Calculating Tree Volume from Stump Diameter

[Spruce Pirate]

Hi all,

 

A bloke along the road from us recently bought a wee house with a few trees round it to use as a holiday let. Its presently un-occupied as its a bit of a do-er up-er. Anyway, last time he was up he discovered, to his horror, that the neighbour had felled his trees along with a parcel of their own.

 

He's trying to determine how much he's lost (most of the value is in the aesthetic) so I said to him to get me some stump measurements. I know I've used stump measurements to estimate volume in the past - but it was 14 years ago when I was a student, and now I can't remember how we did it! I've checked the blue book and nothing in there.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Any help much appreciated, thanks.

[woody paul]

Google street veiw?

[andy_mac]

Hi all,

 

A bloke along the road from us recently bought a wee house with a few trees round it to use as a holiday let. Its presently un-occupied as its a bit of a do-er up-er. Anyway, last time he was up he discovered, to his horror, that the neighbour had felled his trees along with a parcel of their own.

 

He's trying to determine how much he's lost (most of the value is in the aesthetic) so I said to him to get me some stump measurements. I know I've used stump measurements to estimate volume in the past - but it was 14 years ago when I was a student, and now I can't remember how we did it! I've checked the blue book and nothing in there.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Any help much appreciated, thanks.

You can work out the cross sectional area of the stump using pi*radius squared. But you will need an idea of the height of the trees in order to work ou the timber volume. pi x radius squared x height will give an approximate volume. However this calculation is the volume of a cylinder and of course trees are never perfect cylinders.

[muldonach]

You can work out the cross sectional area of the stump using pi*radius squared. But you will need an idea of the height of the trees in order to work ou the timber volume. pi x radius squared x height will give an approximate volume. However this calculation is the volume of a cylinder and of course trees are never perfect cylinders.

 

((pi x r^2)*h)/2

 

or to put it another way half the calculation above

 

cheers

mac

[Spruce Pirate]

Thanks for that, yes, I did know to do Pi*r2, basically the same as volume from basal area. The formula best suited in the blue book is volume of a "Fulstrum of Cone", V = (Pi/3) * (R2 + Rr + r2) * h, where R is radius at stump and r is radius at the top (3.5cm assuming min top dia of 7cm).

 

The big problem is obviously the height, currently the great unknown. Not sure if the best idea would be to do a ring count to calculate age then try to work out what the average yeild class would be for the species (SP), get a rough top height for that and estimate timber height from that by knocking off say 3 -4m?

 

Sounds like a lot of guess work to me.

 

Incidentally, when I did this before it was investigating an illegal felling and the data went to the Procurator Fiscal as part of the case (subsequently dropped), so it must have been a bit more scientific (case wasn't dropped on account of our information). I'm sure there was some sort of formula used, just can't remember what it was, must have had some sort of assumed mean timber height.

 

Any and all further thoughts appreciated.

[muldonach]

 

The big problem is obviously the height, currently the great unknown. Not sure if the best idea would be to do a ring count to calculate age then try to work out what the average yeild class would be for the species (SP), get a rough top height for that and estimate timber height from that by knocking off say 3 -4m?

 

Sounds like a lot of guess work to me.

 

Any and all further thoughts appreciated.

 

You say above that the chap recently bought the place - selling agent should have photos with the particulars - may show the trees against the house?

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Did you find someone to do your surveying Spruce Pirate? I did send you a PM.

[Spruce Pirate]

You say above that the chap recently bought the place - selling agent should have photos with the particulars - may show the trees against the house?

 

That is an extremely good idea. I'll give him a ring tomorrow.

[Spruce Pirate]

Did you find someone to do your surveying Spruce Pirate? I did send you a PM.

 

Sorry, still new to all this forum business and asociated etiquette, yes I did get someone for it. Found your PM, so I'll bear you in mind if there is anything else. Where are you based?