USE

Objectives: ƒ CMs will be able to identify several forest inventory ƒ CMs will know which tools are used for specific tasks ƒ CMs will be familiar with how to use each tool

Materials: ƒ Common forest inventory tools (prism, increment borer, , caliper, scale stick, clinometer, sighting compass). ƒ Less common tools such as electronic devices and bark gauges can be included if available. ƒ Forested area with 66’ and 100’ walking courses measured out.

Total Time Estimate: 2 hrs.

Procedure: Group size should be modified given amount of tools available for demonstration.

Note: Although only northern MCC crews typically participate in FIA projects, training should still be considered for central and southern crews, if inventory tools are available for demonstration.

Time (min.) Activity / Discussion Description / Instructions

Introduction to Forest Explain forest inventory, types of data collected, and 10 min. Inventory uses of data. Explain importance of DBH, chains, and tool-specific 20 min. Distances distances. Practice Show examples of tools. Demonstrate proper use and give CMs opportunity to use each tool. Smaller groups 60 min. Inventory Tools and multiple instructors may help if number of available tools is small. 20 min. Tool Care Explain care guidelines for each tool Conclude with questions and follow up with information 10 min. Q&A requests

PRISM: Hold the prism over the sample point at a comfortable distance from your eye, keeping the top edge of the prism horizontal (on level ground and slopes to 10 percent), and the face of the prism at right angles to your line of sight.

Closing one eye, sight through the prism to each at breast height. Count the number of tally as you rotate the prism, not your eye, over the sample point.

SCALE STICK: Use the flat side of the stick, indicated “Diameter of Tree (in inches).” Hold the stick level at 25-inches from the eye, against the tree, at a height of 4-1/2 feet above ground perpendicular to the line of sight. Practice is needed to find both the 4-1/2 foot point in relation to your height, and the 25-inch distance to your eye. When the stick is placed against a tree, close one eye, sight at the left or zero end. The stick and the tree bark should be in the same line of sight.

Now, DO NOT MOVE YOUR HEAD — just move your eye across the stick to the right-hand edge of the tree. Read the tree diameter to the nearest inch. Hold the stick perpendicular to the tree.

Height is measured as follows: Pace out 66 feet from the base of the tree to a point where the entire tree can be seen. Hold the stick upright so that the “Number of 16 foot logs” side faces you. The zero end should point toward the ground. Plumb the stick at 25 inches from the eye. Sight the zero end to appear to rest at a 1' (one foot) stump height. DO NOT MOVE YOUR HEAD OR THE STICK. Look up the stick to the point where the top of the last merchantable cut would be made in the tree. INCREMENT BORER: Separate the handle (A) from the borer bit (B) and extractor (C). Place the extractor in a convenient place, such as your cruiser’s vest, to prevent damage to the extractor. Assemble the handle and borer bit by

A. Pushing the locking latch away from the handle with your thumb. B. Inserting the square end of the borer bit into the handle. C. Returning the locking latch completely around the borer bit "collar".

The goal is to bore directly into the "pith" or center of the tree. Align the borer bit and handle so that the bit will penetrate toward the center of the tree at a right angle. In any other alignment, the annual growth rings seen in the extracted core will be distorted and could result in erroneous growth rate analysis.

Place the borer bit threads against the uphill side of the tree at 4.5 ft above the ground. This should be done in a fissure or crack, where the bark is thinnest. Hold the bit near the threads with one hand; with your other hand push forward on the handle while simultaneously turning it clockwise until the threads penetrate the wood enough to hold the bit firmly in place.

Place both hands, palms open, on the ends of the handle and turn clockwise until the bit reaches the approximate center of the tree.

With the bit at the desired depth, insert the full length of the extractor concave side down, like this . Then turn the handle one-half turn counter-clockwise to break the core from the tree and to turn the extractor concave side up like this .

Pull the extractor from the borer bit. The core will be resting in the channel and held in place by the small teeth at the tip of the extractor.

Before examining the core sample, promptly remove the borer bit from the tree by turning the handle counter-clockwise.

In order to prevent insect damage; replace the wood core into the tree once measurements and ring counts have been made. A wooden dowel can be used to remove broken core pieces from the borer bit. Do not use metal objects such as nails to remove lodged cores. When you are finished using your increment borer, use a WD-40 soaked cloth to remove resins from the bit. The WD-40 will also prevent rusting. CLINOMETER: One technique for specific type of instrument, the Suunto Clinometer, follows:

1. Measure the horizontal distance from the base of a vertical tree (or the position directly beneath the tree tip of a leaning tree) to a location where the required point on the tree (e.g. tree tip) can be seen. 2. Sight at the required point on the tree:

o Using one eye: Close one eye and simultaneously look through the Suunto at the scale and 'beside' the Suunto at the tree. Judge where the horizontal line on the Suunto scale would cross the tree. o Both eyes: With one eye looking at the Suunto scale and the other looking at the tree, allow the images to appear to be superimposed on each other and read where the horizontal line on the Suunto scale crosses the tree. Note: If you suffer from astigmatism (a common situation where the eyes are not exactly parallel), use the one eye approach.

3. Read from the percent scale and multiply this percentage by the horizontal distance measured in step one. 4. Site to the base of the tree and repeat steps 2 - 3. 5. Combine the heights from steps 3 and 4 to determine total tree height:

o Add the 2 heights together if you looked up to the required point in step 2 and down to the base of the tree in step 6. o Subtract the height to the base of the tree from the height to the required point if you are on sloping ground and had to look up to both the required point and the base of the tree.

6. Check all readings and calculations.