Abbreviations

Glossary

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Other Glossaries

Acceptable Level Of Protection (ALOP) Also known as an appropriate level of protection. A country's expressed goals in protecting its population from particular foodborne hazards, as reflected in legislation, guidelines or other official documents.

Accountable Person The person named in a MAF-approved programme (e.g. PSP, QCP) who is responsible for all operations covered by the programme, and for ensuring that those operations comply with regulatory requirements.

Accuracy How close a sample estimate of a population (e. g. sample estimate of "stand" volume) is to the true population value. We don't usually know the true value; sample accuracy is normally judged from sample "precision".

Accreditation Formal granting of recognition of competence for specified categories, following assessment against a standard, by an accreditation body.

Accreditation Body An internationally recognised, independent organisation which is authorised to accredit organisations to certain ISO standards.

Advanced growth Young trees that have become established naturally before any harvesting of older trees is undertaken. For the purpose of this standard, advanced growth is defined as "saplings" and "poles".

Agricultural Compound Substance used in agriculture, as defined by the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997, including pesticides, as defined by the Pesticides Act 1979.

Argillite A sedimentary rock composed of clay particles which have been hardened and cemented.

Allowable harvest The quantity of timber that may be harvested annually, usually expressed on a species basis per unit area (e. g. "m ³ /ha" of red beech) or as a total annual quantity for the forest area as a whole. In the case of an SFM Permit the allowable harvest is the volume of timber available for harvest over the term of the Permit.

Assessment Systematic examination of an individual, organisation, plan, programme, or system against regulatory requirements.

Authorised Signatory Person within an organisation who is authorised by an accreditation body to sign endorsed reports on behalf of that organisation.

Alluvium Sediment deposited by rivers and streams. It ranges from clays, through silts and sands, to gravels.

Amenities See "Amenity values"

Amenity values "Those natural or physical qualities and characteristics of an area that contribute to people's appreciation of its pleasantness, aesthetic coherence, and cultural and recreational attributes".

Ammonia-N Nitrogen occurring in the form of NH4+ and NH3 in a wastewater.

Anthropogenic Caused by human activity (e. g. modification of a forest by harvesting or burning of trees).

Approval Written confirmation from MAF where action or participation is dependent on the Director-General of MAF's formal acceptance or permission.

Approved Approved by the Director-General of MAF.

Approved Individual A person who has demonstrated that they meet MAF competency standards for qualifications and experience, and has subsequently been approved by the Director-General of MAF.

AWC Available water holding capacity

Backward Linkage

A backward linkage is to an industry supplying inputs either directly to the business in question, or indirectly by supplying inputs to another supplier.

Bank collapse Mass movement of streambanks, once under-cut by scouring action of floodwater.

Basal area The area of the cross section of the stem of a tree at breast height (1.4m above ground level) inclusive of its bark. Basal area, expressed as "m² /ha" is often used to provide a measure of site occupancy of a species or group of species.

Bias A systematic error (of measurement) that affects all measurements the same way. A sample mean may be precise but biased; that is, the sample measurements are clustered closely about their mean but do not represent the true value.

Biodiversity The numbers and distribution of all flora and fauna from time to time existing on the land.

Biomass (vegetation) The amount of plant matter growing on a given area of land; usually expressed in kilograms per hectare.

Blanking Replacement of any seedling trees that have died and left blanks in a regular planting pattern.

BOD₅ Biochemical Oxygen Demand (measured in a five-day bottle test at 20⁰C for the oxidation of organic material in a wastewater by aerobic bacteria). BOD₅ is used in expressions of waste quantity (e.g, gBOD₅), waste concentration (e.g., gBOD₅/m³), and waste lending rate (e.g., gBOD₅/m³/day; gBOD₅/m²/day).

Braided channel

A river channel that has numerous branches, separated by exposed alluvial bars.

Broadleaved Used in the Forests Act in the terms "shade-tolerant and/ or exposure-sensitive broadleaved hardwood species". A term applied to Angiosperms: trees and shrubs that reproduce by producing seeds in an ovary and having leaves of relatively large area. Distinguished in the Forests Act from (small leaved) "light demanding hardwoods" (also Angiosperms) such as beech.

