Using a camera as an angle gauge in angle-count sampling

by 1978- Stewart, Brock

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the use of a camera as an angle gauge in the angle-count sampling technique. The camera used in this project was a traditional film camera, the canon AE-1p with a standard 50mm lens (FD 1.4). Estimates of average stand basal area per acre were made at a total of 21 sample points in 7 stands from field data and pictures taken at the sample points. Angle-count estimates made from pictures were on average about 4% less than estimates made in the field with a prism. In its current development the use of a camera as an angle gauge is not operationally feasible in inventory applications. It does, however, have potential benefits in situations where more time is spent at points than might be spent during a cruise, such as when sampling from permanent sample points.