Introduction to Forestry

Chapter 1: General Introduction

 Objectives
* By the end of this module, students will have completed the following objectives.

Discuss the basics of forest and forestry.

To be aware of the history of forestry.
Discover and discuss the relationship of each
component in socio-biophysical system.
Discuss the challenges in socio-biophysical system.
Discover and discuss the challenges of forest
components.
Characterize and distinguish the types of forest.
Discuss the importance of forest.
Forestry (Definition)
The scientific management of forests for the
continuous production of goods and services.
Science that encompasses an understanding of the
biology of the tree and the dynamics of the forest.
It requires the application of scientific principle to the
management of forests (Westoby 1989).
The profession embracing the science, art and practice
of creating, managing, using and conserving forests
and associated resources for human benefit in a
sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs and
values.
Forestry and the Socio-biophysical System
People interact with each other as well as with the
physical and biological components of the system
The socio-biophysical system has four major
components
Primary production (ex. Forestry, agroforestry,
agriculture, mining etc.)
Soci0-political
Environmental management/conservation
Industries/manufacturing/commerce subsystems
These four components are interrelated
Whatever happens to one component will affect the
others
Overpopulation or unsustainable production in the
primary production system can adversely affect the
environmental management system and can pose
input supply problems to the industries and other
component.
 Forest (Definition)
A tract of land dominated by trees and associated
flora(plants) and fauna(animals).
A plant community predominantly of trees and other
wood vegetation, growing more or less closely together
(Sharma 1992).
An ecosystem characterized by more or less dense and
extensive tree cover.
An ecosystem with a minimum of 10% crown cover of
trees and/or bamboo generally associated with wild flora,
fauna and natural soil conditions, and not subject to
agricultural practices.
Components of the Forest
Forest consist of living organisms
1. Plants
- They are autotrophs, means that they can make
their own food in the process called photosynthesis
(6CO2 + 6H2O ------> C6H12O6 + 6O2 )
Sunlight energy

- They are called producers as they provide food for

animals, directly or indirectly.
2. Animals
- They are heterotrophs, meaning that they can not produce
their own food, and they can only rely on other organisms. Ex.
Plants
- They are called the consumers, as they rely on plants for their
food.

3. Decomposers
- They are the microscopic living organisms such as bacteria
and fungi
- They are called saprotrophs. They live and rely on dead
plants and animals to survive
Forest Management Bureau
Definition:
Land with an area of more than 0.5 hectare
and tree crown cover of more than 10%.
The trees should be able to reach a minimum
height of 5 meters at maturity in suit. It consist
either of closed forest formations where trees
of various store and undergrowth cover a high
proportion of the ground or open formations
with a continuous vegetation cover in which
tree crown cover exceeds 10%.
Types and distribution of forest
28% (3.6 billion ha) of the world’s land area is covered
with forests
2.9 billion of this are classified closed forests
Land covered mostly by trees having stand density of at
least 20%
700 million ha- open forests or mixed forest-grassland
systems ( at least 10% tree cover)
1.7 billion ha: wooded land, shrublands
Wood vegetation total : 5.3 billion ha
Source: Sharma 1992
Forest can be classified as:
1. Tropical forest
a. Tropical moist forest
b. Tropical dry forest
2. Temperate forest
a. Boreal Forest
b. Mixed Forest
3. Plantation forests
Tropical Forests
Cover 7% of the earth’s surface
Possess the richest diversity of the flora and fauna,
containing about 50% of all species found on earth
Home to million of people including indigenous
groups
Difficult to classify in a way that all scientists will find
satisfactory
These are differentiated based on:
Altitude
Amount and distribution of Rainfall
Soil characteristics
Past climatic history
Degree of human intervention
a. Tropical Moist Forests
1.5 billion ha in areas
Characterized by either year-round rainfall or a short dry
season of at least four months
Can be classified into:
Tropical rainforests
Tropical deciduous forests
Sharma’s (1992) classification based on management
criteria:
Primary forests
Secondary forests
Forest fallow
Tropical rainforests
Accounts 2/3 of all TMF
Found in the tropics with rainfall of at least 1800
mm/year evenly distributed throughout the year
Temperature does not vary much
Not all forests in the tropics are rainforests and highly
complex
Others are dry and more open forest
Some peculiar characteristics according to Jacob (1988)
Generally occur in poor soil
Good in quality but low in quantity
Harvesting of timber my result in severe ecological
damages
Cannot be managed without the loss of a large number of
species
Very fragile- recovery is slow or my not occur
Found in developing countries
Ecosystem are so complex and interactions of different
components are not yet well known
Main regions of TRF
1. American rainforest in the South American continent
Amazonia which is the largest and most intact
2. Southeast Asian region
There is almost no true rainforest in ASIA except in
MALAYA, SOUTHERN-MOST THAILAND and
SOUTHWEST COMBODIA
Forest in Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines
have been heavily logged
Forest in Papa New Guinea and Irian Jaya are still largely
intact
3. African Rainforest region
 Found along the Atlantic Coast and in Congo Basin
Some can be found in the East Africa
Philippines Forest Statistics (2013)
The Philippines has an aggregate land area of 30
million hectares.
Certified alienable and disposable land: 47.3% and
Forestland: 52.7%.
Total forest cover of the Philippines: 6.8 million ha
Estimated forest cover in forestland is 6.4 million ha
approximately half a million hectares A&D land
Philippines Forest Statistics (2013)
FOREST COVER OF THE PHILIPPINES:
2010 (In hectare)
Open Forest
Formations with discontinuous tree layer with coverage of at least 10%
and less than 40%.
Either managed or unmanaged forests, in initial state of succession.
Closed Forests
Formation where tress in various storey and undergrowth cover a high
proportion (>40 percent) of the ground and do not have a continuous
dense grass layer.
Either managed or unmanaged forest, in advance state of succession
May have been logged over one or more times, having kept their
characteristics of forest stands, possibly with modified structure and
composition.
Mangrove forests:
Forested wetland growing along tidal mudflats and
along shallow water coastal areas extending inland along
rivers, streams and their tributaries where the water is
generally brackish and composed mainly of :
a. Rhizopora,
b. Bruguiera,
c. Ceriops,
d. Avicenia, and
e. Aegicera.
In 2013, the National Greening Program (NGP) has
planted:
182.5 million seedlings in
333,160 hectares
resulting to a 111.1% accomplishment of the program’s
target area for the year.

