This glossary contains forestry terms for practical use, especially in arid and semi-arid zones, as a result of the world attention, focused on the energy crisis, and the disruption of the environment. The Bank is increasingly involved in wood-based energy, and erosion control projects, as fuel-wood problems, and desertification have intensified in many developing countries. Terminology is provided in English, and French terms.

The dictionary contains approx. 10,000 terms used today in forest science, management and conservation, comprising forest ecology, forest entomology and pathology, forest fire management, forest geomatics, forest meteorology and hydrology, forest soils and geomorphology, forest surveys and mensuration, genetics and tree improvement, harvesting and forest operations, integrated forest management, photogrammetry and remote sensing, physico-mechanical properties of wood, processing (panels, pulp and paper, sawing, etc.), silviculture, tree physiology, agroforestry, urban forestry, wildlife and wilderness management and arboriculture, wood anatomy and structure.