Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) is an enormously important metric for foresters, arborists, researchers, contractors, and the general public. With single-stemmed species, it is used to estimate timber volume, biomass, ecosystem services, and arboricultural service pricing. But trees that fork below 4.5 ft (where DBH is measured in the US) can pose some particular problems. Lara Roman (USDA FS) and Yasha Magarik (DC Department of Transportation, Urban Forestry Division) will share the results of their research on multi-stemmed and small-statured trees. Using field data collected on street trees in Philadelphia and survey responses from urban forestry practitioners, they will suggest some ways to answer the thorny question: How should we measure multi-stemmed urban trees?
Measuring multi-stemmed trees

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