Forestry in a broad sense includes forestry industrial technology discipline centered on wood cutting and processing technology.
Forestry in a narrow sense is based on the science and technology of cultivating, managing and managing forests, including forest botany, forest ecology, forest breeding, afforestation, forest protection, wood science, dendrometry, forest management and many other disciplines. Sometimes it can also be called silviculture, especially the re-understanding of forests. It permeates the rational management concept of sustainable development into forest management, and pays attention to scientific management methods instead of logging.
The main research objects of forestry are forests, including original natural forests preserved in nature and not significantly affected by human activities, natural secondary forests that are naturally restored after the original forests are cut down or destroyed, and artificial forests. Forest is not only the production base of wood and other forest products, but also a natural barrier to adjust and transform the natural environment so that human beings can survive and multiply. It is closely related to industrial and agricultural production and people's life, and it is a very valuable natural resource.
Forestry is an ancient commercial undertaking, but its content changes with the times. Ancient forestry mainly developed and utilized virgin forests to obtain forest products such as fuel and wood. After the Middle Ages, with the increase of population and the gradual decrease of forest resources, there was a shortage of forests and wood in some areas, and people began to care about the restoration and cultivation of forests. Forest protection and artificial afforestation have gradually become the management contents of forestry. Modern forestry realizes the necessity of sustainable utilization of forest resources, especially wood, and begins to put forestry management on a more scientific basis to maintain the relative balance between forest development and utilization and forest cultivation and protection. Modern forestry is gradually getting rid of the traditional concept of simply producing and managing wood, paying attention to the ecological and social benefits of forests, and is characterized by multi-purpose comprehensive management of forests and efficient and in-depth utilization of forest resources.
Forestry is a subject closely related to the vast biological world and the changeable environment. To master this subject, we must deeply understand its basic principles, have the necessary basic knowledge, and be good at using these basic principles and knowledge flexibly. Combined with the conditions and characteristics of specific areas, comprehensive and detailed analysis and synthesis are carried out, and corresponding conclusions are drawn to solve the problems in forestry production.
In addition to directly providing wood, energy and various forest by-products, forests also have the functions of water conservation, soil and water conservation, windbreak and sand fixation, climate regulation and biodiversity protection. It plays an important role in ensuring high and stable yield of agriculture and animal husbandry, protecting and beautifying human living environment and preventing pollution. The development of world forestry science is roughly in the19th century and the early 20th century. German forestry science is in a leading position in the world. Since then, the research of forestry science in northern Europe, North America, the Soviet Union and other countries has also developed rapidly, which has promoted the all-round development of world forestry science. Although the history of forestry and forest management in China can be traced back to the Yao and Shun era, the development of science and technology has been seriously hindered by the feudal rule of China for thousands of years, and the research on forestry science and technology started late, far behind the advanced forestry countries in the world. Before liberation, only a few agricultural colleges and agricultural colleges offered forestry courses. After liberation, China's forestry science and technology has made great progress under the socialist system. At present, forestry education and scientific research institutions of a certain scale have been established, a large number of forestry scientific and technological talents of different levels have been trained, and a large number of forestry scientific and technological achievements have been achieved.
With the increase of world population, industrial development, forest destruction and environmental pollution, people's demand for forest resources is becoming more and more comprehensive, which requires not only the economic benefits of wood and other forest products, but also the ecological and social benefits with the development of human life and cultural science. It is the general trend of forestry research in the future to realize the sustainable utilization of various benefits of forest resources, expand forest coverage in areas with few forests and urban and rural green spaces, establish leisure forest farms and forest parks, and meet various human needs for forests. Therefore, there are many theoretical and practical problems that forestry science needs to solve, involving a wide range. On the whole, this is a grand and complicated system engineering and a long-term strategic task. Only by deepening the research of related disciplines and specialties and carrying out multidisciplinary cooperation can we achieve fruitful results.
Various disciplines (specialties) in forestry science focus on basic theory, while others focus on applied technology, but they are closely related. The continuous development of various disciplines will promote the further deepening of adjacent disciplines and focus on scientific cultivation and management of forest resources. The overall task of building forest ecological security system and the sustainable development of forestry will play their respective roles. Forest genetic breeding is the basic principle of studying forest genetic variation, implementing forest genetic management and genetic improvement, and establishing the technical system of spatial cultivation and breeding of forest improved varieties. Forest cultivation is a theory and technology to study forest construction, tending and regeneration. Ecology, pedology and genetics are important basic theories of forest cultivation. Forest protection is a theory and technology about forest diseases and insect pests prevention and control in spring, which shoulders the heavy responsibility of forest protection. The study of forest management focuses on forest zoning, investigation, comment and discussion, which cultivates students' ability to work independently and expands their knowledge.