DEFINITIONS OF
H. Gyde Lund (coordinator)
Forest Information Services
Email: gyde@comcast.net
Web site: http://home.comcast.net/~gyde/index.html
Last updated: 21 November 2009
Abstract: The Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) held 1-11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan
calls for, among other things, the reporting on emission sinks resulting
"from direct human-induced land use change and forestry activities,
limited to afforestation, reforestation and deforestation since 1990." The
FCCC Secretariat called for clarification of the use of these terms as they are
used in various parts of the world [see: http://www.unfccc.de, Official
Documents, Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)
Document FCCC/SBSTA/1998/INF.1].
We initially
developed this paper at the request of Dr. H. Fred Kaiser, USDA Forest Service
in 1998. It has since been continuosly updated to since then. This paper lists various definitions that
have been used or are in use for deforestation, afforestation, and
reforestation. To have a clear understanding of these terms, we also need to
define tree, forest, degradation and other terms. The definitions we present
were derived from a search via the Internet, from individual input and from
Prüller (1996). We list the sources used and additional contacts at the end of
this paper. We also present a short discussion and comparison at the end of
each set of definitions. See also http://home.comcast.net/~gyde/pristine.htm,
http://home.comcast.net/~gyde/moredef.htm,
and http://home.comcast.net/~gyde/LFCreport.html.
Our thanks to all
those who responded to our emails and provided valuable input.
Keywords: Climate
change, forest, tree, afforestation, deforestation, reforestation, plantations.
Cite as:
Search for
definitions: forest,
tree, forest
summary, woodland, afforestation,
deforestation,reforestation,
other terms.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. BASIC TERMS
2.
1 LAND COVER
2.2
LAND USE
2.3 FOREST/FOREST
LAND
2.3.1 General
definitions
2.3.1.1
As a declared, legal, or administrative unit
2.3.1.2
As a land cover type
2.3.1.3
As a land use type
2.3.1.4 Ecological/Miscellaneous Definitions
2.3.2 International
definitions
2.3.2.1
As a declared, legal, or administrative unit
2.3.2.2
As a land cover type
2.3.2.3
As a land use type
2.3.2.4 Ecological/Miscellaneous Definitions
2.3.3 National
definitions
2.3.3.1
As a declared, legal, or administrative unit
2.3.3.2
As a land cover type
2.3.3.3
As a land use type
2.3.3.4 Ecological/Miscellaneous Definitions
2.3.4 State,
province and local definitions.
2.3.4.1
As a declared, legal, or administrative unit
2.3.4.2
As a land cover type
2.3.4.3
As a land use type
2.3.4.4 Ecological/Miscellaneous Definitions
2.3.5
Questions
2.4
TREE
2.4.1
Definitions
2.4.2 Summary
table
2.4.3
Questions
2.5 WOODS,
WOODLAND, OTHER WOODED LANDS (OWL)
2.6
NON-FOREST
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.10
2.11
STOCKING
2.12
FORESTRY
2.13
GROVE.
2.14
STAND
3. ACTION TERMS
3.1 AFFORESTATION
3.1.1
Legal Term
3.1.2
Land Cover
3.1.3
Land Cover and Use
3.1.4
Summary table
3.1.5
Questions
3.2 DEFORESTATION
3.2.1
As a change in legal status
3.2.2
As a change in land cover
3.2.3
As a change in land use
3.2.4As
a change in land cover and use
3.2.5
Other
3.2.6
Summary table
3.2.7
Questions
3.3
DEGRADATION (See http://home.comcast.net/~gyde/pristine.htm)
3.4
FORESTATION
3.5 REFORESTATION
3.5.1
Restoration of Land Cover
3.5.
2 Restoration of Land Cover and Use
3.5.3
Summary table
3.5.4
Questions
3.6
REGENERATION
3.6.1
By natural methods only
3.6.2
By any method
3.6.3
Questions
4. OTHER TERMS
5. DISCUSSION
5.1
Illustrations
5.2.
Basic Needs
5.3 Implications and Interpretations
5.3.1
From a Land Use Interpretation
5.3.2
From a Land Cover Interpretation
5.4
Summary table
5.5
Considerations
6. FINAL QUESTIONS AND
OBSERVATIONS
7. REFERENCES
1. INTRODUCTION
Our search focused
on the key terms - forest, afforestation, deforestation and reforestation.
However, we found that we need to discuss and have a common of understanding of
other terms as well. Groupings are based upon literal interpretations of the
definitions. The decision on which terms and definitions presented here must be
considered in light with the end point in mind. Most importantly, we need a
clear understanding of what it is that we are interested in and how we wish to
use the information. It may turn out that none of the terms listed below are
what is needed.
2. BASIC TERMS
Before we can get
into a discussion of Afforestation, Deforestation, and Afforestation, we need
to have an understanding of some basic terms and concepts. These include land -
(the terrestrial bio-productive system that comprises soil vegetation, other
biota, and the ecological and hydrological processes that operate within the
system (Convention to Combat Desertification)), land use, land cover, tree,
forest, natural forest, semi-natural forest, plantation, stocking and forestry.
Here are some of the definitions we found:
1.
