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Glossary

This online Study Guide is provided as a complement to the

Working With Nature Series books:

FORESTS, TREES & WOOD and FIRESTORM IN THE FOREST.

 

archeological – Relating to the study of people and their culture of long ago.  An archeological site may be as recent as a  railroad grade for hauling logs or as ancient as an early Native American settlement.

cogeneration –  The use of a fuel to produce heat and electricity in the same process.  See diagram on cogeneration in this study guide.

decks – Stacks of stored logs.  Due to geographical and climatic conditions many timbered areas harvest during the warm season.  By storing logs mills are able to operate all year.

delimber  –  A specialized piece of equipment used to remove branches from the trunk of a tree.  A delimber then cuts the tree into logs.

down strike – A bolt of lightning that reaches the ground.

ember –  Smoldering pieces of burning matter. Some embers are small enough to be carried in the wind.

erosion – Official term for soil washing away.  A forest plan must include erosion prevention measures.

feller-buncher  – A specifically designed piece of equipment for harvesting trees.  A feller-buncher cuts trees and stacks them.

fire line –  A firefighting tactic where the ground is cleared to bare dirt in order to interrupt the spread of the fire by removing fuels from the fire’s path.  A hand line is a fire line built with hand tools.

fire shelter –  A compact fireproof tent that a firefighter carries in case he or she is overrun by a fire and there is no other way to escape the flames.

flame resistant – To make something more difficult to catch on fire and less likely to remain on fire.  Fabrics and materials are specifically designed or treated so they will not burn easily.  A common fabric used to make firefighters’ clothing, Nomex®, is made of flame and heat resistant fiber.

fledgling – A young bird almost old enough to fly, a juvenile.

forest plan – A plan for establishing and maintaining a healthy, productive forest for wildlife, water, recreation, and wood.

forester – A trained professional in charge of the general health of a forest.  A forester's responsibilities may include (but aren't limited to) tree growing and planting, animal habitat protection and improvement, soil protection, fire protection, land use management, water protection, and timber harvesting.

habitat – A place or type of place where an animal or plant grows. 

harvest – To gather a crop.  As used in FIRESTORM IN THE FOREST and FORESTS, TREES &  WOOD, harvesting trees for wood products.

harvester – see feller-buncher.

hoedad – A special tool used to separate the soil I for planting seedlings.  See pages on planting new trees in  FORESTS, TREES & WOOD for an illustration of a hoedad.

hose lay  – A firefighting technique where rolls of fire hose are connected together to transport water from its source to the fire.

hot spots – Pockets of smoldering wood or forest matter that continues to burn after the main fire is put out.

landing – A cleared place near the harvest site where logs are gathered prior to loading.

loader – A specially designed piece of equipment for lifting logs or loading trucks.

logger – People working in the forest to harvest timber for producing wood products.  Sometimes called a lumberjack.

lookout – A fire prevention professional who watches for signs of fire from a high vantage point such as a fire tower or aircraft. The high vantage point is also called a lookout.

manufacture – To produce something from raw materials  according to a plan

nutrient – An element which promotes growth.

prescription burn – A technique using controlled fire to clear debris from the forest floor. This forest practice comes from nature. Native Americans practiced this type of forestry.

prey – An animal that is hunted, usually as a source of food.

pulp – Soft mass of vegetable matter in which almost all water has been extracted.  Wood pulp is used in making paper.  See recycled paper project in this study guide.

retardant – A substance which will slow or stop fire spread.

rippers – A special type of plow attached to equipment to break apart the soil, usually in preparation for planting.

runoff  – The overland flow of rain water that does not soak into the ground.

salvage – The wood that is saved from trees that have died from fire or other causes.

sawmill —  A place that processes logs into lumber. A sawmill is just one type of mill for processing wood products from trees.

scaler –  A person who measures and estimates how much lumber is in logs.

seedlings – The first stage of a young tree. 

        Seedling " sapling " mature tree " over mature tree  " dead snag.

shroud – A special piece of cloth that covers the head and neck for protection.  A shroud is often made of flame resistant fabric.

skidder – A special tractor used by loggers to haul logs. Skidders come in a wide variety of styles.

slash & debris – As it specifically relates to forestry is the  matter, branches, twigs, bark, etc. left on the forest floor  from harvesting.  Minor amounts of slash and debris provide benefits to the soil of the forest.  Too much of this matter can cause a heavy fuel load and raise fire danger.

snag – A standing dead tree.

spot fires – Small patches of fire, often started from traveling embers of a larger fire.

stewardship – The careful and responsible management of our resources.

thinning – A process to remove selected trees from an overcrowded forested area.  Thinning increases the health and growth rate of remaining trees.  Nature sometimes thins by using bug infestation to weed out weaker trees in a stand.

timber faller – A skilled person who cuts only trees chosen to be removed in the forest plan.

unit  – A predetermined quantity adopted as a standard of measurement.

wildfire – A fire that spreads out of control in the rural landscape, often destroying lives, homes and natural resources such as grasslands and forests.

wildlife survey – A study of the animals living in and around the forest plan area.

yarder – A specialized piece of equipment that uses cables to lift logs high above the forest floor.