Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a multistage with probability proportional to size (FPS) sampling design using
aerial photography to sample coniferous regeneration on clearcuts.
To date, aerial photography has not proven to be as economical
(because of the high cost of specialized photography required) or
accurate as a ground survey. Double sampling with regression using
aerial photography and limited field measurements did improve the
accuracy. A large land area was inventoried using three scales of
aerial photography (1:60,000, 1:20,000 and 1:5,000) in the multistage
sampling design, picking PPS samples and using double sampling
with regression between the largest scale of photography and the field
checked plots. For single clearcuts or small areas, the overall cost
was excessively high due to specialized photography requirements.
Using a multi-stage PPS sample design, an inventory of 67, 989 acres
of clearcuts was accomplished at a total cost of $2,875. 00 or only
4.2 cents per acre, which is relatively inexpensive.
This survey was only an inventory of the coniferous regeneration
and did not show the actual Location of the clearcuts with the various
stocking conditions. This information is useful to management
personnel making management policy decisions, but is of Little use to
the field forester. However, aerial photography can be useful to
foresters in the field for mapping coniferous regeneration into broad
classifications (stocked, non-stocked and questionable).
