The Estimation of the Branchwood Component of Broadleaved Woodlands

Abstract

Branchwood, if it can be sold for fuel, can provide significant increases in revenues from felling broadleaved trees. A study was carried out to investigate ways of estimating crownwood volumes from easily measured tree parameters. The total (stemwood and crownwood) volumes of recently felled beech, oak and ash were measured over a diameter range of 20 to 70 cm at breast height. It was found that total volume could be predicted very accurately from diameter at breast height alone. Total height added little extra precision. The division of total volume between stem and crownwood depended on the timber height. Crownwood volume could thus best be estimated by subtraction of timber volume from total volume. Total and crownwood volume tables are presented for the three species over a range of diameters and timber heights.