COURSE OF STUDY

Spring 2005

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

Lecture - Tuesday & Thursday - 2:00 - 3:15 pm, Room 388 - Scott Hall

Lab - Friday - 1:00 - 3:30 pm, Room 371 - Scott Hall Instructor - Ward Robens;

Tel. (540) 863-2894; e-mail: wrobens@dl.vccs.edu

Office - Room 354, Scott Hall

Office hours - for course assistance and advisement -

•     Tuesday         8:00 - 11:00 AM
•     Wednesday    8:00 - 12:00 AM
•     Thursday        8:00 - 11:00 AM

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION

Teaches introductory principles of forest measurements including land measurements and forest product measurements. The course includes the basic elements of property boundary location, forest mapping, survey methods, road location, techniques of tree, saw log and pulpwood scaling and forest stand measurements. Prerequisites are FOR 105, MTH 115. Lecture 3 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 6 hours per week. Four (4) credit hours are granted by DSLCC upon satisfactory completion of this course.

FOR 201 combines the fundamentals of locating, describing & measuring forest land ownership, with the fundamental measures of wood products associated with forest land. Forest measuring tools introduced in previous courses will be utilized to measure land area, tree volume & defect, log & pulpwood volume, stand density, site quality & growth.

III. INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS AND OUTCOMES

Upon completion the student will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Read & understand legal descriptions of lands (rectangular survey, metes & bounds).

2. Recognize evidence of property lines and corners and locate property lines once corners are found.

3. Pace horizontal distance in the field with an accuracy of +/- 1 foot per chain.

4. Measure land distances using topographic tape (chain) to an accuracy of 1 link per 5 chains.

5. Accurately & completely record field notes, including sketch, for open and closed traverses.

6. Determine property ownership and location by searching deeds in courthouse records.

7. Locate the centerline for a low standard forest road.

8. Accurately use the following tools: Clinometer, Abney level, Diameter tape, Log scale stick, Biltmore Stick, Relaskop, Increment borer, hand and staff compasses, field data recorder, GPS receiver.

9. Measure, calculate, & estimate the volume of individual trees by cord, cubic foot, board foot volume measure.

10. Measure, calculate and estimate the volume of logs and bolts by cord, cubic ft., and board foot measure.

11. Use conversion factors common to forestry, such as feet to chains, chains to miles, cubic feet to cords, cords to board feet and others.

12. Measure stand stocking and density in terms of basal area and trees per acre.

13. Measure site index as an indicator of site quality and productivity.

14. Determine age and estimate growth percentage of standing trees.

IV. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Lecture, discussion, audio-visual materials, field observation and laboratory applications will be used during this course.

V. TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES

Required texts:

Wilson, R. L., 1989, Elementary Forest Surveying & Mapping, O.S.U. Bookstores, Inc.

Martin, Charles E. and James M. Savage, 1994, Forest Mensuraton for the Forest Technician, 3rd. SUNY.

Required Supplies:

 Safety toe boots, approved safety hard hat, Hand compass, d-tape, Covington Quadrangle Map,

 Field notebook, Pocket calculator - scientific with statistical functions.

Optional text:  Avery, T. E. and H. E. Burkhart, 1994, Forest Measurements, 4th Ed. McGraw-Hill

Optional Supplies: clipboard, rain gear, protractor, scale ruler, work gloves

VI. ATTENDANCE AND GRADING POLICY

Grades will be determined as follows:

Each student is expected to attend each class and lab scheduled for this course. For DSLCC attendance policy, see the Academic Catalog. Class attendance will be kept and recorded as a quiz grade in increments of 5%, i.e.: 0 absences = 100%; 1 absence = 95%; 2 absences = 90%, etc. The attendance quiz grade will be averaged along with the other grades for quizzes and class assignments.

Prompt arrival at each lab is necessary since most labs will require leaving campus. Attendance at labs is considered essential to this course and is therefore expected. Missed labs (and the graded exercises completed during the labs), CANNOT NOR WILL NOT be made up. Percentage of lab attendance will be equivalent to a lab assignment.

All work assignments will have A DUE DATE. Lab assignments will be DUE PRIOR TO the following lab meeting. Grades for an assignment will be lowered one (1) letter grade for each 24-hour period it is submitted past the DUE DATE up to one (1) week. After one week a "0" will be assigned.

