^ C f6rest serv 



4ll 



RESEARCH NOTE NE-298 



1980 



ISgrtheastern Torest 

 Experiment Statioit 



FOREST SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 370 REED ROAD, BROOMALL, PA. 19008 



rn 



00 



USING TERRESTRIAL STEREO PHOTOGRAPHY TO INTERPRET 

 CHANGES IN TREE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS C D 



S -DAVID L. SONDERMAN 



JSC 



Research Forest Products Technologist 

 co Northeastern Forest Experiment Station 



O 

 Q 

 O 



U Delaware, Ohio 



Q 



Abstract. A technique is described for using stereo photography to 

 evaluate tree quality changes over time. Stereo pairs were taken four 

 times over an 18-year period. All four faces of the selected trees were 

 photographed. Individualjjiefect changes are shown for young upland y 

 white oak treesj ^ 



Worley and Dale (1960) described a meth- 

 od to record tree defects in stereo. No analyti- 

 cal methods or techniques were described to 

 quantify defect change over time. This paper 

 incorporates the use of stereo photography 

 for defect orientation and a technique for 

 measuring and analyzing individual quality- 

 related variables as they change over time. 

 Because the changes in tree quality charac- 

 teristics are an integral part of total tree 

 development, the study was designed to 

 stereo photograph and examine limb-related 

 defects four times over an 18-year period. 



In 1960, sixteen 1-acre plots were estab- 



lished on the Daniel Boone National Forest 

 in Kentucky. On each plot five trees were 

 selected and stereo photographed to study 

 growth and quality. The same 80 trees, all 

 white oaks, were stereo photographed in 

 1965, 1972, and 1978. The stereo photos 

 provided a photo data-bank for 18 years 

 of growth and quality change. 



The plots were maintained at stocking 

 levels of 20, 40, 60, and 80 square feet of 

 basal area. Tree diameters ranged from 6.5 

 inches to 14.0 inches in 1960, and 10.0 

 inches to 16.5 inches in 1978. 



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