Glossary

Annual allowable cut (AAC)
The amount of timber that is permitted to be cut annually from a particular area. AAC is used as the basis for regulating harvest levels to ensure a sustainable supply of timber.

Biodiversity
The variety and variability within and between living organisms from all sources, such as terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part.

Bioenergy
The kinetic energy released from biomass when it is eaten, burned or converted into fuel, or the potential energy embodied in biomass.

Biofuel
A fuel that is derived from plant biomass, by chemical or geological processes.

Biomass
The dry weight of all organic material, living or dead, above or below the soil surface.

Biotechnology
Development of products by a biological process. Production may be carried out by using intact organisms (for example, yeast and bacteria) or by using natural substances (for example, enzymes) from organisms.

Biome
A major biotic community composed of all the plants and animals in a specific geographical region and smaller biotic communities. The smaller communities in a biome possess similarities in gross external appearances and gross climatic conditions.

Biotic
Pertaining to life; concerning the living component of the environment.

Climate change
An alteration in measured quantities (for example, precipitation, temperature, radiation, wind and cloudiness) within the climate system that departs significantly from previous average conditions and is seen to endure, bringing about corresponding changes in ecosystems and socio-economic activity.

Co-generation
The simultaneous production of electricity and heat from steam.

Containerboard
Component materials used in the manufacture of shipping containers and other corrugated board products.

Ecosystem
A dynamic system of plants, animals and other organisms, together with the non-living components of the environment, functioning as an interdependent unit.

Engineered wood products
A composite wood product made from glued fibre, lumber and/or veneer to meet specific design criteria.

Fibre (wood)
A material in which the wood is reduced to predominantly individual fibres by mechanical or chemical means, or a combination of the two. Virgin fibre is derived from trees not previously processed into paper; recycled fibre has been reclaimed from a previous product such as old newsprint and reprocessed and incorporated into a new product.

Forest
A complex community of plants and animals in which trees are the most conspicuous members and where the tree crown density—the amount of compactness of foliage in the tree tops—is greater than 10 percent.

Forest dependent community
A community that depends on a forest region for at least 50 percent of its total economy.

Forest type
A group of forest areas or stands of similar composition (that is, species, age, height and density) which differentiates it from other such groups.

Greenhouse gases
Those gases, such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, tropospheric ozone, nitrous oxide and methane, that are transparent to solar radiation but opaque to longwave radiation. Their action is similar to that of glass in a greenhouse.

Gross domestic product (GDP)
The total value of all goods and services produced in Canada during a given year.

Hardwood
Trees whose leaves are not persistent and fall off at the end of a defined growing season or during a period of temperature or moisture stress. This is the predominant tree type in deciduous forests.

Innovation
The use of a new idea, material or technology to produce new goods or services or to change the way in which goods or services are produced or distributed. Innovation can include improved managerial systems, new production techniques, new technology, the results of research and development, or the application of information technologies.

Inventory (forest)
A survey of a forest area to determine data such as area, condition, timber, volume and species for a specific purpose, such as planning, purchasing, evaluating, managing or harvesting.

Kiln
A chamber having controlled air flow, temperature and relative humidity, which is used for drying lumber, veneer and other wood products.

Laminated beam
A beam consisting of two or more layers of wood, glued, nailed or otherwise bonded together, with the grain going in the same direction.

Medium density fibreboard (MDF)
A wood-based composite material that uses wood fibre rather than particles, strands or veneers to produce board or sheet products. It is made by combining wood fibre with a synthetic resin or other bonding system and applying pressure and heat to create a compressed fibreboard with a density ranging from 0.60 to 0.80 g/cm³ (grams per cubic centimetre). MDF is increasingly used in areas such as furniture manufacture, cabinetry, joinery, shelving, craftwork and flooring.

Non-timber forest products
Any commodity obtained from the forest that does not necessitate harvesting trees. It includes game animals, fur-bearers, nuts and seeds, berries, mushrooms, oils, foliage, medicinal plants, peat, fuelwood, forage, etc.

Non-timber value
A value within the forest other than timber that includes, but is not limited to, biological diversity, fisheries, wildlife, minerals, water quality and quantity, recreation and tourism, cultural heritage values, and wilderness and aesthetic values.

Oriented strandboard (OSB)
A panel made from wood strands oriented in the face layers and normally cross-oriented in the core layer, combined under heat and pressure with a water-resistant binder. Orienting the strands greatly increases the bending stiffness and strength of the panels.

Particle (wood)
A small element produced mechanically from wood. Particles can be further subdivided based on their geometry  into categories or types such as chips, flakes, shavings, sawdust and slivers. Particle dimensions are typically 25 mm or less along the grain direction and of varying widths and thicknesses.

Particleboard
A panel made from wood particles, which are often the residue from other wood processing operations, combined under heat and pressure with a water-resistant binder. It differs from fibreboard in that the wood particles are larger than fibres.

Planetary wave
A wave in the atmospheric circulation, in one of the principal zones of the westerly winds, characterized by a great length and a significant amplitude.

Protected area
A geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.

Silviculture
The art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis.

Softwood
Cone-bearing trees with needles or scale-like leaves. This is the predominant tree type in coniferous forests.

Stewardship
The science, art and skill of responsible and accountable management of resources.

Strand (wood)
Wood elements specifically manufactured to have predetermined and uniform thickness and length, and of variable width. Typical strands for manufacture of oriented strandboard can range in length from 50 to 200 mm, thickness from 0.5 to 1.3 mm, and width from 5 to 50 mm.

Structural lumber
Wood suitable for framing and load-bearing structures essentially by virtue of its strength.

Sustainable forest management
Management that maintains and enhances the long-term health of forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for present and future generations.

Value-added product
A product that has had value added to it through further processing. Examples include windows, doors, kitchen cabinets, flooring and mouldings. Value-added pulp and paper products include items such as packaging, diapers, coated papers, tissue, business papers, stationery and other consumer paper products.