Abstract. We are investigating the use of a
commercially-available solid-state matrix camera as a dendrometer for tree
stem measurements. Thirty-two images of four hardwood stems were used to
measure 54 diameters at various heights on the stems ranging from 1.4 m to
21 m. These measurements were compared to caliper measurements taken at
the same heights. The percent inaccuracy between diameters derived using
the camera and caliper measurements was 6.9 percent, which falls within
the range of other dendrometers commonly used. The advantage of this
system is the additional stem form, defect, and vigor information that can
be instantaneously captured. We found that this method is accurate and
efficient for collecting a large amount of data for a single stem.