Logs

Logs are cylindrical sections of felled trees used for timber, pulp, and fuel. Logs are produced by forestry operations and transported to mills where they are debarked, sized, dried, and processed into boards, lumber, veneer, or wood products. Logging practices vary by species and region, and sustainable forestry certifications, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), aim to balance harvest with forest regeneration and biodiversity.

In computing, a log or log file is a record of events generated by software and hardware. Logs typically include timestamps, source, event type or severity, and a human-readable message. They support monitoring, debugging, auditing, and security analysis. Log management involves collection, centralization, rotation, retention, and analysis, often using dedicated tools and formats.

In mathematics, a logarithm is the inverse of exponentiation. The common logarithm uses base 10, the natural logarithm uses base e, and other bases such as 2 are used in computer science. Logarithm properties include log_b(xy)=log_b x + log_b y and log_b(x^k)=k log_b x. Applications appear in science, engineering, data transformation, and scale measurements such as decibels and pH.

In forestry and computing, logs intersect with standards for privacy, security, and sustainability. Environmental considerations influence harvesting and transport, while log data must be stored and protected according to policy. Across domains, logs support accountability, issue diagnosis, and historical analysis, reinforcing transparent operation and knowledge sharing.