Point -Sampling from Two Angles
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Stephen F. Austin State University SFA ScholarWorks Forestry Bulletins No. 1-25, 1957-1972 Journals 11-1964 Forestry Bulletin No. 6: Point-Sampling from Two Angles Ellis V. Hunt Jr Stephen F. Austin State College Robert D. Baker Stephen F. Austin State College Lloyd A. Biskamp Stephen F. Austin State College Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/forestrybulletins Part of the Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons Tell us how this article helped you. Recommended Citation Hunt, Ellis V. Jr; Baker, Robert D.; and Biskamp, Lloyd A., "Forestry Bulletin No. 6: Point-Sampling from Two Angles" (1964). Forestry Bulletins No. 1-25, 1957-1972. Book 24. http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/forestrybulletins/24 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Forestry Bulletins No. 1-25, 1957-1972 by an authorized administrator of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. • Howard For. 205 Pers. Copy #1 BULLETIN NO. 6 NOVEMBER, 1964 POINT -SAMPLING FROM TWO ANGLES ELLIS V. HUNT, JR.. ROBERT D . BAKER AND LLOYD A. BISKAMP DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE COLLEGE NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS RESERVE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE COLLEGE FORESTRY DEPARTMENT FACULTY LAURENCE C. WALKER, Ph.D ....... Professo?· of Forestry, and Head of Department NELSON T. SAMSON, Ph.D. ------ Associate Professor of Forestry ROBERT D. BAKER, Ph.D. -------- Associate Professor of Forestry M. VICTOR BILAN, lJ.F. -------------- Associate Professm· of Forestr!J LEONARD BURKART, Ph.D. -------- Assistant Professor of Forestry ELLIS V. HUNT, JR., M.S. -------- Assistant Professor of Forestry GERHARDT SCHNEIDER, Ph.D. .... Assistant Professor of Forestry BULLETIN NO. 161 NOVEMBER, 1964 Published quarterly. Second-class postage paid at Nacog doches, Texas. BULLETIN NO. 6 NOVEMBER, 1964 ') .. POINT -SAMPLING FROM TWO ANGLES ELLIS V. HUNT, JR., ROBERT D. BAKER AND LLOYD A. BISKAMP DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE COLLEGE NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS P OINT-SAMPLING FROM TWO ANGLES INTRODUCTION Point-sampling is a valuable tool in the kit of the practicing forester. It is employed for permanent and temporary sampling and for growth studies. Since the concept of point-sampling is new in American forestry, different app1·oaches have been employed to explain its application. This hnlletin employs two distinct methods. Part I consists of a synthesis of point-sampling lectures and lesson plans developed at Stephen F. Austin State College and presented as a forestry short course in 1963. It explains these sampling techniques in a rigorous formal manner and suggesis choices in methodology and computa tional procedures. As a series of lectures, it was written in outline form, and this fo1·m was retained because the organization and use of the ideas ;:eemed to be facilitated in this way. Part II is an operational case problem of a forest inventory employed by the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company, Orange, Texas, written ex pressly for company use by L. A. Biskamp, graduate of the Department of Forestry, then Chief of the Records Division for the company. After care ful consideration, he concluded that an intensive pe1·sonnel training pro gram and subsequent point-sample invento1·y of the company forests was the best solution to the immediate problem. His plan was submitted to selected officials of the U. S. Forest Service for 1·eview, some of whom sug gested that, because of its simplicity, it was worthy of publication. The authors gratefully acknowledge the generosity of The Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company for encouraging the publication of this material. Their action should inspire other companies to make the works of their foresters matters of public record when they are of significant educational value. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 PART I-POINT-SAMPLING LECTURES Point-Sampling-Theory 5 Exercise No. !-Calibrating an angle-gauge or prism ... .. ..... .. ............. .. 10 Constructing a stand-table .. ..... ...... .... ...... .... ..... .... ............ ... ..... 11 Computing board foot and computing foot volume ... ............ ..... .... 12 Exercise No. 2-Using prisms of various diopters ....................... 15 Sampling techniques ................... ...... .. .. ......... ...... .. .............. .. ........ 16 Exercise No. 3-A check cruise of timber mar king ....... 23 Basic point-sample statistics . ...... ... .. 23 Constructing point-sample volume factors ......................... ..... 25 Mi~cellaneous volume factors ........ .. ........ .................................. ....... 