Biltmore stick
Encyclopedia
The Biltmore stick is a tool used to measure various tree dimensions, such as diameter at breast height
and height. It looks much like an everyday yardstick. A Biltmore stick is considered to be only marginally accurate. Some foresters use the tool regularly, however, many prefer to use more accurate tools such as a diameter tape
to measure diameter at breast height
(DBH) and a clinometer
to measure height
. On the other end of the spectrum, some foresters consider the use of a Biltmore stick to be no more accurate then their own visual estimates (based on experience estimating the height and DBH of trees), and make it practice for their surveys to be largely completed in this manner.
is 4.5 feet (1.4 m) up the bole
of the tree. The left side of the stick is flush with the left side of the tree. The number where the right side of the tree lines up with the stick is the approximate DBH of the tree.
Tree height is measured to a merchantable top. A merchantable top is considered to be the point to which a tree can be accepted for use by a sawmill
, and this point can be reached either by defects (extreme sweep, crook, deviating branching, or other defects) or at a diameter limit for very straight trees (a common cut off is 4 inches (10.2 cm) diameter, which is acceptable for pulpwood
).
, future first chief of the US forest service, and then Carl A. Schenck
were hired in the late 1800s to restore 125000 acres (505.9 km²) of land around the Biltmore estate to a healthy forest. Schenck was the developer of the Biltmore stick.
Ever since this time, the Biltmore stick has been used by foresters to quickly cruise timber.
Diameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements....
and height. It looks much like an everyday yardstick. A Biltmore stick is considered to be only marginally accurate. Some foresters use the tool regularly, however, many prefer to use more accurate tools such as a diameter tape
Diameter Tape
A Diameter tape is a form of dendrometer that consists of a cloth or metal tape that is mainly used to measure diameter at breast height . DBH is measured at a fixed height of 4.5 feet above the ground, where it is most convenient to measure diameter. DBH is measured up high so to avoid measuring...
to measure diameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements....
(DBH) and a clinometer
Clinometer (forestry)
The clinometer, known in many fields as an inclinometer, is a common tool used in forestry to measure slope, vertical angles, and – in combination with distance measurements – elevation change or tree heights.-How it works:...
to measure height
Height
Height is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"...
. On the other end of the spectrum, some foresters consider the use of a Biltmore stick to be no more accurate then their own visual estimates (based on experience estimating the height and DBH of trees), and make it practice for their surveys to be largely completed in this manner.
Principles of Operation
The biltmore stick uses the principle of similar triangles. Similar triangles involve using identical angles but different side lengths.Diameter at breast height
DBH is measured by holding the stick a fixed distance, usually 25 inches (63.5 cm), from the eye, and at breast height, which in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is 4.5 feet (1.4 m) up the bole
Bole
-Geographical locations:* Bole District, Ghana* Bole, Ghana, town* Bole, Nottinghamshire, England* Bole International Airport * Bole, Xinjiang, China-Other:* Bole2Harlem, an Ethiopian hip hop fusion band* Bole , a unit of momentum...
of the tree. The left side of the stick is flush with the left side of the tree. The number where the right side of the tree lines up with the stick is the approximate DBH of the tree.
Height
To measure height, the user of the Biltmore stick stands a fixed distance from the tree, usually 66 feet (20.1 m) in the United States. The stick is held upright, with the back edge of the stick facing the user. The back edge of the stick will be marked with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 log markings, indicating the number of 16-foot logs in a tree. The bottom of the stick should line up with the bottom of the tree's trunk. The height of the tree is how high the tree goes up on the stick to a merchantable top.Tree height is measured to a merchantable top. A merchantable top is considered to be the point to which a tree can be accepted for use by a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, and this point can be reached either by defects (extreme sweep, crook, deviating branching, or other defects) or at a diameter limit for very straight trees (a common cut off is 4 inches (10.2 cm) diameter, which is acceptable for pulpwood
Pulpwood
Pulpwood refers to timber with the principal use of making wood pulp for paper production.-Applications:* Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance...
).
History
The Biltmore stick is so named because it was developed at the Biltmore estate, one of the first places in the US where forestry was applied as a science. Gifford PinchotGifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...
, future first chief of the US forest service, and then Carl A. Schenck
Carl A. Schenck
Carl Alwyn Schenck was a pioneering forestry educator in North America, known for his contributions as the forester for George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate, and the founder of the Biltmore Forest School in 1898, near Asheville, NC....
were hired in the late 1800s to restore 125000 acres (505.9 km²) of land around the Biltmore estate to a healthy forest. Schenck was the developer of the Biltmore stick.
Ever since this time, the Biltmore stick has been used by foresters to quickly cruise timber.