Term
|
Definition
| An open prairie or grassland with scattered groves of trees. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A forest where tree crowns spread over 20 percent of the ground; this has the potential for commercial timber harvests. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Intensive planting of a single species; an efficient wood production approach, but one that encourages pests and disease infestations and conflicts with wildlife habitat or recreation uses. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Removing trees from a forest. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Forests free from disturbance for long enough (generally 150 to 200 years) to have mature trees, physical conditions, species diversity, and other characteristics of equilibrium ecosystems. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Cutting every tree in a given area, regardless of species or size; an appropriate harvest method for some species; can be destructive if not carefully controlled. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Mature trees are removed from the forest in a series of two or more cuts, leaving young trees and some mature trees as a seed source for future regeneration. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Harvesting trees in strips narrow enough to minimize edge effects and to allow natural regeneration fo the forest. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Harvesting only mature trees of certain species and size; usually more expensive than clear-cutting but less disruptive for wildlife and often better for forest regeneration. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An integration of ecological, economic, and social goals in a unified systems approach to resource management. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| People who live by herding domestic animals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Denuding and degrading a once fertile land, initiatin a desert-producing cycle that feeds on itself and causes long-term changes in soil, climate, and biota of an area. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Allowing domestic livestock to eat so much plant material that it degrades the biological community. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Confining grazing animals in a small area for a short time to force them to eat weedy species as well as the more desirable grasses and forbes. |
|
|
Term
| World Conservation Strategy |
|
Definition
| A proposal for maintaining essential ecological processes, preserving genetic diversity, and ensuring the utilization of species and ecosystems is sustainable. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A combination of adventure travel, cultural exploration, and nature appreciation in wild settings. |
|
|
Term
| Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program |
|
Definition
| A design for nature preserves that divides protected areas into zones with different purposes. A highly protected core is surrounded by a buffer zone. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| World heritage sites identified by the IUCN as worthy for national park or wildlife refuge status because of high biological diversity or unique ecological features. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Strips of natural habitat that connect two adjacent nature preserves to allow migration of organisms from one place to another. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A habitat patch large enough and with ecological characteristics suitable to support a critical mass of the species that make up a particular community. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A change in species composition, physical conditions, or other ecological factors at the boundary between two ecosystems. |
|
|