Land
- (European Environment
Agency) Land - The terrestrial bio-productive system that comprises soil
vegetation, other biota, and the ecological and hydrological processes that
operate within the system. http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/EEAGlossary/L/land
2.
Land
- (UN-FA0 2004) A delineable area encompassing all attributes of the
biosphere immediately above or below the earth surface, including the soil,
terrain, surface hydrology, the near-surface climate, sediments and associated
groundwater reserve, the biological resource, as well as the human settlements
pattern and infrastructure resulting from human activity. Ponce Hernandez and Koohafkan (FAO, 2004) http://www.fao.org/nr/lada/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=15&Itemid=157
3.
Land - (UN-FAO 1995 and 1997) A delineable area of the earths terrestrial
surface, encompassing all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or
below this surface, including those of the near-surface climate, the soil and
terrain forms, the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes,
and swamps), the near-surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater
reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and
physical results of past and present human activity (terracing, water storage
or drainage structures, roads, buildings, etc.). (FAO 1995, 6). http://www.rri.wvu.edu/WebBook/Briassoulis/contents.htm
(W.
Sombroek, Land resources evaluation and the role of land-related indicators,
FAO Land and Water Bulletin 5, 1997) http://www.fao.org/nr/lada/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=15&Itemid=157
4.
Land - (USA-FED-U.S. Bureau of the Census) Dry land and land
temporarily or partly covered by water such as marshes, swamps, and river flood
plains (omitting tidal flats below mean high tide); streams, slough, estuaries,
and canals less than one eight of a statute mile wide; and lakes, reservoirs,
and ponds less than 40 acres in area. http://ifdc.nres.uiuc.edu/publications/pdf/forestresources02/pg81-86.pdf
5.
Land - A delineable area of the earth's terrestrial
surface, encompassing all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or
below this surface, including those of the near-surface climate, the soil and
terrain forms, the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes
and swamps), the near-surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater
reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and
physical results of past and present human activity (terracing, water storage
or drainage structures, roads, buildings, etc.). http://www.ecs.co.sz/seap/env_articles_policy_pliwgr_intro.htm
and www.pamagic.org/DataStds/Current/DataStandards_LandUse_05-22-02.pdf
6.
Land - An area of the earth's surface, the
characteristics of which embrace all reasonably stable, or predictably
cyclic, attributes of the biosphere vertically above and below this area,
including those of the atmosphere, the soil and underlying geology, the
hydrology, the plant and animal populations, and the results of past and
present human activity, to the extent that these attributes exert a
significant influence on present and future uses of the land by humans. www.itc.nl/~rossiter/teach/glossary.html
and http://www.css.cornell.edu/landeval/glossary.htm
7.
Land
- The physical environment, including
climate, relief, soils, hydrology and vegetation, to the extent that these influence
potential for land use. (Mücher et al 1993).
8.
Land
classification is based on
the status of the land at the time of inventory, ignoring the possibilities for
production increasing measures. Expected changes in land use must also be
ignored unless they have already taken place http://www-markinfo.slu.se/eng/soildes/ago/agodef.html
9.
Land
conversion - A change in land
use, function, or purpose (Washington Department of Ecology, 1992). http://www.p2pays.org/ref%5C04%5C03686/ch4-8.html
10. Land cover
or land use class - An abstract representation of specific land cover or land
use defined by classification criteria. It is important to note that several
land use classes may be associated with a single land cover class. For example,
a specific map unit classified as forest may be associated with several land
use classes, such as wood production, watershed protection, tourism, etc.
(Kalensky et al. 2002).
11. Land
Cover/use (USA-FED-USDA and Census Bureau). A term that includes categories of
land cover and categories of land use. Land cover is the vegetation or
other kind of material that covers the land surface. Land use is the
purpose of human activity on the land; it is usually, but not always, related
to land cover. The NRI uses the term "land cover/use" to identify the
categories that account for all the surface area in the
2.1 LAND COVER
1.
(
2.
(
3. (European Environment Agency) - Land cover corresponds to a (bio)physical description of the earth's surface. It is that which overlays or currently covers the ground. This description enables various biophysical categories to be distinguished - basically, areas of vegetation (trees, bushes, fields, lawns), bare soil, hard surfaces (rocks, buildings) and wet areas and bodies of water (watercourses, wetlands). http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/EEAGlossary/L/land_cover and http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/landscape/gloss.htm
4.
(OECD) Land cover reflects the (bio) physical
dimension of the earths surface and corresponds in some regard to the notion
of ecosystems. Typical examples for land cover categories are built-up areas,
grassland, forests or rivers and lakes. http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=6489
5.
(UN-EP) The physical attributes of the land that can
be seen readily as opposed to the land use which describes a pattern of human
activities undertaken within a social and economic context. http://www.eapap.unep.org/lc/cd/html/training/module1.html
6.
(UN-EP/EAP.AP) Land cover can simply be defined as
"the physical attributes of the land that can be seen readily as opposed
to the land use which describes a pattern of human activities undertaken within
a social and economic context" http://www.rrcap.unep.org/lc/cd/html/training/module1.html
7.