NO MAKE-UP TESTS/EXAMS will be administered without prior notice to the instructor of a students' inability to attend the scheduled test/exam. Missed quizzes CANNOT be made-up.

Safety: Many of the lab activities involve a certain amount of risk, such as strenuous walking through thick vegetation, use of hand- and power-tools, working outdoors during inclement weather, and off-campus travel in college vans. Be aware that the instructor cannot control all forms of risk. The student is expected to be prepared for all outdoor laboratory exercises. In the event that the student is not prepared or is physically unable to attend the lab or to participate in the exercise, the student will be asked to remain on campus.

Withdrawal: A student can withdraw from the course without academic penalty within the first eight (8) weeks of the semester. Otherwise, the student will receive a grade of "F". Merely not attending class DOES NOT constitute withdrawal from the course. Refer to the DSLCC catalog for complete procedures for withdrawal.

Enrollment: VCCS policy prohibits enrolling in a failed or non-completed course more than twice unless mitigating circumstances exist.

Fire Policy: In case the building needs to be evacuated during the class period, exit Room 388, turn left and proceed down the hall through the side door into the lawn.

Spring Academic Calendar:

Classes begin: January 10, 2005

Last Day to Add/Drop or receive refund: January 24, 2005

Semester Break (No classes): March 7 through 11, 2005

Last Day to Withdraw without Academic Penalty: March 21, 2005

Last Day of classes: April 29, 2005

Final Exams (reading days, snow make-up): May 3 through May 11, 2005

Graduation: May 13, 2005

Conduct and Behavior Policy:

Inappropriate conduct and/or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in the classroom or during lab period. As a student in this college course you are a representative of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and the instructor expects that your conduct will reflect that. Failure to conduct yourself in a mature, responsible manner may result in a grade penalty and/or expulsion from the course.

The following rules are effective each time this course meets for class and lab and during the transportation between the DSLCC campus and the outdoor field sites.

1. You will treat fellow students and staff members courteously, respecting the personal rights of others.

2. You will respect the personal property rights of others. This includes appropriate care of facilities and materials belonging to DSLCC.

3. Possession and/or use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs is prohibited.

4. Walkmans, radios, video games, beepers, cell phones, etc. are not allowed during labs or lectures. If emergency conditions exist, the instructor can make exceptions for communications needs when requested.

5. The instructor recognizes the importance of social interaction between and among groups of students, but this interaction is not to interfere with class (lecture or lab) activities. Please be polite and considerate of others who desire to listen and take notes.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE - 2005

Week 1 Lab 1 TAKING PROPER FIELD NOTES

Course Outline; Measurements, notes and errors

Property ownership

Week 2 Lab 2 OPEN TRAVERSE (Covington quadrangle)

Land measurements, units and conversions

Horizontal/vertical measurements & angles

Traversing; Angle and area calculation

Calculation of area, error and accuracy

Other methods of area estimation

Area measurement tools

Leveling

Deeds

Week 6 Lab 6 TITLE SEARCH (Alleghany County Court House - Covington)

Deeds, title searches

Review

Week 7 Lab 7 Forest Road Location (LowMoor)

Test 1 (10%)

Wood product units of measure

Week 8 Lab 8 Forest Road Location  (LowMoor)

Scaling cordwood & logs

Introduction to log rules

Spring Break - No Classes

Week 9 Lab 9 LOG SCALING - VOLUME ESTIMATION (Bennett sawmill)

Log quality, scaling defect

Log grades, cubic volume

Week 10 Lab 10 LOG SCALING WITH DEFECT (DSLCC Sawmill)

Measuring standing trees

Measuring standing trees, form class

Week 11 Lab 11 TREE MEASUREMENTS (Reservoir)

Tree defect & tree grades

Determining timber volumes

Week 12 Lab 12 ESTIMATING TREE GRADE (Reservoir)

Test 2 (10%)

Stand and stock tables

Week 13 Lab 13 DETERMINING TREE VOLUME (tba)

Stocking and Mill Tally exercise

Stocking, density, basal area

Week 14 Lab 14 STOCKING, STAND DENSITY, BASAL AREA (Tree Farm, DSLCC)

Concept of site

Tree growth and forest stand growth

Week 15 Lab 15 FIELD EXAM (10%) (DSLCC)

Stand growth & volume projections

Growth and yield

FINAL EXAM (20%)