FORESTRY TRAINING INSTITUTE, OLMOTONYI.

FOREST RESOURCE ASSESSMENT MODULE FOR DIPLOMA COURSE

A GUIDE TO PRACTICAL FOREST RESOURCES INVENTORY IN NATURAL FORESTS

Introduction
Forest inventory is one of the most pivotal activities in the forestry discipline aiming at gathering
information on timber location, quality and quantity as well as the quantification of non timber
forest products
Forest inventories are carried out to provide up-to-date qualitative and quantitative information
on the state, use, management and trends of the forest resources. Each inventory is carried out
for specifically defined purpose and the design depends largely on the objectives, defined data
need, available resources and type and extent of the forest asset among many others.
A forest inventory is a challenging undertaking. Because there is a statistical component, the
mystery to it that threatens gut feelings; because it involves so much fieldwork, it guarantees a
certain amount of physical discomfort and rigorous training. Then there are the hours of data
entry and analysis that require careful organization.
Objectives
The major objectives of the inventory are:
 To enable students in using different equipments in obtaining measurements such as
diameter, height of trees and basal area;
 To enable students in making use of information obtained from the forest stands for
estimation of basal area per hectare, volume per hectare and site class classification.
EQUIPMENTS TO BE USED
 Compass, for transects direction determination
 Hypsometer, for height measurement
 Caliper, for diameter measurements of a tree at dbh
 Distance tape, for radius/ or fixed plot size determination
 Chalks/ or masking tape, for making trees which are in the fixed plot
 Clip board
 Range finder, for horizontal distance determination when measuring tree height
 GPS for coordinate taking
Maps
Topographic and forest reserve boundary maps will be used to identify forest and drawing up of
inventory plans for each forest.
Data collection
Sampling design
Systematic sampling will be employed at an intensity of 7 %, implying that the distance between
plots will be 250 m. In order to have statistically acceptable number of sample plots with a
certain degree of freedom, the allowable error of 5% will be used. Transects will be laid down
on map and followed on ground with the help of GPS to maintain distances and direction.
Plot size, shape and types of data collected
The sample plots will be concentric with tree measurements taken as shown in Table 1. Plot
data that will be recorded included plot number, slope, vegetation type, GPS location and tree
measurements
Table 1. Concentric plot radii (m) and tree diameters measured (cm).
Plot radius (m) Dbh of trees measured (cm)
2 Identification of grasses, herbs and count of all trees <
5.
5 5 to 10
10 10  Dbh  20
15 Dbh > 20

Note: The size of the sample plot will be 0.07 ha at a maximum radius of 15 m.

In addition to Dbh measurements as indicated in Table 1, the following will also be recorded:
 species name (vernacular and botanical),
 number of stems and
 Total height of sample tree (a tree nearest to the plot centre)
 For each plot the following information were provided:
- List of tree species
- List of timber species
- Harvestable timber volume by species
- Statement of general forest condition
Other information
Other information describing the plot were plot number, slope, vegetation type, altitude and
location according to GPS reading.
Table 1. Distribution of sample plots in the Forest Reserve
Stratum Vegetation type Approx. Area (ha) Number of sample
plots
I Miombo woodland
II Open miombo
woodland
III Lowland/Riverine
Total

The data analysis will involve:

 Computation of stand density in terms of number of stems per ha (N), basal area (G-
m2/ha) and volume (V- m3/ha).
Before the computation of various stand parameters, a tree species list will be prepared.
 Height/diameter equations to be used are provided on table 5
Single tree volumes will be calculated using different formulae for the two vegetation types. The
formulae are:

 Miombo and Open miombo woodland:

Vi = 0.0001di2.032 hi0.66 ( Malimbwi et al., (1994)), and

 Lowland:
Vi = 0.5 g hi
Where; Vi = the volume of the ith tree (m3)
di = the diameter at breast height (1.3m) for the ith tree (m)
hi = the total height of the ith tree (m) and
g = the tree basal area (m2)
Volume of harvested trees in a plot will be estimated using the equation developed by
Chamshama et al., (2004):

Vi = 0.000047 x (D) 2.56

Where; Vi = the volume of the ith tree (m3)
D = the stump diameter at 0.3m from the ground

All of the parameters computed were separated into 8 size classes as follows:

Size class Dbh range (cm)

1 5-10
2 11-20
3 21-30
4 31-40
5 41-50
6 51-60
7 61-70
8 >70
 Table 3.List of tree and shrub species found in the miombo woodland vegetation
Local Name Botanical Name Local Name Botanical Name
Msuka-lukope Acacia macrothyrsa Msakulankwale Flueggea virosa
Mtalula/Mugung Acacia polyacantha Muwumbu Lannea schimperi
a
Msungwi Albizia versicolor Mkunguga Lonchocarpus bussei
Mtopetope Annona senegalensis Msongamimbi Ochna macrocalyx
Mtondolo Brachystegia bussei Muwanga Pericopsis angolensis
Mtelela Brachystegi. microphylla Msegese Piliostigma thonningii
Mhani Brachystegi. spiciformis Mninga Pterocarpus angolensis
Myombo Brachystegia boehmii Mhembahemba Rhus longipes
Mkarati Burkea africana Mboza (Ficus sp) Sterculia africana
Mnama-ngombe Combretum Mnyenyenambew Sterospermum kunthianun
a
Mnama mweusi Combretum molle Mnemenambewa Sterospermum kunthianun
Msopolo Cussonia arborea Ditongatonga Strychnos innocua
Mzeza Dalbergia boehmii Mkahawapori Tricalysia ovalifolia
Mhingo Dalbergia melamozylon Mguhu Uapaca kirkiana
Mlengwe Dalbergia nitidula Mfulu Vitex doniana
Mdaha Diospyros fischeri Mhongwe Xeroderris stuhlmannii
Mtogo Diplorhynchus Mnopa Pteleopsis myrtifolia
condylocarpon
Msigi Dobera loranthifolia Mbilinyi Entada abyssinica
Mtowo/Mlwati Dombeya rotundifolia Mlingamo
Mnyamaza Ehretia cymosa Mpondewa
Mfulofulo Euphorbia matabalensis Mhembeti Sterculia quinquelouba
Mhenyi Faurea saligna