(USA-FED-Climate Change Science Program) The vegetation and
artificial built-up materials covering the land surface. This includes areas of
vegetation (forests, shrublands, crops, deserts, lawns), bare soil, developed
surfaces (paved land, buildings), and wet areas and bodies of water
(watercourses, wetlands). http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final/annexd.htm#L
8.
(USA-FED-EPA)
The ecological status and physical structure of vegetation on the land surface.
What can be seen on the landscape - essentially the vegetation and other
physical characteristics. Land cover is often mapped using remotely sensed data
as cover types can be delineated based on appearance or their spectral
reflectance. 2006. http://www.epa.gov/urban/glossary.htm,
http://www.epa.gov/indicate/roe/html/roeAppDf.htm#f,
and http://www.epa.gov/indicators/roe/html/roeGlossL.htm.
9.
(USA-FED-NASA)-
The characteristics of a land surface as determined by its spectral signature
(the unique way in which a given type of land cover reflects and absorbs
light). http://eobglossary.gsfc.nasa.gov/Library/glossary.php3?mode=alpha&seg=l&segend=n
10. (USA-FED-USDA) The vegetation or other kind of
material that covers the land surface. ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NCGC/products/nri/2004range/chapter6.pdf
11. (USA-FED-USDA-NRCS)
The vegetation or other kind of material that covers the land surface. http://199.156.157.191/nri/blcu.htm
and http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/nri/blcu.htm
12. (USA-FED-USDI-USGS)
The habitat or vegetation type present, such as forest, agriculture, and
grassland. http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/lu106.htm
13. Broad land use classes interpreted from
satellite data. The land cover classes used in this report are dense forest,
open forest, scrub and nonforest. http://envfor.nic.in/nfc/s-git.pdf.
14. Land cover -
The physical coverage of land, usually expressed in terms of vegetation cover
or lack of it. Related to, but not synonymous with, land use. http://ma.caudillweb.com/proxy/Document.782.aspx
15. Land cover generally refers to actual
ground cover, eg, vegetation, crops, urban areas and open water. It also
includes associations of the Earth's surface and its cover, such as forests,
which are composites of various covers. The term reef zone is often used in
reef mapping in place of land cover. http://ceos.cnes.fr:8100/cdrom-00b/ceos1/science/glossary/glossl.htm
16. Land Cover is the type of material
present on the landscape. Materials such as water, different types of
vegetation, soil, and man-made materials like asphalt (Jensen 2005). http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/teaching/es6973/project/jayar1.pdf.
17. Land cover is the biophysical state of the earths surface and
immediate subsurface" (Turner et al. 1995, 20). In other words, land
cover "describes the physical state of the land surface: as in
cropland, mountains, or forests" (Meyer 1995, 25 cited in Moser 1996,
247). Meyer and Turner (1994) add: "it embraces, for example, the quantity
and type of surface vegetation, water, and earth materials (Meyer and Turner
1994, 5). Moser (1996) notes that: "The term originally referred to the
type of vegetation that covered the land surface, but has broadened
subsequently to include human structures, such as buildings or pavement, and
other aspects of the physical environment, such as soils, biodiversity, and
surfaces and groundwater" (Moser 1996, 247). http://www.rri.wvu.edu/WebBook/Briassoulis/contents.htm
18. Refers to the properties of a portion
of the surface of the earth. For example, we can describe an area as covered in
grassland, forests, or desert. http://www.cara.psu.edu/tools/glossary.asp
19. That which
overlays or currently covers the ground, especially vegetation, permanent snow
and ice fields, water bodies, or structures. Barren land is also considered a
land cover although technically it is lack of cover. The term land cover can
be thought of as applying to the setting in which action (one or more different
land uses) takes place (USDA Forest Service 1989).
20. The actual
distribution of vegetation, water, desert, ice, and other physical features of
the land, including those created by human activities. http://ww2.iai.int/eblw1.htm
21. The
biophysical state of the earths surface and immediate subsurface http://www.idg.suny.edu/HO%20submit%20SensitiveSens%2012%2017Porro.htm.
22. The
composition of the features of the earth's surface. (Cihlar and Jansen 2001).
23. The
ecological state and physical appearance of the land surface (e.g., closed
forests, open forests, or grasslands) (Turner and Meyer 1994)
24. The natural
landscape recorded as surface components: forest, water, wetlands, urban, etc.
Land cover can be documented by analyzing spectral signatures of satellite and
aerial imagery. http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/lca/faq_data.html#LULC
25. The observed
(bio) physical cover on the earth's surface. Also aspects describing land
itself rather than land cover have been included (e.g. bare areas, waterbodies,
etc.) because in practice the scientific community is used to describe those
aspects under the term land cover (Di Gregorio and Jansen 1997, 1998, Jansen
and Di Gregorio 1998, Choudhury and Jansen 1998.).
26. The observed
(bio)physical cover on the earths surface. In the strict sense, land cover is confined to
vegetation and man-made features; bare rock or bare soils are describing land
itself rather than land cover and it is also disputable whether water surfaces
can be considered real land cover. However, in practice, the scientific
community usually describes those aspects within the term land cover. http://www.glcn-lccs.org/index.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2.