Canopy gap A space on the forest floor not covered by the crowns of trees, created by the felling or death or toppling of a tree or a number of trees. The area defined by the vertical projection to the ground of the edges of the crowns of standing trees surrounding the canopy gap. Canopy gap area may diminish rapidly as the crowns of edge trees grow to occupy the gap, referred to as "gap infilling". As such "expanded gap" area is a more repeatable measure over time.

Blanking Replacement of any seedling trees that have died and left blanks in a regular planting pattern.

Braided channel

A river channel that has numerous branches, separated by exposed alluvial bars.

Carbon ignition Conversion of soil organic matter to CO₂ gas by high-temperature reaction, when overlying vegetation is burned.

Certification Procedure by which official certification bodies or officially recognised certification bodies provide written or equivalent assurance that foods or food control systems conform to requirements. Certification of food may be, as appropriate, based on a range of inspection activities which may include continuous on-line inspection, auditing of quality assurance systems, and examination of finished products.

Code Of Practice Document developed and owned by industry, which sets out means of meeting regulatory requirements.

CODEX The Codex Alimentarius, is an international food standards code developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The CAC is an international food standards agency that was established jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1962. There are currently 165 member countries of the CAC.

Colostrum Milk given by a milking animal within four days after giving birth.

Compliance Status whereby all aspects of product, facilities, people, programmes, and systems meet regulatory requirements and, where applicable, importing country official requirements.

Composition The variety of species present within an area of forest.

Confidence limits The statistical way of indicating the reliability of an estimate calculated from (preferably) a random sample. Usually expressed as a value above and below the sample mean within which the true mean will lie, at a specified probability level for sampling. For example the volume of rimu in a forest may be estimated, on the basis of a sample measurement of trees, to be 100m 3 /ha + 10m 3 /ha at 95 percent probability level of sampling. The 95 percent lower and upper confidence limits are thus 90 m 3 /ha and 110 m 3 /ha and this range is the 95 percent "confidence interval". This means that the mean stand volume is between 90 m 3 // ha and 110m 3 /ha unless a one in twenty chance has occurred in sampling the forest. The wider the confidence limits, the less reliable the estimate is deemed to be.

Conflict Of Interest Any circumstance which may undermine or detract from the impartiality and/or independence of an individual or organisation.

Consignment The goods identified in one bill of lading.

Corrective Action Action taken to rectify, eliminate the causes of, and prevent recurrence of any problem/failure/non-compliance identified in a plan, procedure, process, product, programme, or system.

Coupe An area of clear-cut (felled) forest where all trees are felled in the designated area.

Critical Control Point (CCP) A step in a process at which a control can be applied which is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Critical Hazard A hazard that could result in contamination that could be injurious to Health or contamination by foreign matter.

Critical Limit A criterion which separates acceptability from unacceptability.

Critical Non-Compliance An action, event or omission which may result in:

Failure of dairy produce to comply with regulatory requirements;
Failure to follow the lawful direction of an Inspector;
An alleged offence against the applicable legislation;
A critical situation;
Failure of a critical control point within a MAF-approved programme or plan;
Failure to identify when dairy produce is non-conforming;
Failure to stop a non-compliance;
Failure to keep accurate and complete records;
Failure to provide accurate, complete, and timely reports;
Failure to dispose of non-conforming dairy produce in compliance with regulatory requirements;
Failure to prevent recurrence of a non-compliance; and/or
Failure to rectify a non-compliance within the specified timeframe.

Critical Situation Any situation which, in the professional judgement of the Inspector, places public health, animal welfare, market access, official assurances, national good, or MAF's credibility at risk, or where an offence is suspected.

Dairy Factory Cheese factory, butter factory, condensed milk factory or any other factory engaged in the manufacture of dairy produce and includes a skimming station, a buying or receiving station, or any other premises ancillary to a dairy factory.

Dairy Manufacturer Operator of a manufacturing unit processing dairy produce (dairy factory).

Dairy Produce Milk, cream, butter, cheese, and any other product of milk or cream.

Dairy Product Dairy produce intended for sale in, or export from, New Zealand for human consumption; and

includes raw milk or cream intended for sale in New Zealand for human consumption as raw milk or cream; but
does not include raw milk or cream intended to be processed before sale in New Zealand for human consumption.

