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A forester is a person who practises
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
, the science, art, and profession of managing
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including
ecological restoration Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...
and management of protected areas. Foresters manage forests to provide a variety of objectives including direct extraction of
raw material A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feeds ...
,
outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...
, conservation, hunting and aesthetics. Emerging management practices include managing forestlands for
biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity'') ...
,
carbon sequestration Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in lan ...
and air quality. Many people confuse the role of the forester with that of the logger, but most foresters are concerned not only with the harvest of timber, but also with the
sustainable management Sustainable management takes the concepts from sustainability and synthesizes them with the concepts of management. Sustainability has three branches: the environment, the needs of present and future generations, and the economy. Using these branc ...
of forests. The forester Jack C. Westoby remarked that "forestry is concerned not with trees, but with how trees can serve people".


Career


United States

The median salary of foresters in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
was $53,750, in 2008. Beginning foresters without bachelor's degrees make considerably less. Those with master's degrees are able to command salaries closer to the average. The
Council for Higher Education Accreditation The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for academic quality through accreditation in order ...
considers the
Society of American Foresters The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is a professional organization representing the forestry industry in the United States. Its mission statement declares that it seeks to "advance the science, education, and practice of forestry; to enhance t ...
as the principal accreditor for academic degree programs in professional forestry, both at a
Bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
and
Master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
level. Usually a bachelor's degree is considered the minimum education required, but some individuals are able to secure a job without a college education based on their experience. Some states have a licensing requirement for foresters, and most of those require at least a four-year degree. Foresters are often employed by private industry, federal and state land management agencies, or private consulting firms.


Medieval foresters

Forester was a title used widely during
Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
times. The forester usually held a position equal to a sheriff or local law enforcer, and he could act as a barrister or arbiter. He was often based in a forester's lodge, and was responsible for patrolling the woodlands on a lord or noble's property, hence the synonymous term 'woodward'. His duties included negotiating sales of lumber and timber and stopping poachers from illegally hunting. Frequently outlaws would take refuge in heavily wooded regions. When this occurred it was the duty of the forester to organize armed posses to capture or disperse the criminals and during war time foresters were used as scouts to spy on enemy troop movement. The pay and status of foresters was usually above average, reflecting the responsibility of their role in a medieval environment and economy.