27. The observed
physical and biological cover of the Earth's land as vegetation or man-made
features. http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/SPM_SRLULUCF.pdf
and http://www.bib.fsagx.ac.be/coste21/glossary.html
28. The physical coverage of land, usually
expressed in terms of vegetation cover or lack of it. Related to, but not
synonymous with, land
use. http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/jkl/land-cover.htm
29. The physical state of the land,
including the quantity and type of surface vegetation, water, and earth
materials. http://www.aag.org/hdgc/www/intro/glossary/glossary.html.
30. The surface cover whether vegetation, water, bare soil, urban development or other. Identifying,
delineating and mapping land cover is important for global monitoring studies, resource management,
and planning activities. http://hosting.soonet.ca/eliris/remotesensing/bl130lec6.html
31. The type of
surface layer of the specific land area, including vegetation, barren land,
open water bodies and artificial surfaces, that can be observed in the field
and recorded by aerial or satellite remote sensing. (Kalensky et al. 2002)
32. The
vegetation (natural or planted) or man made constructions (buildings, etc.)
which occur on the earth surface. Water, ice, bare rock, sand and similar
surfaces also count as land cover. www.pamagic.org/DataStds/Current/DataStandards_LandUse_05-22-02.pdf
33. The vegetational and artificial constructions covering
the land surface (Burley, 1961). It thus includes cultural (buildings,
artifacts, fields), vegetational (grass, shrubs, trees) and other (water,
burned objects and areas, soil , lithology) features on the Earth's surface.
(Mücher et al 1993)
34. The
vegetative, natural or artificial construction covering the land surface. http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/landuse/corporatelanduse/corporatelanduse-03.htm#a
35. Usually used
to denote the nature of the Earth's surface in areas where the natural
environment is dominant. http://surf.tstc.edu/~rcozby/GPS/ap_terms.htm#L
36. Land-cover change - a change from one class of land cover
to another (conversion), such as from grassland to cropland, or a change
of condition within a land cover category (modification), such as the
thinning of a forest. http://www.aag.org/hdgc/www/intro/glossary/glossary.html
37. Land cover
change (USA-FED-UDSI-USGS) describes differences in the area occupied by cover
types through time. http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/lu106.htm
38. Land cover
classification - A process of stratification and systematic grouping of
land cover into multi-level, mutually exclusive classes according to selected
criteria. It is independent of map scale, data source and geographic area.
(Kalensky et al. 2002).
39. Land cover map legend - A subset of land cover classes compatible with the
map scale, map type (forest map, forest change map, agricultural land map, land
degradation map, etc.) and map accuracy requirements. Furthermore, the map
legend is specific to a geographic area of the map. (Kalensky et al. 2002).
2. 2 LAND USE
1.
(European
Environment Agency) - Land use corresponds to the socio-economic description
(functional dimension) of areas: areas used for residential, industrial or
commercial purposes, for farming or forestry, for recreational or conservation
purposes, etc. Links with land cover are possible; it may be possible to infer
land use from land cover and conversely. But situations are often complicated
and the link is not so evident. Contrary to land cover, land use is difficult
to 'observe'. For example, it is often difficult to decide if grasslands are
used or not for agricultural purposes. Distinctions between land use and land
cover and their definition have impacts on the development of classification
systems, data collection and information systems in general. http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/EEAGlossary/L/land_use
and http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/landscape/gloss.htm
2.
(European
Environment Agency) The socio-economic description (functional dimension) of
areas: areas used for residential, industrial or commercial purposes, for
farming or forestry, for recreational or conservation purposes, etc. Links with
land cover are possible; it may be possible to infer land use from land cover
and conversely. But situations are often complicated and the link is not so
evident. Contrary to land cover, land use is difficult to "observe".
For example, it is often difficult to decide if grasslands are used or not for
agricultural purposes. Distinctions between land use and land cover and their
definition have impacts on the development of classification systems, data
collection and information systems in general. http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/landscape/gloss.htm
3.
(European
Union) Corresponds to the socio-economic description (functional dimension) of
areas: areas used for residential, industrial or commercial purposes, for
farming or forestry, for recreational or conservation purposes, etc. Links with
land cover are possible; it may be possible to infer land use from land cover
and conversely. But situations are often complicated and the link is not so
evident. Contrary to land cover, land use is difficult to 'observe'. For
example, it is often difficult to decide if grasslands are used or not for
agricultural purposes. Distinctions between land use and land cover and their
definition have impacts on the development of classification systems, data collection
and information systems in general. http://epaedia.eea.europa.eu/glossary.php?letter=L&gid=92#viewterm
4.
