Timber Volume tables

[Darly]

Can anyone suggest a sources/links for Timber Volume tables, Northeast Florida/ Southeast Georgia, Pine? I'm a lawyer in North Florida trying to help a client/relative who does not use the Internet but works in the timber industry.

[Fla._Deadheader]

By "Timber Volume", are you talking about board feet per log, or board feet per tree, or what exactly are you looking for???

[Darly]

I am looking for both, tho this is standing timber in Lafayette County, Florida. I have reviewed ya'll's site and the Internet. Good info for some states, skimpy in other on the Net. I will be posting results whenever obtained.

[Ron Wenrich]

I don't know of any volume table for standing timber.  Usually, a forester will go out and cruise the timber and give you a volume amd value estimate.  

The process involves going out and measuring the trees for diameter and estimating merchantible tree height.  From those 2 measurements, you look up the appropriate volume on a spread sheet.  Volume can be measured in many board rules and will vary from area to area.

If you're looking at a timber trespass, volumes can be estimated by measuring stump diameter.

There may be some local volume tables that your state forestry office has developed.  Most mills go with a standard board rule like Doyle or International.

What is your client looking to do with the volume table?  

[SwampDonkey]

Darly:

Here's some slash pine volume tables

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/pubtxt/Cir662.html

click on the Table links embedded in the text.

You could ask the USDA in Florida for standard volume tables

http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/florida/

[Jeff]

I am looking for both, tho this is standing timber in Lafayette County, Florida. I have reviewed ya'll's site and the Internet. Good info for some states, skimpy in other on the Net. I will be posting results whenever obtained.

Huh?

Please approach the bench and clarify your statement counselor.

[Darly]

Thanks for the information; the purpose is to assist my client/brother in law who is a timber appraiser. He does not yet use the Internet, but asked me to find as many 'timber volume tables' for NE Florida and SE Georgia pine as I could. As I know several people who work in the timber industry, I thought LEARNING about it could only help me.

[Darly]

The Florida Division of Forestry helped; they don't find a lot on the Internet either and suggested a large library for books. Unlike MOST desk jockeys, I already knew one does not visit a stand of timber, one CRUISES it.And I heard of Loblolly before, too. I found more help on Forestry info from University of Florida than Florida State.

[Ron Wenrich]

If you're trying to find the volume of a tree with a certain dbh and height, try using our calculators on the left hand page.  You can download it to your desktop.  It will give volume in Doyle, International and Scribner.

There's more calculators at the red toolbox.  

Do those help?

[SwampDonkey]

Darly:

I'm surprised the USDA doesn't have standard volume tables available. Do you folks have a Timber Management Branch within the department? You have to talk to someone who actually leaves the office with a cruising vest and compass on his/her back. I know if I call our Timber Management branch they can get me the volume tables and height curves. It might not be on there priority list, but I'de eventually get it with several phone calls. While your at it, request the height curves because there will be several volumes for trees of each diameter depending on site index. Maybe you can find a Site Classification Handbook which has the site curves and standard volume tables. ;)

Search these keywords in one string on google, they may be helpful.

forest site classification florida

Sorry to make it complicated, but if the trees are still on the stump and on different site types, than you need to be aware that volumes will be different for any given diameter for that species.

[Ron Scott]

Contact your local Conservation District Forester, Extension Service, USDA-Forest Service office or the Association of Consullting Foresters of America, Inc. at
www.acf-foresters.com for a professional consulting forester near you.

One of these timber management contacts should be able to provide you with local volume tables for pine etc. being used in your area.

[J_T]

 Did I miss the boat or get ran over with the turnup thuck?? Wouldn't a tree 18'' have the same anywrere as anywrere else??? Price difference I could understand .But volume I missed sompthing somewere ???

[SwampDonkey]

J_T

No, a tree of the same species , with the same diameter does not have the same volume throughout its range and sites it grows on. For instance a white spruce growing on a field may have a dbh of 30 inches and may be only 40 feet tall. It is likely to be very limby and is termed 'cow shade' or 'pasture spruce'. Most mills reject them because of large knots. The same species in the natural forest with the same diameter is likely to be over 60 feet tall, has small knots and the first limbs are likely around 15 feet. Thus, quite a difference in volume and quality. Same with hardwood that are open grown, they do not grow as tall as in the natural forest under competition and different site types.  Each species has its own optimum site as well. Don't forget tree height is part of the volume equation and a tree species does not have the same growth potential on each site it occurs. I'm am strictly speaking of standing trees. If your scaling wood on the yard all bucked, that is a different application of volume calculations.

cheers

[J_T]

Thanks SD my brain has been asleap a lot latley. :D :D

[Ron Wenrich]

So, isn't that why you cruise it so you can tell the differences in timber volume and quality?  That's how I make appraisals.  on site inspection is worth a lot more than what a volume table says is supposed to be there.

[SwampDonkey]

Ron

Yes, that's the purpose of a cruise, to find volume and quality. And yes your there to see the site as well to assess growing conditions. But when you measure diameters at breast height and you take heigths in your plots you are generating your own local volume tables at the office with aid of regional standard volume tables or taper tables. Or your simply using standardized volume tables for your region based on site (height) and measured dbh. Is there any another way to cruise standing trees?  Aside from that you have to cut and buck a sample of trees for each species on different site types in your region and do volume calculations to make your own standardized volume tables. Whether the trees are standing or bucked we end up using volume tables. Only difference between the two is that standing tree volumes are estimated based on site and bucked log volumes are estimated with the scale stick and quality specs, irregardless of site. You make a good attempt to grade potential sawlogs or veneer on the stump to give the client your best estimate possible before the trees are harvested. But, you'll always get an underrun of log volumes because bucking wood reveals alot of other defects not observed on the outside of the tree.


cheers

[Darly]

'My' appraiser crusies. When I first learned of computer programs in timber appraising, taking a deposition ten years ago, Little Miss Expert was disparaging, 'Huh, THESE guys don't LOOK like THEY go out there!" Having grown up in rural North Central Florida I was the first to scoff at computer programs. However, a combination of on site inspection and machine generated 'stuff' seems to be more thorough. (I still want timber appraisers to look like they been near dirt in the last year however). I'ma goin' to a BIG library tomorrow for MESURATION TABLES.

[Jeff]

Darly, I can tell, wheeze startin to rub off on ya.  ;)

To quote the latest catch phrase to be acquired by the legal profession,

"That's a good thing"