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Foreman ► form I 693
try’s own citizens. Host countries may also import foreign workers for jobs their citizens refuse to do. Large influxes of foreign workers can awaken xenophobia, particularly when the host country’s population is ethnically and culturally homogeneous and the foreign workers’ culture and appearance are significantly different or when economic downturns heighten the tendency to assign blame to others.
Foreman, George (b. Jan. 10, 1949, Marshall, Texas, U.S.) U.S. boxer. Foreman grew up in Houston, Texas, and learned to box in a U.S. Job Corps camp in Oregon. He won the Olympic gold medal in heavy¬ weight boxing in 1968. His first world heavyweight title victory was his second-round knockout of Joe Frazier in 1973. He had won all 40 of his professional bouts, many by knockout, before he fell in eight rounds to Muhammad Ali in 1974 in the so-called “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kin¬ shasa, Zaire, one of the most famous matches in modern boxing history. He retired in 1978 but began a remarkable comeback in 1987 at age 38; he regained the title in 10 rounds against Michael Moorer in 1994 to become, at 45, the oldest titleholder ever. He announced his retirement again the next year but fought a few more times in 1996-97. He has been an ordained minister since 1977.
forensic medicine Science of applying medical knowledge to legal questions, recognized as a specialty since the early 19th century. Its pri¬ mary tool has always been the autopsy, to identify the dead (e.g., plane- crash victims) or determine cause of death, which can significantly affect trials dealing with insurance and inheritance. Forensic psychiatry deter¬ mines the mental health of an individual about to stand trial. Forensic genetics allows paternity to be determined and can identify blood or other tissue samples as coming from a particular person (see DNA fingerprint¬ ing). Forensic toxicology, concerned with such topics as intentional poi¬ sonings and drug use, is increasingly important in cases of industrial and environmental poisoning.
forensic psychology Application of psychology to legal issues, often for the purpose of offering expert testimony in a courtroom. In civil and criminal cases, forensic psychologists may evaluate individuals to deter¬ mine questions such as competency to stand trial, relationship of a men¬ tal disorder to an accident or crime, and potential for future dangerous behaviour. In addition to conducting interviews and administering psycho¬ logical tests, they usually gather a forensic history, which includes infor¬ mation such as hospital records, police reports, and statements of witnesses. They are also expected to have a grasp of relevant legal ques¬ tions. In a child-custody case, a forensic psychologist may be asked to evaluate home environments, parents, and the character of the child in order to recommend a custody decision in the child’s best interests.
forest Complex ecosystem in which trees are the dominant life-form. Tree-dominated forests can occur wherever the temperatures rise above 50 °F (10 °C) in the warmest months and the annual precipitation is more than 8 in. (200 mm). They can develop under various conditions within these limits, and the kind of soil, plant, and animal life differs according to the extremes of environmental influences. In cool, high-latitude sub¬ polar regions, taiga (boreal) forests are dominated by hardy conifers. In more temperate high-latitude climates, mixed forests of both conifers and broad-leaved deciduous trees predominate. Broad-leaved deciduous forests develop in midlatitude climates. In humid equatorial climates, tropical rainforests develop. There heavy rainfall supports evergreens that have broad leaves instead of the needle leaves of cooler evergreen forests. Having extensive vertical layering, forests are among the most complex ecosystems. Conifer forests have the simplest structure: a tree layer, a shrub layer that is spotty or even absent, and a ground layer covered with lichens, Mosses, and liverworts. Deciduous forests are more complex (the tree canopy is divided into an upper and lower story), and rainforest canopies are divided into at least three layers. Forest animals have highly developed hearing, and many are adapted for vertical movement through the environment. Because food other than ground plants is scarce, many ground-dwelling animals use forests only for shelter. The forest is nature’s most efficient ecosystem, with a high rate of photosynthesis affecting both plant and animal systems in complex organic relationships.
Forest, Lee De See Lee De Forest
Forester, C(ecil) S(cott) (b. Aug. 27, 1899, Cairo, Egypt—d. April 2, 1966, Fullerton, Calif., U.S.) British novelist and journalist. Forester abandoned medicine for writing and achieved success with his first novel, Payment Deferred (1926). He is best known as the creator of the naval officer Horatio Hornblower, whose rise from midshipman to admiral and
peer during the Napoleonic Wars is told in 12 novels published 1937-67. Many of his novels were adapted into movies, including The African Queen (1935; film, 1951).
forestry Management of forested land (see forest), together with asso¬ ciated waters and wasteland, primarily for harvesting timber but also for conservation and recreation purposes. The science of forestry is built around the principle of multiple-use land management, though the harvest¬ ing and replanting of timber are the primary activities. The main objective is to maintain a continuous supply of timber through carefully planned har¬ vest and replacement. The forest manager is also responsible for the appli¬ cation of other land controls, including the protection of wildlife and the implementation of programs to protect the forest from weeds, insects, fun¬ gal diseases (see fungus), erosion, and fire. The planned management of forests originated in early medieval Europe, where laws regulated the fell¬ ing of timber and the use of forests for hunting. In the 19th century private forestry schools were established in Europe; and in 1891 the U.S. govern¬ ment authorized its first reserves of forested land. During the 20th century many nations have undertaken reforestation or afforestation programs.
forge Open furnace for heating metal ore and metal for working and form¬ ing, or a workshop containing forge hearths and related equipment. From earliest times, smiths (see smithing) heated iron in forges and formed it by hammering on an anvil. A bellows operated by an assistant or by a foot treadle provided the forced draft for raising the temperature of the fire. Later, a waterwheel or animal power was often used to operate the bellows; modern forges have mechanically powered bellows or rotary blowers.
forgery In law, the making of a false writing with the intent to defraud. “Writing” need not be handwriting: the law of forgery also covers print¬ ing, engraving, and keyboarding. Counterfeiting is usually regarded as a specific type of forgery. Checks, negotiable instruments, contracts, wills, and deeds are examples of documents that may be forged. Evidence may also be forged. Forgery requires fraudulent intent; it is not forgery to sign another’s name, fill in blanks, or alter a genuine writing in the honest, though mistaken, belief that such conduct is authorized.
forget-me-not Any of about 50 species of plants that make up the genus Myosotis, in the borage fam¬ ily, native to temperate Eurasia and North America and to mountains of the Old World tropics. Some are favoured as garden plants for their clusters of blue flowers. The woods forget-me-not (M. sylvatica), like most other species, changes colour from pink to blue as the tubular, flar¬ ing, five-lobed flower matures.
forging In metallurgy, the process of shaping metal and increasing its strength by hammering or pressing.