Table 4.List of grass and herbs species found in the woodland vegetation
Local name Botanical name
Binzari pori Aframomum angustifolium
Bumu/Upupu makoba Mucuna pruriens
Chulwe
Duha
Gole Roicissus revoillii
Igome
Kibalaziluala Indogofera rhinchocarpa
Kikundichandezi Asparagus africanus
Kimuni/Litupwe Punicum maximum
Kingudumi/Unkulwe Achyranthus aspera
Kiputiputi Rytigynia schumanii
Lumotomoto Sphaeranthus ukambensis
Luvungu Becium obovatum
Mbuna Aspilia mosamisensis
Mkwangwasale
Msunga
Nalu
Ndago Cyperus sp.
Ngelula
Nhoche Oplismenus hirtellus
Nkokwanyenze
Nkolowoga Comelina sp.
Nyaganga
Nyovi Hyparrhenia collina
Nyunywe Elangea sp.
Sanze Hyparrhenia rufa
Silu Pteridium aquillinum
 Table 5: Height/diameter equations to be used
Stratum type Height diameter equation R2 S.E No. of obsns.
.
Open miombo woodland Ln(Ht) = 0.947604 x ln(Dbh) - 0.78 1.2
0.31509
Miombo woodland Ln(Ht) = 0.509076+0.64947 x ln 0.61 1.3
(Dbh)
Riverine & Lowland Ln(Ht) = 0.80998 + 0.58481 x 0.82 1.3
ln(Dbh)
Where: Ln = natural logarithm, Ht = tree height (m) and Dbh = diameter at breast height (cm),
R2 = is the coefficient of determination and S.E. = Standard error of estimate.

Stand parameters
The stand parameters in terms of stocking, basal area and volume per hectare at 5% probability
level based on the plots measured will computed as shown in Table 7.
Table 6: List of regenerating tree species with dbh < 5 (cm) in the miombo woodland part of the Forest
Reserve.
Local name Botanical name No.of Local name Botanical name No.of
Stems Stems ha-1
ha-1
Mzeza Dalbergia boehmii Mkelegembe Dichrostachys
cinerea
Msakulankwale Flueggea virosa Msigi Securidaca
longepedunculata
Mtogo Diplorhynchus Mfulofulo Euphorbiia
condylocarpon matabalensis
Muwumbu Lannea schimperi Nhoche Oplismenus hirtellus
Mhembahemba Rhus longipes Msegese Piliostigma thonningii
Myombo Brachystegia boehmii Mkahawapori Tricalysia ovalifolia
Mtowo/Mlwati Dombeya Mfulu Vitex doniana
rotundifolia
Mtalawanda Markhamia Mbilinyi Entada abyssinica
obtusifolia
Mnama mweusi Combretum molle Mpondewa
? Ipomoea wightii Mtelela Brachystegia
microphylla
Muwanga Pericopsis angolensis Msinzila Bridelia micrantha
Mkarati Burkea africana Mlengwe Dalbergia nitidula
Mnopa Pteleopsis myrtifolia Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus
Msungwi Albizia versicolor Nyovi Hyparhenia collina
Mnyatoma Ozoroa insignis Mkundekunde Indigofera
rhynchocarpa
mkusu Antiaris toxicaria Mkunguga Lonchocarpus bussei
Mnyongapembe Steganotaenia Msongamimbi Ochna macrocalyx
araliacea
Msopolo Cussonia arborea Mtagata Psorospermum
febrifugum
Mkwambekwamb Margaritaria Msulupi/Mkwing Sorindeia
e discoidea wina madagascariensis
Mlingamo Mkufya
Msawata Mlamilila
Mnama-ngombe Combretum Total
adenogonium
Table 7. Potential harvestable timber in the Forest Reserve

Woodland 7 8 Total/ha Area of Total for the whole Net values

the forest forest
Local Botanical name Spp N V N V N V N V N V
name Code
Mtelela Brachystegia 11
microphylla
Total
Lowland
Mkenge- Albizia petersiana 6
nhalala
Total
Open miombo woodland
Mtondolo Brachystegia bussei 9
Mtelela Brachystegia 11
microphylla
Mhani Brachystergia 12
speciformis
Total
Grand
total
Key: v = volume m3/ha, N= number of stems
Note: The number of stems per hectare is given as an integer and thus a number less that
0.5 will appear to be zero.