However, we need to reforest 9.4 million ha

Imperata grasslands cover > 2 M ha

RD Lasco 26
18-20 M people live in the uplands

RD Lasco 27
Tropical deciduous forest
Can be found in the fringes of rainforest
Not complex as rainforests and have more distinct wet
and dry periods
Approximately 1.6 billion ha
A large part can be found in Africa
Tall deciduous stands to more open grass land and
shrubs
Temperate Forest
2.2 billion ha and 75% of which are classified Closed
forests
Produce a great bulk of industrial wood
2 types of temperate forest
1. Boreal forest
2. Mixed forest
Boreal Forest
Found in Canada, Northern Europe and the Russia
Large areas of almost pure single-species stands

Mixed Forest
Consist of temperate broad-leaved or evergreen forests
found near or in subtropical climates
Plantation forests
Before: mainly for industrial use
Now: also established for conservation, house hold
energy needs and agroforestry purpose
Grow faster than natural stand
Established to produce a desired species
Usually using exotic species, good quality of woods,
fast growth rate, good stem form and disease
resistance
Six Types of Forest in the PH
1. Dipterocarp forest
2. Molave Forest
3. Pine forest
4. Mangrove forest
5. Beach forest
6. Mid-mountain forest and mossy forest
Dipterocarp Forests
Occupy the widest area of productive and
unproductive forests
Can be found in moist valley bottoms up to hilly or
mountain ridge
But not in areas with high elevation
Most species belongs to family Dipterocarpaceae
75 to 80% of all forest in the Philippines
Molave forest
Found in areas with distinct wet and dry seasons
Molave (Vitex parviflora) is the dominant species
Other species: Ipil (Instia bijuga), tindalo (Afzelia
rhomboides), narra (Pterocarpus indicus), Banuyo
(Wallaceodendron celebicum)
Wood of these species are highly valuable, inherent
durability and beauty
Pine forest
High altitude
Most of these forest can be found in CAR, Zambales
and Mindoro
Benguet Pine (Pinus kesiya) and Mindoro pine (Pinus
merkusii)
Benguet Pine- widely use for construction in buildings
and minings
Mangrove forest
Found in tidal flats at the mouths of the streams and
on shores
Species:
Bakauan: Rhizophora spp.
Busaing: Bruguiara cymnorrhiza
Pototan: Bruguiara exanguia
Main source of fuel wood
Considered threaten because of the wide spread
conversion into fish ponds
Beach forest
Grow in shore areas
In sandy beaches and above high tide line
Species:
Talisai: Terminalia catappa
Dapdap: Erythrina orientalis
Agoho: Casuarina equisetifolia
Pandanous species
Mid-mountain and mossy forest
High elevation areas or with rough terrain
Not accessible to logging and highly protected
Trees are stunted in growth and dwarfed due to
continuous exposure to strong winds
Species:
Malaalmaciga: Podocarpus blumei
Malakauayan: Podocarpus philippinensis
ACTIVITY…
1. In your own understandings, elaborate and
differentiate among forest and forestry.
2. Provide a brief history of forestry.
3. Relate and explain how the four major components of
socio-biophysical system interacts with each other.
4. Knowing that the four components are interrelated
with each other, what do you think will happen if one of
the component is not being managed well?
5. Elaborate the effects if one component of the forest no
longer play it’s role? Give at least 3.
6. Look for an image of a dipterocarp forest.

7. Distinguish among the six types of forest in the Ph.

And compare the characteristics of each.

8. Characterize tropical dry forest and give at least two

species thriving or growing in the said type of forest.

9. Personally, what is the importance of our forest? Give

at least 3.