FOR 306

Forest measurements

Tree parameters

parameters
Diameter

Height
Tree form
Crown
Age

Tree diameter
Diameter: straight line crossing the center of a circle

Diameter depends on position on the stem

Standard position on stem: 1.3 m 4.5 ft
Diameter at breast height (dbh): average diameter,
outside of the bark, at 4.5 feet above ground

Diameters at other points along stem:

d0.5h, d0.1h
d6 , d10 diameter at 6 m above ground
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Type of diameters and tools

Diameters measured inside or outside the bark
d.i.b. vs. d.o.b.
dbh measured on the uphill side of the tree

Tools:

diameter tape
calipers
Biltmore stick
Bark gauge

Tree diameter - tools

Diameter tape

Tree diameter - tools

Calipers

NOTE: tape based measurements overestimates dbh while

caliper underestimates dbh
Dbh measured using caliper for 2 perpendicular diameters (2.5% accuracy) more accurate than d-tape (+3% accuracy)
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Tree diameter - tools

Biltmore stick

Measuring Tree diameter

Irregular stems
Take measurements generally
above irregularities in tree stems

Take measurements generally

below splits in tree stems or
take two measurements

Diameter Related measurements

Bark thickness

Tool: Bark gauge

Upper-stem diameters
Out-of reach diameters
Tools:
1. Calipers attached to poles
2. Binoculars with mil scale on eyepiece
3. Split-image rangefinders
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Tree height
Height-linear distance from ground to a specified plane

Depending on the specified plane:

1. Total height: distance from ground to tip of tree
2. Bole height: distance from ground to crown
Height to first crown-forming branch

3. Merchantable tree height: distance from

stump height to a fixed upper-stem diameter
saw-log upper-stem diameter = 8-10
chip-n-saw upper stem diameter = 6
pulpwood upper stem diameter = 3-4
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Tree height - tools

Height poles

Hypsometers

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Tree height - tools

Height poles
Used for trees about 40 feet tall and smaller

Usually takes two people to use effectively

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Tree height -tools

Hypsometers
Usually used for taller trees

Takes only one person

Trees must not lean more than 5 from the vertical

Horizontal distance must be measured correctly

Accuracy: 2-5% of true height

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Tree height -tools

Hypsometers
Price
Abney level
Laser
Altimeter

Ease of sighting

low
highest
medium

good
better
better

high
low

good
good

Blume Leiss / Haga

Relaskop
Clinometer

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Tree height-tools
Clinometers
Three scales:
Percentage
Degrees
Topo only in USA
Readings are done assuming that the distance
from the operator to the tree is a multiplier of one
chain (66 feet)
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Tree height - measurements

Percentage scale
Percent slope = (rise / run)x100
rise run percentage
Distance from tree (D) "run" is 100 ,
tree height above the horizontal
plane (B) "rise" is 120 feet,
Tree height bellow the horizontal plane (B) "rise" is 20 feet
The clinometer measure, using the "%" side of the instrument will
read (120/100) x 100, or "120".
The clinometer measure, using the "%" side of the instrument will
read (-20/100) x 100, or 20.
The tree height is A + B = 120 + 20 = 140 feet
OBSERVATION: the eye of the operator is between the top of the tree
and the bottom of the tree (ground)

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Tree height - measurements

Percentage scale

For trees with portions above and below

the horizontal plane, measure two parts (B and A)
and add them together.
Other cases?

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Tree height - measurements

Percentage scale
Eye

Horiz. dist. = D

B
A

Eye
Tree height=|A-B|=|A| - |B|
Example: D = 100 feet
A = -120%
B = -10%
Tree height=|-120-(-10)|=110

B
Horiz. dist. = D

Tree height = (A - B)
Example: D = 100 feet
A = 130%
B = 12%
Tree height = 130-12=118

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Tree height - measurements

Percentage scale
Other horizontal distances from the tree?
A. For 50 feet from the tree (half 100 feet)

using the % scale (left side of the clinometer), multiply by 1/2

the height you measured to obtain the correct height.
Example:
Three height based on % scale readings and assuming
distance to tree 100 ft = 55 feet
Distance from tree = 50 feet (run)
Tree height = (55 / 100)1001/2= 27.5 ft
50

55
50

Tree height - Measurements

Percentage scale

B. For 200 feet from the tree (double 100 feet)

using the % scale (left side of the clinometer),
multiply by 2 the height you measured to obtain the correct
height.

Example:
Three height based on % scale readings and assuming
distance to tree 100 ft = 55 feet
Distance from tree = 200 feet (run)
Tree height=(55/100)x100x2=110 ft (double)

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Tree height - measurements

TOPO scale
Eye

Horiz. dist. = D

B
A

Eye
Tree height = (|A| - |B|)
Example: D = 66 feet
A = -120
B = -20
Tree height = 100 feet

B
Horiz. dist. = D

Tree height = (A - B)
Example: D = 66 feet
A = 55
B=5
Tree height = 50 feet 21

Tree height - Measurements

Topo scale

B. For 132 feet from the tree (double 66 feet)

using the topo scale multiply by 2 the height you measured
to obtain the correct height.