(European
Union) For land use, various approaches are proposed into the literature. Two
main "schools" may be distinguished. Land use in terms of functional
dimension corresponds to the description of areas in terms of their
socio-economic purpose: areas used for residential, industrial or commercial
purposes, for farming or forestry, for recreational or conservation purposes,
etc. Links with land cover are possible; it may be possible to infer land use
from land cover and conversely. But situations are often complicated and the
link is not so evident. Another approach, termed sequential, has been
particularly developed for agricultural purposes. The definition is a series of
operations on land, carried out by humans, with the intention to obtain
products and/or benefits through using land resources. For example a sequence
of operations such as ploughing, seeding, weeding, fertilising and harvesting
(MÜCHER et al. 1993). Contrary to land cover, land use is difficult to
"observe". For example, it is often difficult to decide if grasslands
are used or not for agricultural purposes. The information coming from the
source of observation may not be sufficient and may require additional
information. In the case of agricultural use, farmers may bring information,
for example if cattle are present or not, if they are grazing. It is also
possible to use characteristics on the spot indicating the presence or absence
of cattle. For the FUNCTIONAL approach, inference from land cover may be
helpful. For the SEQUENTIAL approach, a more exhaustive recording of various
attributes will be needed, for example a multi-temporal approach. In the
following, land use will be understood as FUNCTIONAL. http://circa.europa.eu/irc/dsis/coded/info/data/coded/en/gl009961.htm
5.
(IPCC
- 2003) The total of arrangements, activities and inputs undertaken (a set of
human actions) in a certain land cover type. The term land use is also used
in the sense of the social and economic purposes for which land is managed (e.g.,
grazing, timber extraction, and conservation). (Source: Second Order Draft Glossary
IPCC WGI Fourth Assessment Rept. http://www.junkscience.com/draft_AR4/GLOSSARY_SOD_TSU_FINAL.pdf)
6.
(IPCC) The social and economic purposes for which
land is managed (e.g., grazing, timber extraction, conservation). http://www.bib.fsagx.ac.be/coste21/glossary.html
and http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/SPM_SRLULUCF.pdf
7.
(IPCC) The total of arrangements, activities, and
inputs undertaken in a certain land cover type (a set of human actions). http://www.bib.fsagx.ac.be/coste21/glossary.html
and http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/SPM_SRLULUCF.pdf
8.
(OECD)
Land use is based on the functional dimension of land for different human
purposes or economic activities. Typical categories for land use are dwellings,
industrial use, transport, recreational use or nature protection areas. http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=6493
9.
(UN-EP)
- The total of arrangements, activities and inputs undertaken in a
certain land cover type (a set of human actions). The social and economic
purposes for which land is managed (e.g., grazing, timber extraction, and
conservation). http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/518.htm
10. (UN-FAO-2005)
Land use: classification of land
according to the activity undertaken on the land (paragraphs 11.2011.39). http://www.fao.org/es/ess/census/PROGwca2010/glossary_r7.pdf
11. (USA-DOT-FHWA) - Refers to the
manner in which portions of land or the structures on them are used, i.e.
commercial, residential, retail, industrial, etc. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/glossary/glossary_listing.cfm?TitleStart=L
12. (USA-FED-Climate
Change Science Program) The total of arrangements, activities, and
inputs undertaken in a certain land cover type (a set of human actions). The
social and economic purposes for which land is managed (e.g., grazing, timber
extraction, and conservation). http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final/annexd.htm#L U
13. (USA-FED-EPA) Describes how a piece of land is managed or used by humans. The degree to which the land reflects human activities (e.g., residential and industrial development, roads, mining, timber harvesting, agriculture, grazing, etc.). http://www.epa.gov/indicate/roe/html/roeAppDf.htm#f and http://www.epa.gov/indicators/roe/html/roeGlossL.htm
14. (USA-FED-EPA) The degree to which the
land reflects human activities (e.g., residential and industrial development,
roads, mining, timber harvesting, agriculture, grazing, etc.). Land use
describes how a piece of land is managed or used by humans. Land use is
generally locally regulated in the U.S. based on zoning and other regulations.
Land use mapping differs from land cover mapping in that it is not always
obvious what the land use is from visual inspection. 2006. http://www.epa.gov/urban/glossary.htm
15. (USA-FED-USDA) The purpose of human
activity on the land; it is usually, but not always, related to land cover. The
NRI uses the term "land cover/use" to identify the categories that
account for all the surface area in the
16. (USA-FED-USDI-NRCS)
The purpose of human activity on the land; it is usually, but not always,
related to land cover. http://199.156.157.191/nri/blcu.htm
and http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/nri/blcu.htm
17. A particular
manner of using land, such as for residences or recreation. http://ohia.com/ohia/roadshows/sky/glossary.htm
18. A series of
operations on land, carried out by humans, with the intention to obtain
products and/or benefits through using land resources.
www.pamagic.org/DataStds/Current/DataStandards_LandUse_05-22-02.pdf
and (de Bie 2000).
