Forestry and Its Branches
The word "Forest" is derived from Latin word ‘foris’ means meaning outside the village boundary or away from inhabited land. It is a large tract covered with trees and under growth some-times mixed with pasture. Generally, forest is referred to an area occupied by different kinds of trees shrubs, herbs, and grasses and maintained as such. In a general sense, forest is a large uncultivated tract of land covered with trees and Underwood, woody ground and rude pasture a preserve for big game. Technically, forest is an area set aside for the production of timber and other forest produce, or maintained under woody vegetation for certain indirect benefits which it provides, e.g. climatic or protective (Anon. 1966 ). Ecologically, it is defined as a plant community, predominantly of trees and other woody vegetation, usually with a closed canopy. Legally, forest is an area of land proclaimed to be a forest under a forest law. FAO classifies all such lands into forest.
The forests made / composed / constituted / dominated from almost entirely one single species, to the minimum extent of 50 per cent are called Pure Forest Constitute.
From the above definition, it is clear that the forest has five components, namely;
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 and other forms of vegetation
3. The trees should form a closed or a partially closed canopy
4. The trees and other forms of vegetation should be managed for obtaining forest produce and / or benefits and
5. It should provide shelter to wildlife, birds-and other fauna. (Animals)