tree heights....?

[chris hennelly]

......so i normally use a stick/eye pace method to estimate tree heights,but for a surveying course a hypsometer,clinometer is required.....so what's the difference?

Anyone recommend a simple one?

Anyone have one to sell?

.......................................thanks.............

[tarzan]

Throw line and loggers tape

 

 

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

[Adam Bourne]

There's some great phone Apps out there, for iPhone and android. Suunto do I fantastic one but a little expensive. There is no better feeling than measuring by climbing though!! 50m tape is plenty for 90% of the Uks trees. Obviously time is the only issue doing it that way.

 

 

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[Andrew Gale]

When I survey I use a Haglof Electronic Clinometer and a Leica rang finder; however, I have started to use a loggers tape instead of the range finder, especially on sunny days when it's tricky to see the little red dot (and it is little).

 

When I did the AA tec cert a few years ago, one of the guys used his 1m long steel probe as his stick/eye 'stick' and he passed with flying colours.

 

The Haglof clinometer is good, just a bit pricey.

 

Hope it helps

 

Andrew

[Andrew Gale]

Forgot to say, measure your pacings and get to know what 1m looks and feels like when you're walking; you will resemble John Cleese though......!

[daltontrees]

......so i normally use a stick/eye pace method to estimate tree heights,but for a surveying course a hypsometer,clinometer is required.....so what's the difference?

Anyone recommend a simple one?

Anyone have one to sell?

.......................................thanks.............

 

Using stick/eye and paces is just a simplified version of hypsometry, or strictly speaking it would be called tacheometry.

 

Most clinometers these days not only give you angles in degrees but they also give you percentages. If you look through the clinometer to the top of the tree you can read off a percentage. Do the same to the base of the tree and add this to the top angle. Multiply this by your distance to the centre of the tree. Example, you pace 20 metres away from the tree, stop and turn around. The top of tree measures 100% (the same as 45 degees) and the bottom measures 20% (about 11 degrees). Add the two together 120%. Multiply by your distance of 20 metres, gives you 24m.

 

You can use any distance, it is just easier to do the mental arithmetic if the distance is multiples of 10m.

 

The laser hypsometer uses a laser to measure and record the distance to the tree. trHEN IT RECORDS THE ANGLE TO TEH TOP, THEN TO TEH BOTTOM. pRESS A BUTTON AND IT DOES THE ABOVE CALCULATIONS FOR YOU AND DISPLAYS A HEIGHT. Sounds more precise but it's only as good as the care that goes into using it.

 

The Suunto one piece clinometer is almost indestructible, needs no batteries, needs no maintenance and no button pushing with cold gloved hands. I wouldn't use anything else for standard surveys. About £100 new or £50 second-hand. Height measurement of a 20 metre-ish tree takes about 1 minute, less if you count the paces as you walk away to examine the crown.

[mdvaden]

Using stick/eye and paces is just a simplified version of hypsometry, or strictly speaking it would be called tacheometry.

 

Most clinometers these days not only give you angles in degrees but they also give you percentages. If you look through the clinometer to the top of the tree you can read off a percentage. Do the same to the base of the tree and add this to the top angle. Multiply this by your distance to the centre of the tree. Example, you pace 20 metres away from the tree, stop and turn around. The top of tree measures 100% (the same as 45 degees) and the bottom measures 20% (about 11 degrees). Add the two together 120%. Multiply by your distance of 20 metres, gives you 24m.

 

Are the stick and clinometer methods reliable on sloped terrain?

 

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[peatff]

I stand about 40' away, stand my missus at the bottom of the tree and hold my thumb and forefinger like a gauge to her height then go up the tree with the finger gauge to see roughly how many of her would equal the tree. It would be awkward in a dense wood or forest but it's near enough for my curiosity.

[RobRainford]

To get a rough average I stand where my eye level looks 45 degrees to the top of the tree, taking into account the parabolic effect. Then pace back to the stem and add your eye height to that and there's a rough guess.

[sloth]

I generally stand where I think the tips would just get me if it were felled, then pace/measure to the trunk. Works for me!

 

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