19. A term used
to describe the various ways in which human beings make use of the land and its
resources, including farming, mining, building, or grazing sheep and cattle. http://www.enviroliteracy.org/landuse.html
20. Current or
intended statutory use or tenure of land. http://www.glenelg-hopkins.vic.gov.au/catchmentprofile/glossary.asp
21. How land is
used. It might be for:ˇ buildings, such as a housing estate, ˇ industrial
purposes, such as factories,ˇ leisure, such as a sports centre,ˇ agriculture,
such as an orchard http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/eco-exp/glossary.html#land
22. How people use the Earth's surface
(e.g., urban, rural, agricultural, range, forest); often subdivided into
specific uses (e.g., retail, low-density housing, industrial). http://www.nmlites.org/standards/socialstudies/glossary.html
23. Human
activities which are directly related to land, making use of its resources or
having an impact upon it. http://www.wocat.org/ftp/ISCOmap.pdf
24. Involves both
the manner in which the biophysical attributes of the land are manipulated and
the intent underlying that manipulation. http://www.idg.suny.edu/HO%20submit%20SensitiveSens%2012%2017Porro.htm
25. Land "use" is defined in
terms of a specific combination of land activity and land cover. http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/landuse/corporatelanduse/corporatelanduse-03.htm#a
26. Land use involves both the manner in which the biophysical
attributes of the land are manipulated and the intent underlying that
manipulation the purpose for which the land is used" (Turner et al.
1995, 20). In a similar vein, Meyer (1995) states that "land use is
the way in which, and the purpose for which, human beings employ the land and
its resources (Meyer 1995, 25 cited in Moser 1996, 247). Briefly, land use
"denotes the human employment of land" (Turner and Meyer 1994, 5).
Skole (1994) expands further and states that "Land use itself is
the human employment of a land-cover type, the means by which human activity
appropriates the results of net primary production (NPP) as determined by a
complex of socio-economic factors" (Skole 1994, 438). Finally, FAO (1995)
states that "land use concerns the function or purpose for which
the land is used by the local human population and can be defined as the human
activities which are directly related to land, making use of its resources or
having an impact on them" (FAO 1995, 21). http://www.rri.wvu.edu/WebBook/Briassoulis/contents.htm
27. Land use is
characterized by the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a
certain land cover type to produce, change or maintain it. The
definition of land use establishes a direct link between land cover and the
actions of people in their environment. http://www.glcn-lccs.org/index.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2
28. Land Use refers to what
people do on the land surface, such as agriculture, commercial and residential
development, and transportation (Jensen 2005). http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/teaching/es6973/project/jayar1.pdf.
29. Man's
activities on land of which settlements, forestry, agriculture, mining, grazing
and water use are the most predominant http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru12/DEFINE/DEF-ENV.HTM
30. Man's
activities on land which are directly related to land. (Anderson et al. 1976).
31. Refers to how land is utilized by
humans, as in agricultural land use, urban development, or mining. http://www.cara.psu.edu/tools/glossary.asp
32. Refers to the manner in which portions
of land or the structures on them are used, e.g., commercial, residential,
retail, industrial, etc. http://www.raqc.org/more/define.htm#L
33. Specific use
or management-related activity, rather than the vegetation or cover of the
land. The categories of and use are cropland, developed water resource, fish
and wildlife habitat, forestry, industrial/commercial, pastureland (or land
occasionally cut for hay), recreation, residential, and undeveloped land. http://dnr.state.il.us/mines/lrd/guides/farm6.htm
34. The activity land is used for. http://cfpm.org/caves/CAVESWiki/Glossary
35. The
arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover
type to produce, change or maintain it (Di Gregorio and Jansen 1997, 1998,
Jansen and Di Gregorio 1998). A given land use may take place on one, or more than
one, piece of land and several land uses may occur on the same piece of land.
Definition of land use in this way provides a basis for precise and
quantitative economic and environmental impact analysis and permits precise
distinctions between land uses, if required. Lands may be devoid of forest
cover, but may be used for forestry purposes. Similarly, lands may have tree
cover, but not used for forestry use i.e. "urban forests."
36. The current use of an area of land.
This term is different to, but often confused with, land cover. http://ceos.cnes.fr:8100/cdrom-00b/ceos1/science/glossary/glossl.htm
37. The
description of human enterprises on the land and water, and may have the
following components: activities (the actual use of land and related structures
and modifications to the landscape); use-related land cover (where cover
implies a use or is important to interpreting patterns or impacts of use);
declared interests in the land (where use decisions may be affected by such
interests); legal entities (legal boundaries, tenures, and regulations that
affect use). http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/landuse/corporatelanduse/corporatelanduse-03.htm#a
38. The
description of the human cultural activities on the land and water. http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/landuse/corporatelanduse/corporatelanduse-03.htm#a
39. The direct interaction/manipulation with/of the
(agro-) ecosystem by man (Mücher et al 1993)
40. The
documentation of human uses of the landscape: residential, commercial, agricultural,
etc. Land use can be inferred but not explicitly derived from satellite and
aerial imagery. There is no spectral basis for land use determination in
satellite imagery. http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/lca/faq_data.html#LULC
41. The
employment of a site or holding so as to derive revenue or other benefits from
it; the delineation by a governing authority of the utilization of the land
within a particular jurisdiction so as to promote the most advantageous
development of the community such as industrial, residential, commercial,
recreational and other uses under a plan. (HUDCC) http://www.nscb.gov.ph/peenra/Publications/Compendium/glossary.PDF
42. The function
for which the land is rendered in the attempt to satisfy some human wants. http://anmf.web1000.com/BIBLIOGRAPHY%20ON%20AFRICA%20MOUNTAINS.html
43. The human
activity that is associated with a specific land unit, in terms of utilization,
impacts or management practices (Thompson 1996).
