stamhöjd

Stamhöjd is a term used primarily in Swedish forestry and tree measurement to describe a vertical position on the trunk of a tree. It refers to the height along the stem above the ground and is used to distinguish the trunk portion from the crown. Stamhöjd serves as a parameter in growth and yield models and in determining timber volume and stem form.

Definitions of stamhöjd vary by protocol and species. The most common definitions are: (1) the height to the base of the live crown (the point where foliage begins on the trunk), and (2) the total stem height from the ground to the crown apex. Some measurement schemes use other crown-related reference points, such as the height to the first major branching. Because the reference point can differ, stamhöjd is not interchangeable with total tree height or with crown height.

Measurement methods include direct field assessment and indirect estimation. In the field, stamhöjd can be measured with instruments such as a hypsometer or laser rangefinder, often by determining the crown base and measuring to that point. More commonly, stamhöjd is estimated from diameter at breast height (DBH) using species-specific height-diameter allometric equations. Remote sensing, including LiDAR, can also provide estimates at stand or landscape scales.

Applications of stamhöjd include predicting timber volume, informing thinning and silvicultural decisions, and parameterizing growth and yield models. It helps characterize tree form, site productivity, and vigor, and it is used alongside DBH and crown measurements in forestry databases and inventory programs.

Stamhöjd is distinct from total tree height, which measures from ground level to the tree’s highest point, and from crown height, which denotes the vertical extent of the crown itself.