FOR 2304 FOREST INVENTORY

 (4 credits, 8 hours a day)

2008

(TENTATIVE SYLLABUS)

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Curtis L. VanderSchaaf, Henry H. Chamberlin Forest Resources Complex 213, (870) 460-1993, vanderschaaf@uamont.edu, http: www.afrc.uamont.edu/vanderschaaf/FOR2304.htm

Office Hours: Open door policy during Summer I session.  For questions that require a substantial amount of time please set up an appointment.

ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR

Michael Olson, Henry H. Chamberlin Forest Resources Complex 216, (870) 460-1852, olsonm@uamont.edu

TIME AND PLACE

Officially from 8 am to 5 pm every weekday from May 27 to June 25.  Actual meeting times and locations will be arranged.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Application and field practice of forest inventory techniques.  Estimation of timber and non-timber forest resource attributes through prevailing inventory methods and statistics.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1.      To have the ability to communicate with other natural resource managers and the public in general about the location, nature, amount, and value of resources of a particular management unit.

2.      Gain a better understanding of the mathematical and statistical methodologies used in natural resource management.

3.      Learn how to implement sound inventory and sampling methodology of natural resources.

4.      Gain an ability to use computers when achieving the other objectives.

A capacity to perform the following tasks needs to be demonstrated at some point throughout the class

1.  Measure tree and stand attributes using commonly available forestry equipment/devices,

2.  Plan and perform a fixed radius plot inventory and summarize (write a report) the results,

3.  Plan and perform a variable radius plot inventory and summarize (write a report) the

results,

       4.  Plan and perform a double-sampling inventory and summarize (write a report) the results, and

       5.  Plan and perform an inventory using stratification and summarize (write a report) the results.

PRE- REQUISITES

FOR 2071, FOR 2273, FOR 2291.  In addition, a solid understanding of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry at the college level is required.  Knowledge of basic statistics is needed.

TEXTS

Avery, T.E., and H.E. Burkhart. 2002. Forest Measurements, 5^th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. 456 p. (REQUIRED)

Freese, F. 1962. Elementary Forest Sampling. Agri. Handbook No. 232. Southern Forest Experiment Station, USDA For. Serv. 91 p.

http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/measure/handbooks/index.shtml

Shiver, B.D., and B.E. Borders. 1996. Sampling Techniques for Forest Resource Inventory. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. 356 p.

Schreuder, H.T., R. Ernst, and H. Ramirez-Maldonado. 2004. Statistical Techniques for Sampling and Monitoring Natural Resources. RMRS-GTR-126. Fort Collins, CO: USDA For. Serv., Rocky Mountain Research Station. 111 p.

http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr126.html

Timber Cruising in the Pacific Northwest -- Basic Cruiser Training Workbook. 2006. R6-NR-TM-TP-21-97. USDA For. Serv., Pacific Northwest Region. 124 p.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/fp/Measurements/Cruising/basiccruise0606.pdf

Iles, K.  2003.  A sampler of inventory topics.  Kim Iles and Associates, Ltd.  869 p. www.island.net/~kiles/

Johnson, E.W.  2000.  Forest sampling desk reference.  CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.  985 p.

Husch, B., T.W. Beers, and J.A. Kershaw, Jr. 2003. Forest Mensuration, 4^th edition. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. 443 p.

Bell, J.F., and J.R. Dilworth. 2002. Log scaling and timber cruising. Revised edition. Cascade Printing Co. Corvallis, OR. 444 p.

Hunt, E.V., Jr., and R.D. Baker. 1967. Practical point-sampling. School of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX. 43 p.

Wiant, H.V., Jr. 1994. Elementary Timber Measurements. Ben Meadows Company, Atlanta, GA. 90 p.

Ashley, B.S. 1991. Simplified point-sample cruising. NA-UP-01-91. Morgantown, WV: USDA For. Serv., Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry.

Elzinga, C.L., D.W. Salzer, and J.W. Willoughby.   1998.  Measuring and monitoring plant populations.  BLM/RS/ST-98/005+1730.  Denver, CO: USDOI Bureau of Land Management, Natural Applied Resource Sciences Center.

http://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/pdf/MeasAndMon.pdf

HARDWOOD VOLUME AND WEIGHT EQUATIONS (CLARK ET AL. 1986)

USEFUL WEBSITES

Web Soil Survey

National State Digital Database

Magnetic Declination Calculator

GRADING SYSTEM

Field Final Exam = 30%

Written Final Exam = 30%

Final Report = 10%

Reports and Map (10 reports including the map) = 15%

Quizzes (10 quizzes) = 10%

Participation = 5%

90% - 100% = A

80% - 89% = B

70% - 79% = C

60% - 69% = D

0 - 60% = F

Lectures

If you do not attend class DO NOT EXPECT me to take the time to explain concepts to you outside of class.  As future professionals, I expect every person to attend class because you need to know how to inventory forest resources.  I will informally keep attendance records, which I will use to decide participation grades.  If you don’t regularly attend class, yet fail to understand material, that is your choice and you will be held accountable.

