Attachment 08b Strata 2 Natural Stand Biomass Plot Cruise.docx

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Shasta-McCloud Management Unit Rattle Timber sale Sale Number 61401 General Cruise Instructions Strata 2, Natural Stand Biomass

A. Unit(s) Information

Units: 506 (155.4 Acres), 525 (44.3 Acres), 531 (218.9 Acres), and 727 (25.2 Acres)

Total acres: 443.8

B. Cruise Information

Cruise Method: FCM, 1/10th acre plots, product code 20.

Total Number of Cruise Plots: 60 Plot Interval: 568 feet

Fixed Plot Size: 1/10-acre Plot Radius: 37.2 feet

Plot Allocation per Unit: 506 (21 Plots), 525 (6 Plots), 531 (30 Plots), 727 (3 plots)

Biomass DBH range: 3.0-9.9 inches

Limiting distance formula: limiting distance (LD) = plot radius – (.5 x DBH / 12)

If on slope (>10%), limiting distance (LD) = { plot radius – (.5 x DBH / 12) } * slope correction factor

C. Cruise Instructions

1. Establishing Plots

a. Establish plots at the designated locations with either GPS or conventional means. Refer to Rattle cruise map to see plot locations.

b. Paint with pink marking paint the point where the pin flag enters the ground. Paint only bare mineral soil.

c. Sale name, cruise plot number, and unit will be marked on the wire flag.

d. A strip of white and orange flagging will be placed, overhanging the plot center if possible. The flagging should state sale name, unit number, cruise plot number, crew initials, and a date.

2. Recording Cruise Plot Information

a. Apply the silvicultural prescription per unit to determine cut vs leave tree. Only cut trees will be marked.

b. At cruise plot, establish north from the plot center. Tally and cruise trees will be recorded in order from a clockwise rotation from north.

· If the “center” of a cut tree, less than 10.0” DBH, is on due north that tree will be number 1.

c. Measure and tally all cut trees that are 3.0” to 9.9” DBH within the plot radius.

d. The data recorder will determine cruise (measure) vs. tally (count) trees on the plot.

e. Number each cruise tree with pink marking paint, facing the plot center. Count trees only require a dot with pink marking paint facing the plot center.

f. Cruise data to be recorded includes the following: Unit number, tree number, specie, measure/count, DBH to nearest 1/10th, height to nearest foot, Top DIB, and cruiser initials.

· All measure trees will have the MUTD (Top DIB) set to 1”.

g. Data for count trees will only need unit number, tree number, and specie.

h. Any borderline trees, within 1 foot of outer radius of plot, will be measured with the “limiting distance formula” to determine whether the tree is within plot. Mark any tree with a “L”, if limiting distance formula was applied. Use the Limiting Distance Calculator, under Menu, in FS Cruiser version 2 to record measurements. Example: DBH, Slope %, FPS (Fixed Plot Size), and Slope Distance.

e. Measured distance is from the face (of tree facing plot) at DBH, measured to the ground where the plot flag enters the ground.

f. Record plot as “Null” if there are no trees to tally or measure.

g. For borderline plots apply the walk-through method. Record which trees are the “walk-through” (WT) trees in remarks. Add the WT tree after the last normally recorded tree on the plot and indicate which cruise or count tree on the plot was the WT in remarks. Example: tree #4 WT. If measure tree, duplicate all cruise measurements. If count tree, duplicate the count.

Procedure for using the Walk-Through Method

Repeat their measurements. In remarks, example: for cruise tree 8, “tree #1 WT”

D. Data Recorder Setup

Key Product Code Frequency

BM

1:5

E. Paint

List of markers and Certified Cruisers

Prepared by Anders Dombrowski Forester Shasta-McCloud Management Unit 17 Jan. 2023 image1.png