FORESTRY

(UG DEGREE STANDARD)

SUBJECT CODE: 283

UNIT- I: SILVICULTURE

Forests - definition. Extent of forests in India and other countries. Forest types of
India and Tamil Nadu - revised classification - pure and mixed stands - even and
uneven aged stands. Role of forests. Factors of locality - climatic - edaphic -
topographic - biotic - interaction of forest with the environment. Silviculture -
objectives - scope - general principles. Regeneration - natural and artificial. Nursery
techniques - containerised seedling production - techniques and methods.
Vegetative and clonal propagation techniques and methods - macro and micro
propagation techniques. Plantation forestry - reforestation and afforestation -
maintenance of plantations - enrichment planting. Tending operations - weeding,
cleaning, thinning, pruning, after care techniques; cultural operations - soil working.
Silvicultural systems - clear felling, shelter wood, selection and coppice systems -
improvement felling. Silviculture techniques for some important species - Tropical
Species - Acacia spp (indigenous and exotics), Albizia lebbeck, Albizia falcataria,
Ailanthus excelsa, Azadirachta indica, Bambusa bambos, B. balcooa, B. vulgaris,
Casuarina equisetifolia, [Link], Ceiba pentandra, Dalbergia latifolia,
D. sissoo, Dendrocalamus strictus, Eucalyptus spp (E. tereticornis, [Link],
E. grandis, E. globulus), Grevillea robusta, Hardwickia binata, Leucaena
leucocephala, Melia dubia, Pongamia pinnata, Populus deltoides, Prosopis juliflora,
Pterocarpus santalinus, Santalum album, Syzygium cuminii, Shorea robusta,
Tectona grandis, Terminalia spp.([Link], [Link], [Link], [Link]),
Tamarindus indica. Temperate Species - Alnus nepalensis, Cedrus deodara, Pinus
roxburghii, P. wallichiana, P. patula.

UNIT - II: FOREST MENSURATION AND MANAGEMENT

Forest Mensuration - Definition and objectives. Measurement of diameter, girth,

height, crown and volume of trees - methods and principles - tree stem form - form
factor. Volume estimation of stand - age - basal area determinations Stem and
Stump Analysis. Forest inventory - sampling techniques and methods -
measurement of crops - sample plots. Yield calculation - CAI and MAI - volume, yield
and stand tables preparation. Forest management - objectives and principles. Forest
organisation. Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) - criteria and indicators of SFM
- sustained yield - concept and management - arguments for and against sustained
yield - Forest Certification - Standards, Procedures and agencies. Rotation - normal
forest - increment - growth stock determination. Yield regulation - principles and
concepts - Von Montel’s formula and its modifications - yield regulation in regular
and irregular forests. Working plan - objectives and scope - constitution of working
plan division. Enumeration and sampling. Regeneration survey - Plantation journal -
divisional working plans - annual plan of operations. Joint forest management. Aerial
photography and remote sensing - methods and techniques - GIS for forest
management and modelling.

UNIT- III: FOREST UTILISATION AND WOOD TECHNOLOGY

Logging - extraction of timber - felling rules and methods - conversion methods -

conversion season. Implements used - cross cutting system - sawing - different
types - extraction methods. Grading of timbers. Transportation of timbers - major and
minor transportation methods Storage and sales of logs - sales depot - management
of depots. Recent trends in logging - Ergonomics and RIL. Forest products - Timber -
timber, fuel, pulp, paper, rayon and match. Wood Composites - plywood, particle
board, fiber boards, MDF, hardboard, insulation boards - production technology. Non
timber forest products (NTFP) - collection - processing and storage of NTFP - fibres
and flosses - bamboos and canes - katha and bidi leaves - essential oils and oil
seeds - gums and resins - tans and dyes - drugs - insecticides - lac and shellac -
tassar silk - role of tribal co-operative societies. Wood Science - Macroscopic
character of wood - three dimensional structures - structure of heartwood and
sapwood - hard wood and soft wood. Composition and structure of wood - chemical
components and cell wall structure and formation. Anatomical structures of
heartwood and softwood - reaction wood - wood and water relations. Properties of
wood - physical properties - specific gravity, density of wood - mechanical properties
- gross features of wood. Defects in wood - natural defects. Seasoning of wood -
principles and objectives of seasoning - seasoning methods - air and kiln seasoning -
seasoning defects. Wood preservation - principles and methods - wood
preservatives - definition - kinds of preservatives - method of preservative application
- pressure and non-pressure processes - classification of wood based on seasoning
behaviour.
UNIT- IV: FOREST SURVEYING AND ENGINEERING

Surveying - principles of surveying - errors in surveying - scope of surveying in

forestry. Scales - linear measurement. Different methods of surveying - chain,
prismatic, compass, plain table and topographic survey. Area calculation -
instruments and principles - maps and map reading. Principles of forest engineering
- levelling instruments - building materials and construction. Forest roads - objectives
- principles and types of forest roads. Causeways and culverts. Bridges -
construction of bridges - construction of timber, RCC, steel and suspension bridges -
cable roadways and winches.

UNIT- V: FOREST SOILS AND SOIL CONSERVATION AND WATERSHED

MANAGEMENT

Forest soils - Classification - Factors affecting soil formation - podzolisation and

laterization. Physical, chemical and biological properties of forest soils. Problem soils
- classification of waste lands - extent of waste lands in India - reclamation of
alkaline, saline, water logged and other waste lands - sand dune stabilisation - wind
breaks and shelter belts. Soil conservation - definition - objectives - problems -
programmes and achievements. Erosion - types and causes - wind, water -
management of eroded region. Role of micro organisms in soil amelioration - Use of
bio-inoculants Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Phosphobacteria, Rhizobium, VAM,
Frankia, and Vermicompost. Soil and water conservation measures. Watershed
management - concept and methods - forest treatments - stream flow - water
harvesting and conservation - ground water recharge - impact on water yield and
quality.

