Compile and maintain a forest or woodland inventory

This standard covers the activities required to compile and maintain a forest or woodland inventory.

Tree inventory data collection involves the collection of data for a population of trees on a large scale related to recording aspects of tree cover e.g. cover, distribution, species type, for asset assessments, ecological value, carbon sequestration, forestry operations and may include general health. Commonly, inventory information is used to formulate strategic or management plans for either a forest, woodland or amenity arboricultural context.

This includes gathering data directly from the forest and woodland. You should be able to recognise growing crops, quantify them and record them in a formal inventory.

You will need to be able to take appropriate measurements and apply forest and woodland mensuration techniques.

You could be working to a given specification that defines the methods to be used but you will be expected to determine how to carry out these methods on site.

You will need to take account of any restrictions affecting the work e.g. designated sites, presence of listed structures, wildlife, non-native invasive or protected species etc.

You are required to avoid or minimise damage or disturbance to the surrounding area including trees, other vegetation, wildlife and habitats, or to any structures, fences, paths, signs, ditches/waterways or drains, and to ensure that other site users are not put at risk by your work.

Your work must conform to all relevant legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance.

This standard is for those with responsibility for compiling and maintaining a forest or woodland inventory.

1. obtain the relevant information to carry out the work activities in accordance with organisational procedures
2. check any statutory requirements that might be in place that may prohibit or place conditions on the work to be carried out and confirm that all the required permissions and licences have been obtained
3. maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in accordance with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
4. assess the risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, before starting work and throughout the activity, checking and confirming the findings of any existing risk assessments
5. confirm that the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work to be carried out is worn at all times
6. define and subdivide the area under management, to identify logical units in order to compile an inventory
7. identify tree classifications relevant to the crop
8. identify the value of existing records in relation to the actual crop
9. decide the intensity of the survey required in order to compile an inventory, based on the available information
10. use suitable equipment and industry measurement conventions to complete the survey
11. compile and maintain a forest or woodland inventory in accordance with organisational requirements
12. minimise damage or disturbance to the site and surrounding area while carrying out the work and confirm that the site is left in a safe and tidy condition
13. complete and store all the relevant documentation in accordance with legal and organisational requirements

1. how to identify and access information relevant to the required work
2. how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with the site and the work to be carried out, and the importance of site-specific risk assessment and control measures that are relevant to your area of work
3. the relevant health and safety procedures and Safe Systems of Work (SSoW), including lone working where appropriate
4. current legislation and codes of practice, industry standards and guidance, organisational policies, procedures and protocols, business and professional ethics that are relevant to your area of work, and to which you must adhere
5. the selection, use and care of personal protective equipment (PPE)
6. how to use a map and compass in a forest environment
7. the industry conventions when determining plot sizes
8. how to use forest and woodland mensuration techniques and equipment, including a clinometer and girth tape/calipers
9. the use of handheld GPS units, digital calipers and other available technology
10. how to assess basal area
11. the information to be compiled in a forest or woodland inventory
12. the use of aerial photography in compiling a forest or woodland inventory
13. the different survey techniques, such as use of Global Information System (GIS) and maps
14. how to assess the risk of windthrow and the tools and techniques that are available for this
15. how to identify forest and woodland tree species
16. how to identify items of specific interest
17. the methods of recording a formal inventory
18. the reasons for carrying out inventories and how they are used
19. the potential impact of the work on the site and the surrounding area and how this can be minimised
20. the importance of checking that completed work meets requirements in accordance with the information provided
21. the legal and organisational requirements for the completion and storage of documentation

Compile and maintain an inventory that describes:
• the area distribution by species
• age class
• stocking and yield class
• land use type
• any selective systems for continuous sustainable yield

Compile and maintain an inventory that meets the following specification:
• the crops to be recorded
• the format of the inventory
• the accuracy and clarity required by the survey and by the forest and woodland inventory
• the updating of stock maps
• the environmental and conservation requirements set by your organisation and by legislation
• records items of specific interest

Basal area of an individual tree is the cross-sectional area of the tree at its breast height point

Information required to carry out work activities could include:
• drawings
• plans
• photographs/images (including aerial photography)
• GIS and maps
• schedules
• specifications
• method statements
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• manufacturer’s instructions
• customer requirements
• quality assurance requirements
• industry standards (e.g. British Standards)
• verbal or written instructions
• industry guidance (e.g. FISA).

Organisational procedures refer to procedures set by the organisation you are employed by or the organisation that you are doing the work on behalf of (the client or customer)

Safe System of Work (SSoW) – is a method of work that puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards, which are broken down into four elements: safe person; safe equipment; safe place; and safe practice.

Windthrow:
The fall of a tree in a high wind, with the breakage of the outer roots, so that the tree is uprooted. There are three main modes of windthrow.