These glossary terms are specific to Statistical Reporting. The glossary was incorporated into the Ministry of Forests Glossary as of March 1997.

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A B C D F I L M N O P S T U V W

Any interval into which the range of trees, forests, stands or forest types is divided for classification and use.

The total soundwood volume that becomes non-recoverable when stems break into pieces too small to be handled economically under current methods.

COAST 

In British Columbia, the coast refers to the mainland west of the Cascade Mountains and Coast Mountains, and to the offshore islands.

CONIFEROUS

Refers to a tree belonging to the order Coniferales (italics) in the botanical subdivision Gymnospermae, bearing cones and needle-shaped leaves, usually evergreen, and producing timber known commercially as 'softwood'.

CROWN LAND

Land that is the property of the Crown and is administered by the Province of British Columbia in the right of the Crown.

DECAY 

The decomposition of wood substance by fungi, chemicals, or heat. Three stages of decay are recognized: incipient, advanced, and final. In the incipient (bold) stage, affected wood may appear quite sound or hard, the only visible evidence of attack, if any, being a slight or pronounced change colour. At the advanced (bold) stage of decay, the strength of the wood has been so seriously affected that it is easily broken and can often be crumbled between the fingers. In the final (bold) stage of decay, destruction of the heartwood may be complete, leaving only a shell of sound sapwood.

DECIDUOUS

Refers to trees belonging to the botanical group Angiospermae (italics) with broad leaves usually shed annually. Also, stands of such trees and wood produced from them.

FOREST LAND 

Productive and non-productive land primarily intended for growing, or currently supporting forest. Land classified as forest land under Section 4 of the Forest Act (underline).

FOREST REGION

A Forest Region established by regulation. For administrative purposes, the province is divided into six Forest Regions: Cariboo, Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, Prince Rupert, and Vancouver.

IMMATURE 

Stands with lodgepole pine and whitebark pine or a deciduous species as the leading species are immature when the stand is less than 81 years old. Otherwise, all stands having conifers other than lodgepole pine and whitebark pine as the leading species are immature when the stand age is less than 121 years old.


INTERIOR

In British Columbia, the interior refers to the area east of the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Mountains.

INVENTORY, FOREST

A survey of a forest area to determine such data as area, condition, timber volume and species, for specific purposes such as planning, purchase, evaluation, management, or harvesting.

LAND ADMINISTRATION CLASS (LAC)  

For provincial land, includes timber supply area, tree farm license, park, and other classes. For federal land, includes national parks, Indian reserves, military reserves, and other classes.

LEADING SPECIES

The primary species based on whole stem volume, on stem count, or on basal area.

MATURE 

Stands with lodgepole pine or a deciduous species as the leading species are mature when the stand is greater than 80 years old. Otherwise, all stands having conifers other than lodgepole pine and whitebark pine as the leading species are mature when the stand age is greater than 120 years old.

NON-COMMERCIAL (NC) 

Productive forest land covered with non-commercial tree species or non-commercial brush.

NON-COMMERCIAL BRUSH

Productive forest land that is 60 percent or more covered by brush one or more meters high.

NON-FOREST LAND

Land not primarily intended for growing or supporting forest. Includes alpine, rock, slide, non-productive burn, non-productive brush, swamp or muskeg, cultivated, cleared, urban, open range, wild hay meadow, clay bank, gravel bar, and other categories.

NON-PRODUCTIVE FOREST LAND

Forest land that is not capable of producing a merchantable stand within a reasonable length of time. Includes alpine forest, non-productive land covered with commercial species, deciduous and/or coniferous.

NOT SATISFACTORILY RESTOCKED (NSR)

Understocked productive forest land covered with insufficient trees of acceptable, commercial species.

NOT STOCKED

Not stocked productive forest land. Includes not satisfactorily restocked (NSR) areas on which forest stands have been disturbed by harvesting, wildfire, or other causes and have not been restocked with sufficient trees of acceptable, commercial species. The area for NSR lands includes current and backlog (pre 1982) NSR. Anticipated regeneration delay may be between one to seven years on current NSR lands. Also includes non-commercial areas either covered with commercial tree species or 60 percent or more with brush one or more meters high.

