Copy of `Maryland Department of Natural Resources`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Category: Agriculture and Industry Date & country: 25/01/2014, USA Words: 176

girdling
a method of killing trees by cutting through the stem, thus interrupting the flow of water and nutrients.

group selection
a process of harvesting patches of trees to open the forest canopy and encourage the reproduction of unevenaged stands.

growth rings
the layers of wood a tree adds each season; also called annual rings. These rings frequently are visible when a tree is cut and can be used to estimate its age and growth rate.

hardwoods
a general term encompassing broadleaf, deciduous trees.

forestry
the science of tending woodlands.

fork
a tree defect characterized by the division of a bole or main stem into two or more stems.

frilling
the method of killing trees by inflicting a series of cuts around the bole and applying an herbicide to the wounds. Frilling or girdling can be used to reduce the density of a stand or to kill individual undesirable trees.

fusee
Firefighters also use these colored flares to ignite fires in burnout operations.

forester
a degreed professional trained in forestry and forest management. In Maryland, all foresters must be registered with the state.

forest
a biological community dominated by trees and other woody plants.

forest fragmentation
the subdivision of large natural landscapes into smaller, more isolated fragments. Fragmentation affects the viability of wildlife populations and ecosystems.

forest types
associations of tree species that have similar ecological requirements. Maryland forest types include Allegany hardwood, loblolly-shortleaf, northern hardwood, oak-gum-cypress, oak hickory, and oak-pine.

forested wetland
an area characterized by woody vegetation taller than 20 feet where soil is at least periodically saturated or covered by water.

fire Shovel
These shovels, specifically designed for constructing a fireline, feature a tapered blade with both edges sharpened for scraping, digging, grubbing, cutting, and throwing dirt.

fire shelter
Firefighters use this personal protection as a last resort if a wildfire traps them and they cannot escape. Firefighters can get into the tent-like shelter, made of heat reflective material, in about 25 seconds.

fire Resistant Clothing
These yellow shirts and green pants are the trademarks of wildland firefighters.

fire Pack
Firefighters use these to carry tools, equipment, and supplies on their backs.

felling
the cutting of standing trees.

evergreens
plants that retain foliage year round.

extension forester
a Cooperative Extension Service professional who educates woodland owners on how they can effectively manage their forests.

Farm Services Agency (FSA)
The branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that administers cost-sharing programs for such forestry practices as tree planting and timber stand improvement.

endangered species
any species or subspecies in immediate danger of becoming extinct throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

epicormic branching
branches that grow out of the main stem of a tree from buds produced under the bark. Severe epicormic branching increases knottiness and reduces lumber quality.

even-aged stand
a stand in which the age difference between the oldest and youngest trees is minimal, usually no greater than 10 to 20 years. Even-aged stands are perpetuated by cutting all the trees within a relatively short period of time.

edge
the boundary between two ecological communities, for example, field and woodland. Edges provide wildlife habitat. Consideration of an edge can reduce the impact of a timber harvest.

dominant trees
trees that extend above surrounding individuals and capture sunlight from above and around the crown.

drip torch
Firefighters use these torches, that drip a flaming liquid mixture of diesel fuel and gasoline, to ignite fires in burnout operations.

ecology
the study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

ecosystem
organisms and the physical factors that make up their environment.

ecotone
a transition area between two distinct, but adjoining, communities.

dimension lumber
hardwood dimension lumber is processed to be used whole in the manufacture of furniture or other products. Softwood dimension lumber consists of boards more than 2 inches thick but less than 5 inches thick. This wood is used in construction and is sold as 2 by 4s, 4 by 8s, or 2 by 10s.

diameter-limit scale
a timber sale in which all trees over a specified dbh may be cut. Diameter-limit sales often result in high grading.

deciduous
shedding or losing leaves annually; the opposite of evergreen. Trees such as maple, ash, cherry, and larch are deciduous.

