Forestry and Afforestation is a scientific and applied field that focuses on forest management and tree planting to achieve multiple goals, including preserving biodiversity, improving environmental quality, and supporting the local economy. This major includes multiple aspects of natural sciences, ecology, and management to develop effective and sustainable strategies for forest management and arboriculture.

Fields of study in forestry and arboriculture:
Forest Ecology:

• Forest ecosystems: The study of the structure and functions of forest ecosystems and how living organisms interact with their environment.
• Biodiversity: Preserving biodiversity and protecting endangered species in forests.

Forest Management:

• Planning and Management: Develop forest management plans that achieve a balance between sustainable use of forest resources and their protection.
• Evaluation and monitoring: Using modern technologies to evaluate the condition of forests and monitor environmental changes.

Afforestation and Reforestation:

• Agriculture techniques: Applying modern techniques for planting trees and improving survival and growth rates.
• Land Restoration: Rehabilitating degraded lands and turning them into productive green areas.

Soil and forest science:

• Soil analysis: The study of soil properties in forests and how they affect tree growth.
• Soil management: Developing practices to maintain soil health and increase forest productivity.

Forest Economics:

• Economic development: analyzing the economic value of forests and how to achieve sustainable benefit from them.
• Marketing and Trade: Develop strategies to market forest products such as timber and non-timber products.

Forest Protection:

• Firefighting: Developing strategies to prevent and manage forest fires.
• Pest and disease control: Implementing programs to monitor and control pests and diseases that affect trees.

Environmental Technology:

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS): The use of GIS for forest monitoring and management.
• Remote Sensing: Applying remote sensing techniques to collect and analyze data.

Required skills:

• Extensive scientific knowledge: in the fields of biology, chemistry, ecology, and economics.
• Analytical and research skills: the ability to analyze environmental data and conduct field research.
• Technical capabilities: to use modern tools and techniques in forest management and monitoring ecosystems.
• Project management skills: to plan, implement and manage afforestation and reforestation projects effectively.
• Communication skills: to transfer knowledge and interact with local communities and decision makers.

Work fields:

• Government Bodies: Work with forest and nature reserve management agencies to develop and implement environmental policies and programs.
• Private companies: Providing consultations and services in the fields of forest management and sustainable afforestation.
• Non-governmental organizations: Participation in forest conservation and sustainable development programs.
• Scientific research: Working in universities and research centers to conduct advanced studies on forests and afforestation.
• Education: Teaching forestry and arboriculture in schools and universities.

The importance of forests and afforestation:

• Environmental protection: It contributes to maintaining environmental balance and reducing climate change by increasing the forest area.
• Economic Development: Supports the local economy by providing forest products and environmental services.
• Improving the quality of life: It provides green environments that contribute to improving air and water quality and enhancing public health.
• Biodiversity Protection: Contributes to preserving the habitats of wild species and increasing biodiversity.

Forestry and landscaping applications:

• Restoring Degraded Lands: Transforming degraded lands into productive forests and green areas.
• Developing tree farms: establishing commercial tree farms to achieve sustainable economic benefit.
• Green urban planning: Integrating forests and green areas into urban planning to improve the quality of life in cities.
• Natural disaster prevention: Using forests as a natural barrier to prevent floods and landslides.

Forestry and Afforestation is one of the vital fields that combine scientific knowledge with practical applications to achieve significant improvements in the environment and sustainability, making it a field with great influence in improving the quality of life and promoting economic and social development.