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Overstorey Measurements

The purpose of this section of the class is to become familiar with the principals of overstory measurement methods 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:

• Know how to measure diameter at breast height and diameter at root collar for tree shrubs under a large variety of commonly seen conditions

• Understand the difference between a "fork" and a "branch" 

• Know how to measure the maximum height of a tree

• Understand how to measure tree heights on sloped terrain

• Know how to measure tree age

• Explain whether a tree is dominant, co-dominant, or immediate

• Understand how to measure canopy bulk density

• Understand how to measure tree and wood volume

• Understand how to scale logs and Explain the importance of defects

• Know how to use prisms, angle gauges, and reloskops to measure stand basal area
• Understand when to use fixed or variable radius plots
• Know the basis of site indices and Understand what they mean in terms of stocking rates
• Understand the concept of Site Quality

• Know how to measure basal area 

• Know how to measure relative spacing and site index

• Understand the concept of basal area and basal area factors

 

Lecture PDFs:

• Week 5M - Measures of Stem Diameter (PDF)

• Week 5W - Tree Heights, Crowns, and Canopy Bulk Density  (PDF)

• Week 5F - Crowns, and Canopy Bulk Density  (PDF)

• Week 6M - Defects and Grading (PDF)

• Week 6W - Log Volume (PDF)

• Week 6F - No Class

• Week 7M - Log Rules and Scaling (PDF)

• Week 7W - PPS Cruising (PDF)

• Week 7F - Recitation

• Week 8M -Tree Age, Form, and Site Indices (PDF)

• Week 8W - Growth, Yield, and Biomass (PDF)

• Week 8F - Recitation

• Week 9M - Mahoney P (PDF)

• Week 9W - Nelson A (TBC)

• Week 9F - Recitation

Labs:9

• Week 5 Lab: Individual Trees (PDF)

• Week 6 Lab: No lab this week

• Week 7 Lab: Timber Cruising: Fixed Area Plots (PDF)

• Week 8 Lab: PPS Measurements (PDF)

• Week 9 Lab: BAF and VBar Cruise (PDF)

Required Readings:

• Week 5 Readings: Avery and Burkhart pp 144-163 &
  • Forest Succession Terminology
• Week 6 Reading: Avery and Burkhart pp 100-112
  • Log Grading in Hardwood Timber (PDF)
• Week 7 Readings: Avery and Burkhart pp 113-142
  • Forest Biomass utilization Article (PDF)
• Week 8 Readings: Avery and Burkhart pp 163-166

Additional Resources:

• Bell and Dilworth Reloskop Instruction Guide: Pages 353-368

• UT Log Scaling Guide (PDF)

• USFS Wood Defect Guide - Warning Large file (51MB!) (PDF)

• Map Resource 1