Forest measurement (5 cr)

Objective

You are able to use the main measurement instruments, map materials and calculation models in measuring growing stock and in land surveying. You can locate yourself and target objects in terrain. You are able to define basic variables for single trees or forest stands. You know the use of measured and calculated variables in forestry.

Content

What different variables are measured and calculated from trees and forest stands?
What positioning methods are used?
What instruments and calculation methods are used for measurements?
What kind of sample plots are used in forestry?
What is the accuracy of results?
What factors affect accuracy?

Course material

The following literature will be used in the course:

Talkkari A., Lehmonen H. 2021. “Metsävaratieto Hankinta ja hyödyntäminen” (Forest Resource Information Acquisition and Utilization), chapters 1-4. Tapio Palvelut Oy.
Niemi M. et al. 2023. “Metsäsuunnittelun maastotyöopas” (Fieldwork Guide for Forest Planning), chapter 3. Otava, Keuruu.
Rantala S. (ed.) 2018. “Tapion taskukirja” (Tapio’s Pocket Book), 26th revised edition or newer, chapter 5.2. Metsäkustannus Oy.
Other study materials will be published in the Learn environment at the beginning of the course.

Study forms and methods

Implementation includes 10 in-person classes at the Mikkeli campus, 6 of which are in the autumn term of 2025. Additionally, there will be asynchronous work in an online environment. In-person classes are held on weekdays. During these days, the study consists of lecture-type classroom work and fieldwork related to the day’s topic. Between in-person meetings, students will complete remote assignments prepared during the in-person sessions. Attendance at in-person classes is mandatory, and absences must be compensated in a manner agreed upon on a case-by-case basis.

The course progresses according to the group’s common schedule. The course includes individual assignments and a group project. Individual learning tasks are to be submitted by the next in-person session, and the group project is to be submitted at the end of the course.

Teacher guidance is available during in-person classes.

Various feedback methods are utilized in the course. These can include written and oral feedback. Peer feedback may also be used.

RDI and work-related cooperation

There will be no guest speakers from the professional field in the course.

Timing of exams and assignments

At the end of each in-person session, a learning task will be assigned, which must be submitted by the beginning of the next in-person session. During the final in-person class of the autumn term, an exam will be held on campus. In the spring term, in addition to a theoretical exam, there will be a field exam on forest measurement.

The course includes remote assignments scheduled according to the in-person sessions. During the course, a sample plot measurement task will be completed in groups, which must be ready by the end date of the course.

The course ends on the date specified in the implementation details, by which time the student must have submitted the required assignments, completed any exams, and met other requirements for a passing grade.

Student workload

• 1 ECTS credits equals 27 hours of work by the student.
• In a 5-credit course, the student's total maximum workload is approximately 135 hours including lessons, group work and independent study.

Course part description

The implementation is divided into two parts: a 3-credit theory-focused module in the fall and a 2-credit fieldwork-focused module in the spring.

Fall content includes:

Map reading, property boundaries, and self-location in the field
Measurable characteristics of individual trees and the measuring instruments used
Tree volume and volume models
Tree stand, stand characteristics, and the concept of sample plots
Forest compartment and stand inventory
Spring content includes:

Electronic measuring devices
Positioning techniques and digital applications
Computational characteristics of trees and calculation models
Stand characteristics and sample plots

Further information

The Forest Measurement course overlaps with the “Forest Characteristics and Calculation Models” course, which is conducted simultaneously. The measurement data collected during the Forest Measurement course will be utilized in calculations whenever possible.

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

The student’s performance is assessed with reference to the learning objectives and assessment criteria of the course.

State the scale: 1–5