Forest

A land ecosystem dominated by trees that form a substantial canopy. Forests also include understory plants, animals, fungi, microbes, soils, and water.

Forest canopy: The upper layer of a forest formed by the crowns of trees. Its density controls light, temperature, and rainfall reaching lower forest layers.
Tree: A perennial woody plant with a trunk and an elevated crown. Trees provide the dominant structure and much of the biomass in forests.
Sustainable forest management: The stewardship of forests to maintain their ecological, social, and economic values over time. It seeks to balance forest use with long-term ecosystem integrity.
Woodland: A tree-dominated ecosystem with a more open canopy than a typical forest. Its sparse crowns allow more light and often more ground vegetation.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches. Roads and clearing can split forests and restrict movement between populations.
Forest stratification: The vertical arrangement of vegetation into layers within a forest. Distinct layers create habitats and distribute resources from canopy to forest floor.
Canopy cover: The proportion of ground covered by the vertical projection of vegetation crowns. Canopy cover helps distinguish closed forests from more open tree ecosystems.
Forestry: The science and practice of managing forests and tree resources. Forestry translates knowledge of forest growth into planned stewardship and production.
Savanna: A tropical or subtropical ecosystem with grasses and scattered trees. Savannas combine woody plants and grasslands without a continuous forest canopy.
Forest degradation: A decline in a forest’s ecological condition without complete conversion to another land use. Logging, fire, and other pressures can reduce forest function while tree cover remains.

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