APPENDIX II - FFS STATE LANDS HANDBOOK.pdf

APPENDIX II

STATE FOREST HANDBOOK

APPENDIX 6.A.13

INVENTORY MANUAL

Generating the Cruise Map Refer to the SilvAssist Inventory Project Manager User Manual on how to add stands to annual inventory, add plots to them and get those stands on your tablet. They can be found in the FISS ArcGIS Online Group here: https://arcg.is/SrzWT

Number of Plots Productive and Accessible Pine (Hardwood and Cypress not Common): One plot for every five

(5) acres in productive, accessible pine stands. A minimum of three (3) plots per stand is required, with a maximum number of 30 plots per stand.

Non-productive and/or Inaccessible: One plot every 100 acres or 3 clustered plots for every 300 acres in non-productive and/or inaccessible stands. Minimum of 3 plots. If a stand is not being treated as forested (e.g. improved pasture, marsh, water, shrub bog.), inventory is not required.

Starting the Inventory Prior to the cruise, ensure the cruiser has the proper equipment. Listed are some items required to perform a cruise. This list is not all inclusive and not all items listed will necessarily be needed for every cruise; it is up to the forester to ensure the cruiser has everything needed to accurately assess the stand.

- Diameter tape 50-foot or 75-foot Loggers Tape

- Appropriate size(s) BAF prism or Angle Gauge (5, 10, and 20 BAF are standard)

- Flagging tape

- Compass

- Clinometer

- Pencil and marker

- Bark Gauge for site index trees

- Increment borer for site index trees

- Cruisers vest

- Cruise map

- Tablet

- Plot center stick/Cruising staff for proper DBH determination

- Applicable safety equipment for the day’s work (tick gaiters, bug spray, sunscreen, snake chaps, etc.)

Important: If using electronic devices for stand inventory, such as range finders or electronic clinometers, know how to properly use them and check them frequently to ensure they are calibrated properly. For example, if using an electronic clinometer, always check it with an object of a known height or use the original clinometer and make sure the same results are obtained.

Inventory Procedure – Marking Plot Locations Upon establishing the plot locations, each cruiser will perform the inventory in the most efficient manner, usually starting on the perimeter and at the northernmost tree in the plot. Upon arriving at a plot location do the following:

https://arcg.is/SrzWT

1. Once at plot center, tie a 1-2 foot piece of flagging to a nearby bush or the first tally tree (preferred). On this flagging (using a sharpie or other indelible pen), write the plot number, cruiser initials and date. Make sure the plot numbers on the ground match up with the plot numbers on the map feature This flagging should be visible from a distance and will be used by check cruise personnel to find the plot.

2. Tie another piece of flagging about 6-12 inches long and secure it into the ground with a nearby stick to mark the plot center.

Follow this procedure for every plot, numbering them using the same point number as referenced on the tablet. Make sure the plots are marked in such a fashion that they can be found in the future by cruise check personnel!

Note: If you arrive at the plot location but the plot extends into an area which does not belong as part of the stand (road, another stand, etc.), walk into the stand you are sampling at least 66 feet and put the plot at this location.

Inventory Procedure – Measuring Trees Once the plot has been established and marked, start with the northernmost tree, and work around clockwise until you return to the first tree. If two trees appear to be on the exact same azimuth, measure the inner tree first, followed by the outer tree.

Volume Plots Using a prism/plot, and the guidelines established in the Determining Point Locations section, obtain the trees considered to be ‘in” the plot. Selecting correct BAF or radius for stand: Use whatever will give you 5-8 trees for 60% of the plots inventoried. If your cruise did not capture that, go back to your plots with a smaller BAF prism and redo them. For borderline trees (if using a prism), the limiting distance (tree location from the plot center flagging to the center of the tree [pith] and the diameter) will determine whether the tree is in or out (Figure 1). This is crucial because no other factor has more of a detrimental effect on volume than missing a tree or counting a tree that is ‘out’ of the plot!

Figure 1. An example of a tree too close to call ‘in’ or ‘out’ based on the prism alone. This tree would need to be measured to determine whether it should be called ‘in’ or ‘out’.

On a typical volume plot, record:

- SpC: Fill in the species

- Rp: If regeneration is viable √ or (1)

- Num: 1 or if regeneration is viable enter the amount

- DBH: Fill in DBH

- Ht: Fill in the total height for pine/cypress

- CrRatio: Fill in the crown ratio

- Tree Product: Auto Assign (could be a tree that is downgraded)

- Health: Healthy or diseased

- History: Default value (1); indicating tree is alive

1/1000th -acre Ground Cover Plot Select the different observed ground covers at the plot and the percentages for each of the sample area by plot. Percentages must add up to 100%.

1/100th -acre Regeneration Plot Count every seedling within a radius of 11.78 feet of plot center. Seedlings are woody tree specimens with a total height above 1 foot high and below 4.5 feet, with the exception of longleaf pine in the grass stage, where you measure seedlings with a root collar at least 0.75 inches in diameter.

1/40th -acre Sub-merchantable/Midstory Plot Count every seedling within a radius of 18.6 feet of plot center. Seedlings are woody tree specimens. For each species record each observed 1-inch DBH class below the 5-inch DBH class. Take a stem count of each tree of that species and DBH class. Then record an average of the heights and crown ratios of that that species and DBH class entry. The most efficient way to complete this is by taking a few reference measurements then completing via ocular estimation.

Seedling Survival Inventory For seedling survival, the plot size is 1/40th acre. Record species and tree count. See chapter

6.5.4. for more specific information.

Pre-merchantable Planted Pine Inventory For pre-merchantable plots, use plot size to capture 5 to 8 trees. Record the same information as if on a volume plot.

