A strong understanding of mathematics and statistics are important skills in the field of forestry. Not only are these skills useful for general problem solving, they are also necessary for interpreting the scientific literature, and of course, statistical skills are crucial in analyzing forest data. But the opportunity to develop math skills does not end when we graduate.
In this article, I want to share some thoughts on my experience with math in general and my new-found appreciation for the subject as well as a few of the ways foresters use math and statistics. At the end, I’ll share some of the resources I have used, and continue to use, to improve general math skills and those used in forestry.
My Attempt At Avoiding Math
When I decided to study forestry in grad school, I remember thinking This will be an easy field to study because I get to spend time outdoors and there won’t be any math to worry about! After taking my first subject in Forest Ecosystems, I remember a fellow student asking how I enjoyed the class. I responded, “It was nice but I didn’t realize there would be so much math involved.”
He looked at me, more than a little confused. “Well, it’s a science field.”
At the time, I thought math and science were completely different subjects. That’s why we study them separately in grade school. When I look back, I sometimes cringe at my ignorance. Like all of science, we need to convert information in measurable values. And that’s essentially where math comes in.
Throughout grad school, I continued to use math and especially statistics, skills I had not developed as an undergrad working on a BA in Environmental Studies a few years prior. It wasn’t until several years after graduating the master’s program that I finally was able to kindle an interest in math for it’s own sake. Since then, I have gained a deeper interest in mathematics than ever before.
Self-Study
Shortly after the pandemic, I came across several forester positions that require some basic knowledge of statistical skills such as regression analysis and using growth and yield models. Though I had some experience with these skills in grad school, I knew that I wanted to develop these skills further. I decided to challenge myself and start learning on my own those math skills I never fully developed in school. To begin, I went back over the basics from high school: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calculus. I then started working my way through more challenging areas like calculus, linear algebra, and statistics.
Today, I’m still developing many of these skills and continuing to learn more. I have also begun learning to use statistical analysis tools like R and SQL. The point I’m trying to make is that learning should not be confined to the classroom, and can often be more effective when you find your own motivation to learn. Learning these skills can not only be personally rewarding, it can also be beneficial in your professional development as a forester and/or conservationist.
Using Mathematics in Forestry
Foresters use a wide variety of math skills in everything from field work to data analysis. In the field, trigonometry comes into play to measure tree heights and pulling limiting distances (checking whether a tree is “IN” or “OUT” of a plot). We also use it to calculate the basal area of a timber stand and to estimate a stand’s market value.
One of the most widely used analysis tools is R, an open-source programming language used for statistical computing and data visualization. R can be used to answer a wide range of questions. These data can come from various sources like the USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. FIA data are collected across the US. They can be used to compare carbon storage across different forest types or measure tree species composition. FIA data can be used to compare state champion trees to standard measured trees. There are many ways to use FIA data.
Further Resources For Those Interested in Mathematics and Stats
To brush up on high school math skills, I recommend Kahn Academy. It’s easy to access and has thousands of short videos explaining concepts in a digestible way.
For calculus I use Larson’s Calculus 10e, and for linear algebra I use Hefferon’s textbook which is freely available online. In statistics I use Statistics in a Nutshell by Boslaugh, though Kahn Academy can be used for calculus, linear algebra, and statistics, too.
For learning R, the RStudio Learning page is a great starting point. There are many helpful resources for those wanting to learning more about how to use R in forestry. One site, run by a forest analyst, frequently posts about this topic and has created an online textbook aimed to help foresters develop R skills.
There are obviously many more resources available for self-study and many more tools available to the modern forester. I’m curious to know your relationship with mathematics and what tool you use in your profession. Share your thoughts below.
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I have University exam in mathematics and physics, no idea or intention to work with something biological before 23. My primary decision when about carrier was to work with particle physics. The was a course in radiation biology when. I got involved in biology by studying the effect of radiation (mutations and other things) in barley. When I came to the forest “university” as a they needed someone understanding physics as the current professor in forest genetics believed mutations could play a role in improving trees (replaced by belief in GMO later). But I started to become interested in more realistic ways to get better trees and surprisingly fast replaced him and made a descent carrier as professsor and to my own surprise became in the lead of the global use of seed orchards. And actually still (at age 80) play an invisible but probably important role. There will be a session about seed orchards in the IUFRO world conference 2024 and of nine suggested speakers I have had an important role in the “creation” of four of them, who I am still in contact with. Of the rest I have cooperated by 3 and 1 with the organisation involved, only one I had no prior contact with. (That two of the four writing the suggestion is part of the reason, but still…)
So why a descent carrier? Am I unusually clever and smart? No. Besides chance events my background in mathematics and logics and my lack of basic training in forestry were important. I did not generally “know” how things are but searched for the logic of it and its practical consequences. And as the foresters were less trained in that, I played an important role. It is so in all scientific disciplines that you must be able to statistically evaluate data (even in “odd” situations), you must be able to construct models and you must be able to evaluate consequences. Math and physics gives a good background for that.
Guess this example help your these that math and math stat are important tools which all scientists should have some understanding of.
But actually I am more suspecious about “scientific results” as they are reported than most people. I have a lot of experience about that recentlyg.