Waif. Timber that is standard along a floating stream or in the sea and bears no property marks. Often called "Waifwood" (Deprec.)

Waste-Land (Ped.) Land not capable of producing materials or services of value. A miscellaneous land type. (SSSA).

Water Available. The amount of water, plants can extract from unit volume of soil. It is mainly derived from capillary water and corresponds roughly to the water held by the soil between the limits of field moisture capacity and the, wilting coefficient.

Water, Capillary. Water that is retained around the soil particles and in the capillary pores in the soil at forces approximately between values of pF 2.7 and 4.5; capable of movement under the influence of surface tension, and the main source of supply to forest trees.

Water, Gravitational. Water in the soil body in excess of the capillary capacity. Held by forces somewhat less than pF 2.7 and incapable of being retained under conditions of free drainage.

Water, Ground. The body of water in the ground, accumulated above impermeable layers that completely fills the pore space to a level whose depth below the surface varies from place to place and, generally from time to time. (BCFT). See Water table; Zone of saturation.

Water, Hygroscopic. That portion of the soil water which is retained as a thin film by the soil particles at forces greater than pF 4.5 i.e., after capillary water has been removed. It is incapable of movement by gravitational or surface tension forces, and is associated mostly with the colloidal part of the soil. Sometimes referred to as water of imbibition.

Water Logging. (Ped.) A condition in which the soil pores get filled with water to the exclusion of air. A consequence of inadequate soil drainage.

Watershed. Strictly a water parting, the dividing line between Catchment areas. The use of this terms as a synonym for Catchment or drainage area is deprecated. (BCFT).

Water-Table. The upper surface of the Zone of saturation of soil by ground water.

Water-Table, Perched. A Water table that is separated by unsaturated material from an underlying body of ground water in a different Zone of saturation. (USFT modif.).

Weathering (Ped.). All physical and chemical changes produced in rocks, at or near the earth's surface, by atmospheric agents, and which result in more or less complete disintegration and decomposition. (SSSA).

Weed. Any unwanted plant that interferes or tends to interfere with the growth of individuals of favoured species.

Weeding. A tending operation done in the seedling stage in a nursery or in a forest crop that involves the removal or cutting back of all weeds. Cf. Cleaning.

Whip. A tall slender tree in the upper canopy, with very constricted crown and incapable of existence without the support of the neighboring trees.

Wilding. A natural seedling (in contrast to a nursery grown seedling) used in forest planting. Syn. Vounteer;Wilding. (Am.) (BCFT).

Wilt Disease. (a) A plant diseases in which the drooping of foliage is the most conspicuous symptom. (b) (Entom.). A fatal virus disease of insect larvae which causes their bodies to become flaccid after death. (BCFT).

Wilting Coefficient. The soil moisture content at which a specified standard plant permanently wilts.

Wind, Anabatic. An upward motion of (heated) air due to convection, e.g. the morning upward wing in valleys. Syn. Valley breeze, (BCFT modif.).

Wind, Katabatic. A downward motion of (cooled) air due to convection, e.g. the evening downward wind in valleys. (BCFT modif.).

Wind Blast. Injury to leaves and/or twigs by strong wind (BCFT).

Windbreak. (a) a narrow shelterbelt or other obstacle maintained against the wind. Syn Wind belt (b) Wind breakage, i.e. the breaking of trees or branches by wind. (BCFT modif.).

Wind Fall. A tree or trees thrown by the wind.

Wind Firm. Able to withstand strong winds without being thrown or broken (BCFT).

Wind Throw. Uprooted by wind; a tree or trees so uprooted. (BCFT).

Winter Drying. The desiccation of foliage or twigs by dry winds at times when water conduction is restricted by freezing of the stem or of the ground. It may also occur on unfrozen but cold soil. Syn. Parch blight. (BCFT).

Witches Broom. An abnormal bushy growth of parts of the branch system on trees or shrubs, markedly different from that of the normal plant and characterized by the shortening of the internodes and excessive proliferation, generally pathogenic origin. (BCFT).

Wood. (a) See (Xylem). (b) Sometimes used to indicate firewood and small timber for domestic purposes as distinct from "timber". (c) Any area of land more or less covered with trees. (d) See Stand. (BCFT).

Wood, Spring. The less dense wood formed during the early period of growth of each annual ring. Syn. Early wood. (BCFT).

Wood, Summer. The denser wood formed during the later period of growth of each annual ring Syn. Late wood; Autumn wood. (BCFT).

Wood Preservation. Antiseptic treatment of wood to increase its durability.

Woodland. Land bearing vegetation composed essentially of woody plants. There is a modern tendency to restrict the term to plant communities, in which trees, often small, are present, but form only an open canopy the intervening area being occupied by lower vegetation typically grass, in contrast to (close) high forest. (BCFT).

Woodland, Farm. The wooded portion of a farm or the wooded land in connection with a farm. Syn. Farm woodlot. (BCFT).

Working, Circle. A forest area (forming the whole or part of a working plan area) organized with a particular object, and under one silvicultural system and one set of working plan prescriptions. In certain circumstances working circles may overlap. (BCFT modif.).

Working Plan. A written scheme of management aiming at continuity of policy and action and controlling the treatment of a forest. (BCFT). The instrument of forest management. Syn. Management plan. See also Plan of operation (b).

Working Scheme. A term used in some countries to denote a plan of management not so detailed or so nicely calculated as a Working Plan (BCFT).

Wrench. To break the finer roots of nursery plants, without removing them from the soil by heaving the soil with a fork or similar implement, or by partly lifting the plant and refirming. Cf. Pruning root. (BCFT).