Labs

You should come to class EVERY DAY prepared to go to the field unless previously told otherwise. Appropriate field dress includes long pants and boots. Many areas used in lab have healthy populations of ticks and chiggers, abundant poison ivy, and the occasional venomous snake. If you have an allergy to anything that might be encountered during labs, please inform me (or assistants) so that we can handle a reaction should you have one. Outdoor classes will be held in all forms of weather. Students should report to each class prepared to work outside even if the weather appears to be inclement. The field class may be held as scheduled or rescheduled inside or for a later date at the instructor's discretion. Field classes will be canceled or rescheduled only on very rare occasions.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE BOOTS YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND ANY PORTION OF THAT DAYS CLASS IN THE FIELD THAT MAY CAUSE YOU TO RECEIVE A 0 ON AN ASSIGNMENT.

The following checklist should help you prepare for all field work:

1. Hard hat

2. Jeans or sturdy pants

3. Boots (preferably waterproof)

4. Clipboard

5. Calculator

6. Water bottle or snacks (we will occasionally be in the field for extended amounts of

time)

7. Insect repellant

8. Rain gear

9. Cruisers vest if desired

If additional equipment is needed I will inform you prior to meeting for that day. As students, you are readying yourselves to be professionals. Thus, it is imperative that you learn to prepare yourselves for your work environment.

Often you will work in groups to collect field data. Unique reports and summaries are expected from each individual student UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. Student teams are expected to collect data together and may analyze it together, but each individual student must write their own unique report and/or summary.  Failure to do so will be considered a violation of the University academic honesty guidelines and will result in a complaint filed with the appropriate offices on campus. Helping other students, or asking other students for help is not viewed negatively by me.  In the professional world, it is good to get second opinions and to ask advice.  As a professional, it is often expected that you help others.  For example, it is stated in the Association of Consulting Forester (ACF) Code of Ethics:

            “An ACF Consulting Forester will cooperate in extending the effectiveness of the forestry profession by interchanging information and experience with other foresters and by

                contributing to the work of forestry societies, associations, schools, and publications.”

With that said, please be wise as to who you ask for help!

The format for reports and summaries will be discussed during one of the early class periods.  Reports and summaries must be typed and stapled.  REPORTS AND SUMMARIES THAT ARE NOT ORGANIZED OR THAT ARE SLOPPY WILL BE RETURNED AND YOU WILL NEED TO REDO THE ASSIGNMENT; ELSE YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A GRADE OF 0.  It is imperative that you learn how to organize materials and how to present reports and summaries to others so that the documents are easily understood and accessed.  Correct spelling (please use the spell checker of your preferred word processor software), grammar, and numerical reporting are expected on all reports and summaries and will be graded along with report content.  FAILURE TO TURN IN AN ASSIGNMENT BY THE DUE DATA WILL RESULT IN A 0 FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT. If you must miss a class session, see me BEFORE you miss the class; or, in the case of an emergency, see me immediately when you return to class.  ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN AFTER THE ASSIGNED TIME WILL RECEIVE A 0.

Exams

If you plan to miss an exam, you have to let me know ahead of time and explain why you will be unable to take the exam at the scheduled time. Unexcused absences from exams result in 0s.

Academic dishonesty

Policy on academic dishonesty (aka, cheating) is covered in the Academic Code Violations section of the 2007-2009 catalog on pg. 49. In this class, you can work together on report and summary calculations and data collection, but you must write your own report or summary. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. To ensure that your work is not copied by anybody else, take care how you store your work. Avoid throwing drafts or extra report copies in public/lab trashcans, storing electronic files on public computers, and sharing your finished work with other students, etc. Plagiarism to any degree will result in a 0 for the assignment, even if somebody stole your work without your knowledge. On the exams, you must work alone (unless otherwise stated). You will receive an automatic “zero” if caught cheating on an exam.

Other examples of cheating include:

The possession, receipt, use, buying or selling, or furnishing of unauthorized help while doing any of the following, but not limited to:

- assignments -reports

- quizzes - tests

- homework (e.g., copying homework assignments from others and/or providing answers)

The use of unauthorized, pre-programmed information (e.g. formulas, facts, definitions) in calculators also constitutes cheating.  When in doubt about the acceptance of providing or getting help for the activities mentioned above, consult your instructor.

Plagiarism:

- Copying directly from a source (e.g. a book or internet site).

- Copying graphics and pictures from the internet without a reference (attribution).

