- Classification and distribution of forests
- Purposes and techniques of forest management
Agroforestry is a practice that has been utilized for many years, particularly in developing countries, and is now widely promoted as a land-use approach that yields both wood products and crops. Trees and crops may be grown together on the same tract of land in various patterns and cycles. The trees may be planted around the perimeter of a small farm to provide fuelwood and to serve as a windbreak. The limbs and foliage may be removed periodically for livestock fodder. Trees also may be planted in rows that alternate with crops or they may be planted more densely with interplanting of crops until crown closure of the trees precludes further crop production. These practices are most extensively used as a part of subsistence agriculture, but their use in large-scale production systems is becoming more common.
Urban forestry, which is the management of publicly and privately owned trees in and adjacent to urban areas, has emerged as an important branch of forestry. Urban forests include many different environments such as city greenbelts; street and utility rights-of-way; forested watersheds of municipal reservoirs; and residential, commercial, and industrial property. An important distinction between urban and rural forestry is that urban trees are more highly valued than rural trees and often receive expensive individual care and attention. Many professional foresters are trained to handle the special problems of urban trees and to foster the diverse benefits they provide.