/ SFR 101
Stand, Soils, Habitat Inventory
Prepared by W.H. Livingston
August 2014 /

Stand classification provides an initial description of the forest, but additional information on tree regeneration, stand development, soils,wildlife habitat, and forest measurements is essential for understanding how the forest functions and will respond to future environmental factors, including harvesting.

Much of this exercise is based on the “Yankee Woodlot” Forestry Camp developed by Les Hyde, Jim Philp, and Catherine Elliot of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. Additional information on this activity can be found in “Focus Species Forestry” by Robert R. Bryan (2005. Focus Species Forestry, 2nd edition. Maine Audubon. 92 p.)

Tree Regeneration

Tree regeneration is generally less than 4.5 ft tall but greater than 12 inches. Trees less than 12 inches tall are not counted because survival in this group can be low. Tree species are classified into four groups based on their tolerance to regenerate from seed under shade:

Shade Tolerant: Can regenerate in full shade

Intermediate: Can regenerate in partial shade; some full sun is needed

Intolerant: Must regenerate in nearly full or full sunlight.

Stand Development

Table 2 from “Focus Species Forestry” describes the different stages of forest development after a disturbance has killed the majority of a forest canopy such that most trees are less than 1 inch dbh. The categories are early successional, intermediate stage, mature, late-successional, and old growth. Key indicators of successional stage are tree species present, size of trees, canopy closure, and amount of dead wood. Stand Development stage will determine which tree species will regenerate and what wildlife can live in the area.

Early-Successional: Lacks canopy of trees > 5 in dbh, 0-30 years since disturbance, regeneration phase. If due to fire, site dominated by species intolerant of shade. Otherwise, tree species having intermediate to good tolerance of shade can dominate.

Intermediate: Most canopy trees >5 in dbh, 30-70 years since disturbance, dense stands with no understory.

Mature: Pine and hardwoods >12 in dbh, 70-100 years since disturbance, understory initiated of trees having intermediate tolerance of shade in canopy gaps to tolerant of shade under the canopy.

Late-Successional: Pine and hardwoods > 16-20 in dbh, large deadwood accumulating, 100-125 yr since disturbance, one or more age classes in understory dominated by species tolerant of shade.

Old-growth: Generally over 150 years old.

Soils

Soils, climate, and disturbance determine which tree species can naturally regenerate on a site. Therefore, describing soil characteristics is necessary to understand how forests function. See the assigned reading for soils. Key soil characteristics include:

Soil Drainage

  • Well drained = Mineral soil typically with a red hue, roots found throughout the profile
  • Excessively drained = mostly sand, deep, no incorporation of organic matter
  • Wet or poorly drained = Mineral soil typically gray, roots limited to surface layer

Organic Pad Depth

  • This is the layer where all the dead plant material is decomposing and has not mixed in with the mineral layers.

Texture

  • Sand: When moist soil is squeezed between your fingers, the particles do not stick together. Most soil particles are visible
  • Silt: When moist soil is squeezed between your fingers, the particles stick together such that a column of soil extends beyond your fingers at least ½ inch. You can feel the grittiness of soil particles but can’t see most of them
  • Clay: Wet soil sticks easily together when squeezed. There is no grittiness.

Soil Profile

  • Soil properties are continually affected by climate (temperature and precipitation) and biological activity (fungi, bacteria, insects, etc.).
  • These interactions will develop recognizable horizons in the soil as seen on the data sheet and reading.

Rooting Depth

  • The amount of area occupied by roots largely influences how much water and nutrients are available for tree growth.
  • Rooting depth can be limited by bedrock and water.
  • Soils deeper than 20 inches will not generally limit tree growth.
  • Rooting depths less than 10 inches can significantly reduce tree growth.

Wildlife Habitat

Animals need food and shelter which are largely determined by the species, size, and condition of the trees present. The Focus Species are selected to represent a range of habitats that will involve a wide range of wildlife. The habitats of Focus Species for the Oak-Pine Forest are:

Early Successional

  • Ruffed grouse: 3 age classes of hardwood/mixed-wood forests – 1-15 yr old stands that provide cover and food for brood rearing; dense 6-25 yr old stands for nesting and fall feeding, and older stands (>25 yr) for winter feeding and roosting.
  • Chestnut-sided warbler: Dense early successional hardwoods up to 10 ft tall with less than 35% overstory canopy closure. Prefers forest patches in excess of 250 acres.
  • Eastern towhee: Prefers dry, early successional or regenerating forests with a dense, brushy understory

Mature Forest

  • Fisher: Needs dens in hollow trees, logs, or under boulders. Prey needs understory cover.
  • Pileated woodpecker: Large (>20 in) cavity trees for nesting; dead or decaying deciduous trees or conifers for feeding.
  • Barred owl: Extensive mature deciduous or mixed forest with large (>20 in) cavity trees; forest openings for hunting.
  • Wood thrush: Cool, moist, mature closed-canopy deciduous and mixed forests with well developed shrub-sapling layer. Found at greatest densities in forest patches greater than 200 acres with a sharp decline in abundance in patches less than 100 acres in size.
  • Pine warbler: Stands with relatively mature to mature white pine or pitch pine.
  • Redback salamander: Forests with well developed leaf litter layer and woody debris – branches, logs, or brush piles.

