Taper Functions and their Application in Forest Inventory

Total inventories and methods of volume summary which facilitate compilation of tree and log volumes to any desired standard of utilization are needed. It should be possible to find volume per tree to any specified standard of utilization expressed as stump height, top dib, and/or section height. Furthermore, the technique should be able to provide the fraction of volume per tree located in logs of any specified length and dib and by any system of scaling, be it board feet, cubic feet, or weight. The system also should be usable to describe the influence of biological factors on bole shape and taper, and to estimate component weights in biomass and other studies. The functions developed in this paper and based upon dbh, total height, and section height as a fraction of total height can meet most of these requirements.