44. The human employment of land; includes
settlements, cultivation, pasture, rangeland, and recreation, among others. http://www.aag.org/hdgc/www/intro/glossary/glossary.html
45. The human
employment of the land (Meyer and Turner 1992).
46. The human use of a piece of land for a
certain purpose (such as irrigated agriculture or recreation). Influenced by,
but not synonymous with, land cover. http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/jkl/land-use.htm
47. The human use
of a piece of land for a certain purpose (such as irrigated agriculture or
recreation). Influenced by, but not synonymous with, land cover. http://ma.caudillweb.com/proxy/Document.782.aspx
48. The intent
and management strategy placed on a land cover type (Turner, et al. 1995).
49. The nature of
the Earth's surface in areas where the human imprint upon land is dominant. http://surf.tstc.edu/~rcozby/GPS/ap_terms.htm#L
50. The
predominant purpose for which an area is employed (USDA Forest Service 1989).
51. The purpose
for which a specific land area is used by people; the socio-economic function of
such an area. (Kalnensky et al. 2002).
52. The purpose the land serves,
for example, recreation,
wildlife habitat, or agriculture, urban development, and mostly areas impacted by human
activity. Knowledge of land use helps us to develop strategies to balance conservation, conflicting uses, and developmental pressures. Some of the
issues which are of concern include the removal or disturbance of productive land,
urban encroachment, and depletion of forests. http://hosting.soonet.ca/eliris/remotesensing/bl130lec6.html
53. The purpose
to which land is put by humans (e.g., protected areas, forestry for timber
products, plantations, row-crop agriculture, pastures, or human settlements)
(Turner and Meyer 1994). Change in land use may or may not cause a significant
change in land cover. For example, change from selectively harvested forest to
protected forest will not cause much discernible cover change in the short
term, but change to cultivated land will cause a large change in cover.
54. The type of
human activity taking place at or near the earth's surface. (Cihlar and Jansen
2001).
55. The way in which land is used,
especially in farming and city planning. http://en.mimi.hu/environment/land_use.html
56. The way in
which, and the purposes for which, humans employ the land and its resources
(Meyer 1995).
57. The way land is developed and used in
terms of the kinds of activities allowed (agriculture, residences, industries,
etc.) and the size of buildings and structures permitted. http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/sfep/reports/soe/soegloss.htm
58. The way land is developed and used in
terms of the kinds of anthropogenic activities that occur (e.g., agriculture,
residential areas, industrial areas). http://www.planning.arizona.edu/projects/proj_azcity_glossary.doc
59. Land-use change - (UN-EP) - A change in the use or management
of land by humans, which may lead to a change in land cover. Land cover and
land-use change may have an impact on the 
albedo, evapotrans-piration,
sources and
sinks of greenhouse
gases, or other properties of the climate
system and may thus have an impact on climate, locally or globally. See also:
the IPCC Report on Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (IPCC, 2000). http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/518.htm
60. Land-use change - (USA-FED-Climate Change Science
Program) - A change in the use or management of land by humans, which
may lead to a change in land cover. Land cover and land-use change may have an
impact on the albedo, evapotranspiration, sources,
and
sinks of greenhouse gases, or other properties of the climate
system, and may thus have an impact on climate,
locally or globally. http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final/annexd.htm#L
61. Land-use change - shift to a different land use
or an intensification of an existing one. http://www.aag.org/hdgc/www/intro/glossary/glossary.html
2.3 FOREST/FOREST LAND
-
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin forestis
(silva), outside (forest), from Latin for 
s,
outside. http://www.bartleby.com/61/69/F0256900.html.
In several European languages, the root for(s) today still means outsider
-(e.g. foreigner). http://www.europarl.eu.int/workingpapers/forest/eurfo124_en.htm.
The word forest in Medieval England came to mean land outside cultivation and
belonging by default to the Crown. There is no direct reference to trees or
woodland. http://www.ashdownforest.org/html/conservation.html.
The term "forest" was a legal and did not mean that the whole
area was wooded. http://www.wychwoodproject.org/templates/history.htm
The word foresta appears for the first time in the laws of the
Longobards and the capitularies of Charlemagne, referring not to woodlands in
general but only to the royal game preserves. The obscure Latin verb forestare
meant 'to keep out, to place off limits, to exclude.' In effect, during the
Merovingian period in which the word foresta entered the lexicon, kings
had taken it upon themselves to place public bans on vast tracts of woodlands
in order to insure the survival of their wildlife, which in turn would insure
the survival of a fundamental royal ritual--the hunt.
Manwood in Lawes of the Forest (1598) describes a
forest as a certain territory of woody grounds, fruitful pastures, privileged
for wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase and warren, to rest and abide in the
safe protection of the king, for his princely delight and pleasures.