Environmental Factors

The physical features of the forest environment has a large influence on factors affecting tree growth, such as water flow, sunlight, and heat. The following measures will be taken:

  • Topography: This indicates where on a land profile the forest stand is sited:
  • Ridge top - The land slopes downward from the point, never upward.
  • Mid-slope - The land slopes up and down from the point
  • Bottomland - The land has no slope or only slopes upward from the point
  • River/Lake bank - The point lies on near a body of water
  • Slope: Approximate tilt of the land: Flat - rolling - Hilly - Very Steep
  • Aspect: When you look down-slope, indicate which direction you are facing:
    Flat - N - E - S - W

Forest Inventory

Complete an inventory of the above characteristics for the Ducktrap woodlot using the attached sheets. You will be assigned a starting point along a boundary. Locate the starting point on a stand type map for the woodlot. Sketch in a transect on a bearing of 90° from the boundary of the woodlot. Locate the midpoints in two stand types along the transect and measure the distance to the midpoints. If you only have one stand type along the transect, locate two sample points at 1/3 and 2/3 of the distance along the transect. These will be the locations of your inventory plots.

  • Have an instructor initial your data sheet indicating that your species identifications and measurements are correct.
  • You can move your plot center if it falls within a dense stand of samplings – move to an area just beyond the thicket.

Use 1/20th acre plots = 26.33 ft radius.

Stand types are the same as used before:

  • Kinds of trees present:
  • H Hardwoods (>75% of trees are hardwood species)
  • S Softwoods (>75% of trees are softwood speicies)
  • M Mixed
  • The size (height/diameter) of tallest trees:
  • 0 Regeneration only (all trees <4.5 ft tall)
  • 1 Saplings (1-4” dbh)
  • 2 Poles (4-10”)
  • 3 Sawtimber (>10”)
  • The spacing of the trees:
  • A Dense (Branches intermingle for canopy trees; >60% of the sky is blocked)
  • B Medium (40-60% of the sky is blocked)
  • C Wide (Most branches of different canopy trees do not touch; <40% of the sky is blocked)

Forest Measurements

Fixed-radius plot

At a sample point:

  • Establish plot center with a ground stake or a staff.
  • Measure the plot radius (26.33 ft) starting at due North.
  • Going clockwise, measure all trees > 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
  • Species
  • Diameter, height, live crown %
  • Borderline trees: If the center of the tree’s base is in your plot, measure it.
  • Reset the tape measure as needed to make sure you are sampling all trees that are large enough and are within the sample radius

Measuring Tree Diameter

  • Stem diameter of trees is taken at 4.5 ft above the ground, “diameter at breast height” or DBH.
  • Use the calipers to measure the tree to the nearest 0.1 cm. Convert the cm measure to inches (# cm/2.54= # inches).

Measure Tree Height

  • Measure the horizontal distance from the tree to the height measurement point.
  • Record the angle from to the base of the tree (depression angle).
  • Record the angle to the top of the tree (elevation angle).
  • If using a clinometer, multiply the sum value by the distance from the tree to the measurement point


Names: ______

Date: ______Transect distance from NW boundary: ______Crew # ___Plot #: ___

Environmental Factors

Topography (circle one): Ridge top - Mid-slope - Bottomland - River/Lake bank

Slope: Flat - rolling - Hilly - Very Steep Aspect: Flat - N - E - S - W

Vegetation – Complete each applicable category

Forest Stand Type: ______

Stand Development Stage: ______

Dominant Trees in Canopy: ______

Dominant Trees in Subcanopy: ______

Dominant Trees in Regeneration: ______

SoilsSoil Quality Score

Soil Drainage: Well drained = 1, Poorly drained = 3, Excessively drained = 2______

Organic Pad Depth: 4” or less = 1, Greater than 4” = 2______

Texture: Silt = 1, Sand = 2, Clay = 3______

Profile Appearance: (See illustrations) I = 1, II = 2, III = 3______

Rooting Depth: 20” or greater = 1, 10”-19” = 2, Less than 10”=3______

TOTAL (add numbers together)______

Wildlife Habitat – Indicate which Focus Species can find suitable habitat on this site.

Focus Species ______

Key Habitat Features: ______

______

______

Focus Species ______

Key Habitat Features: ______

______

______

Focus Species ______

Key Habitat Features: ______

______

______

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/ SFR 101
Stand, Soils, Habitat Inventory
Prepared by W.H. Livingston
August 2014 /

Names: ______

Date: ______Transect start distance along boundary: ______Crew # ___Plot #: ___ Plot Radius=26.33ft (1/20 acre)

Tree Number / Spp. / Diameter in tenths of inches
(#cm/2.54) / Basal Area=
(Dia/24)2
*3.1415 / Distance to the tree in feet (for ht meas.) / Bottom of tree reading (note if
– or + º) (in %) / Top of tree reading (in %) / Total Height=
(Top reading – bottom reading)
X Distance
/100 / Reading to
Bottom of
uncompacted
crown (in %) / Length of
Living Crown =
(Top reading -
Crown reading)
X Distance/100 / % Live Crown =
(Length of
Live Crown
/Total Height)
*100
Total *20 ______/ Average
______/ Sum*20
______/ Average
______/ Average
______

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/ SFR 101
Stand, Soils, Habitat Inventory
Prepared by W.H. Livingston
August 2014 /

Name: ______Based on your observations, classify the following species as tolerant, intermediate, or intolerant of regenerating in the shade:

White pine is ______because ______
______
______
______

Red oak is ______because ______
______
______
______

Red maple is ______because ______
______
______
______

Red spruce is ______because ______
______
______
______

Balsam fir is ______because ______
______
______
______

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