Measuring Forest Carbon Stock by Samantha Citroen, Carbon Inventory Adviser REDD+ Community Carbon Pools Programme. Some Rights Reserved.

1. Measuring Forest Carbon Stocks
for REDD+
Samantha Citroen
Forest Carbon Specialist
Fauna and Flora International
February 2013
Community carbon pool programme – Vietnam Component

2. WHY DO WE MEASURE
CARBON IN THE FOREST?

3. Carbon is a microscopic molecule
Trees absorb a carbon gas through leaves
Half the weight of biomass is carbon

4. When REDD+ activities are implemented,
carbon stored in the forest can have a market value
Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide-equivalent
tCO2-e
Carbon in the forest can be measured as the volume and
weight of carbon inside trees and other vegetation

5. When we know the amount of
carbon stored in the forest
we can use this information to
make carbon credits when we
implement REDD+ activities
CARBON
CREDIT

6. FOREST CARBON POOLS

7. Where is
Carbon in trees
carbon
stored in
forests?
Carbon in vines
Carbon in understory
vegetation
Carbon in soil
Carbon in wood
on the ground

8. Major carbon pools
Trees Fallen dead wood Non-tree vegetation
These carbon pools are where most of the carbon is
stored in a typical tropical forest
We need to measure these carbon pools to estimate the
tonnes of carbon in the forest

9. MEASURING FOREST
CARBON PLOTS

10. 3. Measure
trees 4. Measure fallen dead
wood
2. Observe the plot
5. Destructive non-tree
vegetation sample
1. Make the
plot

11. 1. Make the plot
1. MAKE THE PLOT

12. Locate the plot point
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

13. Mark the plot point
Make flagging tape Put a metal pole
marker marker in the ground

14. Make the plot
25m
25m 25m
Plot point
25m

15. 25m
25m 25m
25m

16. 

17. Relocate the plot
It is possible that sometime when the field team arrives at the plot
location, it may not be suitable to make a plot.
The plot will need to be moved to another location.

18. To relocate a plot: move 100m West from the original plot point
100m

19. The only situations when the team leader should
relocate a plot are:
1. The sub-plot center plot is in an area of
mixed slope
2. The plot is not in a forest area

20. Do not relocate a plot if:
There is some logging The plot is in bamboo
activity in the plot area forest area
 Make the plot in the normal method
 Record observations on the tallysheet

21. QUIZ!

22. The only situations when the team leader
should relocate a plot are:

23. To relocate a plot: move …?..m West from
the original plot point
100m

24. Make the plot
25m
25m 25m
……m?
Plot point
25m

25. 2. Observe the plot
1. Make the plot
2. OBSERVE THE PLOT

26. Plot information
Record on the tally sheet
GPS coordinates
Elevation
Time, date, team

27. Remember!
Wait for 2 minutes before
recording the GPS
coordinates.

28. Take photos from centre plot point
Record other observations and take photos

29. Observe canopy cover
1 2 3
0 – 25%
25 – 50%
50 – 75%
> 75%
Densitometer picture sourced from
mhttp://www.forestrytools.com.au/index.php?id=190

30. 3. Measure trees
2. Observe the plot
1. Make the plot
3. MEASURE TREES

31. 1. Mark the boundary
2. Measure Slope
3. Measure the diameter

32. Mark the trees closest to the
boundary of the circle plot
14m
Hagloff pictures sourced from: http://www.haglofcg.com/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=85

33. Note: If more than 50% of the tree is
inside the plot, the tree is ‘in’.

34. Note: If more than 50% of the tree is
inside the plot, the tree is ‘in’.
Inside
2 Outside
Inside
Outside
1

35. Measure the slope of the sub-plot
B
B
A

36. Measure tree diameter
Measure all trees more than 5cm DBH

37. Measuring DBH
The correct height for
measurement is 1.3m
from the base of the
tree.
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

38. The diameter tape needs to be
perpendicular to the tree stem

39. Tree on sloping ground
Always measure
DBH from the upper
side of the slope
Source: Walker et al 2012.

40. Tree on slope
1.3 m
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

41. Tree with forks or more
than one stem
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

42. Note: If the fork starts near
1.3m DBH measure the
diameter below the fork
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

43. Tree with buttress
not taller than 1.3m
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

44. Tree with buttress
taller than 1.3m
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

45. Sometimes it is necessary to climb
trees with buttresses
http://daac.ornl.gov/LBA/guides/CD10_DBH_Tapajos.html

46. If the buttress is too high to climb, measure the
diameter use the two stick method

47. How do we measure unusual trees?

48. If there is a deformity at 1.3m,
measure 0.3m above the deformity
0.3m
1.3m
1.3m

49. Tree with vines
When a tree has vines, thread
the diameter tape under the
vines to measure the tree at
DBH

50. 1.3m
Measure regenerating tree stump
at 1.3m from the base of top of
the stump

