Title: Modeling Missing Remeasurement Tree Heights in Forest Inventory Data

Author: Sheffield, Raymond M.; Schweitzer, Callie J.

Year: 2005

Publication: In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H.; Cieszewski, Chris J., eds. Proceedings of the fourth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-252. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 181-186

Abstract: Missing tree heights are often problematic in compiling forest inventory remeasurement data. Heights for cut and mortality trees are usually not available; calculations of removal or mortality volumes must utilize either a modeled height at the time of tree death or the height assigned to the tree at a previous remeasurement. Less often, tree heights are not available for trees that were determined to be missed tally trees in an initial inventory. In these cases, a height is available for the current measurement, but the initial tree height must be modeled or estimated. In this paper, we present a procedure for predicting either a time 1 or time 2 height. The procedure uses actual tree height information for a tree collected at time 1 or time 2 if available. Incorporating the relationship between actual tree height to predicted height provides for an adjustment to height equations that do not incorporate site quality and stand parameters.