Inspect a Forest Before You Buy: Site Visit Checklist

What should you check on a plantation visit?

Check six things: the count, the size, the health, the way in, the boundary and who else has a claim. A good visit takes most of a day for a block of a few acres and produces a notebook full of numbers you can compare with the listing.

This is a companion to our buying standing trees checklist, which covers the paperwork. If you are buying trees only, remember that the land is not included and that your right of entry must be written into the contract; read forest trees for sale in Uganda first.

How do you set up sample plots?

Lay out several small plots across the block and count and measure everything inside them. A common plot for trees planted in rows is 20 m by 10 m, which is 200 square metres or 0.02 hectare, so each tree counted stands for 50 trees per hectare. A Brazilian study of an 8-year-old eucalyptus stand tested plots of 200, 300, 400 and 500 square metres and found simple random sampling with 300 square metre circular plots the best balance of error, cost and measuring time in that stand (Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira). Conditions differ in Uganda, so take it as an example of how plot size is chosen, not a rule. The 20 m by 10 m plot here is a practical choice for planted rows.

1. Walk a line across the block and place a plot at regular steps, for example every 50 paces, so the plots are spread out and not chosen for good trees.
2. Peg and string the corners of each plot and record the plot number and GPS location.
3. Count every living tree, and count gaps and dead stumps separately.
4. Repeat for several plots, for example eight to ten on a few acres and more on a larger block. That number is our practical rule of thumb, not an official standard.

The scaling arithmetic and an error margin are in our guide to how to check the number of trees before you pay.

What is DBH and how do you measure it?

DBH is diameter at breast height, the width of the trunk measured at about 1.3 metres above the ground. It is the standard size measure foresters use, and buyers use it to sort trees into firewood, small poles, building poles, transmission poles and sawlogs.

Measure with a diameter tape, or with an ordinary tape around the trunk and divide the girth by 3.14 to get the diameter. Measure the same height on every tree, record the plot number and the diameter, and note forks, bends and damage. On sloping ground measure from the uphill side. Do not average the whole block. Record the spread of diameters, because a stand with an average of 14 cm can hold many trees too thin for poles and some good ones, and the price depends on how many reach each grade. Consultant guidance treats rotation as a matter of stem diameter, not a fixed age, and gives eucalyptus building poles at 5 to 8 years, transmission poles at 8 to 12 and sawlogs at 12 to 18 on a reasonable, weeded site (EUCA Eco Consults, August 2026).

How do you spot pests, fire scars and other damage?

Look closely at leaves, shoots, stems and the ground. A 2005 survey at Oruchinga settlement in Mbarara district found that gall wasp damage on eucalyptus was markedly more common and severe on E. grandis than on E. saligna, and that it hit field-planted seedlings and saplings but not nursery seedlings (NARO, survey of November 2003). Ask the seller what species and clone the stand is, and look for swollen or distorted leaf stalks and shoots.

• Fire scars: blackened bark at the base, charcoal on stumps and a ring of dead grass show a past fire. Ask when and how far it spread. Under the Forestry Act (Cap. 160), section 35, lighting a fire in a forest except in a place established for the purpose or as permitted by an authorised person is an offence.
• Gaps and dead trees: record how many there are in each plot, since they reduce the final count.
• Felling or theft: fresh stumps and cut tracks show trees already taken. Photograph and count them.
• Weeds and grazing: heavy weeds slow growth, and cattle can damage young trees.

A researcher quoted by the Daily Monitor in 2012 said plantation trees can be razed by wildfire more easily than natural forests (article updated 2021), so ask what fire lines exist and who maintains them.

How do you check roads, loading and the boundary?

Drive the whole route and note every problem, then walk the boundary. A summary of plantation management plans in Uganda lists high rainfall that floods low-lying areas, disrupts transport and causes erosion as a main limitation (Land Matrix, 2023). So ask local people what the road is like after heavy rain, and photograph river crossings, narrow bridges and steep sections. Mark a place where trucks could load and turn.

For the boundary, ask the seller and the neighbours to walk it with you. If the plantation is near a boundary, note that the NFA advises planting at a distance from the boundary roughly equal to the tree's mature height, so that trees fall on the planter's own land when felled (NFA FAQ). Trees on or over the line, or shelterbelts planted at the edge, can lead to disputes. If the position is unclear, ask a licensed surveyor to open the boundary before you pay. Check also whether the plantation is inside a forest reserve or on licence land; see is the plantation inside a forest reserve.

The same habit of checking applies to land. Our land site visit checklist and the checklist for a second-hand apartment use the same look, measure and write approach.

Can someone inspect the forest for you?

Yes. Land & Property offers paid, escorted site visits with verified people, which suits buyers abroad or buyers with no time to travel. You can book an escorted forest visit and ask what the visit covers before you pay the booking fee. Tell us in advance that you want sample plots counted, diameters measured and the road checked, and ask for photographs with the date and GPS location. A visit is not a formal forest inventory; for a measured count and valuation across a large block, ask a forester for an inventory report.

If you are buying from abroad, read how to buy forest from abroad. If the visit is part of an investment decision, our guide on buying a forest as an investment sets out the risks and is a good next read. When listings are live you can browse forest and tree listings; as of 3 November 2026 none of our 93 published listings is a forest listing yet.

What should you take and record on the day?

• A diameter tape or ordinary tape, string, pegs, a long measuring tape and a notebook.
• A phone with GPS, fully charged, and a power bank.
• A second person to write down numbers while you measure.
• Printed copies of the listing and the seller's documents.
• Water, sun protection and footwear for rough ground.

Before you leave, read your notes aloud with the seller present so that both of you know what you recorded. Then compare your count and diameters with the listing's acreage planted, estimated number of trees and tree age. If they differ a lot, ask why before you discuss price.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Forest Trees for Sale in Uganda: Standing Pine and Eucalyptus
• How to Check the Number of Trees Before You Pay
• Buying Standing Trees: 10 Checks Before You Pay
• Buying Trees in Uganda From Abroad Safely
• Selling Trees on NFA Licence Land
• Land Site Visit Checklist: What to Check on the Ground