Overview of Forests and

Forestry Management

Forest
The word forest is derived from Latin
word foris meaning outside the village
boundary or away from inhabited land.
Forest (a) (Genl.). An area set aside for
the production of timber & other forest
produce, or maintained under woody
vegetation for certain indirect benefits
which it provides, e.g., climatic or
protective. (b) (Ecol.). A plant community
predominantly of trees & other woody
vegetation, usually with a closed canopy.
(c) (Legal). An area of land proclaimed to
be a forest under a forest law.
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FAO Definition
FAO classifies all such lands into
forests which bear vegetative
associations dominated by trees of
any size, exploited or not, capable of
producing wood or other forest
products, or exerting an influence on
the climate or water regime or
providing shelter for livestock &
wildlife.
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FAO definition of Forest

GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2010, TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
ROME, 2010

1.

2.

3.

FOREST
Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than
5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees
able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land
that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.
Explanatory notes
Forest is determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of
other predominant land uses. The trees should be able to reach a
minimum height of 5 meters in situ.
Includes areas with young trees that have not yet reached but which
are expected to reach a canopy cover of 10 percent and tree height of
5 meters. It also includes areas that are temporarily unstocked due to
clear-cutting as part of a forest management practice or natural
disasters, and which are expected to be regenerated within 5 years.
Local conditions may, in exceptional cases, justify that a longer time
frame is used.
Includes forest roads, firebreaks and other small open areas; forest in
national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas such as
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those of specific environmental, scientific, historical, cultural or

4. Includes windbreaks, shelterbelts and corridors of trees with

an area of more than 0.5 hectares and width of more than
20 meters.
5. Includes abandoned shifting cultivation land with a
regeneration of trees that have, or is expected to reach, a
canopy cover of 10 percent and tree height of 5 meters.
6. Includes areas with mangroves in tidal zones, regardless
whether this area is classified as land area or not.
7. Includes rubber-wood, cork oak and Christmas tree
plantations.
8. Includes areas with bamboo and palms provided that land
use, height and canopy cover criteria are met.
9. Excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems,
such as fruit tree plantations, oil palm plantations and
agroforestry systems when crops are grown under tree
cover. Note: Some agroforestry systems such as the
Taungya system where crops are grown only during the
first years of the forest rotation should be classified as
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forest.

Jungle & Forest?

Jungle The general Indian term for
forest. (Abridged Glossary of
Technical Terms, FRI & Colleges,
Dehra Dun)
The objects with which nature
produces vegetation are not identical
with that of man. The former
produces a jungle. The latter a
forest.
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5 Components of Forest Definition

1. It is an uncultivated land area.
2. The land area should be occupied by
different kinds of natural vegetation
essentially by trees or it is proposed to
establish trees & other forms of vegetation.
3. The trees should form a closed or a
partially closed canopy.
4. The trees & other forms of vegetation
should be managed for obtaining forest
produce &/or benefits, &
5. It should provide shelter to wildlife,
birds & other fauna.
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Classification of Forests:
Basis
I. Age
II. Method of regeneration
III. Composition
IV. Ownership
V. Object of management
VI. Legal
VII.Growing stock
(AM-COOL-G)
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1. Classification by Age
Even aged & Uneven Aged.
Even Aged or Regular Forests Trees
of approximately the same age.
True even aged forests can only be
man-made forests.
Uneven Aged or Irregular When
trees vary widely in age.

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2. Classification by
Regeneration
High Forests & Coppice Forests.
High Forests When regeneration is obtained
from seed.
Coppice Forests When the regeneration is
through coppice or some vegetative part of the
tree.

Natural & Man-made forests.

