Benefits Provided by the Forest

When "Forestry" is mentioned, many think of men chopping down trees.  But that is merely a cliche.  Modern forestry takes into account the vast array of benefits derived from the forest, and attempts to manage the forest resources to maximize some mix of the following benefits dependent upon the landowner's objectives.  We have learned that diversity in the forest ecosystem is a crucial component for its health.

While timber harvesting may be the most dramatic event in forestry, it occurs so infrequently and taking advantage of the other benefits happens daily or annually.  Here is a 11 1/2 minute video produced by the Tennessee Division of Forestry that talks about all of the benefits delivered by forests:

For information on individuals who market the following forest products (although not the wildlife), please visit our Product Directory.

IFA Members can join the discussion of non-timber forest products in the Members-Only forums.

Lastly, some of the non-timber forest products below have links to webpages with relevant documents.