(Encyclopedia Britannia 1910. p. 645. http://books.google.com/books?id=jhZsJc4z5RkC&pg=PA657&lpg=PA657&dq=hawaii+forestland&source=web&ots=YlCTj-qUZR&sig=PtkyXu4oaaWBg-3k45z2nub3mDs#PPA645,M1
) A 'forest,'
then, was originally a juridical term referring to land that had been placed
off limits by a royal decree. Once a region had been 'afforested,' or declared
a forest, it could not be cultivated, exploited, or encroached upon. It lay
outside the public domain, reserved for the king's pleasure and recreation. In
England it also lay outside the common juridical sphere. Offenders were not
punishable by the common law but rather by a set of very specific 'forest
laws.' The royal forests lay 'outside' in another sense as well, for the space
enclosed by the walls of a royal garden was sometimes called silva, or
wood. Forestis silva meant the unenclosed woods 'outside' the
walls." http://www.ecobooks.com/forests.htm
Table 1 lists terms for
forest, forestland and tree in a multitude of languages from around the world.
|
Table 1 " |
|||
|
Language |
|
|
Tree |
|
Africkkaans |
Bos |
|
Boom |
|
Albanian |
Dru; pyll |
|
Dru; pemë |
|
Aotearoa NZ |
bush |
|
|
|
Arabic |
Ghabah; غابة |
ard ghabawyah; milk ghabawee |
Shajarah; شجرة |
|
Aragones |
|
|
árbol; abre |
|
Armenian |
antar |
Antarayin khogher |
tsar |
|
Aymara |
|
|
khokga |
|
Azeri |
|
|
ağac |
|
Bahasa |
hutan |
|
pokok |
|
Basque |
baso |
|
zuhaitz |
|
Belarusan |
les |
|
dreva |
|
Bemba |
seebeebe |
|
alulankula |
|
Bengali |
jungle |
jungle bhoomi |
gachh |
|
Berber |
'ari |
|
|
|
Brazilian Portuguese |
mata, floresta |
|
árvore |
|
Breton |
koad; koadeg, |
|
gwezenn |
|
Bulgarian |
Gora; Гора |
ăîđŕ çĺě˙ |
Dyrvo; дърво |
|
Byelorussian |
|
|
дрэва |
|
Calabrese |
|
|
arburu ; arberu ; arvulu |
|
Caló |
|
|
arberuqué; erulé; caté; eruqué |
|
Catalan |
Floresta, fusta |
|
arbre |
|
Cebuano |
kakahoyan; kalasangan |
|
kahoy |
|
Chechen |
hwu |
|
ditt |
|
Cheyenne |
|
|
hoohtsęstse |
|
Chinese |
lin; lam |
|
bo; bi; baak |
|
Chorti |
tah |
|
te |
|
Corsican |
|
|
ŕrburu; črburu; ŕlberu; ŕrboru |
|
Croatian |
uma |
uma prizemljiti |
Stablo; drvo |
|
Czech |
les |
zalesněná půda |
Strom; dřevo |
|
Danish |
skov |
skov lande |
trć |
|
Drow |
|
|
lorug |
|
Dutch |
bos |
bosland |
boom |
|
Elvish |
taure |
|
alda |
|
Emiliano-Romagnolo |
|
|
elber |
|
Esperanto |
arbaro |
|
Arba; arbo |
|
Estonian |
mets |
metsamaa |
puud |
|
Farsi |
|
|
derakht |
|
Faroese |
skógur |
|
trć |
|
Fijian |
Vei kau |
|
kau |
Filipino
|
kakahuyan; gubat |
|
punungkahoy; puno |
|
Finnish |
metsä |
metsä |
puu |
|
Flemish |
bos |
|
boom |
|
French |
Foręt; bois; foret |
terre foręt; terre boisée |
arbre |
|
Frisian |
bosk; wâld |
|
beam |
|
Galician |
foresta; bosque |
|
árbore |
|
Gerogian |
ტყე |
|
ხე |
|
German |
Forst; Wald |
forstbetriebsfläche |
baum |
|
Greek |
Hulę; δάσος |
äüóďs ăç |
Dendro; δενδρο |
|
Guarani |
ka'aguy |
|
îvirá; îvirá racä ; yvyra |
|
Hawaiian |
ulu la'au; nahele |
|
la'au; kumula'au; kumu |
|
Hebrew |
řňé |
|
äřĺ÷; çéů- őň |
|
Hindi |
jańgal; vun |
vun-bhoomi |
pér; paed |
|
Homng |
hav zoov |
|
ntoo |
|
Hungarian |
erdő |
erdögazdasági terület |
fa |
|
Icelandic |
Skógur; skógar |
skógur land |
tré |
|
Ilongo |
kagulangan |
|
kahoy |
|
Indonesian |
hutan |
|
Pohon; pokok |
|
Interlingua |
foreste- silva |
|
arbore |
|
Irish |
fhoraoise |
|
crann |
|
Italian |
bosco; foresta |
area
forestale; compresorio forestale; terreno forestale |
albero; pianta |
|
Japanese |
shinrin |
shinrin iki |
jumoku |
|
Japanese Romaji |
rin'yacho_ |
|
Ki, mokuhon |
|
Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay |
|
|
thulu |
|
Kannada |
kadu |
aranya |
gida |
|
Kapampangan |
caquewan |
|
tanaman |
|
Katcha |
tile |
|
fa |
|
Khowar |
|
|
kam |
|
Kurdish |
bESeLan |
|
dar |