37 The stand-table blow-up factor 39 Constructing plot radius or table of limiting distances ........ .. 39 Exercise No. 4-Prism versus "limiting distance" point-sampling 42 Slope corrections in point-sampling . ....... ... ................... ..... .. .. 44 Continuous forest inventory with point- samplin~ .... ................................. .. 46 Exercise No. 5-A growth-projection point-sample ........ .... ... ....... ... 47 Number of points to achieve stated precision . ............................ ................ 49 Comparing methods of per acre point-sample volume estimates at selected point location ..... .................................................... ....... ....... 49 Literature cited .............. ..... ... .................... ..... ........... ...... 51 Abbreviations ...... ................ .. .. .............................. ,..................... 52 PART II-POINT-SAMPLING CRUISE The Problem 58 Point-sampling .............. .. 54 Angle-gauge ........................ 54 Basal area of a tree ............... .............. .................................... ................ ......... 55 Plot radius ............ .... .... .. ....... .. .. .... ... .. ... ...... .. .......... ..... .. .. ... .. .. ... ...... 55 Field measurement of plot radius (with lh dbh deduction) 57 Correcting for slope ...... ....... ... 58 Plot size ................................... 59 Basal area factor ... 61 Frequency ...... ......... .. 62 Wedge prism ............. .. .. 62 Use of the wedge prism 63 Calibrating the wedge prism ......... ..................................................................... 64 Volume and frequency ........................................................................................ 65 Volume-basal area ratio .... ...... ...... ............................... .............. ................. ........ 65 How many points to visit? ................. ............................................................... 66 Intensity of cruise ................................................................................................ 67 Crews and field work schedule .... ................ ................................................. ..... 67 Sampling point distribution ................................... .......................................... 67 Tools and equipment ............................................................................................ 68 Control maps ........................................................................................................ 68 Locating points .................................................................................................. 68 Tree number ......... .............. ................................................................................. 69 Diameter breast high (dbh) .............................................................................. 69 Form class ..................................... .......................... ............................................... 70 Merchantable height of sawlog trees .............................................................. 70 Total height of pulpwood trees ........... ............................................................... 71 l<'orked trees .................................. ................ ............................................... ......... 71 'free class .. ...... .. ...... ... ... .... .. ... .. ... ... ...... .. ... .. ... .... .... .. ... .. .. ... .. ......... ... .. .. .. .. .... 72 Market product grade .................................................................................. ........ 72 Cutting operations .............................................................................................. 73 Cull tree removal .... .... ... ... .. .. ..... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .... .. ... .... .. .. ... ... ... .. ... 74 Pre-commercial pine ..... .. ... .. .... .. ... .. .... .. ... .. ... ... .. .. ... ... ... .... .... ... ... .. .. .. .... .. .... 74 Artificial pine regeneration .............................................................................. 75 Prescribed burning .............................................................................................. 75 Pre-commercial cull hardwood saplings .......................................................... 75 Completing the tally sheet ............................................................ ...... ................ 75 Field tables ............................ .................. ............................... ............................... 79 Forest1'Y Bulletin 5 PART I POINT-SAMPLING FROM TWO ANGLES ELLIS V. HUNT, JR., AND RoBERT D. BAKER POINT SAMPLING-THEORY I. Tally the selected trees at the point. A. With the angle-gauge, tally all trees appearing larger than the angle. B. With the prism, tally all trees that are not wholly offset. C. Be sure to look at trees at