Example:
Three height based on topo scale readings and
assuming distance to tree 66 ft = 55 feet
Distance from tree = 132 feet (run)
Tree height=55 x 132 / 66 =110 ft (double)
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Tree heights - measurements

Degree scale
D = 100 feet, a = -10, b = 45
A = TAN(|-10|) x 100 feet = 17.6 feet

B = TAN(|45|) x 100 feet = 100.0 feet

Tree height = 117.6 feet

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Tree heights - measurements

Eye

Horiz. dist. = D

Degree scale

A
a
Eye

Tree height = (A - B)
D = 100 feet, a = - 45, b = - 10
A = TAN(|-45|)x100 feet = 100 ft
B = TAN(|-10|)x100 feet = 17.6 ft
Tree height = 82.4 feet

b
Horiz. dist. = D

Tree height = (A - B)
D = 100 feet, a = 45, b = 10
A = TAN(|45|)x100 ft = 100.0 ft
B = TAN(|10|)x100 ft = 17.6 ft
Tree height = 82.4 feet

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Tree form
Estimate the volume of the tree using solid of revolution - prism
Cylinder
Cone etc

Challenges: reduction in diameter with height TAPER

Taper varies with

Species
Dbh
Age
Site

Express stem form:

Form factors
Form quotients
Taper tables, curves and formulas
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Form factor
Form factor: comparison of the tree bole with solids of revolution
The most common solid of revolution: cylinder
Form factor: Ratio between the volume of tree bole and the volume
of a cylinder with same diameter and height

V tree
Vcylinder

V tree

Abase Height tree

Depending on the base the form factor can be:

False form factor basal area: Abase=dbh2/4
Common notation: f
True form factor diameter at 1/10 of height: Abase=d20.1h/4
True form factor aka Hohenadls form factor
Common notation:
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Form quotient
Form quotient: describe the stem using ratio of diameters
upper stem diameter
Form quotient
DBH

Form quotient next to height and dbh the most important

variable used to determine stem volume

Form factors and form quotients are related

Depending on the upper stem diameter the form quotient:

Normal form quotient (Schiffel, 1899) diameter at tree height

Absolute form quotient (Jonson, 1912) diameter at halfway

between tip of the tree and breast height
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Properties of Form quotients

Form quotient decreases with height
Form quotient 1 for height > 4.5
Form quotient 0

Inside bark diameter better estimate of form quotient than

outside bark diameter bark variability is eliminated

High form-quotient low rate taper greater volume

Form quotients:
Lower for open-grown trees & long live crown
Higher for forest-grown trees & short live crown
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Girard Form class

Girard (1933) developed form quotients to be used in

volume computations:

diameter @17.3'
qG
100
DBH

Diameter at 17.3 on the stem is inside bark

Why at 17.3?

diameter inside bark @ first 16 ft log

DBH outside bark

dib @16'1' stump 0.3' triming
dib @17.3' height

DBH outside bark

DBH outside bark

Sawtimber volumes based on Girard form class

Assumption: trees with same dbh and merchantable height
have similar taper rates in the sawlog above the first log
Results: volume of trees with same dib and merchantable
height identical (induced by first logs taper) even that the
trees are different
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Taper
Taper: the decrease in diameter along the stem
Def: rate of decrease of diameter of the stem per unit increase in
height
Taper: - tables
- functions

Taper tables describe taper using actual units (in or cm) or

percentage from dbh

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Taper tables

Taper percentages (Prodan et al, 1997)

Height location on
tree [m]
1
3
5

Dbh class
20-25
25-30
102.9
103
92.6
92
86.8
86.5
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Taper functions
Relationship between diameter and height
Some of the most common functions:
Ormerods function:

H h
d (h) dbh

H 4.5

Behre function:

d (h) dbh

Kozaks function:

hH
(h 2 H 2 )

d (h) dbh b1
b2
2
H
H

Bigings function:

( H h) / H
b0 b1 ( H h) / H
2

1/ 3

b1 / b2

d (h) dbh b1 b2 ln 1 (1 e
)

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Tree crown
Larger crown higher growth rates
Response to silvicultural treatments
Thinning
Fertilization

Crown size alternative to photosynthesis

Crown width
Different ways of calculating: (max+min)/2

Crown length
Height to base of live crown
Crown ratio=crown length/tree height
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Tree crown
Crown diameter /width diameter of the crown
projected on a horizontal plane
Measure two perpendicular diameters
Crown length: distance from trees tip to base
crown
Crown ratio:
crown length / total tree height

Tools:
height poles
hypsometers

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Crown surface
Correlated with the foliage size
Regular geometric solid
Cones
Paraboloides

Crown profile
Loblolly pine
Douglas fir
1 2
Deciduous : V DcrownLcrown
8
1 2
Coniferous : V DcrownLcrown
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(Jurco, 1958)

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Crown classes
Trees crown level
Dominant:
crown extended above general level
Receive light form every side

Codominant:
General level of the crown cover
Receive full light from above and only partial from side

Intermediate:
Shorter than dominant an codominant but penetrating the crown
cover
Receive direct light only from above

Suppressed:
Crown entirely below general level of crown cover
No direct light from above
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Tree Age
Def.: Elapsed time since seed germination or sprout
budding
Usually expressed in years
Age determination
Annual tree rings
Springwood and summerwood
False rings
Increment borer

Without annual rings

The tree does not have annual rings
Age determination does not impact the tree

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Age determination
Without damaging the tree
Pinus strobus branch whorls
Add 2 - 4 years to account for first whorl
Annual rings absent in tropical coniferous and in
diffuse-porous, evergreen broadleaves species
New Zeeland and Australia

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