APES Forestry Key Words

national wildlife refuge

a federal public land managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife

new forestry

A set of ecosystem-based management approaches for harvesting timber that explicitly mimic natural disturbances

Prescribed fire

the practice of burning areas of forest or grassland under carefully controlled conditions to improve the health of ecosystems, return them to a more natural state, reduce fuel loads, and help prevent uncontrolled catastrophic fires

REDD+

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

resource management

using resources without depleting them

roadless rule

a federal regulation that put undeveloped areas of national forests off-limits to road building and logging while they were evaluated for wilderness protection

salvage logging

the removal of dead trees following a natural disturbance

seed tree

Timber harvesting approach that leaves small numbers of mature and vigorous seed-producing trees standing so that they can reseed a logged area.

selection systems

only select trees are cut

Shelterwood

timber harvesting approach that leaves small numbers of mature trees in place to provide shelter for seedlings as they grow.

SLOSS dilemma

The debate over whether it is better to make reserves large in size and few in number or many in number but small in size

Snags

Standing dead trees

Species- area curves

show the relationship between the size of an island and the number of species it holds

uneven-aged

Forest that has trees of all different ages and heights

wilderness areas

federal land that is designated off-limits to development of any kind but is open to public recreation, such as hiking, nature study, and other activities that have minimal impact on the land

wildland-urban interface

A region where urban or suburban development meets forested or undeveloped lands.

World Heritage Site

A place of great natural or cultural value that has been placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List