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An ecological dictionary, unknown at the time of the preparation of this glossary, is available.
Click on the first letter of the word for which you seek information. An opportunity for comments and suggestions for additions and improvements is available at the end of this unit. Access is also provided here for you to participate in the Glossary Insider's Group who are people actively involved in developing this part of the Web site into a superior, functional glossary.
The glossary may reduce confusion that exists among professionals as well as the public in the natural resource management field, particularly the wildlands. Consistency among users of words can be helpful, but even definitions change as people with different education exit and enter agencies and areas of thoughtful work. Meanings change as legislation virtually redefines words and thus alters concepts. Consistent use of words can result in great efficiencies. Such consistency starts with first use, a tradition among taxonomists, but changes in definitions do occur. Increases in clarity, precision, and discrimination are expected in definitions. General discussions, seemingly purposeless, can be useful simply in learning each other's word meanings so that clarity and common agreement can be reached when difficult decisions are needed. It seems worth noting that much of university education within the natural resource field is devoted to learning the language. Perhaps thoughtful people will see that much more is expected and needed from the universities. Definitions herein are those that we have attempted to use in Guidance and elsewhere within this web site. They are believed to be consistent with the primary use by leaders of the various fields, to be logical, and to be the basis for reasonable theoretical development and practice.
This glossary is intended to improve communication among planners, managers, staff, the public, and users of the area. It, like the rest of Lasting Forests, is evolving. Good communication demands common agreement on, at least understanding of, the meanings of words and how they are used. Many words will be immediately understood and accepted by all who read them. Other words may cause controversy. Words are only a means to understanding. Staff will argue only for meaning, not the word. Discussing words -- which we believe are models of ideas, concepts, physical entities, processes, and objectives -- can never be viewed as a waste of time if it leads to understanding, reduced conflict, and ability to work effectively toward objectives in a democracy. We recommend attention to "first-use" principles as in biological nomenclature but we believe that words and their associated concepts evolve so that past definitions may be laid aside or discussed to clarify the latest definition contending for usefulness. Often in controversial situations an agreement on a "tentative" definition and use of a word or phrase can be reached and great efficiencies gained. Suggestions for improving the meaning of items in the glossary, as well as for adding or removing words, are welcomed.
Comments: The glossary was developed from many contained in plans of National Forests; from Wildland Planning Glossary by C.f. Schwartz, E.C. Thor, and G.H. Elsner. 1976. USDA Forest Service, PSW-13 of the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment. Station, Berkeley, CA 252 pp. Also from L.J. Lyon and A.G. Christensen. 1992. A partial glossary of elk management terms USDA Forest Service, INT-288 of the Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT 6 pp., and Glossary of Definitions, Terms, and Acronyms Used by the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX), Appendix H. Some words are from the Wildlife Society Journal of Wildlife Management 21:374-376. A The Dictionary of Forestry with 5000 terms became available from the Society of American Foresters in 1998.The 224 page book was edited by John Helms. Elements of glossary for stewardship workers from the Virginia Department of Forestry was added in 1999. Items marked (USFS 1999) are from the proposed planning regulations of the US Forest Service issued in October, 1999 36 CFR Parts 217 and 219 RIN 0596-AB20.
A Dictionary of Ecology (2nd Ed., 1999, Oxford Univ. Press) Edited by Michael Allaby was noticed in 1999 but notes based on it have not been included.
Typing of the present Glossary was done over many years by several secretaries including Tish Poteet and Donna Linkous. I appreciate the general investments of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Tech, and others with me in developing this unit and the Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange for making it available through the internet.
An additional new (1999) glossary is at http://www.ecoweb.org/terms.htm
Additional glossaries may be found at the following sites, a list provided by H. Gyde Lund, Integrated Resource Inventories, who said (10-7-98):
Here are some additional forest or natural resource related glossaries
that I ran across in my search for definitions. If you wish to see what
I have complied for forest, deforestation, reforestation, and
afforestation and related terms see
This Glossary was first created and placed on the Web in November, 1998.
I hope that you will write to me a note about about additions and suggested improvements for the Glossary. Please enter your name and Email address...
This Web site is maintained by R. H.
Giles, Jr.
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Last revision January 17, 2000.