Editing Forestry (section)

== Science ==

=== Forestry as a science ===
Over the past centuries, [[silviculture|forestry]] was regarded as a separate science. With the rise of [[ecology]] and [[environmental science]], there has been a reordering in the applied sciences. In line with this view, forestry is a primary land-use science comparable with [[agriculture]].<ref>Wojtkowski, Paul A. (2002) Agroecological Perspectives in Agronomy, Forestry and Agroforestry. Science Publishers Inc., Enfield, NH, 356p.</ref> Under these headings, the fundamentals behind the management of natural forests comes by way of natural ecology. Forests or tree plantations, those whose primary purpose is the extraction of forest products, are planned and managed to utilize a mix of ecological and [[Biodiversity in agriculture|agroecological]] principles.<ref>Wojtkowski, Paul A. (2006) Undoing the Damage: Silviculture for Ecologists and Environmental Scientists. Science Publishers Inc., Enfield, NH, 313p.</ref> In many regions of the world there is considerable conflict between forest practices and other societal priorities such as water quality, watershed preservation, sustainable fishing, conservation, and species preservation.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Fishes and forestry : worldwide watershed interactions and management|date=2004|publisher=Blackwell Science|others=Northcote, T. G., Hartman, G. F.|isbn=978-0-470-99524-2|location=Oxford, UK|oclc=184983506}}</ref>

=== Silvology ===

Silvology ([[Latin]]: [[sylva (disambiguation)|''silva'' or ''sylva'']], "forests and woods"; {{langx|grc|-λογία}}, ''[[-logy|-logia]]'', "science of" or "study of") is the biological science of studying [[forest]]s and [[woodland]]s, incorporating the understanding of natural forest [[ecosystem]]s, and the effects and development of silvicultural practices. The term complements [[silviculture]], which deals with the art and practice of forest management.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=G. |last1=Hemery |first2=J. P. |last2=Skovsgaard |date=April 2018 |title=Silvology: Redefining the Biological Science for the Study of Forests |journal=Quarterly Journal of Forestry |volume=112 |issue=2 |pages=128–31 |url=https://gabrielhemery.com/silvology-defined/}}</ref>

Silvology is seen as a single science for forestry and was first used by Professor [[Roelof A.A. Oldeman]] at [[Wageningen University & Research|Wageningen University]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Oldeman |first=R. A. A. |title=Forests: elements of silvology |year=1990 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |location=Berlin |isbn=0-387-51883-5 |page=624}}</ref> It integrates the study of forests and forest ecology, dealing with single [[tree]] [[autecology]] and natural [[forest ecology]].

=== Dendrology ===
{{excerpt|Dendrology}}

=== Genetic diversity in forestry ===
The [[provenance]] of [[forest reproductive material]] used to plant forests has a great influence on how the trees develop, hence why it is important to use forest reproductive material of good quality and of high [[genetic diversity]].<ref name="vries15">{{cite journal |last1=de Vries, S.M.G., Alan, M., Bozzano, M., Burianek, V., Collin, E., Cottrell, J., Ivankovic, M., Kelleher, C.T., Koskela, J., Rotach, P., Vietto, L. and Yrjänä, L. |date=2015 |title=Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees and establishment of a core network of dynamic conservation units |url=http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FGR_conservation_strategy.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=European Forest Genetic Resources Programme, Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. |page=xii + 40 p |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131201310/http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FGR_conservation_strategy.pdf |archive-date=2017-01-31 |access-date=2017-01-20}}</ref> More generally, all forest management practices, including in [[Silviculture#Regeneration|natural regeneration systems]], may impact the genetic diversity of trees.

The term {{dfn|genetic diversity}} describes the differences in [[DNA sequence]] between individuals as distinct from variation caused by environmental influences. The unique genetic composition of an individual (its [[genotype]]) will determine its performance (its [[phenotype]]) at a particular site.<ref name="konnert15">{{cite journal |last1=Konnert, M., Fady, B., Gömöry, D., A’Hara, S., Wolter, F., Ducci, F., Koskela, J., Bozzano, M., Maaten, T. and Kowalczyk, J. |date=2015 |title=Use and transfer of forest reproductive material in Europe in the context of climate change |url=http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FRM_use_transfer.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=European Forest Genetic Resources Programme, Bioversity International, Rome, Italy. |page=xvi and 75 p |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804173305/http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FRM_use_transfer.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-04 |access-date=2017-01-20}}</ref>

[[Genetic diversity]] is needed to maintain the vitality of forests and to provide [[Ecological resilience|resilience]] to [[Pest (organism)|pests]] and [[disease]]s. Genetic diversity also ensures that forest trees can survive, adapt and evolve under changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, genetic diversity is the foundation of biological diversity at species and [[ecosystem]] levels. [[Forest genetic resources]] are therefore important to consider in forest management.<ref name="vries15" />

Genetic diversity in [[forests]] is threatened by [[forest fires]], pests and diseases, [[habitat fragmentation]], poor silvicultural practices and inappropriate use of forest reproductive material.

About 98 million hectares of forest were affected by fire in 2015; this was mainly in the tropical domain, where fire burned about 4 percent of the total forest area in that year. More than two-thirds of the total forest area affected was in Africa and South America. Insects, diseases and severe weather events damaged about 40 million hectares of forests in 2015, mainly in the temperate and boreal domains.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 – Key findings |publisher=FAO |year=2020 |isbn=978-92-5-132581-0 |location=Rome |doi=10.4060/ca8753en |s2cid=130116768}}</ref>

Furthermore, the marginal populations of many tree species are facing new threats due to the [[effects of climate change]].<ref name="vries15" />

Most countries in Europe have recommendations or guidelines for selecting species and provenances that can be used in a given site or zone.<ref name="konnert15" />