NTA

Definition under construction

OWNERSHIP 

Provincial (bold) Non-alienated lands administered by the Province of British Columbia:

• Lands on which the Forest Service can dispose of timber values. Crown land with timber values subject to regulation and disposition by the Forest Service. These include timber supply areas, and areas where the harvest is not yet regulated. These areas include vacant Crown Land, timber sales, grazing permits, and grazing leases.
• Lands on which the Forest Service does not dispose of timber values. Crown lands with timber values not subject to direct public disposition by the Forest Service. Such lands include: provincial parks, tree farm licenses excluding Crown grants in schedule "A", government reserves, temporary tenures (leases, licenses, and timber berths, etc.) and farm woodlots and municipal land exclusive of Crown granted land.
• Land on which the Forest Service is restricted in the disposition of timber values. Such lands include some government reserves.

Federal (bold) Alienated lands including: national parks, Indian reserves, military reserves and other lands controlled by agencies of the federal government.
Private (bold) Alienated lands (Crown grants) for which the title is held in fee simple, including Crown granted lands within tree farm licenses (schedule "A").
Also see LAND ADMINISTRATION CLASS, TIMBER SUPPLY AREA, and TREE FARM LICENSE

PRODUCTIVE FOREST LAND 

Forest land that is capable of producing a merchantable stand within a reasonable length of time.

SITE CLASS 

The measure of the relative productive capacity of a site for a particular crop or stand, generally based on tree height at a given age.

SOUNDWOOD WASTE (W2)

The soundwood associated with decay, considered to be present only when the decay volume of a tree exceeds 50 percent of the gross close volume.

SUPPLY BLOCK

A division of the timber supply area

TFL 

See TREE FARM LICENSE

TREE FARM LICENSE (TFL)

Privately managed sustained yield units in which the Crown adds forest land to the company's private holdings (if any) sufficient to provide a continuous supply of wood for an existing or planned mill. The private and Crown lands comprising the license are described as schedule "A" lands or schedule "B" lands. Schedule "A" lands are Crown granted lands (privately owned lands) or Crown lands with timber alienated (such as licensees, leases, and timber berths) which are now included in the license area. Schedule "B" lands are Crown lands on which the timber is fully committed by the Province to the licensee. A tree farm license means a tree farm license entered into under Part 3, Division (5), or under the former Act, and includes a forest management license entered into before January 1, 1958.

TSA

See TIMBER SUPPLY AREA

TIMBER SUPPLY AREA (TSA)

An area of the province created by the Ministry of Forests for the purpose of analysis, planning, and management of timber resources. Boundaries have been determined on the basis of present and expected population centers, transportation networks, manufacturing facilities, and existing administrative boundaries.

TSB

See SUPPLY BLOCK

TIMBER SUPPLY BLOCK

See SUPPLY BLOCK

UTILIZATION LEVEL 

Definition under construction

VOLUME 

The amount of wood in a tree, stand, or other specified area, according to some unit of measurement or some standard of use. The unit of measurement may be expressed as cubic meters or cubic meters per hectare. The standard use may be pulpwood or sawtimber. Usually expressed inside bark and according to different specifications. Gross total (bold) Volume of the main stem, including stump and top, as well as defective and decayed wood of trees and stands. Gross merchantable (bold) Volume of the main stem, excluding stump and top, but including defective and decayed wood of trees and stands. Net merchantable (bold) Volume of the main stem, excluding stump and top, as well as defective and decayed wood of trees and stands Per hectare (bold) Volume of wood (close utilization less decay, waste, and breakage) per hectare calculated fro the area specified.

WASTE 

The total volume of soundwood that is unusable because of its proximity to decay exceeding 50 percent of the volume of a log or tree. See SOUNDWOOD WASTE