Advanced forest stewardship course, day 1: Taking stock

This first session was mostly administrivia and review of the Coached Planning course I took 2 years ago. I was reminded how much we covered back then, and how quickly 24 people can consume a big box of chocolate chip cookies. And I saw some familiar faces from the first course.

We did get into inventorying techniques. This is not the technique that a professional forester would use for appraisal or sale, as their statistical standards are much higher. It's a functional estimating technique. We learned about it in theory in class, and the next field trip will be a chance to practice it.

Five steps for creating a forest inventory:

1. Create a map. NRCS, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft Live are potential sources.
2. Determine plot locations. The less opportunity for bias, the better. Typically 1/20th acre circle.
3. Locate plots in the field. If your spot is e.g. on a cliff, you might have to adjust.
4. Measure trees in the plots. This takes some tools, and some practice. Record the DBH, age, height, and count of trees in the plot area.
5. Plug the measurements into the computer.

It takes a minimum of 3 plots per stand (our parcel has two distinct stands) or 1 plot per 10 acres, whichever is greater. A 1/20th acre circle has a radius of 26.3 feet.

We spent much of the remaining time learning about converting map scales and the use of a compass, diameter tape, cruising stick, and clinometer.

We'll have a computer lab class in which we input and crunch the data.

Denis