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How Much Does a Pine Tree Weigh? (Read This First!)

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The usage of pine trees knows no bounds. From furniture to roofing, we use pine wood everywhere manageable. Before doing any wood projects, we have to consider the weight of wood we will need. This article discusses all the questions regarding the weight of pine trees.

How much does a pine tree weigh?

The weight of a pine tree depends on factors such as age, species, size and circumference, volume, and density. On average, an adult pine tree 50 meters tall weighs around five thousand pounds. One commonly accepted metric is that per cubic foot of pine tree weighs about 30-50 pounds.

There are several types of pine trees available in the states. White pine, Jackpine, Sugar pine, Red pine, Bristlecone pines are some of the common ones available throughout the states.

Calculating the actual weight of pine trees is a tricky task. You have to consider the barks, leaves, and cones to get a better measurement. Excluding the excess weights, you are left with the pine logs.

Pine log weight is measured by a simple mathematical formula. But it is easier said than done. It is hard to assume the weight of a pine tree just by seeing it.

Moisture, density, species, volume, and other factors play important roles in deciding a pine tree’s weight. But the calculation has been done, and people follow some pre existing standards.

The formula for calculating a tree’s weight is (volume x density) + leaf weight.

Types:

The weight of the two types of pine trees is discussed below.

Southern yellow pine tree:

Southern yellow pine trees grow up to 80 feet. They have an average density of 50-52 pounds per cubic foot. The average weight of a southern yellow pine tree cord is 5600 pounds.

White pine tree:

White pine trees have an average height of 65 to 100 feet. They weigh (dried) up to 25 pounds per cubic foot, and the fresh green wood’s density is 36 pounds per cubic foot.

Size: 

Pine trees come in all shapes and sizes. The weight of different sizes of pine trees is discussed below.

Small pine tree:

Small pine trees have an average height of 3 to 5 feet. Common species include Mugo pine tree, Dwarf pine tree, Dwarf spruce. The weight ranges from 40 pounds to 200 pounds.

Large/Big pine tree:

Large pine trees with an average height of 100-120 feet could weigh between four to six thousand pounds. Gigantic pine trees that are over 200 feet will weigh even more.

100-foot pine tree:

Longleaf pine, slash pines and other species can reach 100 feet. The average weight per cubic foot is 56 pounds. The average weight of 100 feet pine trees is around 5500 pounds to 6200 pounds, ranging from 2500 kgs to 2800 kgs. 

70-foot pine tree:

The weight per cubic foot is 52 pounds. On average, they would weigh about 5300 pounds to 5500 pounds, equivalent to 2450 kgs or 2.7 tons. 

60-foot pine tree:

The 60 feet pine trees have an average of 78 pounds of wood per cubic foot. The weight of these trees ranges from 5000 pounds to 5300 pounds.

50-foot pine tree:

Shortleaf pine trees fall in this range. They weigh around 5500 pounds, equivalent to 2000 kgs 0r 2.2 tons.

40-foot pine tree:

Various pine trees fall under this range. They weigh around 4800 pounds in total.

30-foot pine tree:

Sand pines are the best example of 30 feet pine trees. They weigh about 4300 pounds and have 80 pounds of wood per cubic foot.

16-foot pine tree:

They have about 46 pounds per cubic foot and have a total weight of 3500 pounds.

10-foot pine tree:

The average weight per cubic foot of a 10-foot pine tree with an average diameter of 8 inches is .1 ton or 100 kg or 200 pounds.

Age:

The average weight of pine trees according to their ages are discussed below.

Mature/Full grown pine tree:

The weight depends on the size of the tree. A full-grown pine tree would weigh around 5000 pounds 2200 kgs or 2.4 tons.

20-year-old pine tree:

A 20-year-old pine tree would roughly get 50-60 inches in height to weigh around 4000-5000 pounds.

How to calculate pine tree log weight?

There are different ways you can calculate the weight of a pine tree log. Uprooting and placing it on a scale will give you the best result, but it is time-consuming and often not worth the lengthy process.

There are log charts available from which you can have an idea about your pine tree’s weight. Here’s an easy process you can follow for which you will need a scale to measure the diameter of the pine log. 

Scale the log:

Three types of scaling stick are available, Doyle, International, and Scribner. Use the scale that makes you comfortable. Pine logs should be cut into equal lengths.

Common lengths are 20, 40,60,80 and 100 feet.

Align through center:

Align the scale with the inside of the bark. Placing the scale, mark the upper end of the bark. That is how much the log weighs in board feet.

If you have an uneven log, take multiple measurements. You have to bring down the weight a bit for proper representation for a deformed log.

Calculation:

For keeping track of your measurements, keep a sheet and writing pen. A board foot is equal to 3.8 pounds on average. So, whatever result you find, multiply it by 3.8 to get the result in pounds.

The calculated value will never be accurate, but what you get will be close enough. If you want accurate results, you may consult with a forester or a dendrologist.

How many pine trees make a ton?

Several species of pine trees have different wood densities. Trees like slash pine, sugar pine, loblolly pine have a higher wood density. A higher wood density means more woods are present per cubic feet of volume.

Slightly less dense trees are yellow and white pine trees. Other variables such as moisture, barked, or unbarked also contribute to the weight of trees.

Higher density pine trees have an average of 50 pounds per cubic foot. This means to form a ton or two thousand pounds, it would need about 38 to 40 cubic feet of pine trees. That would take about two pine trees to make a ton.

Suppose you calculate on the lighter end an average density of 30. It would take about 65-70 cubic feet of pine trees. That means the slightly shorter pine trees would take about two to three to make a ton.

How much does a perished pine tree weigh?

Pine trees do weigh a lot even after they are long gone. Deceased pine trees can stand up on their own for years. You may not identify a recently deceased tree. The tree sheds its leaves at a slow pace. Eventually, all its branches fall off.

While living plants take water from the soil, the deceased ones stop doing it. So, there is a reduction in water content in the overall weight of a tree. However, this difference in weight is not significant in the initial stages.

Over time the leaves and branches lose their strength and fall off. So, the weight of the tree drastically reduces. Some pine trees will lose more weight than others. This change depends on their volume and moisture content.

The trunk of a perished pine tree will weigh almost the same as the trunk of a live one.

How big does a pine tree grow? How wide do pine trees grow?

The size of a pine tree depends on the weather, species, and nutrients. Different species of pine trees grow to different heights.

The average growth rate of pine trees is one to two feet per year. According to their growth rate, pine trees are further divided into slow, medium, and fast-growing groups.

Short-growing pine trees grow about 10 to 40 feet. Medium ones reach up to 50 to 90 feet, and the fast-growing pine trees can even extend beyond 150 feet at maturity.

The biggest and tallest pine tree species is the sugar pine. Sugar pine trees can reach up to 200 feet in height and have a diameter of 8 feet.

A pine tree’s average DBH (diameter at breast height) ranges from three to seven feet. While a loblolly pine tree has an average DBH of three feet, a sugar pine tree at maturity can have a width of 8 feet.

Final Thoughts 

Uprooting a pine tree and then weighing the logs would give the best result, but it is not optimal. Various models are available to judge the weight of pine trees based on moisture, height, DBH etc. Log charts are available online, making it easier to calculate the weight.

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