To determine the number of trees that are less than 8 feet tall, we need to look at the stem values that are less than 8. From the given stem-and-leaf plot, we can see that the stem values less than 8 are 5, 6, and 7.
For the stem value of 5, there are two leaves, indicating that there are two trees that are 5 feet tall. For the stem value of 6, there are four leaves (2, 6, 8, 10), indicating that there are four trees that are 6 feet tall. For the stem value of 7, there are three leaves (5, 6, 9), indicating that there are three trees that are 7 feet tall.
Therefore, the total number of trees that are less than 8 feet tall is:
2 + 4 + 3 = 9
So there are 9 trees that are less than 8 feet tall.