PART II 



FORESTRY TECHNIQUE AND MEASURES TO ACCOMPLISH 

 A RATIONAL POLICY OF FOREST MANAGEMENT 



CHAPTER IV 



THE TREE AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS 

 1. DEFINITION 



There are several definitions of a tree, bub none of them is gener- 

 ally accepted in either scientific or professional circles. According 

 to Harlow,* a tree is a woody plant, at least 20 feet high at maturity, 

 with a single stem or trunk and a definite crown shape. This defini- 

 tion seems to serve the purpose as well as any. In extremely windy 

 locations, at high altitudes, near timber line and in far northern cli- 

 mates, trees seldom reach 20 feet in height. The same kinds of trees, 

 under favorable or optimum conditions, may reach a height of 100 

 to 200 feet or more and up to several feet in diameter. Trees are the 

 highest expression of plant life. The largest trees in the world are 

 found in California, where the big tree, or giant sequoia, reaches an 

 extreme diameter of 3Q l / 2 feet (the General Sherman tree in Sequoia 

 National Park) . The largest pines in the world are also in California, 

 the sugar pine being found recently up to 9'6" d.b.h. and containing 13 

 logs and 33,390 b.f. or much more than most of the merchantable acres 

 of forest in the East contain. 



Descriptive names are applied to trees of various size, height, and 

 diameter. Although there are many varieties, trees may be classified 

 for study and functioning in the practice of forestry according to 

 height and diameter as follows: 



1. Seedlings up to 3 feet in height. 



2. Saplings from 3 feet in height to 4 inches in diameter at 4% 



feet above ground. 



3. Poles from 4 inches to 12 inches in diameter at 4% feet above 



ground. 



* Dr. W. M. Harlow, New York State College of Forestry, Syracuse, New York. 



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