Exercise-7

AIM: Measurement of dominance of woody species by DBH method in the college campus.

Material-Required:
Meter-tape, meter scale, notebook

Theory & Principle:

Dominance of a species refers to the degree to which one or more species in an ecosystem have a
significant influence on the other species. This influence can be due to the species' size, number,
productivity, or biomass. Dominant species can affect the composition and abundance of other species,
as well as environmental conditions, community diversity, and ecosystem function. Cover of a species,
is defined is the ground covered by that species and is one of the analytical characteristics measured in
phytosociological studies to describe a plant community and is used to determine dominance of the
species in a community. Cover is measured in two ways, one is by determining canopy cover and
second way is determining the basal area. Canopy cover refers to the ground area covered by the canopy
when canopy is projected vertically on the ground, and basal area is defined as the ground area covered
by the stem. Therefore dominance of woody species can be determined by measuring any of the two
covers, Canopy cover or Basal area. Generally, the overstorey species in a forest with the highest basal
area is regarded as the dominant. If more than one species have similar basal area such two or three
species are called co-dominants. The rest of the species having distinctly lesser importance are called
subdominants or subordinate species.

To measure the dominance of woody species by diameter at breast height (DBH) method requires
finding out the basal area of each species and then from basal area the dominance is calculated. Basal
area of tree is measured by first measuring the circumference of each adult woody species at breast
height with the help of a normal meter tape or a diameter tape that converts circumference into diameter
units or by calipers that directly measure the diameter. The diameter is measured at breast height that
is 4.5 feet (1.37 m) above the ground, on the uphill side of the tree, because many trees have buttressed
stems (i.e. a tree trunk with a widening base that helps stabilize the tree) and it is convenient to take
measurements at breast height level. To calculate DBH, following formula is used.
𝐶𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐶
𝐷𝐵𝐻 = =
𝜋 𝜋
where DBH = Diameter at Breast Height of adult trees; C = Circumference of adult trees at Breast
Height; π is constant = 3.14159265. Then, dominance of woody species is calculated from basal area
obtained by converting DBH data to basal area as follows:
𝜋𝑑 2
𝐵𝐴 =
4
Where BA=basal area in m2; d = DBH and π is constant = 3.14159265. Therefore, dominance is
calculated as follows:
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑑
𝐷𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 (𝑚2 ⁄ℎ𝑎 ) =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠

This method of dominance calculation is often used in forestry. It helps in determining biomass or
productivity, volume and carbon sequestration by the trees. Trees with circumference below 15 cm or
2 inches are not recorded as they are the saplings and it is not practical to measure all the saplings,
secondly they do not have significant effect on total biomass production in forest and thirdly, many of
these may die over a period of time.
Fig. 1 showing how to measure DBH in different cases as shown in the diagram

Procedure:
1. First demarcate a quadrat (4m x 4m) of known area with the help of meter tape.
2. Measure DBH of all the trees of a species in the given quadrat or transect.
3. For measuring DBH, first measure 1.37 cm (breast height) using meter tape, from the base of
the tree as shown in the figure 1. (Note: when the tree trunk is bifurcated below the breast height
and has more than one stem then circumference of all the stems is measured and each one is
considered as an individual tree.) And mark this height on the tree trunk with chalk or marker.
 4. Then start measuring the circumference of the tree trunk from this mark going around the trunk
keeping tape tightened. Note down this in the observation table, then calculate DBH from it and
then basal area for it.
5. Repeat step 4 for all the trees with circumference above 15cm.
6. Now lay at least three such quadrats and repeat steps 1 – 5.
7. Take sum of the basal area of the trees of a species in all the quadrats and divide it by total area
sampled (i.e. Total number of quadrats sampled x area of one quadrat). This will give
dominance of that species. Similarly do for other species. And then compare dominance of all
the species.

Observation Table:
Plant species 1 Plant species 2
Quadrat Tree Circumfe DBH = Basal Area Tree Circumfer DBH = Basal
rence (C) C/3.1415 = πd /4 2
ence (C) in C/3.1415 Area =
in cm cm πd2/4
1 1
2
3
2 1
2
3
3 1
2
3
Total basal area (cm2) of species 1= Total basal area (m2) of species 2=
Calculation:
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑑
𝐷𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 (𝑚2 ⁄ℎ𝑎 ) =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑚2 𝑥 0.0001

𝐷𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 (𝑚2 ⁄ℎ𝑎) =
𝑛𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑥 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑚2 𝑥 0.0001

If quadrat size is 4m x 4m, then TA (total area) = Total number of quadrats sampled x area of one
quadrat = 3 x 16 𝑚2 = 3 x 16 x 0.0001 ha (because 1 hectare = 100 x 100 m2). And Basal area is in
cm2 and for converting to m2, multiply the value by 0.0001. Therefore, dividing total basal area (cm2)
by total area (m2) will give dominance in m2/ha only.

Results & Discussion:

Write the dominance of values of all the species and compare them. Then discuss significance of this
study.

Precautions.
1. Tape should not be loose while measuring circumference of the tree trunk.
2. When the ground in having slope, take breast height at uphill side
3. When the tree is leaning, take circumference at plane perpendicular to the axis of leaning tree.
4. When the tree is forking below the breast height, take individual stems as individual trees
5. When tree is forking just at the breast height or just above it, take circumference just below the
breast height.
6. When the tree is deformed or a branch is coming at breast height, take circumference either just
above the breast height.