Branches of Forestry

Mainly, the forestry has been grouped as follows:

1. Basic Forestry
2. Applied Forestry

1. Basic Forestry: Basic Forestry deals with the theory and practice of constitution and management of forests and utilization of their products. Agriculture is the study of science and art of production of plants and animals used by man In India, the geographical, areas is about 32,80,500 km2. The forests occupy about 7,50,000 km2. (22.9% approximately) whereas agricultural (cultivated) area is about 46% However, agriculture is the largest enterprise in India. Nearly, 70% of the population is employed in this profession. But unfortunately, in spite of this, it is not able to meet the requirements of ever-increasing population. Forestry, just like agriculture, is a good professional with the difference of long life-span.

Basic Forestry has the following Branches:

A) Silviculture: This refers to certain aspects to theory and practise of raising forest, crops, methods of raising tree, their growth and after-cares up to the time of final harvesting. However, in simple words, it is the cultivation of forest trees.

B) Forest Mensuration: In simple language, it is the measurement of forest produce. However, it is defined as the determination of dimensions (e.g. height, diameter, volume, etc.) from, volume, age and increment of single trees, stands or whole woods, either standing or after felling. It concerns with linear area, volume and weight measurements.

C) Silvicultural Systems: A Silvicultural system can be defined as a method of Silvicultural procedure worked out in accordance with accepted sets of Silvicultural principles by which crops constituting forests are tended, harvested and replaced by new crops of distinctive forms.

D) Forest Management: It is the practical application of science, technique, and the economics to a forest estate for the production of some wanted results. In actual sense, it is the application of business methods to the operation of a forest estate. The Society of American Foresters (SAF) has described it as an application of business methods and technical forestry principles to the operation of a forest property.

E) Forest Utilization: It is a branch of forestry concerned with the harvesting, conversion, disposal and use of forest produce (British Common Wealth Forest Terminology, 1953.).According to SAF (1983) it is a branch of forestry concerned with the harvesting, any necessary processing, and delivery to the consumer of forest produce.

F) Forest Law: Law includes any rule of action. The rules and law imposed by the state up on the actions of its citizens for the breach of which they are punishable. Forest law is classified as:
a) Constitutional laws
b) Public laws
c) Private laws; Very essential for protection of forest; Some terms - Forest offence / Forest right / Forest settlement
d) Forest wild life Act WL (protection ) Act 1972 Animals / bird.

G) Forest Policy: Branch of forestry concerned essentially, with social and economic aims underlying forest management and forestry development (SAF - 1983)

2. Applied Forestry: This includes those subjects which how the references to other subject but make the essence of, forestry

a) Dendrology
b) Forest Ecology
c) Forest Economy
d) Forest Entomology
e) Forest Fire
f) Forest Genetics
g) Forest Pathology
h) Forest Seed technology
i) Forest soils
j) Forest statistics
k) Forests surveying
l) Remote sensing
m) Social Forestry-Social Resent
i. Agroforestry
ii. Forestry Extension
iii. Afforestation
iv. Recreation Forestry etc.

Some Other Forestry Branches:

1. Aesthetic forestry
2. Commercial Forestry
3. Community Forestry
4. Extensive Forestry
5. Farm Forestry
6. Extensive Forestry
7. Multiple use Forestry.