2409.12_10
Page 1 of 3
FSH 2409.12 – TIMBER CRUISING HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 10
– PRINCIPLES OF MEASURING TREES
Supplement No.: R-10 2409.12-2005-2
Effective Date: August 17, 2005
Duration: Effective until superseded or removed
Approved: /s/ Dennis E. Bschor
DENNIS E. BSCHOR
Regional Forester
Date Approved: 08/02/2005
Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by Handbook number and calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document. The last supplement to this Handbook was R-10 Supplement 2409.12-2005-1 to 2409.12_60.
New Document(s): 2409.12_10 3 Pages
Superseded Document(s) by
Issuance Number and
2409.12_10 (2409.12-2004-1, 2/27/2004)
Effective Date
Digest:
14.12m - Corrects bark thickness ratio in Example 2.
Adds a table (14.12m – Exhibit 01) that converts DBH to stump diameter.
2 Pages

R-10 SUPPLEMENT 2409.12-2005-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 08/17/2005
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
FSH 2409.12 – TIMBER CRUISING HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 10 – PRINCIPLES OF MEASURING TREES
2409.12_10
Page 2 of 3
14 – MEASURING THE TREE
14.12m – Trees without Bark
For trees without bark, use the following bark thickness ratios to calculate Diameter at Breast
Height (DBH).
Species Bark Thickness Ratio
Spruce
Hemlock
Western Red Cedar
Alaska Yellow Cedar
DBH = Diameter without bark/bark thickness ratio.
.96
.92
.95
.95
1.
Example 1:
A spruce tree has no bark at DBH (4.5 feet) above root collar and its diameter is 30.6 inches.
Divide 30.6 by .96 and record DBH as 31.9 inches.
2. Example 2:
A dead Alaska yellow cedar tree has no bark at DBH (4.5 feet) above root collar and its diameter is 8.7 inches. Divide 8.7 by .95 and record DBH as 9.2 inches.
See 14.12m – Exhibit 01 for a table that converts DBH to stump diameter.
14.2
– Measuring Tree Heights
Use total tree height when measuring tree heights. Measure from one-foot stump height on the high ground side to the tip of the tree leader. When the tree leader is missing, project the height.
Record total tree heights to the nearest foot.
Tree heights recorded in number of logs are not acceptable.

R-10 SUPPLEMENT 2409.12-2005-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 08/17/2005
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
FSH 2409.12 – TIMBER CRUISING HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 10 – PRINCIPLES OF MEASURING TREES
2409.12_10
Page 3 of 3
14.12m – Exhibit 01
Stump Diameters outside bark at 1.0 feet above root collar given DBH
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
33
34
35
36
37
29
30
31
32
38
39
40
41
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
18
19
20
21
13
14
15
16
17
DBH
9
10
11
12
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
37
38
39
40
41
33
34
35
36
42
43
45
46
25
26
27
28
29
31
32
Sitka Spruce
11
12
13
14
15
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
57
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
65
Stump Diameters (ob) at 1.0 feet above root collar
Hemlock Alaska Yellow Cedar Western Red Cedar
10
11
12
14
11
12
14
15
12
13
14
15
38
39
40
41
42
33
34
35
36
43
44
46
47
25
26
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28
30
31
32
20
22
23
24
15
16
17
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19
48
49
50
51
52
54
55
56
57
58
59
61
62
63
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46
64
65
66
67
67
Dark line indicates extent of collected data
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26
40
41
42
43
44
35
36
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45
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49
27
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33
34
50
51
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