Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research

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Presentation: New Hardwood Tree Classification System
Author(s): Steve Meadows

Slide Notes...

We recently developed a new hardwood tree classification system to replace the system described by John Putnam in 1960. The tree classes in Putnam's system are poorly defined and too broad, such that its use as a tool to develop practical timber marking guidelines is inadequate. Also, Putnam's tree classification system is not well-suited for poletimber trees in sawtimber stands. Our new hardwood tree classification system expands Putnam's original set of four tree classes into a new set of five tree classes used only for sawtimber-sized trees and creates two new tree classes used only for poletimber-sized trees. Definitions of the tree classes in our new system are more specific than in Putnam's system and are based on five characteristics important in predicting future performance and value growth potential of individual trees: (1) species; (2) crown class; (3) current condition of the tree and future risk of mortality or degrade in merchantability; (4) bole quality, or log grade; and (5) expected change in value over time.

New Hardwood Tree Classification System

Steve Meadows and Danny Skojac