nonharvested

Nonharvested is an adjective used to describe crops, timber, wildlife resources, or other materials that have not been harvested or removed. In ordinary usage, it contrasts with harvestable or harvested resources. While not a formal technical term in all disciplines, it appears in agriculture, forestry, and resource management to indicate that a resource remains in place, either by choice or due to external factors.

In agriculture, nonharvested crops may be left in the field for reasons including late-season maturation, potential market volatility, risk management (frost, drought), or agricultural practices such as cover cropping and soil conservation. Leaving crops unharvested can also occur to preserve seeds for future planting or to maintain habitat for pollinators.

In forestry, nonharvested stands may be protected areas, set aside for conservation, biodiversity, or watershed protection. They may also result from management plans that designate certain areas as nonharvested to maintain ecosystem services or to study growth and regeneration.

In fisheries and other wild-resource contexts, nonharvested components can refer to populations or habitats that are not targeted by harvests. The term emphasizes the distinction between resources that are actively harvested and those that are allowed to persist.

Because nonharvested is not a precise technical term across all fields, its meaning is often clarified by context, such as “nonharvested crop,” “nonharvested timber,” or “nonharvested population.” See also terms like unharvested, left standing, and conservation-oriented management.