BSc in Forestry

B.Sc. Forestry at Faculty of Forestry, Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU)

B.Sc. Forestry is the undergraduate forestry program of the Faculty of Forestry (FOF), Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Hetauda, Makawanpur. The faculty began the program in 2013. Its B.Sc. Forestry curriculum is organized across eight semesters and combines biological and social sciences with silviculture, forest management, wildlife, soil and watershed studies, forest products, surveying, remote sensing, natural resource management, environmental studies, and field training. Practical components are built into many individual courses, while dedicated field-training courses take students into forestry, conservation, community forestry, and natural resource management settings.

B.Sc. Forestry at a Glance

The Faculty of Forestry also has eight academic departments covering basic science, ecology and environmental science, forest products, forest survey and engineering, natural resource management, silviculture and forest biology, soil and watershed management, and wildlife.

Course Structure

The B.Sc. Forestry curriculum begins with scientific, social, communication, legal, and introductory forestry subjects before moving into increasingly technical areas of forest science and natural resource management.

The first semester includes:

• Principles of Cytology, Genetics and Plant Breeding

• Communicational and Technical English

• Elementary Economics

• Social Science for Forestry

• Forest Law and Policy

• Principle and Practice of Office Management

• Principles and Practices of Silviculture

• Wildlife Biology

This combination gives students an early base in plant science, communication, economics, social dimensions of forestry, forestry law, administration, silviculture, and wildlife.

The second semester moves further into technical forestry through subjects including:

• Wood Anatomy

• Forest Surveying

• Tree Physiology

• Wildlife and Ecotourism Management

• Dendrology

• Forest Extension

• Introductory Soil Science

Several of these courses contain both theory and practical components. Forest Surveying, for example, covers chain and compass surveying, plane-table surveying, contouring, and GPS survey, with field exercises in measurement, mapping, compass work, and GPS use.

Major Areas of Study

As students progress through the program, the curriculum covers a broad set of forestry subjects. Major areas include:

• Silviculture and forest regeneration

• Forest ecology and forest management

• Forest mensuration and inventory

• Wood anatomy, forest products, and wood technology

• Wildlife biology and wildlife management

• Soil science and watershed management

• Forest surveying and GPS

• Remote sensing and aerial photo interpretation

• GIS and spatial analysis

• Community forestry and governance

• Natural resource economics

• Forest extension and communication

• Medicinal and aromatic plants

• Range management

• Environmental change

• Statistics and computer applications

• Entrepreneurship and forest enterprise planning

Remote Sensing and Photo Interpretation, for example, addresses aerial photography, photogrammetry, image interpretation, remote-sensing sensors, satellite imagery, land-use mapping, and applications in natural resource management.

The later part of the program also includes subjects such as Entrepreneurship Development and Communication Skill, which addresses enterprise opportunities, small and medium-sized forest enterprises, market assessment, business planning, and communication.

Practical Work and Field Training

Practical work is not confined to a single part of the program. Many courses combine theory with laboratory, field, survey, mapping, observation, or project exercises.

Dedicated field-training courses add longer periods of field exposure.

FT 201 Field Training

FT 201 carries 2 practical credit hours. The training is planned for about seven days and connects students with forestry programs and development activities. Its scope includes:

• Field forestry practices

• Forest industries

• Wildlife activities

• Soil conservation activities

• Field reporting and assigned tasks

FT 301 Field Training

FT 301 also carries 2 practical credit hours and may run for up to seven days. It covers field practices related to:

• Forestry operations

• National park management

• Watershed management

• Field-based reporting

FT 401 Field Training

FT 401 carries 3 practical credit hours and may run for up to ten days. It is centered on community-based forest management. Students work in groups and prepare a community forest management plan or a business plan for products from community forests.

These field courses give the program a structured progression from observing forestry operations to applying management, planning, and community-based forestry work.

Learning Through Applied Courses

The curriculum contains practical tasks that require students to work with forestry measurements, biological materials, maps, communities, data, and management problems.

Examples include:

• Timber and wood identification

• Tree and forest measurement

• Compass, plane-table, and GPS surveying

• Soil sampling and soil-property analysis

• Wildlife field observation

• Community forest assessment

• Statistical analysis using computer software

• Remote-sensing interpretation

• GIS-based mapping

• Watershed assessment

• Business-plan preparation

• Environmental assessment case studies

The eighth-semester course Global Environmental Change also includes practical study connected with environmental assessment, including Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes in the Nepalese context.

Faculty-Based Practical Environment

At the Faculty of Forestry in Hetauda, students have access to a 95 ha forest that supports field-based academic work. Course-related case studies and field visits are also part of the faculty's teaching approach.

This setting is relevant to subjects that depend on direct observation and measurement, including silviculture, dendrology, surveying, forest inventory, ecology, wildlife, soil and watershed studies, and forest management.

Further Study

B.Sc. Forestry is an accepted academic background for M.Sc. Forestry at the Faculty of Forestry, AFU. The postgraduate program accepts applicants with B.Sc. Forestry or an equivalent degree who meet its stated academic requirements.

The faculty also conducts postgraduate study in forestry-related fields and PhD study in Forestry.

Contact Details

Institution: Faculty of Forestry (FOF), Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU)

Location: Hetauda, Makwanpur, Nepal

Phone: +977-57-524154, +977-57-527354

Email: deanforestry@afu.edu.np

Website: www.afu.edu.np/forestry

Frequently Asked Questions

How is B.Sc. Forestry at AFU structured?

The curriculum is organized across eight semesters and combines theoretical courses, practical classes, laboratory and field exercises, and dedicated field-training courses.

What subjects are studied in B.Sc. Forestry?

The program covers silviculture, wildlife, forest ecology, forest management, forest products, surveying, soil and watershed management, community forestry, remote sensing, GIS, natural resource economics, statistics, environmental studies, and related subjects.

Does B.Sc. Forestry include field training?

Yes. The curriculum contains dedicated Field Training courses, including FT 201, FT 301, and FT 401, alongside practical work within individual subjects.

What does community forestry field training involve?

FT 401 focuses on community-based forest management. Students work in groups and prepare a community forest management plan or a business plan related to community forest products.

Does the program include surveying and mapping?

Yes. Forest Surveying covers field measurement, compass surveying, plane-table surveying, contouring, and GPS. The curriculum also includes remote sensing, aerial photo interpretation, and GIS-related work.

Does the program cover environmental assessment?

Yes. Global Environmental Change includes practical work related to Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes in the Nepalese context.