207-271 Forest Mensuration and Surveying

202-202 Experimental Design and Statistical Methods

On completion of this subject students should:

• possess basic skills in surveying;

• be able to prepare briefs and provide supervision for projects involving complex surveying or engineering; and

• be able to assess a forest and process inventory data successfully, estimate standing volume and yields, and understand how these are affected by site productivity and stand density.

Contents include:

• introduction to basic surveying instruments;

• closed traversing, distribution of errors;

• basic levelling procedure;

• measurement and computation of perimeter and area;

• pegging of simple curves;

• use of GPS systems;

• the use of standard equipment to measure tree and stand parameters such as diameter, basal area, height, volume, bark and crown;

• stem geometry, stem analysis and defects in trees and logs; and

• standard statistical techniques of sampling (random, stratified random, systematic and probability-proportional-to-size) for both resource inventory and experimental research.

One three-hour written examination (50%) and two assignments equivalent to 3000 words (each worth 25%).