Dairy Raw Materials Milk and / or products obtained from milk, which are ingredients of dairy produce.

Date of Final Control The date the dairy produce is dispatched from the premises of final control.

Date of Manufacture The date on which the product becomes the product as described.

Date of Packaging The date on which the product is placed in the immediate container in which it will ultimately be sold.

Days Unless specified otherwise, "days" refers to calendar days. "Working days" means Monday to Friday inclusive, excluding statutory holidays.

Defect Includes:

Any utensil, piece of machinery, apparatus, building structure, conveyance, ship that is in an unclean or unwholesome condition;
Any person employed in or about a premise affected or exposed to any contagious or infectious disease;
Any stock in or about a premise that are diseased; and
Any food or water supplied to stock that is impure or unwholesome.

Density The number of stems per unit area, usually expressed as stems per hectare (sph).

Designated Person An employee of the organisation covered by a MAF-approved programme (e.g. PSP, QCP), who is authorised by the accountable person to sign summaries of records and copies of records and test reports on the accountable person's behalf.

Disease Any animal illness.

Directional felling Felling a tree in a pre-determined direction, usually with the aim of minimising damage to adjacent trees or advanced growth.

Disturbance Past events that have influenced the "composition" and history "structure" of a forest, both natural and anthropogenic.

DO Dissolved Oxygen - the concentration of oxygen dissolved in water, expressed as mg/L or g/m³ (numerically the same)

Domestic stock Taken to include, but not confined to, sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, deer poultry and horses.

DPSAC Dairy Product Safety Advisory Council

E-Cert Electronic certification.

Enforcement Investigation and prosecution of suspected breaches of New Zealand legislation.

Ephemeral (stream)

Watercourse which flows after heavy rain, and dries up during fine weather.

Erosion The stripping of soil and weathered rock from landforms; creating sediment for transportation by water, wind or ice, and enabling formation of new sedimentary deposits.

Estimate Usually derived from a measured sample (forest "inventory"). Used to quantify a characteristic of a population (e. g. stand volume). In respect of SFM Permits (Benchmark 1.1.1.2 (4)) "estimate" also includes predictions based on documented information pertaining to a similar forest or group of forests, or from a subjective assessment based on the knowledge and experience of the assessor, or both. In the latter two circumstances the estimate will therefore not be accompanied by confidence intervals and its reliability cannot be expressed in statistical terms.

Evaluation Assessment of an individual, plan, programme, or system to determine compliance with regulatory requirements. This will involve review of documentation and, in some cases, review of operations or observation of practice. It is undertaken by a competent individual contracted to an impartial agency (e.g. TPA or National Assessor, MAF Compliance Group).

E-Verification The electronic verification of consignments that comply with certain eligibility requirements.

Expanded gap The area calculated from measurement between the trunks of trees nearest to and surrounding the "canopy gap".

Export Transport of goods, for the purpose of sale, outside New Zealand's territory (i.e. Beyond the "twelve mile limit").

Exposure sensitive Tree species that are susceptible to damage to their foliage resulting from increased exposure to wind or frost (e. g. tawa on some sites).

Facilities Includes water supply, steam supply, refrigeration, heating, ventilation, lighting, air conditioning, effluent disposal, waste disposal and sanitary arrangements for personnel.

Farm Dairy Includes a dairy where milking animals are milked; any stockyard, milking yard, stable stall or shed associated with a farm dairy; and any dairy associated with a farm dairy where milk extracted in the farm dairy is collected, filtered, deposited, separated, cooled or stored, or treated or stabilised to prepare for transport. It does not include a place (not being a dairy where milking animals are milked) where milk is processed or treated, other than by being collected, filtered, separated, stirred, or cooled, or treated or stabilised to prepare for transport.

FDA Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare of the United States of America.

FDA BAM Bacteriological Analytical Manual for Foods published by the FDA.

FDA-MAF MOU The U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Food and Drug Administration Memorandum of Understanding with the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1974.

Felling Cycle The interval between successive harvesting in a forest area.

Finished Product Produce which has been packed, in the manner intended for sale, and is awaiting the decision concerning conformance with regulatory requirements.

