Fundamentals of Forest Measurement

The purpose of this section of the class is to become familiar with the principals of measurements as they are applied to forestry and other natural resource disciplines. The lectures, assignments, and labs in this section, will enable the student to achieve the following learning objectives:

• Understand that there are different kinds of numbers and be able to Explain why we should always seek to use quantitative, rather than qualitative, measurements

• Recognize the identifying characteristics of the main tree, shrub, and grass species highlighted in this class and Remember their 4-letter codes

• Understand the critical need for units when you report measurements

• Explain why we use both the English and Metric measurement systems

• Understand the different ecosystems and how they differ

• Recognize common vegetation species in this region

• Evaluate whether two quantities describe the same measurable by analyzing their units

• Understand sources of errors and Uncertainty and be able to Explain what the terms accuracy, bias, and precision  mean?

• Know how fundamental statistics are commonly used in forestry

• Know how to combine different sources of error and Display Graphs of data with error bars in Excel

Lecture PDFs:

Class Starts on Monday August 24th

• Week 1M - Course Introductions

• Week 1W - Why We Measure (PDF)

• Week 1F - What's a Recitation?

• Week 2M - Important Mathematics I (PDF)

• Week 2W - Reporting Results (PDF)

• Week 2F - Recitation

• Week 3M - Labor Day (no class)

• Week 3W - What We Measure (PDF)

• Week 3F - Where We Measure (PDF)

Labs:

• Week 1 Lab: No Lab in Week 1
• Week 2 Lab: No Lab in Week 2
• Week 3 Lab: Species ID and Habitat Type (Meet at Kiosk in New Aborertum)
• Link to Free Plant Field Guide - Full Version (PDF)
• Link to Habitat-Type Key (docx)
• Link to Understory Plant Guide (docx)

Required Reading:

Please note that Quizzes will include material from both the lectures and the readings.

• Week 1 Reading: Avery and Burkhart pp 1-10

• Week 2 Readings: USFS Using Mathematics in Forestry Tutorial (PDF) and Combining Errors Handout (PDF) 

• Week 3 Reading: Article on Careers in Forestry (PDF)

Additional Resources:

• Additional Labs: Introduction to Using Excel Exercise (PDF) and Making Graphs with Excel (DOC) - Please note that these labs are in your own time

• Avery and Burkhart Chapter 1

• Handling Experimental Data by Pentz and Schott (Amazon - $10 used/ $23 new)

• Pythagoras Theorem Handout (PDF)

• SOH CAH TOA Handout (PDF)

• Sine and Cosine Rule Handout (PDF)

• Double Angle Formulae Handout (PDF)

• Geometry of a Circle Handout (PDF)

• Equation of a Straight Line Handout (PDF)

• Foundation Math Booklet (excludes Trig) (PDF)

• Standard CNR Significant Figures Handout PDF

• Standard CNR Measurements Conversion PDF

• Quadratic Mean Diameter Handout (PDF)

• http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/students.php/all_subjects/

• http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/learn/ Statistics and Math (includes Trig) Sections

• http://www.sci.uidaho.edu/polya/math144/index.htm