Natural When the regeneration is obtained
naturally.
Man-made Artificial regeneration or Plantation.
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3. Classification by
Composition
Pure Forest Usually to the extent of not
less than 50%
Mixed Forest composed of trees of two or
more species intermingled in the same
canopy.
Principal Species First in importance.
Accessory Species Less important.
Auxiliary Species or Secondary Species
Inferior species, relatively little silvicultural
value.
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4. Classification by
Management
Protection forests for
ameliorating climate, checking soil
erosion & floods, conserving soil &
water, regulating stream flow,
increasing water yields etc.
Production forests Managed for
their produce.
Social forest production forests,
where the produce is utilized by
neighboring society.

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5. Classification by
Ownership
Government forests.
Private forests
Forests owned by corporations,
panchayats, societies & other
agencies.

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6. Legal Classification
Govt. forests are further classified into
Reserved Forests
Protected Forests
Village Forests
Indian Forest Act, 1927

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7. Classification by Growing
Stock
Normal forest an ideal forest with
regard to growing stock, age class
distribution & increment & from which the
annual or periodic removal of produce
equal to the increment can be continued
indefinitely without endangering future
yields.
Such forests serve a standard for
comparison & are rarely found in nature.
Abnormal forest Which is not normal.
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Forestry
Forestry is defined as the theory &
practice of all that constitutes the
creation, conservation & scientific
management of forests & the
utilization of their resources.

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Intensive Forestry & Multiple Use

Forestry
Intensive Forestry The practice of forestry
with the object of obtaining the maximum in
volume & quality of products per unit area
through the application of the best techniques
of silviculture & management.
Multiple-use Forestry The practice of
forestry for the simultaneous use of a forest
area for two or more purposes, often in some
measure conflicting, e.g., the production of
wood with forest grazing &/or wild life
conservation.
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Forestry Classification at a Glance

(A)Protection Forestry
(B)Commercial Forestry
(C)Social Forestry
(1) Farm Forestry
(2) Extension Forestry
(i) Mixed Forestry
(ii)
Shelterbelts
(iii) Linear Strip Plantations
(3) Recreational Forestry
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Forestry Objective based classification

1. Protection Forestry The practice of forestry
with the primary object of 1. protecting lands
against wind & water erosion 2. conserving
water supplies for human consumption, fish
culture etc. 3. reducing hazards from flood &
4. ameliorating of adverse climatic effects.
2. Commercial Forestry The practice of
forestry with the object of producing timber &
other forest products as a business
enterprise. Industrial forestry (a specialized
commercial forestry) is the practice of forestry
to sustain a given industrial enterprise.
3. Social Forestry The practice of forestry on
lands outside the conventional forest area for
the benefit of the rural & urban communities. 21

Various Dimensions of Social Forestry

1. Farm Forestry the practice of forestry on
farms in the form of raising rows of trees on
bunds or boundaries of field & individual
trees in private agriculture land as well as
creation of wind breaks.
2. Extension forestry the practice of
forestry in areas devoid of tree growth &
other vegetation & situated in places away
from the conventional forest areas.
3. Recreational Forestry/ Aesthetic
Forestry Raising ornamental trees &
shrubs for developing a forest of high scenic
value.
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Various Dimensions of Extension

Forestry

1. Mixed Forestry the practice of forestry for

raising fodder grass with scattered fodder
trees, fruit trees & fuel-wood trees on
suitable waste lands, panchayat land & village
commons.
2. Shelterbelts A belt of trees &/of shrubs
maintained for the purpose of shelter from
wind, sun, snow-drift etc. They are generally
more extensive than the wind breaks covering
areas larger than a single farm & sometimes
whole regions on a planned pattern.
3. Linear Strip Plantations Plantations of fast
growing species on linear strips of land on the
sides of public roads, canals & railway lines.
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History of Forests & Forestry in India

Forests in Maurya Period.
Kautilyas Arthshastra (320 BC)
H.O.D. Forest Kupyadhyaksha, assisted by
Vanpalas. Duties included increasing the
productivity of forests, fixing the prices of
forest produce, classification of various types of
trees & bamboos & collection of various types of
forest produce including wildlife.
Forests Classified into 1. Reserved for the king
2. reserved for the state 3. donated to eminant
brahmins & 4. forests for public.
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Continued Catching elephants was on of the

duties of Vanapalas.
Killing of wild animals, particularly
elephants, was a punishable offence.
Forests located at the boundaries of
the state were very well protected.
Felling of trees in state forests was
prohibited.
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Forests in British Period