UNIT- VI: FOREST ECONOMICS, POLICIES AND LEGISLATIONS

Fundamental principles of forest economics - cost benefit analysis - NPV, IRR

analysis - demand and supply estimation. Socio-economic analysis of forest
productivity - attitudes and analysis of trends in national and international markets -
assessment of market structure. Forest valuation - direct and indirect valuation -
stumpage valuing, price size gradients - devastation value - risk management.
Project formulation - project monitoring - evaluation - elements of time series
analysis and forecasting - role of corporate financing. Forest policies - Necessity -
Formulation of National Forest Policy. History of forest development in India - Indian
Forest Policy of 1894, 1952 and 1988. NCA report on forestry - role of ICAR and
ICFRE in forest research and education. National Mission on Wasteland
Development. Forest Organizations and Institutes - National - FRI, IGNFA, FSI, WII,
IIFM, IWST, IFGTB, SACON etc. - International - ICRAF, ITTO. Forest laws -
necessity - general principles - Indian Forest Act 1927, Forest Conservation Act
1980, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882, Tamil Nadu
Timber Transit Rules, 1968, Tamil Nadu Hill Act, 1985 - application of IPC to forests.
Recent Policies and Acts - Tribal Bill, 2007, Biodiversity Bill, 2002, National
Agroforestry Policy 2014. ITTO, GATT and its relevance to timber export - Rio
summit and Kyoto Protocol and its relevance to timber export.

UNIT- VII : FOREST BIOLOGY AND BOTANY

Forest ecology - definition - biotic and abiotic components - forest ecosystem - forest
community - concepts - succession - primary productivity - nutrient cycling.
Composition of forest types in India - classification of India’s forests - species
composition - association and diversity. Restoration ecology - global warming - green
house effects - ozone layer depletion - acid rain - role of trees in environmental
conservation. Biodiversity - Definition, origin, types - factors endangering biodiversity
- biodiversity hotspots - endemism - Red Data Book. Biodiversity assessments -
principles and methods. Forms of trees - structure and function - physiology and
reproduction of trees - water relation - physiology in stress environments (drought,
water logging, alkalinity and salinity). Seed and its importance. Characters of good
quality seeds. Seed dormancy - types and causes - dormancy breaking. Seed
collection- physiological maturity - Seed extraction - seed processing. Seed grading
and upgrading of seed lots. Seed treatments - principles and methods - seed
pelleting. Seed sampling - procedure. Seed testing - purity analysis - moisture
estimation - seed germination test - quick viability test. Seed storage - orthodox and
recalcitrant seeds - causes of deterioration - seed storage containers. Seed
certification procedure - Seed Act and Rules - Quality control and legislation. Forest
Botany - Importance of botany - taxonomic classification of plant species -
identification of species - composition and association. Dendrology - principles and
establishment of herbaria and arboreta. Tree Improvement - Forest Genetics and
Tree Breeding - Definition and concepts - Steps in tree improvement - Variation and
selection - Progeny Evaluation Test (PET) - Candidate Tree, Plus Tree, Elite trees -
use of provenances and seed sources - heritability and genetic gains - hybrids in tree
improvement - heterosis exploitation. Seed production Area and seed orchards -
types and establishment. In situ and ex situ gene conservation. Exotics - role of
exotic forest trees in India - application of biotechnological methods in forestry.

UNIT -VIII: WILDLIFE BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

Wildlife and wild animals - food chain - prey and predator relationship. Introduction to
wildlife management. Ecology and biology of wildlife - principles and techniques of
management - Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme - wildlife habitats. Census -
methods and application - land tenure system. Major wildlife species in India and
their broad study. Wildlife conservation - policies and legal measures - sanctuaries -
national parks - biosphere reserves. Ornithology - bird habitats - bird species of India
- avian extinction - causes and management. Role of NGOs and others in avian
fauna conservation - beneficial and harmful roles of birds. Herpatology - definition
and uses. Man and animal interaction - Impact and management. Ecotourism and
Recreation Forestry. Management of captive wildlife - captive breeding - diseases of
wildlife and their management.

UNIT- IX: FOREST PROTECTION

Role of forest protection in Indian forestry. Injuries caused by various agencies - by

human beings, plants, animals, insects, birds, adverse climatic factors. Forest fire -
beneficial and adverse causes - fire protection methods and rehabitation. Pests and
diseases of economic trees - control measures for pests and diseases for major tree
species - biological, chemical and integrated pest and disease management
methods. Termites - types and their management. Alien or invasive weeds and their
management - forest encroachments and grazing.
UNIT - X: AGROFORESTRY AND SOCIAL FORESTRY

Agroforestry - definition, concept and objectives. Classification of agroforestry

systems - primary systems and subsystems - inheritance effects. Tree-crop
interactions - above and below ground - competition for space, water, light and
nutrients. Microclimatic modifications - nutrient cycling and soil fertility improvement -
Allelopathy and allelochemicals. - Ecological aspects of agroforestry - benefits and
limitations of agroforestry. Agroforestry practices for different agro-climatic zones of
Tamil Nadu. Agroforestry practices for wasteland reclamation. Social forestry -
objectives and scope and necessity - its components and implementation in local
and national levels - social attitudes and community participation. JFM - principles,
objectives and methodology - choice of species for agro forestry and social forestry.
Urban Forestry - definition and scope - benefits - choice of tree species - planting
techniques and management.

Dated 14.07.2017