A Volume table is a chart to aid in the estimation of standing

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

volume. These tables are based on volume equations and use correlations between certain aspects of a

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

to estimate the volume to a degree of certainty. The

diameter at breast height Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements. Tree trunks are measured at the height of an adult's breast ...

(DBH) and the merchantable height are used to determine the total volume. Difficulties occur when estimating the form class of the tree in question. The Mesavage and

Girard form class Girard form class is a form quotient calculated as the ratio of diameter inside bark at the top of the first 16 foot log to the diameter outside bark at breast height ( DBH). Its purpose is to estimate board-foot volume of whole trees from measur ...

es used to classify the trees to decide which volume table should be used. These volume tables are also based on different log rules such a Scribner, Doyle, and International ¼” scale. In order to be effective, the proper form class must be selected as well as accurate DBH and height measurements.

History

In 1804,

Heinrich Cotta Johann Heinrich Cotta, also Heinrich von Cotta, (30 October 1763 – 25 October 1844) was a German silviculturist who was a native of Kleine Zillbach, near Wasungen, Thuringia. He was founder of the Royal Saxon Academy of Forestry, in Tharandt, ...

suggested the idea of a volume table.Clark, J.F. 1902. Volume Tables and the bases on which they may be built. Forestry Quarterly. 1:6-11 However, it was not carried out until 1846 when the

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

n Government conducted an extensive study which was used to find the volume of entire stands rather than single trees. From this, variations grew based on variables including growth rate, species, and

site index Site index is a term used in forestry to describe the potential for forest trees to grow at a particular location or "site". Site is defined as "The average age of dominate and/or codominate trees of an even-aged, undisturbed site of intolerant tr ...

Fundamentals

One of the most common ways to calculate volume of a standing tree or of a log is by using the Doyle log rule. This formula uses the small end diameter of a log (D) (in inches) along with the log length (L) (in feet) to estimate the volume of a log. The Doyle log rule on average under estimates the volume of a log. See formula below: Doyle: Bd.Ft =

L\left(\frac\right)^2

Combining the Doyle log rule along with the Mesavage-Girard Form-Class, and Girard Upper-Log Taper Tables gives a quality estimation of log volume on and off stem. Using these Girard's tables one can estimate not only the first log of the tree but also the logs following the butt log.

References

Avery and Burkhart (2002). "Forest Measurements" Fifth addition. USDA (2001). "Tables for Estimating Board-Foot Volume of Timber"

History

Fundamentals

References

Further reading