bestands

Bestands is a German term that appears mainly as a combining form derived from the noun Bestand, which means stock or inventory. The word is used in compounds to denote holdings or inventories, and in plural forms Bestände refers to multiple holdings. In everyday language, the base noun is Bestand; Bestände is the standard plural, while Bestands- is a productive prefix in compounds such as Bestandsliste, Bestandsaufnahme, and Bestandsverzeichnis.

In business and logistics, Bestände describe quantities of goods or materials held in inventory. They are central to inventory management, warehousing, and financial reporting, where changes in Bestände—Bestandsveränderungen—affect cost of goods sold and current assets on the balance sheet. The concept underpins stock control, ordering, and capacity planning.

In libraries and archives, Bestände denote holdings: the collection of books, manuscripts, or records owned by an institution. Cataloging and accessioning manage the Bestand and its value, provenance, and access restrictions. The term helps describe the scope and organization of a library or archive’s material.

In ecology and biology, the term Bestand can refer to the size or composition of a population within a defined area or habitat. Monitoring Bestände is important for conservation, resource management, and population dynamics studies. The plural Bestände is often used when referring to multiple populations or groups.

Usage note: Bestand (singular) and Bestände (plural) are the standard forms, while Bestands- serves as a prefix in many compound nouns. The overarching concept is the set of items, assets, or organisms currently in possession, under management, or in occurrence.

---