Description
Comprehensive Coverage of Modern Methods in Forest Measurement and Sampling
Advances in technology, ecological understanding, and management goals have reshaped how scientists and practitioners measure and interpret forest structure and dynamics. Forest Mensuration provides an up-to-date and integrated approach to measuring tree and forest attributes, incorporating both traditional field techniques and state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies.
This new Sixth Edition reorganizes material to better align measurement and sampling concepts across scales—from individual trees to entire landscapes—while expanding coverage of forest diversity, structural complexity, and ecosystem services. The text also introduces new theoretical and applied approaches for sampling with remotely sensed covariates, and includes updated examples, comparative tool analyses, and practical applications for contemporary forest management and ecological research. Providing the most current understanding of forest measurement science, Forest Mensuration:
- Emphasizes the relevance of foundational measurement principles while guiding readers in applying innovative technologies to contemporary forestry challenges
- Integrates remote sensing techniques across chapters to connect traditional field measurement with modern data-driven sampling and analysis
- Provides updated, side-by-side comparisons of current digital and traditional measurement tools to support informed equipment selection
- Introduces advanced sampling strategies that incorporate remotely sensed covariates for more efficient and cost-effective ground sampling
- Offers open access to comprehensive datasets via an online Dataverse, enabling deeper exploration of forest inventory and sampling design
Forest Mensuration, Sixth Edition, equips students, researchers, and practicing foresters with essential tools for accurate measurement, inventory, and analysis across diverse forest systems. It is ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses in forestry, natural resource management, and environmental science.
Table of Contents
Preface xv
1 Introduction 1
1.1. Role of Forest Mensuration in Forest Management, 2
1.2. Design and Planning of Inventories, 7
2 Principles of Measurement 13
2.1. Scales of Measurement, 14
2.2. Units of Measurement, 16
2.3. Systems of Measurement, 16
2.4. Variables, 21
2.5. Precision, Accuracy, and Bias, 22
2.6. Significant Digits, Rounding, and Classes, 23
2.7. Data Summary and Presentation, 26
2.8. Fundamental Measurements, 28
3 Basic Statistical Concepts 31
3.1. Sampling Frame, 31
3.2. Descriptive Statistics, 35
3.3. Sampling Error, 45
3.4. Sample Size Determination, 50
3.5. Influence of Scalar Transformations and the Estimation of Totals, 52
3.6. Regression Analysis, 53
4 Land Area Determination 61
4.1. Land Distance and Area Units, 62
4.2. Measuring Distances, 62
4.3. Measuring Area, 67
4.4. Determination of Photo Scale, 69
4.5. Determination of Direction Using a Compass, 72
4.6. The U.S. Public Land Surveys, 75
4.7. Global Navigation Satellite Systems, 77
4.8. Geographic Information Systems, 84
5 Remote Sensing 87
5.1. Types of Remotely Sensed Data, 87
5.2. Remote Sensing for Stratification, 103
6 Individual Tree Parameters 109
6.1. Age, 109
6.2. Tree Diameters and Areas, 112
6.3. Height, 126
6.4. Form, 139
6.5. Crown Parameters, 144
6.6. Regression and Allometric Approaches, 149
7 Determination of Tree Volume, Weight, and Biomass 155
7.1. Measurement of Individual Trees, 156
7.2. Allometric Equations for Volume, Weight, and Biomass, 175
7.3. Volume and Biomass Distribution in Trees, 179
7.4. Other Methods of Estimating Tree Content, 185
7.5. Applications to Seedlings and Understory Vegetation, 192
7.6. Applications to Snags and Down Woody Material, 193
8 Measurement of Primary Forest Products 199
8.1. Units of Measurement of Forest Products, 199
8.2. LOG Rules, 201
8.3. Board-Foot LOG Rules, 201
8.4. LOG Scaling, 207
8.5. Scaling Stacked Volume, 212
8.6. Volume Unit Conversion, 213
8.7. Scaling by Weight, 216
9 Stand Parameters 221
9.1. Stand Age, 222
9.2. Species Composition, 225
9.3. Diameter, 228
9.4. Height, 236
9.5. Volume, Weight, and Biomass, 240
9.6. Crown and Canopy Measurements, 244
9.7. Understory and Regeneration, 248
9.8. Site Quality, 259
9.9. Density and Stocking, 268
9.10. Use of Remote Sensing to Characterize Stand Parameters, 282
10 Fixed-Area Sampling Units 291
10.1. Tree-Centered Approach, 291
10.2. The Factor Concept, 293
10.3. Fixed-Area Plots, 295
10.4. Stand Parameter Calculation, 298
10.5. Boundary Slopover, 303
10.6. Slope Correction, Borderline and Hidden Trees, 308
10.7. Selecting Appropriate Sampling Units, 308
11 Horizontal Point Sampling 311
11.1. Horizontal Point Samples, 312
11.2. Instruments for Horizontal Point Samples, 317
11.3. Checking Questionable Trees, 327
11.4. Slope Correction, 329
11.5. Leaning and Hidden Trees, 330
11.6. Stand Parameter Calculation, 331
11.7. Sample Size Determination, 336
11.8. Subsampling with HPS, 337
11.9. Special-Purpose Modifications of HPS, 344
12 Other Sampling Units 345
12.1. Horizontal Line Sampling, 345
12.2. Vertical Point and Line Sampling, 349
12.3. Critical Height Sampling, 351
12.4. Point and Line Intercept Sampling, 352
12.5. Distance-Based Sampling Units, 353
12.6. Sector Sampling, 356
13 Sampling Designs in Forest Inventories 359
13.1. Basic Considerations, 359
13.2. Selective or Opportunistic Sampling, 365
13.3. Simple Random Sampling, 367
13.4. Systematic Sampling, 374
13.5. Cluster Sampling, 384
13.6. Stratified Sampling, 389
13.7. Multistage Sampling, 395
13.8. Sampling with Covariates, 402
14 Inventory of Downed Dead Material Using Sampling with Varying Probability 429
14.1. Fixed-Area Plots, 430
14.2. Line Intersect Sampling, 434
14.3. Angle Gauge Methods, 442
14.4. Perpendicular Distance Sampling, 451
14.5. Other Methods, 461
14.6. Design Considerations and Selection of Methods, 463
15 Forest Structural Diversity 465
15.1. Forest Species Diversity, 466
15.2. Sampling for Forest Species Diversity, 480
15.3. Forest Size and Spatial Diversity, 483
15.4. Sampling Forest Structures, 489
16 Measurement of Tree and Stand Growth 493
16.1. Individual Tree Growth, 494
16.2. Direct Measurement of Tree Growth, 498
16.3. Reconstructing Tree Growth, 503
16.4. Stand and Forest Growth, 511
16.5. Measurement of Stand and Forest Growth and Yield, 515
16.6. Considerations for the Design and Maintenance of Permanent Sample Plot Systems, 533
16.7. Growth and Yield Models, 541
Appendix 557
Bibliography 575
Index 643
