Tree height is the vertical distance between the base of the tree and the tip of the highest branch on the tree, and is difficult to measure accurately. It is not the same as the length of the trunk.[note 1] If a tree is leaning, the trunk length may be greater than the height of the tree. The base of the tree is where the projection of the pith (center) of the tree intersects the existing supporting surface upon which the tree is growing or where the seed sprouted.[1][2] If the tree is growing on the side of a cliff, the base of the tree is at the point where the pith would intersect the cliff side. Roots extending down from that point would not add to the height of the tree. On a slope this base point is considered as halfway between the ground level at the upper and lower sides of the tree. Tree height can be measured in a number of ways with varying degrees of accuracy.
Tree height is one of the parameters commonly measured as part of various champion tree programs and documentation efforts. Other commonly used parameters, outlined in Tree measurement include height, girth, crown spread, and volume. Additional details on the methodology of tree girth measurement, tree crown measurement, and tree volume measurement are presented in the links herein. American Forests, for example, uses a formula to calculate Big Tree Points as part of their Big Tree Program[3] that awards a tree 1 point for each foot of height, 1 point for each inch (2.54 cm) of girth, and ¼ point for each foot of crown spread. The tree whose point total is the highest for that species is crowned as the champion in their registry. The other parameter commonly measured, in addition to the species and location information, is wood volume. A general outline of tree measurements is provided in the article Tree Measurement with more detailed instructions in taking these basic measurements is provided in "The Tree Measuring Guidelines of the Eastern Native Tree Society" by Will Blozan.[4][5]
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- ^ Frank, Edward Forrest. September 19, 2005. Base of Tree.
- ^ Frank, Edward Forrest (January 12, 2010). "The Really, Really Basics of Laser Rangefinder/Clinometer Tree Height Measurements" (PDF). Nativetreesociety.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ^ "America's Biggest Trees". American Forests. 2014-06-20. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- ^ "Tree measuring Guidelines of the Eastern Native Tree Society" (PDF). Nativetreesociety.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- ^ Blozan, Will (2006). "Tree Measuring Guidelines of the Eastern Native Tree Society". Bulletin of the Eastern Native Tree Society. 1: 3–10. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
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