Tip:  Notice how we need to translate some of the terminology from the natural fuels photo series to the Fuel Characteristics Classification System.  For example, tree and sapling data are entered in the Canopy stratum and divided into three canopy layers (overstory, midstory, and understory).

The following table will be used to create a customized fuelbed in the Fuel Characteristic Classification System tutorial.  

Canopy characteristics  OVERALL:    Percent Cover 30% (field estimate)  OVERSTORY (9-16 inch dbh trees):    Density 84 stems/acre    Dbh 13.0 inches    Height 81.8 feet    Height to live crown  58.8 feet    Species composition  (Field estimate) 80% Pinus contorta 20% Pinus ponderosa  MIDSTORY (4-9" dbh trees):    Density 134 stems/acre    Dbh 6.1 inches    Height 44.1 feet    Height to live crown 18.9 feet    Species composition   (Field estimate) 70% Pinus contorta 30% Pinus ponderosa  UNDERSTORY (0-4" dbh saplings and trees):    Density 330 stem/acre    Dbh 1.1 inches    Height 9.8 feet    Height to live crown 2.7 feet    Species composition (Field estimate) 60% Pinus contorta 40% Pinus ponderosa Shrub characteristics  Percent cover 30%  Percent live  95% (average of both shrub species)  Height 1.5 feet  Species composition    100% Purshia tridentata Nonwoody vegetation characteristics Not present Woody fuel loadings Sound Wood  < 0.25 inch 0.4 tons/acre  0.25 to 1 inch   0.8 tons/acre  1 to 3 inches 1.4 tons/acre  3 to 9 inches 7.1 tons/acre  > 9 inches 1.0 tons/acre Rotten Wood  3 to 9 inches 0.0 tons/acre  9 to 20  inches 0.3 tons/acre > 20 inches 0.0 tons/acre Litter characteristics  Depth 0.5 inch  % cover   90%  Type 100% short-needle pine Duff characteristics Depth 1 inch % cover 75% Derivation upper - dead moss & litter