Some early developers of statistical and mensurational techniques at the Southern Forest Experiment Station

Abstract

The early forestry research of the Southern Forest Experiment Station (SOFES) emphasized searching for, observing, and describing conditions as an approach to producing sound results. While this produced numerous and useful results and improved our understanding of forests and forestry, without a true application of replication and control, this approach could only take science so far. Unfortunately, it was virtually all that was available when the Station first opened. In 1921, most sampling, experimental design, statistics, and mensuration techniques had not yet been developed for forestry. Within a decade, this shortcoming started to be addressed. Over the years, there were many men and some women in the Station who helped advance the science of applied statistics and forest mensuration, not just regionally but nationally.

Parent Publication

• Celebrating 100 years of forest science: an abridged history of the Southern Research Station

Citation

Barnett, James P.; Leduc, Daniel J.; Bragg, Don C. 2023. Some early developers of statistical and mensurational techniques at the Southern Forest Experiment Station. In: Bragg, Don C., ed. Celebrating 100 years of forest science: an abridged history of the Southern Research Station. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-272. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 107-113.