Inventory Procedure – Species Record the species of the tree being measured.

Procedure – Diameter To record diameter, first measure the exact diameter using a diameter tape. For consistency, measure trees on the uphill side of the tree at 4.5 feet from the ground. If a defect or knot occurs at breast height, measure just above the defect or knot. For buttress swelling on cypress trees, measure above the swelling, or give your best estimation what the diameter would be above the swelling. Your goal is to get the volume as accurately as possible, excluding any extreme measurements. Record the diameter or diameter class for all types of trees (generalized below) into the tablet. Five inch class 4.6” – 5.5” Six inch class 5.6” – 6.5” Seven inch class 6.6” – 7.5”

Inventory Procedure - Height Record the height of every tree that is within the plot. In order to do this efficiently, use your clinometer to measure several tree heights at the plot and use this to estimate the height of the other trees (Figure 2A).

Total Height (Ht): (estimate dead, measure live) Record the total height for any pine tree or cypress that has normal form and branching. If a pine tree forks, has abnormally large branches, or is not a typical pine tree form, use merchantable height. For live trees, measure from the tree the appropriate distance for the clinometer that you are using. Take readings for the top of the tree and the bottom. Add or subtract the numbers as necessary to get a height APPENDIX 6.A.13. measurement. If using half of the baseline measurement from the tree, then divide the number you get by 2 for the height of the tree.

Height of Sawtimber (Hs): (Live trees only) Use this if the Sawtimber or Chip N Saw section of the tree will not meet the 8” top for Sawtimber or 6” top for Chip N Saw. Measure with a clinometer from the bottom of the tree to the section the log will need to be cut at due to the fork or other defect. Record this in total feet for the Hs. DO NOT use this code for pulpwood trees!

Height of Pulpwood (Hp): (Live trees only) Use this code if a tree (any species) has a broken top. Measure the total height of the tree from the bottom of the tree to the top of the tree where it has been broken using a clinometer.

Merchantable sized trees not meeting merchantability criteria should have diameters recorded and be culled from the stand.

Inventory Procedure – Crown Ratio When height is taken, crown ratio must be estimated. Crown ratio can be found by measuring total feet of live crown and dividing it by the total feet of the bole or tree height. Round to the nearest 10 percent (Figure 2B)

Inventory Procedure – Product Pine Product Classes:

1. Pine Pulpwood (Mulch for S. FL slash pine) - 4.6” DBH and up, at least one 16’ log, and up to a three inch top diameter outside bark.

2. Pine Chip-N-Saw - 8.6” - 11.5” DBH, a minimum 24’ length, and up to a six inch top diameter outside bark.

3. Pine Sawtimber - 11.6” DBH and up, at least one 16’ log, and up to an eight inch top diameter outside bark.

Hardwood (Hard and Soft Hardwood) Product Classes

1. Hardwood Pulpwood - 5.1” DBH and up, at least one 16’ log, and up to a four inch top diameter outside bark.

2. Hardwood Pallet/Cleat - 9.1” - 13.0” DBH, a minimum 24’ length with no major knots, up to a six inch top diameter outside bark, and no rot.

3. Hardwood Sawtimber - 13.1” DBH and up, at least one 16’ log, and up to a 10 inch top diameter outside bark.

Cypress/Cedar Product Classes

1. Cypress Mulch - 5.1” DBH and up, at least one 16’ log, and up to a four inch top diameter outside bark.

2. Cypress Sawtimber - 11.1” DBH and up, at least one 16’ log, and up to an eight inch top diameter outside bark.

Inventory Procedure – Site Index Collect site index data on pine stands only. Collect data from three site trees per stand. If there are only 1-5 plots for the stand, put the site trees in any plots, just try to sample trees which are as spread out as evenly as possible across the stand. If no site trees exist on the sample plots, but a nearby section of the stand has adequate site trees growing in the same soil, use the neighboring site trees. All site index trees need to be the same species within a stand and must be the dominant species. If, for example, you are inventorying a mixed slash pine/loblolly pine stand, pick the species which you think is best suited for the soil/terrain.

Off-plot site trees should be no further than 66 feet (1 chain) from plot center, except in pine dominant stands projected as having less than 50 live trees/acre, in which case off-plot site trees may be within 198 feet (3 chains).

When collecting site trees, measure any dominant pine tree or co-dominant pine tree. A site tree is at least 20 years old or older. For site index trees, use base age 50, because the forest vegetation simulator used for growth assumes the values given are from site index curves referencing base age 50. Listed below is the SilvAssit mobile plot cruise data entry form.

SpC: If not already recoded as a volume tree, fill in the species Rp: N/A Num: Enter 1 DBH: If not already recorded as a volume tree and the DBH is not to the nearest 1/10th of an inch, fill in DBH to the nearest 1/10th of an inch.

Ht: If not already recorded as a volume tree, fill in the total height of the site tree CrRatio: If not recorded as a volume tree, fill in the crown ratio of the site tree Tree Product: Auto Assign (should not be a tree that is downgraded) Health: Healthy; only a healthy tree can be a site index tree History: Default value (1); tree must be alive, dead trees are not allowed SgB: Single bark thickness (measured in 1/10th of an inch) Op: √ or (1) if the tree is an off-plot site index tree. This is key to preventing the program from using the site tree in volume calculations Age: Total age based on the tree core, site index trees are 20 years or older. After counting the rings add 3 years to the age for all pine species other than longleaf pine. Add 5 years to the age for longleaf pine (Figure 2C).

RdG: Radial growth (last 10 years of growth rings measured to 1/10th of an inch)

Figure 2. A) Examples of tree height measurements with sawtimber height stoppers and broken tops. B) Examples of estimating crown ratio. C) Example of how to measure radial growth.