Fit for Purpose Suitable for the purpose for which the product is specifically stated or could reasonably be presumed to be intended, having regard to its nature, packaging, and identification.

Fitness for Purpose (of a test method) The suitability of a test method for a particular application. Fitness for purpose examines the effect of the test methods characteristics on assessments made using the results generated by that method, e.g. in a sampling plan used to determine whether a lot is acceptable.

Flow-on Effects The combination of backward and forward linkages.

Food Any substance, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, which is intended for human consumption. This includes drink, chewing gum and any substance that has been used in the manufacture, preparation or treatment of "food," but does not include cosmetics, tobacco or substances used only as drugs.

Food Safety Objective (FSO) A statement which expresses the level of hazard in a food that is tolerable in relation to an appropriate level of consumer protection. Ideally, it is based on a risk analysis process. When justified by either a qualitative or quantitative risk assessment, an FSO should express the level of hazard as its maximum tolerable frequency and/or concentration.

Foreign Matter any extraneous thing:

That is injurious to health or harmful; or
That is offensive; or
The presence of which would be unexpected or unreasonable in food of that description prepared or packed for sale in accordance with good trade practice.

Forest area That area within which harvesting will be undertaken and that is defined on a map attached to a registered SFM Plan or Permit.

Forest type A class of forest vegetation that is sufficiently distinct to require a different kind of management from that of other forest types.

Forward Linkage A forward linkage is the processing of some output after it has left the original producer. Hence, a forward linkage of dairying is a dairy factory. Standard multipliers (whether Type 1 or Type 11) do not include forward linkages because the underlying mathematics assumes that the product is not going to be processed but is going to final demand (such as export or household consumption).

Full Assessment An assessment to confirm that staff, facilities, operations and procedures comply with regulatory requirements and documented procedures are followed. Information gathered will include, but need not be limited to, records, discussions with management and personnel, and the observation of activities.

GMP Good Manufacturing Practice.

Greywacke

A sedimentary rock composed of silt or sand particles which have been hardened and cemented.

Groundwater Water which flows through pores and fissures in soil or rock beneath the water table.

Gullying

Erosion of soil or rock by ephemeral streams downcutting through hillslopes, after heavy rain.

Growth rate The annual or periodic increase in the dimensions of a forest variable or parameter (e. g. diameter and height or basal area and volume, respectively).

HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. HACCP is a systematic identification of hazards and the measures for their control to ensure the safety of food. It focuses on prevention rather than end-product testing.

HACCP Analysis A document prepared in accordance with the principles of HACCP, where the application of the principles stops after the hazard analysis step, because no critical control points are identified.

HACCP Plan A documented system, prepared in accordance with the principles of HACCP, to ensure control of significant food safety hazards in a food handling process.

Harvest The act of felling a tree and removing all or part of that tree from the forest. Harvesting is not deemed to be complete until the "timber" has been removed from the "landholding".

Harvest rate The annual or periodic allowable harvest. May be expressed as m 3 /ha/ annum or m 3 /annum or m 3 /period for the "forest area". Defined in a registered SFM Plan as the annual allowable harvest from the "forest area". Defined in a registered SFM Permit as the volume of timber available for harvest over the term of the Permit.

Harvest The technical and administrative aspects of controlling regulation the quantity of timber harvested from the forest so that the "allowable harvest" is not exceeded.

Hazard Analysis The process of collecting and evaluating information on hazards and conditions leading to their presence to decide which are significant for food safety and therefore should be addressed in a HACCP plan

HAZOP Hazard Analysis and Operability Review. A systematic identification of possible hazards and operational difficulties in relation to plant and equipment design.

Heavy soil

Soil with a high ratio of clay to sand or silt, sticky when wet, hard when dry, and difficult to cultivate.

Hill country Steep land with slopes greater than 20 degrees, but low relief; typically 100 to 300 metres difference in elevation. Valley bottoms are usually narrow.

High country

Mountainous land with steep slopes and high relief; typically more than 300 metres difference in elevation. Slopes are usually separated by broad, flat valley bottoms infilled by alluvium.

IANZ International Accreditation New Zealand. An accreditation body

ILCP Inter-laboratory Comparison Programme.

Importing country requirement Official sanitary, truth of labelling, and/or related specifications set by the relevant competent authority for the importation of animal or plant products.

