Measurement of Standing

Trees
o  Parameters usually considered in determining
the volume of a tree are
n  diameter
n  Height
n  form or taper
n  Bark thickness
n  age
Diameter Measurement
o  A diameter is a straight line
passing through the center of a
circle and meeting at each end
of the circumference.
o  Diameter measurement is
important because it is one of
the directly measurable
dimensions from which tree
cross-sectional area and volume
can be computed.
o  On standing trees, a reference diameter is
normally required.
o  This is known as the diameter at breast height
(dbh) where breast height - IUFRO
o  Other points of measurement
n  In most Countries – 1.30 meters above ground
level
n  In the US - at 1.37 meters (4.5 ft) above ground
level.
n  In Japan and Korea- 1.20 meters above the
ground
o  Other diameter measurements can be done on
diameter above buttress (dab), stump
diameter, top diameter, and intermediate
diameter.

o  Diameter may be measured outside bark (dob)

and inside bark (dib) and the difference is
twice the bark thickness.
Rules in locating the dbh- IUFRO
Instruments for Diameter Measurements
1.  Diameter tape – this is graduated
at intervals of π units which
allows direct reading of diameter.
This is accurate only for trees that
are circular in cross-section.
2.  Ordinary metric tape – This
measures the circumference (C)
of the tree. The diameter (D) is
obtained by dividing the
circumference by π. (D = C/π)
3.  Meter stick – the simplest
instrument but usually prone
to error.
4.  Caliper – this is similar to
ordinary tape measure with
two parallel arms where one
arm is fixed at the origin of
the scale and the other arm
slides.
5.  Biltmore stick – this is a personalized
instrument since its construction is
based on an individual arm length.
The graduations (S) of the stick for
different values of diameter (d) and
for a fixed arm length (a) are
obtained from this formula:

S = √ ad2/ a + d
6.  Tree fork – it consists of a
set of fixed arms.

7.  Finnish parabolic – it

consists of parabolic scale
radiating from a common
origin. Used to measure
stem diameter which
cannot be reached from
the ground.
8.  Wheeler pentaprism – this
is an optical instrument
which measures the
diameter by two parallel
lines of tree.
9.  Relascope – it is an
optical instrument used
to measures tree
diameters.
10.  Barr and Stroud
Dendrometers – these
are optical instruments
designed to measure
out-of-reach stem
diameters on standing
trees.
Height Measurements
o  Height is the linear distance of an object from
the surface of the earth. In forestry, the
principal vertical distance measured is the tree
height.
Tree Height Classifications:
1.  Total height – is the
distance along the axis of
the tree stem between the
ground and the tip of the
tree.
2.  Bole height – is the
distance along the axis of
the tree stem between the
ground and tree crown.
Tree Height Classifications:
3.  Merchantable height – is the
distance along the axis of the tree
stem between the stump and the
first major branch of the tree or
from the stump to the terminal
position of the last usable portion
of the tree stem.
4.  Stump height - is the distance
between the ground and the basal
position on the main stem where a
tree is cut. This is usually 0.5m
above the ground.
Instruments for Height Measurements
o  Instruments for measuring tree
height are based on the principles
of similar and tangent of angle.
1.  Abney hand level – it consists
of a graduated arc mounted
on a sighting tube. The arc
has a degree, percentage, or
topographic scale. The angle
is read on the arc between the
bubble tube and the sighting
tube.
2.  Haga altimeter – it consists of
scales of 15, 20, 25, 30-meter
distances, percentage, and
topographic. Sights are taken
through a gun-type peep sight;
the indicator needle is locked
by squeezing a trigger, and the
observed reading is taken on
the scale.
3.  Blume-Leiss altimeter – the
operation is similar to Haga
Altimeter and has scales of
15, 20, 30and 40.
4.  Suunto Clinometer – the
instrument is held to one
eye and raised or lowered
until the hairline is seen at
the point of measurement
which gives the reading.
5.  Hypsometers
a. Merritt Hypsometer – this is usually
marked off on one side of a Biltmore stick. With a
given horizontal distance from the observer to the
tree, the stick held in a vertical position.
The scale formula used in constructing the Merrit
ypsometer is: S = (a x Ht)/HD

Where: S = distance from the zero-end to the point

equivalent to given height of the tree; a = arm
length; Ht = height of the tree; HD = horizontal
distance
5.  Hypsometers
b.  Christen Hypsometer – It is
usually graduated for and used with a
3-meter pole. This pole is set upright
against the bole of the tree. The
distance from the observer to the tree
need not be measured. The observer
places himself to a point where the
top and the base of the tree is inside
the stick. The point at which the line
of vision to the top of the 3-meter
pole intersects the scale indicates the
total height of the tree
Christen Hypsometer
o  The scale formula is:

S = (3-m pole x distance between notches)/tree height

5.  Hypsometers
c.  Staff Hypsometer – The stick length is equivalent
to the arm length and is held in a vertical
position. Adjust distance from the tree so that the
base of the tree is seen through the zero-end of
the stick as well as the top of the tree. The height
of the tree is now equivalent to the horizontal
distance between the observer and the tree.
Tree Height Based on Tangents of Angles
o  The dotted lines
represent lines of sight
to the base and tip of
the tree. The solid
lines is the horizontal
distance at the
position of the eye of
the observer. Each
diagram represents a
right triangle.
For right triangle, the ff. trigonometric
functions hold:
o  Sin θ = opposite/hypotenuse
o  Cos θ = adjacent/hypotenuse
o  Tan θ = opposite/adjacent

