Glossary - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 247

Glossary

Accounts Statements of expenditure and receipts over a given period, usually drawn
every month, in a specified format. All accounts are based on vouchers. It is possible
to develop computer software so that inputting of each voucher along with its classi-
fication information will automatically result in fully drawn and checked accounts.
Using such software, one person can act as an auditor-cum-accountant-cum-cashier
in an office.

Activity A well-defined task or sub-task within a complex project, which has a
clearly defined start time and an end time. The concept is used in network analysis
for management of projects. Also called a job.

Advance planting Planting out seedlings in field before arrival of the rains. The
purpose behind advance planting is to ensure that the plants in field do not miss even
a single rainfall, and can grow beyond the risk of mortality caused by drought, in
the first season itself. Advance planting can be carried out only where provision of
irrigation has been kept in the project. While planting, water should be available at
a convenient distance, or else the costs may be too high. It is recommended in high
value plantations in arid and hyper-arid areas.

Afforestation Establishment of ground cover of trees, shrubs, and grasses on a
barren land where no forest existed until 50 years ago or earlier. ⇒ Reforestation.

Afforestation cycle The cycle of raising of forest cover, harvesting it after maturity,
and repeating the operation in a definite time frame.

Afforestation model ⇒ Plantation model

Agroforestry The practice of planting trees on agricultural farms, especially on
bunds or periphery of fields, for simultaneous production of food crops and trees.
As a production system, agroforestry is superior to pure cropping practice. Trees,
apart from bringing up nutrients from the deeper soils, provide shelter, maintain
temperature moderation and humidity in the atmosphere in the arid areas, improve
the organic contents of the topsoil, and enrich the soils by supporting soil-fungi such
as the root associative mycorrhizae and the nitrogen-fixing rhizobia.