Independent Free of conflict of interest and not involving an employee relationship with the manufacturing company.

Indicator A quantitative or qualitative variable that can be measured or described which when observed periodically demonstrates trends (e. g. the change in distribution or density of a plant or animal species).

Indigenous A species of flora or fauna that occurs naturally in New Zealand or arrived in New Zealand without human assistance.

Indigenous forest "land wholly or predominantly under the cover of land indigenous flora".

Industrial wood Applied to wood that is not of "sawlog" quality. Usually refers to wood suitable for production of pulp or other reconstituted wood products.

ISO International Organisation for Standardisation. World standard-setting body, based in Geneva, whose membership consists of national standard-setting organisations (e.g. Standards New Zealand).

Intrusive Maintenance Maintenance or cleaning of the equipment which involves breaching a barrier to external contamination, e.g. Cutting a pipe and exposing the inside of the pipe to the outside environment.

Inventory A survey of a forest area to provide information on forest species including but not limited to, information on the quantity of timber of commercial tree species present and their growth rates.

JAS-ANZ Joint Accreditation System of Australia New Zealand. An accreditation body.

Kc (= Crop co-efficient) Indexed rate of water usage by respective crops. Grass has a factor of 1.00 while bare ground is regarded as 0.35

KPa Pressure in kilopascals

Label In relation to any dairy product, means any tag, brand, mark, or pictorial or other descriptive matter, written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed, or impressed on, attached to, or forming part of, the product's container. Container includes crate, can, box, case, wrapper, tin and every other receptacle or covering used for the packing of dairy produce.

Landholding "Any right, title, or interest of any kind over any indigenous forest land in New Zealand, otherwise than by way of charge or security, by which indigenous timber may be harvested".

LRI Land Resources Inventory

Light demanding Refers to tree species requiring relatively high levels of light for seedling survival, growth and recruitment into the forest canopy e. g. some beech species and "seral" species such as rewarewa, manuka and kanuka.

Light soil

Soil with a high ratio of sand or silt to clay; aggregated when wet, but powdery and difficult to cultivate when dry.

Loam Soil with substantial proportions of clay, silt and sand, with an aggregated structure enabling easy cultivation whether wet or dry.

Loess

Silt deposited by winds blowing across sparsely vegetated ground during the last Ice Age; mantles many plains, terraces and downs in the eastern South Island and southern North Island.

Low impact The management of forests in such a way that the techniques impacts on the forest from conducting "silvicultural" operations are minimal (e. g. the use of low ground pressure tractors to minimise soil compaction).

LUC Land Use Capability

MAF Guideline Document developed or recognised by MAF to assist in the development and/or application of Codes of Practice, Product Safety Programmes, Standards, or procedures.

MAF Internal Standard A statement of the criteria that will be used by MAF in decisions about the application of MAF Standards. They will incorporate MAF policies, provide consistency, be applied uniformly, and account for precedent.

MAF Operational Policy A statement of the principles and approach that MAF will follow when decisions are made and actions taken.

MAF Standard A statement of the regulatory requirements that must be met by a person, organisation, facility, plan, programme, system or product. MAF Standards elaborate the requirements of dairy industry legislation, specify importing country requirements, and define requirements for verifying compliance with dairy industry legislation and official importing country requirements.

MALF Mean annual low flow of a river

Market Access Requirement Importing country requirement.

Method Characteristics The characteristics of a test method determined in the validation process. These performance characteristics are used to assess the suitability of a test method for its intended purpose - i.e. whether it is fit for purpose.

Modification (of test methods) - Any change to a test method which changes the method's characteristics and / or fitness for purpose.

Merchantable That quantity of a tree assessed to contain timber volume "capable of being milled".

Micro-organism Includes algae, bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Modified forest Forest that as a result of previous harvesting or other human interference displays characteristics that differ from unmodified forest of the same type.

Monitor In the context of a HACCP plan, means the act of conducting a planned sequence of observations or measurements of control parameters to assess whether a critical control point is under control.

Mudstone A sedimentary rock composed of silt and clay particles, compacted and weakly cemented together by a small quantity of lime.

