An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter
The main objective of this study was to explore the accuracy of Weise’s rule of thumb applied to an estimation of the quadratic mean diameter of a forest stand. Virtual stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) across a range of structure types were stochastically generated and random sampling w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2015-07-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/8/2545 |
| _version_ | 1811306946806939648 |
|---|---|
| author | Róbert Sedmák Ľubomír Scheer Róbert Marušák Michal Bošeľa Denisa Sedmáková Marek Fabrika |
| author_facet | Róbert Sedmák Ľubomír Scheer Róbert Marušák Michal Bošeľa Denisa Sedmáková Marek Fabrika |
| author_sort | Róbert Sedmák |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The main objective of this study was to explore the accuracy of Weise’s rule of thumb applied to an estimation of the quadratic mean diameter of a forest stand. Virtual stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) across a range of structure types were stochastically generated and random sampling was simulated. We compared the bias and accuracy of stand quadratic mean diameter estimates, employing different ranks of measured stems from a set of the 10 trees nearest to the sampling point. We proposed several modifications of the original Weise’s rule based on the measurement and averaging of two different ranks centered to a target rank. In accordance with the original formulation of the empirical rule, we recommend the application of the measurement of the 6th stem in rank corresponding to the 55% sample percentile of diameter distribution, irrespective of mean diameter size and degree of diameter dispersion. The study also revealed that the application of appropriate two-measurement modifications of Weise’s method, the 4th and 8th ranks or 3rd and 9th ranks averaged to the 6th central rank, should be preferred over the classic one-measurement estimation. The modified versions are characterised by an improved accuracy (about 25%) without statistically significant bias and measurement costs comparable to the classic Weise method. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:55:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d1bab0fb30624954ade525d6e6619acd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:55:52Z |
| publishDate | 2015-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-d1bab0fb30624954ade525d6e6619acd2022-12-22T02:53:19ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072015-07-01682545255910.3390/f6082545f6082545An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean DiameterRóbert Sedmák0Ľubomír Scheer1Róbert Marušák2Michal Bošeľa3Denisa Sedmáková4Marek Fabrika5Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen 96053, SlovakiaFaculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen 96053, SlovakiaFaculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague 6 165 21, Czech RepublicFaculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague 6 165 21, Czech RepublicInstitute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen 96053, SlovakiaFaculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen 96053, SlovakiaThe main objective of this study was to explore the accuracy of Weise’s rule of thumb applied to an estimation of the quadratic mean diameter of a forest stand. Virtual stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) across a range of structure types were stochastically generated and random sampling was simulated. We compared the bias and accuracy of stand quadratic mean diameter estimates, employing different ranks of measured stems from a set of the 10 trees nearest to the sampling point. We proposed several modifications of the original Weise’s rule based on the measurement and averaging of two different ranks centered to a target rank. In accordance with the original formulation of the empirical rule, we recommend the application of the measurement of the 6th stem in rank corresponding to the 55% sample percentile of diameter distribution, irrespective of mean diameter size and degree of diameter dispersion. The study also revealed that the application of appropriate two-measurement modifications of Weise’s method, the 4th and 8th ranks or 3rd and 9th ranks averaged to the 6th central rank, should be preferred over the classic one-measurement estimation. The modified versions are characterised by an improved accuracy (about 25%) without statistically significant bias and measurement costs comparable to the classic Weise method.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/8/2545quadratic mean diameterdiameter dispersion, sample quantilerule of thumbsimulationEuropean beechforest inventory |
| spellingShingle | Róbert Sedmák Ľubomír Scheer Róbert Marušák Michal Bošeľa Denisa Sedmáková Marek Fabrika An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter Forests quadratic mean diameter diameter dispersion, sample quantile rule of thumb simulation European beech forest inventory |
| title | An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter |
| title_full | An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter |
| title_fullStr | An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter |
| title_short | An Improved Weise’s Rule for Efficient Estimation of Stand Quadratic Mean Diameter |
| title_sort | improved weise s rule for efficient estimation of stand quadratic mean diameter |
| topic | quadratic mean diameter diameter dispersion, sample quantile rule of thumb simulation European beech forest inventory |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/8/2545 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertsedmak animprovedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT lubomirscheer animprovedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT robertmarusak animprovedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT michalbosela animprovedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT denisasedmakova animprovedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT marekfabrika animprovedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT robertsedmak improvedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT lubomirscheer improvedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT robertmarusak improvedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT michalbosela improvedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT denisasedmakova improvedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter AT marekfabrika improvedweisesruleforefficientestimationofstandquadraticmeandiameter |