Notable foresters

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Margaret Stoughton Abell Margaret Stoughton Abell (June 25, 1908 – February 22, 2004) was an American forester. Early life On June 25, 1908, Abell was born as Margaret Stoughton in Osage, Iowa. Abell's father was Herbert Leonard Stoughton. Abell's mother was E ...
(1908–2004) - First American research forester in US Forest Service. *
Dietrich Brandis Sir Dietrich Brandis (31 March 1824 – 28 May 1907) was a German-British botanist and forestry academic and administrator, who worked with the British Imperial Forestry Service in colonial India for nearly 30 years. He joined the British civi ...
(1824–1907) *
John Ednie Brown John Ednie Brown, (1848–1899) J.P., F.L.S., was an author on sylviculture and state conservator of forests. Biography The author's contemporary entry in George E. Loyau's ''Notable South Australians'' relates his biographical details: He ...
(1848–1899) *
Aimo Cajander Aimo Kaarlo Cajander (4 April 1879 – 21 January 1943) was the Prime Minister of Finland up to the Winter War. Cajander was born in Uusikaupunki, and became a botanist, a professor of forestry 1911–34; director-general for Finland's F ...
(1879–1943) - Professor of forestry and Director-General of Forest and Park Service in Finland. * Carl von Carlowitz (1645–1714) - Father of sustainable yield forestry *
Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
(1343–1400) *
Hugh Francis Cleghorn Hugh Francis Clarke Cleghorn of Stravithie (9 August 1820 – 16 May 1895) was a Madras-born Scottish physician, botanist, forester and land owner. Sometimes known as the father of scientific forestry in India, he was the first Conservator of F ...
(1820–1895) *
Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the country ...
(1619–1683) *
John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's diary, or m ...
(1620–1706) * Bernhard Fernow (1851–1923) *
Douglas Hamilton General Douglas Hamilton (8 April 1818 – 20 January 1892) was a British Indian Army officer, gazetted to the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry from 1837 to 1871. He was a well known surveyor of the early British hill stations in So ...
(1820–1895) * Georg Ludwig Hartig (1764–1837) * Ralph Hosmer (1874–1963) * Jens Hvass * Norman Jolly (1882–1954) *
Charles Lane Poole Charles Edward Lane Poole (16 August 1885 – 22 November 1970) was an English Australian forester who introduced systematic, science-based forestry practices to various parts of the Commonwealth, most notably Australia. Biography Early life an ...
(1885–1970) *
Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American writer, philosopher, naturalist, scientist, ecologist, forester, conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his ...
(1887–1948) *
Michel de Montaigne Michel Eyquem, Sieur de Montaigne ( ; ; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592), also known as the Lord of Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularizing the essay as a lit ...
(1533–1592) Man of essays and wood"*
John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologis ...
(1838–1914) Father of National Parks"* Herman von Nördlinger (1818–1897) *
Gifford Pinchot Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865October 4, 1946) was an American forester and politician. He served as the fourth chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry, as the first head of the United States Forest Service, and as the 28th governor of Pennsy ...
(1865–1946) *
Christian Ditlev Frederik Reventlow Christian Ditlev Frederik, Count of Reventlow (11 March 1748 – 11 October 1827) was a Danish statesman and reformer, the son of Privy Councillor Christian Ditlev Reventlow (1710–1775) by his first wife, baroness Johanne Sophie Frederikke von ...
(1748–1827) * Roy Robinson, 1st Baron Robinson (1883–1952) * Viktor Schauberger (1885–1958) *
Carl A. Schenck Carl Alwin Schenck (March 25, 1868 – May 17, 1955) was a German forester and pioneering forestry educator. He founded the Biltmore Forest School, the first forestry school in North America on George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate. His teachin ...
(1868–1955) * Sir William P.D. Schlich (1840–1925) * F.X. Schumacher (1892–1967) *
Richard St. Barbe Baker Richard St. Barbe Baker , Hon. LL.D. F.I.A.L., For.Dip.Cantab., ACF (9 October 1889 – 9 June 1982) was an English biologist and botanist, environmental activist and author, who contributed greatly to worldwide reforestation efforts. As a ...
(1889–1982) Global Forester/Environmentalist * Israel af Ström (1778–1856) * Michael Taylor (b. 1966) - American Forester who discovered
Hyperion (tree) Hyperion is a coast redwood (''Sequoia sempervirens'') in California that is considered the world's tallest known living tree, measuring 115.92 m (380.3 ft). Hyperion was discovered on August 25, 2006, by naturalists Chris Atki ...
and many tall redwood trees. *
T. B. Walker Thomas Barlow Walker (February 1, 1840 – July 28, 1928) was an American business magnate who acquired lumber in Minnesota and California and became an art collector. Walker founded the Minneapolis Public Library. He was among the ten wealthiest ...
(1840–1928) * Jack C. Westoby (1913–1988)Leslie, Alf. 1989. "Obituary: Jack C. Westoby, C.M.G., 1913-1988," ''New Zealand Forestry'', August, p.28.
Accessed: May 7, 2012. * Peter Wohlleben - German forester. *
Raphael Zon Raphael Zon (December 1, 1874 - October 27, 1956) was a prominent U.S. Forest Service researcher. Early life Raphael Zon was born in Simbirsk in the Russian Empire in 1874, to parents Gabriel Zon and Eugenia Berliner. A schoolmate of Lenin's, ...
(1874–1956) *
Frank H. Wadsworth Frank Howard Wadsworth (November 26, 1915 – January 5, 2022) was an American forester, conservationist and researcher. He made important scientific contributions to forestry, through his work in Puerto Rico where he lived from 1942. Life an ...
(1915–2022)


See also

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Arborist An arborist, tree surgeon, or (less commonly) arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dend ...
*
List of forest research institutes This is a list of forest research institutes around the world, by continent and country. It includes research institutions with a primary focus on forest science, forestry, forest management, and related fields. International * Center for In ...
* List of forestry universities and colleges *
Reeve (England) In Anglo-Saxon England, the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown, such as the chief magistrate of a town or district. After the Norman conquest, it was an office held by a man of lower rank, appointed as manager ...
*
Society of American Foresters The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is a professional organization representing the forestry industry in the United States. Its mission statement declares that it seeks to "advance the science, education, and practice of forestry; to enhance t ...
* Institute of Chartered Foresters *
Verderer Verderers are forestry officials in England who deal with common land in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of the Crown. The office was developed in the Middle Ages to administer forest law on behalf of the King. Verde ...


References


External links


SAF Accredited Professional Forestry Degree ProgramsSAF Recognized Forest Technology Degree ProgramsCenter for International Forestry ResearchInternational Union of Forest Research OrganizationsFAO Forestry DepartmentThe National Forest (England)Forestry Commission (Great Britain)
{{Authority control Foresters History of forestry