival of some species such as longleaf pine.
Prescription, Stand - Usually a document written by a forester prescribing present and future treatments for a forest stand (smallest unit of management) aimed at accomplishing certain forest management objectives and long-term goals.
Present Use Valuation - Property tax classification based on the land's present use or productivity for agriculture, horticulture or forestry rather than for market value for other potential higher-value uses. Used for economic or tax purposes.
Preservation - An attempt to keep forest in an undisturbed state by controlling internal and external influences.
Proceeds - The total amount received from the disposition of an asset, either as payment in case, notes or other securities, services in-kind or any other valuable consideration.
Pure Stand - See Stands. Timber.
Pulpwood - Wood cut primarily to be converted into fibers for wood pulp used to manufacture paper, fiberboard or other wood fiber products. Pulpwood trees are usually a minimum of 4 inches DBH up to about 30 inches.
Q
Quitclaim Deed - A deed to real property conveying whatever title the grantor has to the grantee but without making any warranties regarding the validity of the title.
R
Raptor - A bird of prey such as an owl, hawk, osprey or eagle.
Rare Species/Community - A plant, animal or plant community that is unusual, scarce or infrequently encountered.
Revenue Rulings - The official interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service of the application of the Code, related statutes, tax treaties and Regulations to specific circumstances. They are published for the information and guidance of taxpayers, IRS personnel and others concerned.
Reforestation - Re-establishing a forest by planting or seeding an area from which competing forest vegetation has been removed.
Release - Freeing a tree or trees from competition by eliminating interfering species.
Reproduction - (a) The process by which young trees grow to become older trees of the future forest. (b) The process of forest replacement or renewal through natural sprouting or seeding or by planting seedlings or direct seeding.
Residual Stand - See Stands, Timber.
Right-of-way - The legal right of passage over another's land.
Root Collar - The transition zone between stem and root at the ground line of a tree or seedling. Often referred to in size at ground level.
Rotation - The number of years required to establish and grow trees to a specified size, product or condition of maturity. A pine rotation may range from as few as 20 years for pulpwood to more than 60 years for sawtimber.
S
Sale, Lump Sum - The sale, for a specified sum of money, of specified timber on a identified area. The volume may or may not be estimated and published. The buyer is responsible for determining correct volume. The seller guarantees ownership and boundaries.
Sale, Unit - A timber sales arrangement in which the buyer pays for forest products removed in units (measured in cords, MBF or units of weight). Determination of units removed from the area is verified by mill tally, scale tickets and buyer's or seller's tally.
Salvage Cut - Using trees that are dead, dying or deteriorating to prevent waste and lost income.
Sapling - A small tree, usually between 2 and 4 inches in diameter at breast height.
Sawlog or Sawtimber - A log or tree large enough (usually 10 to 12 inches in diameter) to be sawed into lumber. Minimum log length is typically 8 feet. Usually 16 feet is considered one log length.
Scaling - The process of measuring and determining the volume of a log or tree.
Scarifying - For soil: The removal of the top litter layer of an area (usually in strips) for site preparation. For seed: The abrasion or weakening of the seedcoat to encourage germination.
Section - A land unit of one square mile or 640 acres.
Second Growth - Naturally occurring forest after removal of a forest.
Sedimentation - The deposition or settling of soil particles suspended in water.
Seedling - (a) A tree, usually less than 2 inches in diameter at breast height, that has grown from a seed rather than from a sprout. (b) A nursery-grown tree that has not been transplanted in the nursery.
Seed Tree Cut - See Harvesting Methods.
Selective Cutting - See Harvesting Methods.
Seed Year - A year in which a given species produces a large seed crop over a sizable area. Some species of trees produce seeds irregularly.
Severance Tax - A state excise tax levied on the cutting of timber. In most states it is in addition to any property taxes levied or taxes in lieu of property taxes. Funds generated are often designated for specific forestry-related purposes such as fire control, reforestation and public forestry assistance.
Shade-intolerant Trees - Trees that cannot thrive in the shade of larger trees.
Shearing - Slicing or cutting trees or stumps at the ground line. Shearing may be done at harvest or with a KG blade during site preparation.
Shelterwood Cut - See Harvesting Methods.
Silviculture - The art, science and practice of establishing, tending and reproducing forest stands of desired characteristics. It is based on knowledge of species characteristics and environmental requirements.
Site Index - A relative measure of forest site quality for a species of tree based on the height (in feet) of dominant trees at a specific age (usually 25 or 50 years, depending on rotation length). Site index information helps estimate future returns and land productivity for timber and wildlife.
Site Preparation - Preparing an area of land for planting, direct seeding or natural reproduction by burning, chemical vegetation control or mechanical operations such as disking, bedding, scarifying, windrowing or raking. The objectives include reduction of brush and other obstacles to allow planting equipment to operate, reduction of vegetation that would compete with young trees, scarification of the soil to provide a suitable seedbed and other action that may be required to alter the site to accommodate new trees.
Slash - (a) Treetops, branches, bark or other residue left on the ground after logging or other forestry operations. (b) Tree debris left after a natural catastrophe.
Softwood (Conifer) - A tree belonging to the order Coniferales. Softwood trees are usually evergreen, bear cones and have needles or scalelike leaves. They include pine, spruces, firs and cedars.
Soil Texture - The relative proportions of sand, silt and clay in a soil. Texture classes include sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, silt, sandy clay, silty clay and clay.
