Samples were taken from the trees' growth rings using an instrument called a Pressler
increment borer, which has a hollow auger bit and is designed to extract a cylindrical section of wood tissue from a living tree throughout its radius with a relatively minor injury to the plant.
An
increment borer is a better choice for sampling large trees.
Core samples were taken from all trees in each plot using an
increment borer to measure the basic density (BD) and compressive strength parallel to the grain (CS).
For example, they use an
increment borer to age trees, soil pH and temperature meters, and a clinometer to estimate the height of the trees."
When foresters need to know the age of trees, the usual method is to use a tool called an
increment borer to extract a core about the thickness of a pencil.
Of course, to see tree rings you must either cut the tree down ("not my favorite option," deadpans Copenheaver), cut a wedge out (not recommended), or use an
increment borer to extract an approximately 1/4-inch tube-like sample or wood from the tree.
Long story short, their work involves taking small, pencil-size plugs out of living and dead trees with a Swedish
increment borer, a specialized tree-boring tool.
He didn't have an
increment borer until I gave him mine.
Other catalog treasures: bright-colored flagging and tree paint for marking plots and boundaries;
increment borers for extracting cores of wood to tell the ages and growth rates of trees without cutting them down; cant hooks, pickeroons, and hookaroons for holding and moving logs; specialized shovels and hoes for planting or seeding; winches, levers, and jacks for directional felling of trees and moving heavy material; more than 26 different kinds of pruners; soil samplers and testers; rugged woods wearing apparel; safety equipment, signs, and on and on.