Chapter 8 - Forest measurements and forestry related data

Abstract

Natural resource professionals must have current, reliable information to make informed and competent decisions regarding the management of forests. Many decisions regarding the tending and management of forests require quantitative assessments of forests and natural resources. Foresters and natural resource managers must make daily, weekly, and monthly decisions regarding land management and the allocation of personnel, budgets, technology, and equipment. Along these lines, foresters and natural resource managers make decisions regarding when and where to implement silvicultural activities, which may have long-term implications for a stand, forest, or landscape. As a result, each decision should be made in pursuit of the objectives of the landowner or the land management organization in which an individual is employed. Economic, ecological, and social assessments of forest value are a component of each decision and can be made qualitatively and subjectively; however, these assessments typically require quantitative measures of a forest's condition. Measures can include characteristics of trees, soils, water, air, and other resources necessary to satisfactorily analyze a situation, any of which may be influential in the development of a plan.