Skip to Content

Know of a Land Term that we don't have catalogued?
Click here to submit it.
Home > Timber > Page 3

Timber (Subscribe) Terms, definitions, and concepts related to timber production and management.

Land Terms

|< <

Section equivalents or conversions

One (1) section of a township is one (1) mile square and has an area of one (1) square mile. One (1) section is equal to 640 acres. One (1) section is equal to 27,878,400 square feet. One (1) section is equal to 2.59 square kilometers. One (1) section is equal to 3,097,600 square yards. One (1) section is equal to 102,399.59 square rods, poles, or perches. One (1) section is equal to 6,399.9744 square chains. One (1) section is equal to 2,560.0 roods. One (1) section is equal to 757.5523 arpents. One (1) section is equal to 0.0278 (1/36th) townships. One (1) section is equal to 2,589,988.1103 square meters. One (1) section is equal to 258.9988 hectares.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Silviculture

The practice of manipulating and controlling forest establishment, growth, composition, structure, and to a certain extent, function. Silviculture can be thought of as agriculture for the forest, with trees as crops.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Site productivity

The characteristics of a site that influence growth of vegetation, including soil chemical and physical properties, climate, aspect, elevation, topography, and disturbance regime.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Square chain

A unit of area measurement (square measure) that is one (1) Gunter's or surveyor's chain in length on each side. There are ten (10) square chains in one (1) acre of land. One (1) square chain is equal to 4,356.0 square feet or 404.687 square meters.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Square measure

1. A system of area measurement, notably that in which one (1) square foot is equal to 144 square inches or one (1) square meter is equal to 10,000 square centimeters. 2. A system of land surveying, mapping and measurement which uses the Gunter's or surveyor's chain as a base unit.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Stand popular

A contiguous group of trees that are similar enough in species composition, age class distribution, and site productivity or characteristics that it can be considered a single unit, regardless of size.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Stand density

The stocking level of a stand of trees; the relative number of trees within a stand, usually expressed as trees per acre (TPA) or in terms of basal area (BA).

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Stocking (Stocking level)

A ratio comparing current stand density to an ideal or reference stand density (usually derived from yield tables), resulting in a stocking percentage (e.g., 75% stocked). Stands of trees may therefore be understocked, overstocked, or fully stocked according to these criteria. Also known as stocking level.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Succession

The orderly progression of community change; the sequence of communities that replace one another in a given area culminating in a climax community.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Survey

3 out of 10 stars (1 vote)

The process by which boundaries are measured and the locations or forms of land areas are determined; the on-site measurement of lot lines, dimensions, and position of structures on a lot including the determination of any existing encroachments or easements.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Surveyor's chain

10 out of 10 stars (1 vote)

A common forestry and land survey term that is equivalent to 66 linear feet. Often referred to as simply "chain", this term is more formally known as the surveyor's or Gunter's chain. A chain is broken into 100 equal parts, or links. One (1) mile is equal to 80 chains. A one (1) mile square piece of land (one section or 640 acres) is 80 chains on each side. Although an engineer's or Ramsden's chain is also used to measure length in surveys, the generic term "chain" when used in reference to land measurements refers to the unit of length (66 feet) represented by the Gunter's or surveyor's chain. For more chain conversions, equivalents, and examples, see Chain equivalents and conversions or the various Converting chains to... examples.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Sustainability

Idea that resources should be developed and used to meet the needs of the present generation in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Timber

1. Live trees of merchantable species and sufficient size that they can be profitably harvested and sold. Timber is then milled and made into lumber and other wood products. 2. Forest land covered by trees of suitable size, kind, and quality to be of commercial value.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Timber yield

The total amount of timber available for harvesting at a given or specified time.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Township

A land measurement used in the government rectangular survey system (U.S. Public Lands Survey). A township is six (6) miles in length on each side, with a total area of 36 square miles. It contains thirty-six (36)sections, each with an area of 640 acres, for a total area of 23,040 acres. Note that due to the curvature of the earth, a correction of 198 feet must be made every 24 miles. Therefore, many townships actually contain less than 36 square miles due to these corrections.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Township equivalents or conversions

One (1) township is equal to 36 square miles or sections.
One (1) township is equal to six (6) miles square.
One (1) township equals 23,040 acres.
One (1 township equals 1,003,622,400 square feet.
One (1) township equals 93,239,572 square meters.
One (1) township is equal to 111,514,046.5199 square yards.
One (1) township is equal to 3,686,400.0 square rods, poles, or perches.
One (1) township is equal to 230,400.0015 square chains.
One (1) township is equal to 92,160.3695 roods.
One (1) township is equal to 27,271.9933 arpents.
One (1) township is equal to 9,323.9945 hectares.
One (1) township is equal to 93.24 square kilometers.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Trees per acre (TPA)

Refers to the number of trees on a per acre basis in a specified stand or forest; a useful measure of forest or stand densities and stocking levels.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

USDA Forest Service (US Forest Service)

A branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for managing the national forests of the United States. Popularly known as the "U.S. Forest Service.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Watershed

1. Area of land that drains all surface runoff to a common point. Large watersheds often contain numerous small watersheds; all land areas of the earth are within at least one watershed or sub-watershed.
2. The land area drained by a river and its tributaries.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Yellow pine

Term that refers to older ponderosa pines (generally 120 years +) that display yellow-orange bark

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Yield

1. The return on an investment or the amount of profit, stated as a percentage of the amount invested.
2. The total amount of timber available for harvesting at a given or specified time.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

Yield table

An index used to predict timber yields or volumes based primarily on tree age and site quality.

Have something to add? How useful is this Landterm? Bookmark this term

|< <