In tree height measurement, “adjacent” is equivalent to

horizontal distance (HD) , “opposite” to tree height (Ht)
and “hypotenuse” to slope distance (SD).
o  Hence, if HD is known and the angle θ is expressed
in degree then, the total height of the tree is:
Ht = Tan θ HD
o  If slope distance (SD) is given, then:
Ht = Sin θ SD
o  If the angle is in percent (%), the tree height is
obtained by multiplying angle in percent with the
HD. For any vertical angle, this situation holds:
Tan θ = percent θ / 100
Ht = percent θ / 100 x HD
Errors in Height Measurement
o  Some errors in tree height
determination are caused by the
following:
1)  The tree top or tree base is not
correctly identified. Erroneous
top identification is a particular
source of height overestimation.
2)  The precision of the scale can be
so small that a misreading results
in a great height difference.
Different cases in Height Measurement
Suunto Clinometer
Every Suunto clinometer incorporates two of five possible
scales:
o  degrees (scale unlabeled, +/-90°), where 0° is horizontal
and 90° is vertical.
o  Percent (scale labeled % at both ends) where 45° =
100%.
o  Topographic or topo (scale labeled 1/66 at both ends) where
45°=66 units.
o  15 meter (scale labeled 1/15 at both ends) where 45°=15
units.
o  20 meter (scale labeled 1/20 at both ends) where 45°=20
units.
Suunto Clinometer
Using the percent scale
o  On the right side of the scale, read the % reading. E.g. 70%

o  Then, multiply this total times your distance from the base
of the tree (for example, 70% x 80m = 56m tree).
o  Work with decimal (percent)
Suunto Clinometer
o  Using the topo, 15 meter, or 20 meter scales
o  The topo scale is based on a surveying chain (66 ft). When
using any one of the 3 scales at its full base distance from
the tree (66 ft, 15 m, 20m), sum the sightings to the top and
base to obtain tree height directly.
o  At half the base distance (33 ft, 7.5 m, 10 m), divide the
sum of the sightings by 2. Alternatively, when on flat
ground, some shoot just the top and then add a constant
representing their eye height (not quite as accurate due to
ground unevenness).
Suunto Clinometer
Using the degree scale
o  Using this scale requires trigonometry. Total height =
distance *(tan top°- tan base)
Haga Altimeter
o  The Haga Altimeter is a gravity
controlled –pivoted pointer with
a series of scales (15-20-25-30),
chains (66’ L), and a % scale.
Haga Altimeter
o  Height measurement
n  Select the corresponding height scale by turning the adjustment disk,
n  Sight tree bottom, lock the pointer needle and remember the value,
n  Sight tree crown, lock the pointer needle and remember the value,
n  The difference between the measurements will be tree height: h
Tree Form
o  Trees may have different forms since they
taper irregularly from stump to top.
o  Taper is the diminution in diameter from the
base to the tip.
o  The rate of taper varies not only by species
but also by age, dbh, tree height, tree density,
age and site.
o  The rate of taper is generally expressed by
form factor and form quotient.
1)  Form Factor (FF) – is the ratio of tree volume to
the volume of the cylinder that has the same
basal diameter and height as the tree.

FF = volume of tree/volume of cylinder

o  Normally, form factors are less than 1.
However, if branch wood is included in the
tree volume it could be more than 1.
o  Often, it is found that under forest conditions,
a breast high form factor of 0.7 is a good
approximation for stemwood.
Types of Form Factor
a) Artificial Form Factor: This is also known as the breast
height form factor. Here, the basal area is measured at breast
height and the volume refers to whole tree both above and
below the point of measurement.
b) Absolute Form Factor: For this form factor basal area is
measured at any convenient height and the volume refers only
to that part of the tree above the point of measurement.
c) Normal Form Factor: In this form factor basal area is
measured at a constant proportion of the total height of the
tree.
2)  Form Quotient (FQ) – is the ratio of some upper-
stem diameter to dbh. The value is always less
than unity and is usually expressed as a
percentage. Higher form quotients indicate lower
rates of taper and greater tree volumes.

FQ = upper-stem diameter/dbh
Form quotients are of two types:
a) Normal Form Quotient: It is the ratio of mid-
diameter of a tree to its diameter at breast height.

b) Absolute Form Quotient: It is the ratio of a stem

diameter at one half its height above the breast
height to the diameter at breast height.
o  FORM HEIGHT: It is the product of form factor and the
total height of the tree; or
Form Height = Volume of tree/Basal area
o  FORM CLASS: It is one of the intervals in which the range
of form quotient of trees is divided for classification and use.
o  FORM POINT RATIO: Form point is the point in the
crown where wind pressure is estimated to be centered. Form
point ratio is the relationship of height of the form point
above ground level to the total height of the tree, usually
expressed as percentage.