9407/glossary 9/19/02 1:31 PM Page 2 A biltmore stick – a tool bole – the trunk or main stem C community – a collection of calibrated to measure the of a tree. living organisms thriving in an The forest is a complex diameter of a tree at breast organized system through acre – a unit of land equal to canopy – the more or less world with its own language. 43,560 square feet; a square height. breast height – 4-1/2 feet continuous cover formed by which water, energy, and When it comes to talking parcel of land approximately above ground level. See tree crowns in a forest. nutrients cycle. about trees, many words that 208.5 feet on each side. diameter at breast height. sound familiar mean some- chopper – see logger. competition – the struggle browse – twigs, shoots, and between trees to obtain thing different. We at the aesthetics – the forest value, rooted in beauty and visual leaves of woody plants used as clearcut – a forest harvesting sunlight, nutrients, water, and Maine Forest Service believe appreciation, affording food by woodland mammals practice in which most or all growing space. that to Be Woods Wise, it inspiration, contributing to the such as deer, moose and trees are removed from a site. helps to speak the language. arts, and providing a special snowshoe hare. Clearcuts are used for immedi- conifer – commonly called This glossary is designed to quality of life. ate commercial purposes and softwoods or evergreens. buck – to saw a felled tree Although there are exceptions, make it easier to communicate for regeneration of future into shorter lengths. A skilled most coniferous trees have with Foresters, loggers and all-aged stand – see uneven- forests. Clearcuts in Maine aged stand. logger knows the markets and are defined by state statute. cones and keep their needles others you may work with to biological diversity or biodi- can increase the value of the through the winter. manage your land. annual rings – see growth versity – the variety of life in tree by bucking it to fit the rings. all its forms and all its levels available markets. conservation easement – a of organization. Biodiversity legal agreement between a aspect - the compass direction refers to diversity of genetics, buffer strip – a narrow zone property owner and a qualified toward which a slope faces. species, ecosystems, and or strip of land, trees, or conservation organization or landscapes. vegetation bordering an area. agency that restricts the uses B Common examples include which may be made of the biomass – often the lowest visual buffers, which screen property. Most conservation basal area – the cross- value forest product. Usually the view along roads, and easements limit or prohibit sectional area of the trunk 4 consists of stems, branches, streamside buffers, which are development of the land for 1/2 feet above the ground; bark, etc., that cannot be used to protect water commercial, industrial, and most commonly used as an marketed in any other way. quality. Vegetation left along a codominant tree – a tree that residential uses in perpetuity. indicator of stand density and Chipped and used as fuel. stream, lake or wetland to extends its crown into the expressed as square feet per protect aquatic life and water canopy and receives direct consulting Forester – an acre. A tree with a 14” blaze – to remove a spot of quality. Buffer strips filter sunlight from above but independent professional who diameter has a basal area of bark from a tree, usually with sediment, provide food, limited sunlight from the provides services to private just over one square foot. an axe, to make a semiperma- maintain cool water tempertures, sides. One or more sides of a woodland owners. Services nent mark. Commonly painted and may increase diversity codominant tree are crowded may include expert advice, basal area factor prism – an to indicate boundary lines. within a landscape. by the crowns of dominant trees. preparation of Woodland instrument used by Foresters Management Plans, appraisal to determine the stocking of blowdown – any area on which bumper tree – trees near skid commercial clearcut – a of timber value, and planning the forest. (many of) the trees have been trails used as pivot points to harvest cut that removes all and oversight of timber thrown or broken by the wind. turn a load of logs, usually merchantable timber from the harvesting. Consulting best management practices See windthrow. resulting in severe injury to area. See high grading. Foresters do not have direct (BMPs) – voluntary guide- the bumper trees. In skid trail connections with firms that lines developed by the Maine board foot – a unit for layout, bumper trees are left commercial thinning – buy wood products, but are Forest Service and Land Use measuring wood volume in a in place to protect high-quality harvests which are aimed retained by woodland owners Regulation Commission tree, log, or board. A board trees