communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit; "forest" means any ecosystem containing trees and which is so defined by national policy or legislation and includes the concepts of 'forest land', 'forest product', 'forest resource' and 'forest genetic resource'; "forest land" means any land covered by trees or which is designated in any legislation, or national or sub-national forest plan, or land-use plan as forest land or as land for afforestation or reforestation; "forest product" means any tangible forest resource that is harvested or otherwise removed from its natural state for human use and includes products manufactured or derived from a forest resource; "forest resource" means any thing or benefit derived from a forest, of actual or potential use to humanity, including forest genetic resource and energy; "forest genetic resource" means any material of plant, animal, microbial or other origin, derived from a forest, containing functional units of heredity and which has actual or potential value within or outside the Region; "forestry" means the art, science and practice of managing trees and forests on, but not limited to, forest land; "invasive alien species" means an alien species that threatens ecosystems, habitats or species; "local community" means a coherent, social group of persons with interests or rights related to forests or forest resources, in a particular area, which the persons hold or exercise communally in terms of an agreement, custom or law; "State Party" means a Member State that ratifies or accedes to this Protocol; "sustainable forest management" means the management and development of all types of forests and trees in a manner that ensures that the ecological functions of the forest are maintained and that the ecological, economic, social and aesthetic value of the forest to current and future generations is not impaired; "traditional forest-related knowledge" means the accumulated knowledge, innovations, practices and technologies related to forests that are vital for the conservation and sustainable use of forests or which are of socio-economic value, and which have been developed over the years by local people and communities. ARTICLE 2: APPLICATION This Protocol shall apply to all activities relating to development, conservation, sustainable management and utilisation of all types of forests and trees, and trade in forest products throughout the Region.