- Paraphrasing without a reference (attribution).

- Submitting someone else’s work.

- Failing to provide a reference (attribution).

When in doubt about plagiarism consult your instructor.

Hats and tobacco products

Whenever you are in a classroom all males should remove their hats.  Additionally, there is to be absolutely no use of tobacco products during regularly scheduled lecture or field activities.  Intentional failure to meet these rules will be extremely frowned upon by the instructor and may require further action.

Snakes

I want all snakes encountered by students to be left alone!  Although some of you may feel quite comfortable around snakes, if a student is bit it will require the instructor to spend valuable class time addressing the wound, which may include having to take the student to the hospital.  If I find a student engaging or handling a snake 10% will be deducted from your final grade (I am serious).  It goes without saying this policy also applies to students engaging black bears, boars, and even dogs.

Respect

As students preparing themselves to be professionals, it is absolutely necessary to show respect for all individuals within the classroom, this means not only myself, but all other instructors and especially all other students. Additionally, I expect individuals to watch their use of the English language during regularly scheduled activities.

Field-based core competencies

Since this class is a field-based course, it is reasonable to expect that those successfully completing the course possess basic field skills necessary to conduct forest inventories.  These field skills are to correctly use:

1.      a compass to point to a known bearing, as well as find a bearing to a given object, to within plus or minus 1 degree respectively,

2.      a height measuring device to determine total tree height to within 10% of the true height, measure height to a pulpwood top to within 10% of the true pulpwood top height, and to report the number of sawlogs in a tree to within ½ log,

3.      a prism to estimate basal area per acre at a particular point,

4.      a diameter measuring device to determine tree diameter to within 1% of the true diameter, and

5.      pacing to report the distance of a wooded traverse to within 10% of the true distance.

Students will have several opportunities to demonstrate these core competencies during the field exercises.  If by completion of the semester, each core competency has not been successfully demonstrated at least once, a grade of I (incomplete) will be issued.

If a grade of I is received as a result of not demonstrating one or more core competencies during the semester, the affected student will then have one calendar year from the time the grade of I was received to demonstrate, in a manner chosen by the instructor or the instructor’s proxy, the needed competency(ies).

Post-course demonstration of incomplete competencies is allowed only during academic semesters or summer sessions, and only one attempt per competency per week will be allowed.  Once all incomplete competencies are demonstrated within the one year time frame, the grade of I will be changed to the course grade earned as described above.

If the core competencies are not demonstrated within the one year time frame, the grade of I will default to a grade of F as per university guidelines.  It is to the affected student’s advantage to demonstrate needed competencies within one semester of the initial course attempt.

 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

BASIC ADVICE ABOUT FOREST INVENTORY

Most of you probably come from a natural resource background, and in many ways are probably more prepared than I was when I first started my education in Forestry. Although you may not have basic knowledge about all topics discussed in this class, please use common sense for all assignments. For example, please don’t tell me that a loblolly pine tree is 390 feet tall, that stand basal area per acre for a mixed-hardwood stand is 650 sq. ft. per acre, or that any tract whose area we determine is 60,000 acres. There are many resources available to you that should help you determine what answers are reasonable for any question. These resources include myself, teacher assistants, other professors here at UAM, perhaps members of your family, your fellow undergraduate students as well as graduate students, and books and journals.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

It is the policy of the University of Arkansas-Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University's commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of the course.

Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; fax 870 460-1926.

McGehee: Office of Special Student Services representative on campus; phone 870 222-5360; fax 870 222-1105.

Crossett: Office of Special Student Services representative on campus; phone 870 364-6414; fax 870 364-5707.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for providing guidance about the content and organization of this class, most especially Dr. Paul F. Doruska.

Mr. Ben Ballard, Kingwood Forestry Services, Inc., Monticello, AR

Mr. Spencer Burke, Scull Timber Company, Crockett, TX

Dr. Harold E. Burkhart, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

Dr. Paul F. Doruska, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Mr. Jeffrey Earl, The Campbell Group, Silsbee, TX

Mr. James W. Foster, Kingwood Forestry Services, Inc., Monticello, AR

Mr. Jay C. Hayek, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL

Dr. Kim Iles, Kim Iles and Associates, Ltd., Nanaimo, BC

Mr. Joe Morgan, Kingwood Forestry Services, Inc., Monticello, AR

Dr. Richard G. Oderwald, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

Mr. Mike Pennington, J.P. Price Lumber Co., Monticello, AR

Mr. Peter Remoy, Plum Creek Timber Company, Crossett, AR

Mr. Leon (Trey) R. Tubbs III, Potlatch Corporation, Warren, AR

Mr. Rodney Wishard, Kingwood Forestry Services, Inc., Monticello, AR