Option C — Field Botany

Req 8c6a — Tree Inventory

8c6a.

Tree Inventory

A tree inventory is part field survey, part identification exercise, and part record keeping. You will build a list of the trees in one defined area and document enough detail that someone else could understand what grows there.

Requirement 8c6a1

8c6a1.

Identify the trees of your neighborhood, a park, a section of your town, or a Scout camp.

Choose one area and stay consistent. Walk it carefully and make provisional identifications as you go. Look at leaves, bark, buds, branching pattern, fruit, and overall shape. In winter, twigs and buds matter more than leaves.

Official Resources

🎬 Video: How to Use Twigs to Identify Trees (video) — https://youtu.be/X2TDSiaqfbQ?si=h0rb2-D_5zUSTcgN

How to Use Twigs to Identify Trees (video)

Requirement 8c6a2

8c6a2.

Tree Inventory Collect, press, and label leaves, flowers, or fruits to document your inventory..

Collect only what you are allowed to take, and only enough to document the tree. A labeled sample helps support your inventory later when you explain how you made your identifications.

Requirement 8c6a3

8c6a3.

List the types of trees by scientific name and give common names. Note the number and size (diameter at 4½ feet above ground) of trees observed and determine the largest of each species in your study area.

Diameter at 4½ feet above ground is called diameter at breast height, or DBH. This standard measurement lets foresters and botanists compare trees consistently. Record the number of individuals for each species and note the largest example you found.

Requirement 8c6a4

8c6a4.

Show two or more people how to use a leaf or twig key to identify at least five species of trees or shrubs.

Teaching is part of this project. When you show other people how to use a key, slow down and explain each choice. The goal is not just to get an answer but to show how the process works.