NAWAC National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Natural values The attributes of the individual and interrelated biological and physical components, and processes of an area

Non-Compliance Any failure to comply with regulatory requirements.

Non-Secure Groundwater Groundwater that does not meet the definition of secure groundwater. This includes springs that are capped and piped at the point the water exits the ground.

NZQA New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

Q 5 The seven day low flow of a stream or river that occurs on average one year in five

Official Assurance Statement made by MAF to a foreign government, or an agent of a foreign government, attesting that, as appropriate, any one or more of the following applies in respect of any product:

any specified process has been completed under the relevant legislation with respect to the product concerned;
the product concerned meets the standards set under the legislation for that product;
any market access requirements of the importing country, which New Zealand has agreed to meet, that are stated in the assurance have been met by the system under which the product was produced or processed; and/or
the situation in New Zealand, in relation to any matter concerning animal material or animal products, is as stated in the assurance.

Officially Recognised Body An organisation that has been recognised by MAF as being competent to provide services in specified categories. Includes third party agencies, recognised service providers and MAF-registered laboratories.

Order A written direction issued by an inspector to ensure any defect is remedied.

Organic Management Plan (OMP) A programme of conditions, processes, procedures, measures, and standards to be complied with, performed, undertaken, taken or met in relation to:

Any process or activity related to organic products, ingredients used in the processing of organic products, or both; and
Sampling, examination, inspection, and testing, or any of those actions relating to any such process or activity; and
The recording and inspection of information relating to any such action;

And (without limiting the generality of the foregoing) may include conditions, processes, procedures, measures, or standards relating to the production, processing, storage, or transport of organic products.

Owner Includes -

Any agent, manager, lessee, or bailee of an owner; and
In the case of a farm, a farm dairy, or any part of a farm or farm
Dairy, a sharemilker of an owner; and
Where an owner is a body corporate, every person who is a manager, secretary, director or other principal officer (however described) of the body.

PAR Photosynthetic Apparent Radiation - light in the wavelength band absorbed by plant photosynthetic pigments (measured as photon flux density).

Pathogens Disease-causing organisms.

Periodic harvest The maximum "allowable harvest" permitted for a given period, expressed either on a per hectare basis or for the forest area as a whole (e. g. m 3 /ten year period).

Permanent sample A permanently marked area within which the tree plot (PSP) species and other forest variables are marked and measured at periodic intervals to provide estimates of forest growth and other forest change.

Pest While not defined in the Forests Act, pests are taken to include wild animals (pursuant to the Wild Animal Control Act, 1977) including feral deer, possums, goats and pigs, where they are in sufficient numbers to seriously impact on natural values and forest regeneration. Introduced animals such as the mustelids (ferrets, stoats and weasels), rats, and insects such as wasps are also regarded as forest pests.

Podocarp Conifers (cone bearing) belonging to the Podocarpaceae family, often referred to as softwood tree species. Of these, rimu is the most important timber-producing podocarp and is one of the most widespread tree species in New Zealand.

Pole Refer "size class". Precision The degree of agreement of a series of measurements. Usually expressed as the standard error of the mean (a statistical term) or as confidence intervals, sample precision describes the size of the deviation of the of sample values about their own mean.

Potable Water Water which does not contain any determinands which exceed the Maximum Acceptable Values (MAVs) given in the Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2000 or later editions or amendments of those Standards.

Predators Pest species that predate (kill and feed on) fauna including native birds and invertebrate species. Includes possums, mustelids, rats and wasps.

Premises Hygiene Assessment Systematic examination of a premises used for the manufacture or storage of dairy products, against regulatory requirements. Previously known as a HACCP-based inspection.

Probable Limits Confidence limit expressed as a percentage of the of Error (PLE) sample "estimate" i. e., mean. A term only in use in New Zealand.

Reclaimed Water Water that was originally a constituent of a food, has been removed from the food by a process step, and has been subsequently reconditioned when necessary such that it may be reused in a subsequent food manufacturing operation.

Recognition In relation to an individual or organisation, written confirmation from MAF that they have been assessed against MAF Standards as competent to provide evaluation or verification services to the dairy industry in specified categories. In relation to a Category 2 dairy laboratory, written confirmation from an accreditation or recognition body that it is has been assessed against MAF Standards as competent to provide verification services to the dairy industry.