defects
characteristics of an individual tree that reduce its quality and utility.

den tree
a tree with cavities suitable for birds or mammals to nest in.

diameter at breast height (dbh)
standard measurement of a tree's diameter, usually taken at 4 1/2 feet above the ground.

cutting cycle
the period of time between major harvests in a stand.

crown classes
see codominant, dominant, intermediate, overtopped, and suppressed.

crown cover or crown closure
the percentage of a given area covered by tree crowns.

crown ratio or live-crown ratio
the ratio of the leaved portion of a tree's height to its total height.

cruise
a forest survey used to obtain inventory information and develop a management plan.

cull
a sawtimber sized tree that has no timber value as a result of poor shape or damage from injury, insects or disease.

cordwood
small diameter or low quality wood suitable for firewood, pulp, or chips. Cordwood is not suitable for sawlogs.

crook
a tree defect characterized by a sharp bend in the main stem.

crop tree
a young tree of a desirable species with certain characteristics desired for timber value, water quality enhancement, or wildlife or aesthetic uses.

crown
the uppermost branches and foliage of a tree.

Cooperative Extension Service (CES)
the educational arm of the USDA that links university research to people who can benefit from it.

cord
a unit of wood cut for fuel that is equal to a stack 4 x 4 by 8 feet or 128 cubic feet. A cord is the legal measure of fuelwood volume in Maryland.

community
A collection of living organisms thriving in an organized system through which water, energy, and nutrients cycle.

conifer
any tree that produces seeds in cones. See softwood.

consulting forester
an independent professional who manages forests and markets forest products for private woodland owners. Consulting foresters do not have direct connections with firms that buy wood products, but are retained by woodland owners as their agents.

commercial treatments
timber stand improvements, such as thinning, that generate income from the sale of the trees removed.

commercial forestland
any area capable of producing 20 cubic feet of timber per acre per year that has not been protected from such use by law or statute.

clearcut
the harvest of all the trees in an area. Clearcutting is used to aid species whose seedlings require full sunlight to grow well.

clinometer
an instrument used to determine the height of a tree.

codominant tree
a tree that extends its crown into the canopy and receives direct sunlight from above but limited sunlight from the sides. One or more sides of a codominant tree are crowded by the crowns of dominant trees.

commercial clearcut
a harvest cut that removes all merchantable timber from the area.

carrying capacity
the maximum number of individuals of a wildlife species that an area can support during the most unfavorable time of the year.

caliper
a tool to measure the diameter of a tree.

canopy
the continuous cover formed by tree crowns in a forest.

butt log
a log cut from the bole immediately above the stump.

bole
the trunk of a tree.

boots
Firefighters wear all leather boots to protect their feet on the fireline and rugged terrain.

breast height
41/2 feet above ground level. See diameter at breast height.

browse
parts of woody plants, including twigs, shoots, and leaves, eaten by forest animals.

buck
to cut trees into shorter lengths, such as logs or cordwood.

board foot
a unit for measuring wood volume in a tree, log, or board. A board foot is commonly 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch, but any shape containing 144 cubic inches of wood equals one board foot.

blowdown
see windthrow.

basal area (of a tree)
the cross-sectional area of the trunk 4 1/2 feet above the ground; (per acre) the sum of the basal areas of the trees on an acre; used as a measure of forest density.

Biltmore stick
a tool calibrated to measure the diameter of a tree at breast height. Biltmore sticks are calibrated with different scales depending on the users' arm length.

blaze
to mark a tree, usually by painting or cutting the bark. Forest properties often are delineated by blazing trees along the boundary lines.

association
a collection of plants with ecologically similar requirements, including one or more dominant species from which the group derives a definite character.

aspect
the compass direction toward which a slope faces.

all-aged stand
All, or almost all, age classes of trees represented.

allegany hardwood forest type
a portion of Maryland's northern hardwood forest in which black cherry, white ash, and red oak are dominant species.

annual rings
see growth rings.