Aspen Bibliography

Classification of cedar, aspen, and true fir trees as decayed versus sound

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Volume

24

Issue

10

First Page

2068

Last Page

2077

Publication Date

1994

Abstract

Trees are classed as decayed if there is structural damage as a result of internal decay and as sound otherwise. This classification is often performed on standing trees using tree and stand measurements to predict the class. For this study, three general rule systems were proposed and compared. Two different methods, discriminant analysis and classification-trees analysis, were used to derive the various rules. These rules were developed for three species, true fir (Abieslasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), western red cedar (Thujaplicata Donn), and trembling aspen (Populustremuloides Michx.), growing in British Columbia (B.C.). The success of each of the three rules systems developed using each of the two analytical methods was evaluated using the misclassification error rates calculated for a reserved portion of the data available for each species (test data sets). The ease of using and interpreting the rules was also considered in the evaluation. The results indicated that the developed rules were reasonably accurate in predicting the class of trees in the test data sets. Results were more accurate for cedar and aspen than for fir. The use of classification-trees analysis to develop rules in recommended over the use of discriminant analysis. Misclassification error rates were similar for the two methods, but the dichotomous trees that result from classification-trees analysis are much easier to use and interpret.

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