During the rule of East India Company - large
scale removal of timber & other forest produce.
During 1800 A Forestry Commission was
appointed to make regulation prohibiting felling
in young teak forests of Malabar District.
1806 A police officer Mr. Watson was
appointed as Conservator of Forests for
arranging exploitation of forests.
1842 Mr. Conolly, Collector, Malabar initiated
teak plantations to ensure future supplies.
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Continued 1855 Governor General Lord Dalhousie issued

a memorandum of GoI, outlining the steps for
forest conservation.
1864 Forest department was created by GoI &
Dr Dietrich Brandis was appointed as the first
Inspector General.
1865 Indian Forest Act was formulated.
Monopoly right of the state was
recognized. RF & PF classification introduced.
1882 A separate forest act for Madras
presidency. Major Reserved Forests were kept
under Govt control. Minor Forests were
transferred to panchayats.
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Continued 1890 A German Scientist Dr.

Voelcker emphasized the need to
improve the condition of forests.
1894 First National Forest Policy.
This forest policy & the forest act did
not significantly affect the scale of
deforestation.
1927 Indian Forest Act
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Important steps undertaken during

British Period
I. Creation of Forest Dept. organization.
II. Enacting laws & policies.
III. Mapping of forests & field demarcation.
IV. Declaring more & more forests as RF & PF.
V. Preparation of working plans.
VI. Initiation of artificial propagation techniques
for some important plant species.
VII.Establishment of forest research institute,
training colleges etc.
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Forestry After Independence

1948 Central Board of Forestry was constituted.
1950 Van Mahotsav was started.
1952 A New Forest Policy was initiated.
Targeted to bring 1/3 area under forest.
Maximum efforts were directed towards
plantation programmes.
The total area under man made forest during
1950 was not more than 3 lakh Ha, which rose to
32 lakh Ha by 1978 & 58 lakh Ha by 1985.
Deforestation & diversion continued.
1976 Transfer from State List to Concurrent List.
1980 Forest Conservation Act.
1988 National Forest Policy.
1990 & 2000 GoI circulars on JFM.
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Extent of Forests In India & Other

Countries

Extent of forests (mha) in top ten countries of the

world.

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Forest Distribution in India

95% owned by government.
4% owned by corporate bodies.
1% by private individuals.

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Roles of Forests
1. Productive Wood, Fuelwood, Industrial raw
material, NTFP.
2. Protective & Ameliorative - Carbon
sequestration, increasing local precipitation,
reduction in temperature, maintaining
productivity of soil, checking soil erosion &
floods, reducing wind velocity, store-house of
genetic diversity, protection from pollution,
act as shelterbelt & windbreak.
3. Recreational National Parks & Sanctuaries,
Experimental laboratory, healing effect.
4. Developmental Employment, tribal
development, source of revenue to govt.
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Silviculture
It refers to certain aspects of theory
& practice of raising forest crops
(Champion & Seth, 1968).
It is defined as the art & science of
cultivating forest crops.
It is concerned with the technical
details of crop production & defined
as the art of producing & tending a
forest or the theory & practice of
controlling forest establishment,
composition & growth (Smith, 1976).
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Objectives of Silviculture
1. Control of crop composition & production
of species of more economic value.
2. Control of stand-density for production of
maximum volume.
3. Afforestation of blank & under-stocked
areas.
4. Production of quality timber.
5. Control on rotation period.
6. Facilitate management & use of forests.
7. Creation of man-made forests &
introduction of exotics.
8. Protection of site & intangible returns.
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References
A Textbook of Silviculture by A P
Dwivedi
Principles & Practice of Silviculture
by L S Khanna
Abridged Glossary of Technical Terms
FRI & Colleges, Dehra Dun

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Thanks

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