from skidding damage. primarily at controlling the as their agents. See Forester. (LURC), determined to be the foot is 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 growth of stands through most effective and practicable inch, but any shape containing butt log – a log cut from the adjustment in stand density. means of minimizing erosion 144 cubic inches of wood bole immediately above the Trees removed are useful and and sedimentation of water equals one board foot. stump. of value for some purpose. bodies (streams, ponds, lakes, Usually used for sawlog Income from the sale or use of rivers, etc.) from logging material only. A common products produced exceeds activities. symbol is MBF, which ALL costs associated with designates one thousand board harvesting and removing timber. feet. 9407/glossary 9/19/02 1:31 PM Page 3 contract – a formal, written, crown – the live branches, deed – a legal document used dimension lumber – wood endangered or threatened even-aged management – legally binding form of twigs, and foliage of a tree. to transfer title in real proper- products that are sawn from species – a species is managing a forest or forest communication (agreement). ty from one person to another. logs. Hardwood dimension endangered when the total stand to produce a forest of In forestry, a contract is crown classes – a classifica- lumber is often used in the number of remaining trees of the same relative age. recommended between a tion of the position of an defect – any irregularity or manufacture of furniture or members may not be sufficient Even-aged management landowner and a logger before individual tree’s crown relative imperfection on a tree, log, or other products. Softwood to reproduce enough offspring techniques include harvesting timber, and to the rest of the forest other wood product that dimension lumber is most to ensure survival of the intermediate treatments, between a landowner and a canopy. See codominant, reduces the volume of usable commonly used in species. A threatened species clearcuts, patch clearcuts, and Forester for any work dominant, intermediate, wood or lowers its durability, construction, furniture, and exhibits declining or shelterwood cuts. expected to exceed several overtopped, and suppressed. strength, or utility value. other products. dangerously low populations hundred dollars. Defects may result from knots but still has enough members crown closure – the and other growth conditions disturbance – a change in to maintain or increase cord – a unit of volume used percentage of a given area and abnormalities; from insect forest cover caused by natural numbers. in measuring wood products. covered by tree crowns. or fungus attack; or from or human causes. Common A standard cord occupies 128 logging, or other processing forest disturbances in New epicormic branching – cubic feet of space and crown ratio or live-crown procedures. England include clearing for branches that grow out of the contains approximately 85 ratio – the ratio of the length agriculture, abandonment of main stem of a hardwood tree cubic feet of wood. It is of live crown of a tree to its agricultural fields, windstorms, from dormant buds produced commonly described as a close total height. Live crown ratio ice storms, fire, flood, logging, under the bark, usually in piled stack of wood 4 feet high, is usually expressed as a mining, and development. response to damage or an 8 feet long, with sticks 4 feet percentage of total height. increase in light. Severe in length. A cord is the legal dominant – trees whose epicormic branching increases measure of fuelwood volume cruise – a systematic, crowns extend above those of knottiness and reduces lumber in Maine. statistically valid forest surrounding trees which quality. inventory used to obtain capture sunlight from above cordwood – small diameter or qualitative information about and on one or more side of the even-aged stand – a stand in low-quality wood suitable for the forest. A cruise is often crown. which most trees originated firewood, pulp, or chips. the first step in developing a around the same time (i.e. the Cordwood is not suitable for Woodland Management Plan; den tree – a tree with holes or duff – forest litter of age difference between the sawlogs. the estimate obtained in such cavities suitable for birds or organic debris (in various oldest and youngest trees is a survey. mammals to nest in. stages of decomposition) on minimal, usually no greater cost share assistance – an top of the mineral soil. than 10 to 20 years.) assistance program offered by cull – trees or logs which are diameter at breast height Even-aged stands result from various state and federal rejected, or volumes deducted (dbh) – standard E cutting of all the trees in a agencies that pays a fixed rate in log scaling because of a measurement of a tree's stand within a relatively short or percentage of the total cost defect.