Soil Type - Soils that are alike in all characteristics including texture of the topsoil. Soil maps and information on site index, erodibility and other limiting properties are available from your parish Natural Resources Conservation Service offices.
Special Warranty Deed - A deed in which the grantor warrants or covenants only against the claims of people claiming by, through or under the grantor.
Species - A group of related organisms with common characteristics and capable of naturally interbreeding. Loblolly and Virginia pine are common species that can be interbred but are considered distinct species.
Stand - An easily defined area of the forest that is relatively uniform in species composition or age and can be managed as a single unit.
Stands, Timber
Fully Stocked - A forest stand with growing space effectively occupied but with ample room for the developing crop trees.
Overstocked - Overcrowding in a stand leading to retarded growth and mortality.
Understocked - A stand with the growing space not effectively occupied by crop trees.
Mixed Stand - A stand with less than 80 percent of the trees of a single species in the main crown canopy.
Pure Stand - A stand with at least 80 percent of the trees of a single species in the main crown canopy.
Pole Timber Stand - A stand where most trees are from 5 to 10 inches in diameter.
Sawtimber Stand - A stand where most trees are large enough in diameter (usually 10 to 12 inches DBH or larger) to be sawed into lumber.
Residual Stand - The stand remaining after cutting.
Old Field Stand - A stand on land once used for crops or for pasture.
Stewardship Forest - A privately owned forest tract that exhibits integrated forest management to protect and enhance wildlife, timber, recreation, natural beauty, and soil and water quality.
Stewardship Incentives Program - See Costshare Assistance.
Stocking - A description of the number of trees, basal area or volume per acre in a forest stand compared with a desired level for balanced health and growth. Most often used in comparative expressions, such as well-stocked, poorly stocked or overstocked.
Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) - An area adjacent to a stream in which vegetation is maintained or managed to protect water quality. The width depends on slope, but 50 feet is the normal minimum. Trees may be removed from SMZs as long as the stream bed is not disrupted and sufficient vegetation is left to protect water quality.
Stumpage - The value or volume of a tree or group of trees as they stand uncut in the woods (on the stump).
Sublessor - A lessee who leases a leasehold interest to a third party.
Succession - The natural sequence of plant community replacement beginning with bare ground and resulting in a final, stable community in which a climax forest is reached. Foresters, wildlife biologists and farmers constantly battle ecological succession to try to maintain a particular vegetative cover. Many more valuable species of trees are early succession species.
Successional Disking or Mowing - A wildlife-enhancement practice in which a disk harrow or rotary mower is used to knock down existing vegetation every one to three years to promote the regrowth of annuals. legumes, forbes and perennials.
Superior Seedling - Seedlings genetically improved through parent selection (often 10% to 40% more growth).
Sustained Yield - Management of forestland to produce a relatively constant amount of wood products, revenue or wildlife without harming or depleting the resources of a forest.
T
Thinning - See Harvesting Methods.
Timber Marketing - A process aimed at getting a satisfactory price for timber. See Marketing.
Timber Marking - The process of designating trees to be cut or trees not to be cut. This is usually done by spraying a spot with brightly colored paint at the base of the tree and another spot at eye level.
Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) - Improving the quality of a forest stand by removing or deadening undesirable species or trees to achieve desired stocking and species composition. TSI practices include applying herbicides, burning, girdling or cutting.
Tolerant Species - A species of tree that has the ability to grow in the shade of other trees and to compete with them.
Tract - A parcel of land separate from other parcels because of some difference or ownership.
Tree Farm - A privately owned forest or woodland in which timber crop production is a major management goal. Many tree farms are officially recognized by the American Tree Farm system, an organization sponsored by the American Forestry Council. The Louisiana Forestry Association coordinates this program in Louisiana .
Tree Spacing - The distance between trees, which is most often regulated at the time of planting or during a harvest or thinning operation. Spacing, like stand density, affects understory vegetation, seed production, growth rate and wildlife habitat.
U
Understocked Stand - See Stands. Timber
Understory - (a) The vegetative layer formed under the crowns of smaller trees in a forest. (b) The trees beneath the forest canopy or the lowest shrub or herbaceous layer.
Uneven-aged Forest - A forest of varying heights and ages.
W
Warranty Deed - A warranty deed (often called a general warranty deed) contains certain guarantees or covenants of title by the grantor that the deed conveys a good and unencumbered title and further that the grantor and his heirs will defend the title against all others.
Water Bar - A diagonal ditch or hump in a trail or road that diverts surface water runoff to minimize soil erosion from roads or firebreaks.
Water Control - Management of water (both surface and subsurface) to maintain plant growth, water quality, wildlife habitat and fire control.
Watershed - All land and water within the boundaries of a drainage area.
Wildlife - A broad term that includes undomesticated vertebrates, especially mammals, birds and fish.
Windrow - A long, narrow row of vegetation, debris and some soil created during site preparation and clearing operations.
Windthrow - Trees uprooted by excessive wind. Shallow-rooted trees are most affected.
Wolf Tree - A once open-grown tree. It is usually an old, large tree with a wide spreading crown that may provide habitat for certain species of wildlife. They become dominant and outcompete lesser trees. They are undesirable from a pure forestry standpoint.
Y
Yard - A place where wood products are assembled, either for loading, processing or storage.
Yield - The cumulative growth of a forest produced during a specific period of time.