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Abiotic: the non-living components of the environment, such as air, rocks, soil, water, peat and plant litter.
Aboriginal rights: rights to carry out activities that are integral to the distinctive culture of an aboriginal society and were practiced for a sufficient length of time prior to 1846 to have become integral. They may vary according to distinct patterns of historical use and occupancy of land. Aboriginal rights are protected under Section 35 (1) of the Constitution Act and are currently defined by Delgamuuk II.
Access management plan: an operational plan that shows how and where road construction, modification and deactivation will be carried out for areas not covered by forest development plans to protect, or mitigate impacts on known resources or sensitive locations while maximizing the efficacy of forest resource development.
Account: in multiple accounts analysis, accounts are the broad theme areas that form the basis for examining alternatives. Currently in the BC government the theme areas are economy, environment and community although in some cases First Nations issues are placed in a separate account (see also evaluation accounts).
Adaptive management: the rigorous combination of management, research, and monitoring so that credible information is gained and management activities can be modified by experience. Adaptive management acknowledges institutional barriers to change and designs means to overcome them.
Additive effects: effects on biota of stress imposed by one mechanism, contributed from more than one source (e.g. sediment-related stress on fish imposed by sediment derived from streambank sources and from land surface sources) (see also cumulative effects).
Age class: an interval into which the age range of trees, forests, stands, or forest types is divided for classification. Forest inventories commonly group trees into 20-year age increments up to age 140 years, then a single class for trees between 141 and 250 years old, and a single class for those older than 250 years.
Agricultural land: land that is used for farming, including ranching, and land that has biophysical attributes that make it suitable for agricultural use. The latter includes lands identified by the Canada Land Inventory agricultural capability classes 1 to 5, as well as unique lands that have the capability to sustain agriculture.
Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR): land designated and reserved for agricultural purposes under the Agricultural Land Commission Act (the reserve covers about five percent of the province and includes most of BC's high quality agricultural land). It includes both private and public lands, and covers land being farmed and land with agricultural potential. Non-agricultural uses on the ALR are regulated.
Alienation: defined in the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act as any land that has had its "right-to-use" transferred from the Crown through grant, lease, or permit or has a special interest noted, as in reserves. Land may be so designated permanently or temporarily.
Allowable annual cut (AAC): the allowable rate of timber harvest from a specified area of land. The chief forester sets AACs for timber supply areas (TSAs) and tree farm licences (TFLs) in accordance with Section 7 and/or Section 170 of the Forest Act. The district manager sets AACs for woodlot licences. May also refer to a portion of the total AAC for the management unit (i.e. TSA) partitioned to a single harvesting agreement (i.e. forest licence, timber sale licence).
Anadromous: fish that spawn in freshwater and migrate to sea to grow to maturity.
Analysis unit: the basic component around which inventory data and other information are assembled for use in forest planning models. Analysis units represent the general level of aggregation, or detail, at which a timber supply analysis is carried out. They are normally defined by tree species and site qualities, but may also be defined to incorporate specific geographic areas or areas under a similar set of management practices.
Animal unit month (AUM): the amount of forage required to feed a mature 1,000 pound cow with or without unweaned calf at her side, or equivalent (one two-year-old horse or five deer) for one month.
Aquaculture sites: coastal, freshwater or inland aquatic areas being used for the production of finfish, shellfish or marine plants.
Archaeological sites: locations containing or with the potential to contain the physical remains of past human activity. These sites are assessed through archaeological impact assessments (see also cultural heritage resource).
