Lok Sewa Forestry Officer flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Silviculture

The art and science of establishing, tending, and reproducing forest stands to meet management objectives, based on the ecology (silvics) of the species involved.

Shelterwood system

A silvicultural system in which a mature stand is removed in a series of fellings, leaving seed trees to shelter and regenerate the new stand before final removal.

Site index

A measure of site quality expressed as the dominant or codominant tree height at a reference age, used to predict forest productivity across sites.

Basal area

The cross-sectional area of a tree trunk at breast height, usually expressed in square meters per hectare for a stand; calculated as pi/4 times DBH squared.

Form factor

The ratio of a tree's actual volume to the volume of a cylinder with the same basal area and height; used in volume equations to correct for taper.

Buffer zone

A designated area around a national park or reserve where community-based management and benefit sharing are allowed to reduce pressure on the core protected area.

Keystone species

A species whose presence has a disproportionately large effect on ecosystem structure and function relative to its abundance; removing it causes major ecological change.

In-situ conservation

Conservation of species and ecosystems in their natural habitats, such as protected areas and community forests, as opposed to ex-situ conservation in zoos or seed banks.

CFUG

Community Forest User Group: a legally recognized, self-governing local institution in Nepal that manages a designated community forest under an approved operational plan.

Forest Act 2049

Nepal's principal forest legislation (1993, amended 2019) that defines forest categories, community forestry, offences, and the powers of forest officers.

Leasehold forestry

A Nepal forest management model in which degraded forest land is leased to poor households for a fixed term, usually 40 years, under an approved management plan.

Watershed

The land area that drains surface water to a common outlet such as a river or lake; watershed management regulates water yield, erosion, and land productivity.

USLE

The Universal Soil Loss Equation: A = R x K x LS x C x P, which estimates average annual soil loss from rainfall, soil erodibility, slope, cover, and conservation practice.

REDD+

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, plus conservation, sustainable forest management, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

GLOF

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood: a sudden release of water from a glacier-dammed lake, a major climate-related hazard in Nepal's high mountains.

Heartwood

The inner, older wood of a tree that no longer conducts water; it is often darker and more durable than sapwood due to extractive deposits.

Equilibrium moisture content

The moisture content at which wood neither gains nor loses moisture to the surrounding air at a given temperature and relative humidity; important for seasoning and use.

NTFP

Non-Timber Forest Product: any forest product other than timber, such as medicinal herbs, bamboo, honey, resins, and fodder, important for rural livelihoods in Nepal.

Whole-circle bearing

A surveying bearing measured clockwise from true or magnetic north through 360 degrees; reduced bearings are measured from the nearest north or south direction.

Contour interval

The constant vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map; closer contours indicate steeper terrain and wider spacing indicates gentler slopes.

NDVI

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index: (NIR - Red)/(NIR + Red), a remote sensing index ranging from -1 to 1 that indicates vegetation health and cover.

Vector data

A GIS data model representing spatial features as points, lines, or polygons with associated attribute tables, as opposed to raster grid data.

Alley cropping

An agroforestry practice in which crops are grown between rows of trees or shrubs, which provide fodder, mulch, and soil conservation benefits.

Taungya

An agroforestry system in which annual crops are cultivated between newly planted tree seedlings during the early establishment phase of a plantation.

Social forestry

Forest management involving local people in planning, implementation, and benefit sharing, including community forestry, leasehold forestry, and farm forestry.

Sustainable livelihoods framework

An analytical framework based on five capitals (natural, physical, financial, human, social) used to assess household vulnerability, assets, and livelihood strategies.

Federalism in Nepal

Nepal's 2015 constitutional system with three tiers of government: federal, seven provinces, and 753 local units (palikas), each with defined powers.

Lok Sewa Aayog

Nepal's Public Service Commission, the constitutional body responsible for recruiting civil servants through competitive examinations and promotions.

Right to Information Act

Nepal's 2007 law (2064 BS) that requires public bodies to disclose information and allows citizens to request records, promoting transparency and accountability.

Average speed

Total distance traveled divided by total time taken; for a journey with different speeds, it is not the simple average of the speeds unless distances or times are equal.

Syllogism

A form of deductive reasoning with premises and a conclusion; validity is tested using Venn diagrams showing relationships among categories.

Kunming-Montreal framework

The 2022 global biodiversity framework adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity, setting targets including protecting 30 percent of land and sea by 2030.