Treedom Glossary: Words That Help Trees Grow

Planting a tree is a simple gesture. Helping it grow sustainably, integrating it into an agricultural system, and generating environmental and social impact is a much more complex process.

This glossary brings together the key terms that describe Treedom’s work: from seed to nursery, from agroforestry systems to rural development, all the way to digital traceability and climate impact.

Understanding these words means better understanding what lies behind every tree: an agricultural project, an involved community, and an ecosystem that strengthens over time.

From Seed to Tree: Biological Cycle and Nursery

Nursery
An agricultural facility dedicated to the production and care of young plants. In the nursery, irrigation, substrate, shading, and plant health are carefully managed to ensure that seedlings are strong enough before being transplanted into the field.

Germination
The biological process through which a seed, under favorable environmental conditions (water, temperature, oxygen), activates its metabolism and develops its first root and shoot. It is a delicate phase that determines the plant’s future quality.

Grafting
An agronomic technique that joins one part of a plant (the scion) to another (the rootstock) to combine advantageous characteristics such as disease resistance, soil adaptability, or fruit quality.

Transplanting (Planting Out)
The operation of transferring the seedling from the nursery to its permanent location in the field. It includes soil preparation, initial protection, and management of the first establishment phase.

Survival Rate
The percentage of trees that survive the first years after transplanting. It is a key technical indicator used to assess project design quality, agronomic management, and local involvement.

Productive Systems and Agronomic Approach

Agroforestry
A production system that integrates trees and agricultural crops within the same plot of land. Trees improve soil fertility, provide shade, and contribute to diversifying farmers’ income.

Agro-silvo-pastoral System
An integrated model combining crops, trees, and livestock. This multilayered structure increases overall productivity and reduces both economic and climate-related vulnerability.

Monoculture
The large-scale cultivation of a single plant species. While it may guarantee high yields in the short term, it tends to reduce biodiversity and system resilience.

Intercropping
The simultaneous cultivation of different species on the same land, generating mutual benefits in terms of soil fertility, pest control, and resource use efficiency.

Reforestation
The restoration of tree cover in an area that was previously deforested or degraded.

Afforestation
The establishment of new forest cover in areas that historically were not forested.

Assisted Natural Regeneration
An approach that supports the spontaneous regrowth of local vegetation through protection, management, and selective encouragement of species already present in the soil.

Social and Economic Dimension

Food Security
A condition in which a community has stable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Fruit trees directly contribute to improving it.

Income Diversification
A strategy that creates multiple sources of income (seasonal crops, fruit, timber, derived products), reducing risks linked to climate events or market fluctuations.

Agricultural Empowerment
The strengthening of farmers’ technical, organizational, and economic skills, enabling them to manage their production systems independently and sustainably.

Local Community
The group of people living and working in a specific territory who actively participate in the management and benefits of the project.

Geotagging
The assignment of GPS coordinates to a specific tree. It allows the tree to be geographically located and identified within the digital platform.

Smallholder Farmer
An agricultural producer managing limited land areas, typically relying on mixed and family-based systems. Smallholder farmers are central to agroforestry projects.

Rural Development
The economic and social growth of agricultural areas, based on increased productivity, training, and access to new markets.

Environmental and Climate Impact

Regeneration
The ecological and productive recovery of degraded land. In agroforestry, regeneration refers to restoring soil fertility, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions through the integration of trees into agricultural systems. It involves not only the return of vegetation, but the long-term strengthening of the balance between human activity and ecosystems.

Biodiversity
The variety of plant, animal, and microbial species within an ecosystem. Agroforestry systems contribute to increasing biodiversity compared to simplified agricultural systems.

Ecosystem Services
The benefits ecosystems provide to society: soil fertility, water regulation, pollination, erosion control, and climate regulation.

Climate Resilience
The capacity of an agricultural or forest system to adapt to climate shocks (droughts, heavy rainfall, temperature variations) while maintaining functionality and productivity.

Soil Degradation
The process of losing soil fertility, structure, and productive capacity, often linked to intensive agricultural practices or deforestation.

Behind every tree lies a set of agronomic choices, local relationships, and environmental processes working together over time.

This glossary is not just a list of definitions, but a framework for understanding how an agroforestry project is built, grows, and generates value.

Knowing these words means seeing each tree not as an isolated object, but as part of a broader system shaped by people, land, and future.