Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving, and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and environmental benefits. It is a profession that encompasses the application of scientific, economic, and social principles to attain specific objectives in the care of a forest. Forestry has elements that belong to the biological, physical, social, political, and managerial sciences. The science behind forestry is called "silvics," and the practical application of that science is called "silviculture". Forestry is both a science and an art, and it is guided by the principles of sustainability.
Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands, and it plays an essential role in the creation and modification of habitats and affects ecosystem services provisioning. Modern forestry generally embraces a broad range of concerns, including the provision of timber, fuel wood, wildlife habitat, natural water quality management, recreation, landscape and community protection, employment, aesthetically appealing landscapes, biodiversity management, watershed management, erosion control, and preserving forests as "sinks" for atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Forestry is a multi-disciplinary and complex profession that involves the management of many values in addition to timber, including biodiversity, wildlife habitat, water quality, recreation, employment, and community stability. Forestry can involve a more holistic study of the systems that provide us with natural resources or it can involve wide-ranging specializations.
