forestry

noun

for·​est·​ry ˈfȯr-ə-strē How to pronounce forestry (audio)
ˈfär-
1
2
a
: the science of developing, caring for, or cultivating forests
b
: the management of growing timber

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This is the management of forested land, along with associated waters and wasteland, primarily for harvesting timber, but also for conservation and recreation purposes. The harvesting and replanting of timber are the primary activities of forestry, and the main objective is to maintain a continuous supply of timber through carefully planned harvest and replacement. The forest manager is also responsible for the application of other land controls, including the protection of wildlife and the protection of forests from weeds, insects, fungal diseases, erosion, and fire. The planned management of forests originated in early medieval Europe, where laws regulated the felling of timber and the use of forests for hunting. In 1891 the US government authorized its first reserves of forested land.

Examples of forestry in a Sentence

She studied forestry in college.
Recent Examples on the Web Lawmakers also shifted $25 million from the DNR’s forestry account to the fish and wildlife account. Todd Richmond, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2024 By using lidar, a laser technology, a forestry firm could generate three-dimensional scans of the trees. Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2024 Their process is simple: ride around neighborhoods looking for trees on the curb, tie them up to their bikes, fitted with studded tires and an extension cord or nylon rope, and drag them to the site where the city's forestry crew has a mulcher waiting. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024 New technologies can harness residues from farming and forestry to municipal and industrial waste, turning what was once thought to be worthless refuse into renewable, carbon neutral, and versatile energy resources. Wood MacKenzie, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Pickett’s nonprofit was founded in 2000, at the request of the state’s overburdened forestry and fire agencies, to handle much of the fire prevention work that government agencies typically do in large Western states. Jean Lee, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2024 In other forestry news, the same environmental groups fighting prescribed burns — which experts say are necessary to reduce fire severity — are now suing to try to stop the replanting of burned sequoia groves in California’s Sierra Nevada, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kurtis Alexander reports. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 The Bombay Natural History Society, along with state forestry officials, nursed her back to health and released her. Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 The top two sectors with business most likely to offer in-house care services were education, as well as agriculture, forestry and wildlife. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forestry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of forestry was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near forestry

Cite this Entry

“Forestry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forestry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

forestry

noun
for·​est·​ry ˈfȯr-ə-strē How to pronounce forestry (audio)
ˈfär-
: the science and practice of caring for forests

More from Merriam-Webster on forestry

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