Using homemade stainless steel dendrometer band for long term tree growth measurements

Botanical Studies

Original Article

Oleg V. Menyailo¹  Chiou-Pin Chen²  Pei-Chen Lee³  Hong-Rue Lee³  Chih-Hsin Cheng³ 

[1] Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Soil and Water Management & Crop Nutrition Laboratory, 2444, Seibersdorf, Austria;NTU Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, 106, Taipei, Taiwan;School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, 106, Taipei, Taiwan;

关键词: Diameter tape;    Diameter increment;    Tree growth;    Diameter at breast height (DBH);    Basal area;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40529-023-00395-8

 received in 2023-03-27, accepted in 2023-07-11,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Dendrometer bands have been proposed as an accurate method for measuring tree growth. However, the constrained observation window and the material used in them hamper long-term tree growth monitoring. This study devised a dendrometer band made from stainless steel and primarily extended the extension length of the band spring to yield ample space to monitor diameter increments long-term. A total of more than 500 individual trees, including both coniferous and broadleaf trees, were examined. We compared the dendrometer band’s long-term performance with diameter tape for 5- and 10-year measurements. The results showed that the measurements of the two methods were highly correlated (R > 0.89) in both measuring periods. Differences between the two measurements for individual trees were typically less than 5 mm, and the mean differences at a stand level were less than 2 mm. These consistent observations suggested that the dendrometer band measurements were reliable for long-term measurement. Using the dendrometer bands, we further demonstrated the annual tree growths of diameter at breast height (DBH) and basal area (BA) for ten years of measurements. The size-dependent relationships between DBH/BA growth and initial DBH were also presented. Owing to their simple installation, low cost, and reliable measurement, these dendrometer bands would be helpful in forestry and forest ecology research.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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