Recognition Body An organisation approved by MAF to recognise laboratories.

Reconditioning The treatment of water intended for reuse by means designed to reduce or eliminate microbiological, chemical, and physical contaminants, according to its intended use.

Recruitment Trees that enter a particular size class or classes in a given time period (e. g. poles growing into the 30 - 39cm tree size class in a given time or "recruitment" period.

Recycled Water Water, other than first use or reclaimed water, which has been obtained from a food manufacturing operation and has been reconditioned when necessary such that it may be reused in a subsequent food manufacturing operation.

Register The MAF database of approved premises.

Registered Laboratory A laboratory that is registered by MAF.

Representative Synonymous with "indicator" species. species

Reused Water Recycled and reclaimed water.

Riparian In relation to vegetation growing in close proximity to a watercourse, lake, swamp or spring and often dependent on its roots reaching the water table.

Risk A function of the probability of an adverse effect and the severity of that effect.

Risk Analysis A process consisting of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.

Risk Assessment A scientific based process consisting of the following the steps:

hazard identification,
hazard characterisation,
exposure assessment, and
risk characterisation.

Risk Communication Interactive exchange of information and opinions concerning risk among the risk assessors, risk managers, consumers and other interested parties.

Risk Management Process of weighing policy alternatives in light of the results of risk assessment and, if required, selecting and implemented appropriate control options, including regulatory measures.

RMP Risk Management Programme

S value an internally allocated modelling value that relates to the soil moisture holding levels

Sample A part of a population consisting of one or more sampling units selected and measured as representative of the whole.

Sapling Refer "size class".

Scarification Disturbing the forest floor and exposing bare mineral soil to provide suitable conditions for the germination of natural seedfall.

Secure Groundwater Water contained beneath the land surface which is abstracted via a secure well-head. It is not under the direct influence of surface water nor does it demonstrate any significant and rapid shifts in characteristics such as turbidity, temperature, conductivity, pH or colour, which closely correlate to any weather changes, surface water conditions or land use practices. There are no insects or other macro-organisms such as algae, organic debris or large diameter pathogens.

Seedling Refer size class.

Senesce( nt) Trees that are growing old and have passed the period of maximum growth.

Seral Part of a sequence of vegetation succession. Usually applied to forest species that colonise disturbed sites (e. g. resulting from natural events causing canopy gaps, or forest harvesting, fire etc.) and are succeeded by other, usually taller-stature species that germinate and grow under the shelter of the seral species (e. g. manuka and kanuka).

Shade tolerant Tree species that display the ability to regenerate and grow in shaded conditions (e. g. tawa is one of New Zealand's most shade tolerant tree species).

Silviculture The management of trees to provide timber (includes (silvicultural) planting, pruning, thinning, and harvesting).

Size class Usually diameter classes used to describe stand structure and the merchantable element of the forest (e. g. seedling - 30cm high to 1.4m high; sapling - 1.4m high to 9.9cm dbh); pole - 10cm dbh to 19.9cm dbh; small tree -20cm dbh to 29.9 cm dbh; tree -30 cm dbh to 39.9cm dbh, 40cm dbh to 49.9cm dbh etc.

Smallwood A term applied to roundwood of dimensions too small to be milled and often utilised for posts, poles or firewood.

SMD Soil moisture deficit

Stand A community, particularly of trees, displaying sufficient uniformity as regards composition, spatial distribution and structure so as to be distinguishable from adjacent communities (e. g. a forest area may consist of a number of differently aged stands of trees). Often loosely applied to the trees within a forest type.

Stand composition The variety of tree species present in a stand (or within (forest composition) a given forest type).

Standing The volume of the standing tree (usually inside bark), roundwood volume determined from a measurement of the tree dbh and height to a minimum small end diameter (commonly 15-20cm diameter or the point at which the main stem spreads into the crown) usually in conjunction with either a volume table or volume equation.

