Are you familiar with these emerging words related to forests and forestry? Pre-emptive felling, eco battery, forest dust…

We listed forest-related words that are either completely new or making a comeback. Perhaps you can pick up something useful here?

Afolu

According to plans by the EU, the land use and forestry sector (see Lulucf) would in the future be extended to also cover emissions from agriculture, and the resulting enity would be called the Afolu sector (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use). The new system would be applied from 2031 onwards. According to the Commission proposal, the Afolu sector should be carbon neutral by 2035.

Bend-down vitamins

Berries, mushrooms and other wholesome forest products, the gathering of which often requires one to bend down.

Biodiversity loss

Biodiversity refers to the range of existing ecosystems, species and genes. It encompasses all living things, including plants, animals, fungi and microbes.

In forests, biodiversity loss can be prevented by such things as diversifying the mix of tree species, increasing the amount of deadwood and looking after habitats, as well as by conserving forest areas for ecological reasons.

Carbon cultivation

Carbon cultivation refers to activity aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the binding of carbon in soil. One of the means available for this in forestry is afforestation.

Close-to-nature forestry

This is one example of sustainable forestry in EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy. The aim is to have forests combining biodiversity, the maintenance of carbon storages and the financial yield related to the sawmilling industry.

Compensation forest

Compensation forests are meant to compensate for climate emissions that cannot be avoided. Methods used here include the ash fertilization of young forests or planting a new forest. The measures are normally paid for by the customer that commissions the compensation.

Deforestation

A situation or process where forest is lost. In Finland, deforestation is most frequently caused by construction projects and road building.

Deforestation-free

Timber is deforestation-free when its procurement is not considered to cause deforestation or to weaken the state of forests.

Eco battery

A huggable tree that is experienced as transmitting energy to the hugger.

Environmental grief, environmental anxiety

A sense of loss caused by an actual or threatened change in a landscape or ecosystem, the viability of a species or a way of life.

Forest dust, forest microbe extract

An extract containing microbes from forest land, believed to improve health. Forest dust is used in cosmetic skin care products.

Forest habitat type

Forest habitat types are divided into heath forests, herb-rich forests and special habitat types, subdivided into a total of about 70 sub-types. Some of the sub-types of heath forests are xeric heath forests, young xeric heath forests and old mesic conifer-dominated heath forests.

Sub-types of herb-rich forests include such sub-types as herb-rich forests with broadleaved deciduous trees, including those dominated by oak or European white elm. Special forest habitat types include, for example, forests on rocky terrain, inland flooded forests and hardwood forests on podsolic soils.

According to the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, three out of four of the range of Finnish forest habitat types are threatened. Their total area is not known. The concept ’forest habitat type’ is distinct from the concepts ’forest type’ and ’forested habitat type’.

Forest yoga

Doing yoga in a forest. Yoga is a method that originated in India, combining different body positions and meditation.

Local wood

Wood harvested by local loggers, processed in a local sawmill and used in the same locality. Local wood is a label used by Finnish sawmilling companies, to help the environment.

Lulucf

An EU regulation on land use, land use change and forestry. The Lulucf regulation defines the rules according to which the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon binding of this sector are taken into account in the EU’s climate objectives during this decade. See also Afolu.

Metsänpeitto (Covered by forest)

A condition known in Finnish folklore, where a person experiences being overpowered or taken over by nature. Getting lost, losing one’s sense of time and failing to recognise familiar things and surroundings are, according to tradition, signs of having become covered by the forest.

Non-clearfelled timber

Timber from holdover trees kept separate from clearfelled timber during harvesting and the sawmilling chain of custody, to be sold as timber that is more ethical.

Organic forest

A forest certified as an organic gathering site. On these sites, the use of certain fertilizers and plant protection products is prohibited, allowing the natural products gathered there to be classified as organic. In practice, almost all forestry land in Finland meets the criteria for being organic.

Pre-emptive felling

An operation allegedly undertaken by a forest owner because of plans to establish a conservation site or other change that would restrict the use of forests on their lands. In many cases the word has a negative connotation.

Remote forest visit

A trip implemented via a remote connection, without visiting the physical forest. May also refer to a trip where each participant visits a forest close to them while in remote contact with the other participants.

Taxonomy, EU taxonomy

A taxonomy or classification devised by the European Union in order to steer funding to purposes that are sustainable with regard to climate and the environment. It is considered to have an impact on the use of forests, on the wood procurement of industries and on forest owners. In biology, the word taxonomy is used to refer to the systematic classification of organisms.

Therapy forest, health forest

A forest used for recreation and for enjoying its beauty. Basically, forests of many kinds can be health forests, depending on one’s personal preferences. A number of Finnish local authorities have set up health forests to promote residents’ health, as part of the services of a health care centre or hospital.

Trail running

Sports activity that takes place on unpaved trails and paths.

Tree Hugging Week

Celebrated in Finland during the last week of August. The purpose is to encourage everyone to hug trees.

Edited on 7 March 2022 at 13.08 by removing sentence equating trail running with cross-country running. Trail running and cross-country running are two different disciplines.

Looking for more forest-related words? See our Forest Glossary!