51. Some unusual trees are
difficult to measure
diameter. Make a note
and record of these trees
on the tallysheet

52. Standing dead trees
Type 1: dead standing tree
There are two type of dead
that looks like a living tree
trees
Type 2: Dead tree without twigs
http://www.photoeverywhere.co.uk

53. Type 1: Dead standing tree
that looks like living tree
Measure DBH same
as the procedure for
measuring a living
tree
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

54. Class 2: Dead tree without
twigs
1. Measure the diameter at the base of the tree
2. Measure DBH at 1.3m
3. Measure the bole height
http://www.photoeverywhere.co.uk
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

55. Type 2: Dead tree without twigs
3. Measure the
height to the top of
the tree bole
2. Measure
DBH at breast
height using a
diameter tape
1. Measure diameter at the base
of the tree using a diameter tape
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock
International.

56. There are two ways to
measure the dead tree
height
o le
p of the b
to
gle to the
T he An
Horizontal distance (m)
Ang
le t
o th
eb
otto
mo
f th
e tr
ee
Leica Disto Clinometer

57. QUIZ!

58. Where to measure the diameter?
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

59. Where to measure the diameter?
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

60. ?
?
0.3m ?
1.3m
Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

61. Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

62. Figure sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.

63. Which type of dead standing tree?
http://www.photoeverywhere.co.uk
Type 1: dead standing tree Type 2: Dead tree without twigs
that looks like a living tree

64. Figures sourced from : Walker et al 2012. Winrock
International.

65. 3. Measure trees
4. Measure fallen
dead wood
2. Observe the plot
1. Make the plot
4. MEASURE DEAD FALLEN WOOD

66. 1. Measure the diameter of the
dead fallen wood
2. Test the density of the dead
fallen wood

67. Measure dead fallen wood
50m
Measure every piece of dead
wood that intersects with the
50 m
two 50m transect lines
3
2
1
2
25m
50m
C
A
1
5
9
D
Source: Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.
25m
1
Note: If the same log is on both
transects, measure only once
8
6
7
B
on the first transect only

68. Measure dead fallen wood
50%
50%
Only measure the dead wood if more than 50% is above the ground

69. Measure dead wood
diameter
Only measure the dead wood
if the diameter is more than
10cm
> 10cm
If the dead wood is
hollow, measure the
diameter of the hollow

70. Test dead wood density
Machete test
Hard density
Medium density
Soft density

71. Measure dead wood
~4cm
Take one sample from each
~4cm density class in the plot
Take a dead wood sample
~4cm approximately 4cm-cube
soft medium hard

72. QUIZ!

73. Measure dead fallen wood
50%
50%
Only measure the dead wood if more than ….? is above the ground

74. 50m
What to do if the same log is on
both transects?
50 m
3
2
1
25m
50m
C
A
1
5
9
D Note: If the same log is on both
25m
transects, measure only once
on the first transect only
8
6
7
B

75. Test dead wood density
Machete test
Hard density
Soft density
Medium density

76. 3. Measure trees
4. Measure fallen
dead wood
2. Observe the plot
5. Destructive non-tree
vegetation sample
1. Make the plot
5. DESTRUCTIVE NON-TREE
VEGETATION SAMPLE

77. Non-tree woody vegetation sample
Make a 2 x 2m square plot
2m
2m
Source: Walker et al 2012. Winrock International.
Only cut vegetation smaller than 5cm diameter
Do not cut vegetation more than 5cm diameter

78. Non-tree woody vegetation sample
1. Weigh all non-tree biomass 2. Take a sub-sample of non-tree biomass
Take one
quarter of the
total sample
Weigh the
subsample
Put the subsample
in a bag and label
the bag
http://www.simplyvintagegirl.com/blog/index.
php/2009/04/21/when-you-pick-up-sticks/

79. 3. Measure trees
4. Measure fallen
dead wood
2. Observe the plot
5. Destructive non-tree
vegetation sample
1. Make the plot

80. References: Walker, SM, TRH Pearson, FM Casarim, N Harris, S Petrova, A Grais, E Swails, M
Netzer, KM Goslee and S Brown. 2012. Standard Operating Procedures for Terrestrial Carbon
Measurement: Version 2012. Winrock International.