Stand structure The manner in which the tree species are arranged (forest structure) within a stand (or forest type) on a three dimensional basis (e. g. the presence and numbers of tree species in a range of height tiers (classes). The "reconnaissance" forest description methodology provides for the recording of all plant species along with an indication of their relative abundance within predetermined height tiers

Stock unit A method of indicating the carrying capacity of pastoral lands for livestock. Stock Unit (SU) coefficients used for national purposes are based on the following: breeding ewe = 1.0 SU, breeding hind = 1.9 SU, beef breeding cow = 5.5 SU, and dairy cow = 7.0 SU

Supplementary Planting of seedlings in the event that advanced growth planting/ restocking (of kauri, podocarp and shade-tolerant or exposure-sensitive broadleaved hardwood species) is judged to be insufficient, or where there is a failure of regeneration in beech or light demanding hardwood forest.

Surface Water Water drawn from streams, rivers, lakes or reservoirs. It also includes spring waters that flow along the surface, or are open to the environment in some other way, before being piped, and bores/wells sunk close by rivers.

Surveillance Assessment An assessment of practical implementation of documented procedures to determine the conformance of that practice with the accreditation criteria and documented procedures.

Test Method A procedure describing a sequence of operations to measure the value of a certain attribute or parameter in the sample being tested.

Test Report Report prepared by a MAF-registered Category 1 dairy laboratory in accordance with ISO Guide 25/ISO Standard 17025, which accurately, clearly and unambiguously presents test results and other relevant information.

Third Party Agency Organisation approved by MAF to carry out evaluation and/or verification services.

Till

Chaotic mix of clay and boulders deposited by glaciers during the last Ice Age.

Timber "Includes trees when they have fallen, or have been felled, and whether sawn, hewn, split or otherwise fashioned and includes tree ferns, woodchips, timber products, and the roots and stumps of trees."

Topsoil The uppermost layer of soil, rich in organic matter incorporated from the decay of plants and the activities of micro-organisms, intermixed with mineral matter derived from the underlying subsoil.

TPA Third Party Agency.

Tree Refer "size class".

Truth Of Labelling Labelling of product for export in compliance with a MAF Standard.

Units of measure mm - millimetre cm -centimetres m - metre ha -hectare dbh - diameter at breast height (1.4m above ground level) m² /ha - square metres per hectare m³ /ha - cubic metres per hectare sph - stems per hectare

Value Added Value added is the payment to factors of production (land, labour and capital). Hence, it includes wages and salaries, self-employed income, profits (including dividends), interest paid by the producer, and indirect taxes. It is equivalent to the value of output less the value of goods and services purchased from other industries.

Verification Application of methods, procedures, tests and other checks, in addition to monitoring, to determine compliance with MAF-approved plans, programmes and systems, and to confirm the ongoing applicability of those.

Veterinary Medicine Any substance, mixture of substances, or biological compound used or intended for use in the direct management of an animal.

Volume The volume of a tree or log, expressed as m³ .

Volume control Controlling the harvest from a forest by monitoring the volume (being standing roundwood volume) of timber selected and harvested.

Volume Equation A mathematically derived relationship permitting the (and volume calculation (or reading from a table) of the stemwood tables) volume (usually inside-bark) from the measurement of variables such as dbh and height.

Weathering

Breakdown of rock or other geological materials (e.g., alluvium) into soil. by physical disintegration and chemical reaction.

WHC Water holding capacity

Weed Undesirable vegetation, often comprising herbaceous plants, shrubs and ferns (may include indigenous species) that have the potential to suppress forest regeneration. Weeds such as gorse may establish along road edges from seed present in roading metal brought into the forest. "Adventive" weeds are those that appear outside their usual habitat. They may establish from windborne seeds or be carried into the forest on the undercarriage of vehicles and logging machinery. Adventive weeds are often herbaceous plants (e. g. pasture grass species, rushes etc). Where they occur in gaps created by, for example, coupe felling of beech, they are usually short-lived, becoming suppressed by the regeneration and growth of the new generation of trees.

Wholesome Produce that is free of any characteristic that renders it offensive or unpalatable to the consumer, including anything that is decomposed, dirty, rotten, spoiled or diseased, or affected by any disease, objectionable taint or smell or containing any foreign matter.

Wild Animal Refer "pest".

Windblow Erosion of surface soil particles by strong wind blowing across sparsely vegetated or bare ground.

WTO World Trade Organisation.

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Contact for Enquiries

MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND

Fax: +64 4 894 0721
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