A forest inventory is the measurement and tally of forest products such as timber, pine straw, and lighter stumps. Most inventories are referenced by the percentage of land area on which the forest product was sampled. A 100% inventory indicates that each and every tree is measured while a 10% inventory means the trees on 10% of the land area are measured with the volume expanded mathematically to cover the entire area.
A timber inventory will further separate all merchantable trees into the raw products and the tree species desired by the mills. Examples of these products include fiber or pulpwood, chip and saw, pallet wood, sawtimber, grade lumber, poles, pilings and fence posts.
A forest inventory may be required for
- Timber sales
- Forest management plans
- Estate planning
- Estate valuations
- Mortgages and liens