Forest Mensuration Class

[Scottman22]

I am halfway though a Mensuration class and did not do well on the last test.  My next test this week is on land measurements, measuring standing trees, Volumes and weights of standing trees, and Forest inventory.  these tests are very difficult for me because they are all short answer and math problems.  My problem is that there is just so much information to sort though its hard to determine what is important or exactly what the teacher is wanting.  We're using the Forest measurements book by Avery and Burkhart which is not the easiest book to read.  Any advise on where to find some on the information on these topics  written in a way that a layman can understand??

my biggest problem right now is converting between map scales and determining area on odd shaped tracts of land.

[Texas Ranger]

Not a bit of help from here, but, it gets a lot better when you are actually usung the stuff in the field.  Computers, handbooks, conversion charts, etc.   What you are learning is the base for what the rest of us do in the field.

[Mark Wentzell]

What method are you using for calculating area in odd shape tracts of land?

[SwampDonkey]

You can either dot grid it or use triangles with a couple formulas.

Need the coefficient of the triangle, call it S and lengths of the 3 sides a,b,c

S= 1/2 (a + b +c)

Then find the area A
         ___________________
A= √S x (S-a) x (S-b) x (S-c)

A spreadsheet attachment shows the method here with a GIS program of the same boundary for comparison. And a couple other Word doc files on measurements, dot grids and flight planning.

[Scottman22]

Thanks everyone. 

We've been using dot grids and transects to determine area on maps.  I understand the concept and I think I have a pretty good handle on it, but I know he's going to ask us to do something like convert from miles to acres or chains.  I'm ok with it now, I just needed to spend some time on it.  I've consistently come up with different estimates than the rest of the class when using a dot grid and I think I may be over thinking it, and second guessing myself.  Then again, trusting my own results in compass and pacing courses has paid off so far!

[clearcut]

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group has a nice publication on Basic Land Navigation that includes working with maps and calculating area with a dot grid or planimeter.

http://www.nwcg.gov/var/products/basic-land-navigation

Basic Land Navigation

Steward    Operations and Workforce Development Committee
Date    June 2007
PMS No.    PMS 475    Catalog No.    NFES 002865

Navigating with a compass and a map is an essential skill for many incident positions. General overview of maps, reading topographic maps, geographic location systems, such as latitude/longitude, how to use a compass and clinometer. Set up as a self-paced instruction.
Download
PMS475.pdf — PDF document, 18829 kB (19281879 bytes)
Keywords

    how to read a map
    mapping
    topographic maps
    compass
    map types
    USGS maps

[SwampDonkey]

I had a professor who could baffle anyone learning to use a compass. Something simple like, set mag. declination, set azimuth, site and walk, became rocket science. :D

[Ranger McGregor]

We get spoiled with the conversion factors at my school ;D

[enigmaT120]

I had a professor who could baffle anyone learning to use a compass. Something simple like, set mag. declination, set azimuth, site and walk, became rocket science. :D

That almost sounds like some kind of anti-teacher super power.

[Scottman22]

Made it through the course with surprisingly good grades.   Also, came in first place in compass and pacing in the local forestry conclave in the spring!  Thanks to all for the support!

[beenthere]

Scottman22
Great! And thanks for letting us know how it turned out.

[WDH]

Excellent! 

[SwampDonkey]

Good stuff.  ;D

[WDH]

People don't realize how much engineering and math is in Foresrty. 

[SwampDonkey]

There is actually a 5 year Forest Engineers degree at UNB and some European colleges. You take the core forestry courses, plus the engineering. Takes more credits to graduate than most Engineering degrees. Out in BC, many jobs that call for engineering are looking for Forest Technicians and Forest Engineers. Forest Techs out there consider themselves engineers, I worked with them. But I would not call them engineers, they've had some fast based basics. Not an engineering degree unless they've had some geomatics and geoscience expertise with a 4 year forest technology degree.