In the United States, the most common measure of lumber volume is the board foot, defined as a piece of wood containing 144 cubic inches. It can most easily be visualized as a board 12 inches square and one inch thick (12″ x 12″ x 1″ = 144 cubic inches). However, any piece of wood containing 144 cubic inches is a board foot (e.g., 3″ x 4″ x 12″; 2″ x 6″ x 12″; etc.). The board-foot content of any board may be determined by multiplying the length by the width by the thickness, all expressed in inches, and dividing by 144 cubic inches.
The board foot is also the most common volume measure for trees and logs to be used for lumber and veneer. The board-foot volume of a tree or log is an expression of the number of board feet of lumber that can be cut from that tree or log. The lumber volume that can be cut from a tree or a log depends on a great many variables, including how the tree is cut into logs, the dimensions of the lumber, how much of the log is lost in sawdust and waste, and the efficiency of the sawmill and workers. Because of these variables, the board-foot volume of a tree or log cannot be measured exactly but is estimated.
Numerous methods (called “rules”) have been developed to estimate board-foot tree volume. Both of these rules provide an estimate of the board-foot content of a tree based on tree-trunk diameter breast high and merchantable tree height (discussed later). The Doyle rule is the most common rule in Ohio. It is used by the timber industry and many professional foresters. The International 1/4-Inch rule is used by state agencies and the U.S. Forest Service.
Measuring Merchantable Height
Merchantable height is the height of the tree (or the length of its trunk) up to which a particular product may be obtained, usually minus a one-foot stump height. Merchantable tree heights for sawlogs and veneer are generally estimated to the height where the trunk diameter tapers to 10 inches, or until heavy branching or defects are encountered. The merchantable height of very valuable trees, such as veneer black walnut, may be measured to the nearest foot or two feet. The merchantable height of most other trees is measured in units of 16-foot logs and 8-foot half-logs. Merchantable height measurements are rounded to the nearest half-log. Thus, a tree with a merchantable height of 42 feet would be measured as having 2½ logs of merchantable height.
Merchantable heights may be measured with a number of special instruments designed specifically for tree-height measurements such as clinometers, altimeters, relascopes, or hypsometers. These instruments are available through forestry equipment supply companies. Merchantable heights can also be measured with a long pole if only a few trees are being measured and they have relatively short merchantable heights. With some practice, merchantable heights in log and half-log units can be estimated quite accurately, particularly for trees with short merchantable heights.
Using the Tables to Estimate Merchantable Tree Volume
Once the diameter at breast height and the merchantable height of a tree have been measured, Table 1 or 2 may be used to estimate its volume in board feet. For example, a 20-inch DBH oak tree with a merchantable height of 2½ logs contains 260 board feet Doyle rule or 350 board feet International 1/4-Inch rule.