2/3/2011

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Tree Inventory Systems 101

Richard J. Hauer, Ph.D

Google Hauer UWSP for a copy of today’s talk

Associate Professor of Urban Forestry

College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

We have extra money

Got a grant

Why Do People Inventory Trees?

Need an intern project

Someone got hurt

Think one is needed

Too much time on my hands

Have a Reason … Does it make Management Better?

Real programs have one

Why not and more ….

Why Inventories are Important

Knowing and taking action is important

Why Tree Risk Management is Important

The above fatality happened the same day of the kick-off USFS Urban Tree Risk Management workshop (9/5/2003).

Why Tree Risk Management is Important

They knew, they marked, but they failed to take action

Resources are limited

You can’t collect everything

Frame your questions before you collect data

Cardinal Rules of Inventories

Develop and test collection systems before hand

Consult with others

…serious, avoiding these may waste money

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• Number

• Diameter

• Species

– Richness

– Abundance

• Condition (tree risk, general health)

What do you want to know about trees?

• Maintenance Needs

• Insects & Disease

• Conflicts

• Location

• Other

Framing your questions in advance!

1. What do we have?

2. What do we want?

3. How do we get what we want?

Management Plan Development

What is planning? An anticipated course of action for the future that is uncertain

g

4. Feedback/Evaluation

Step 1 (Inventories) provides data for 2 & 3

Inventory = collection of data that is turned into useful information (Sacksteder & Gerhold)

Have a purpose for conducting a tree inventory

• Increase daily maintenance efficiency

• Monitor resource growth & development

• Establish resource projections

• Direct programmatic changes

• Project costs of programmatic changes

What are Some Uses for Tree Inventory Data

• Quantify benefits/values

• Secure funding

• Educational tool

• Storm damage assessment

Now Write the Question

• Inventory cost ($2.00 - $5.00 / tree or more)– Maximize public benefits– Minimize public expense– Current resource record– Plan, schedule, monitor

• Identify information gaps/needs beforehand

Why Spend Money on Tree Inventories?

y g p

• Direction … Plant, Maintain, Remove

• Unnecessary data wastes money/time

• Not enough information wastes money/time

Carefully think and ask if you really need one

• What to look at

• When to look

Tree Risk Management Inventory

• How often to look

• How to survey

Many approaches, Trees can block sightlines … Vehicular Hazard Inventory

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An Approach

Orderly

Systematic

Frequency

Very High Risk Zone

High Risk Zone

Moderate Risk Zone

Low Risk Zone

q y

Develop a Risk Rating Map

Most Frequent

Very High Risk Zone

High Risk Zone

Moderate Risk Zone

Low Risk Zone

Very High Risk Zone

Less Frequent

Very High Risk Zone

High Risk Zone

Moderate Risk Zone

Low Risk Zone

High Risk Zone Added

Lesser Frequent

Very High Risk Zone

High Risk Zone

Moderate Risk Zone

Low Risk Zone

Moderate Risk Zone Added

Least Frequent

Very High Risk Zone

High Risk Zone

Moderate Risk Zone

Low Risk Zone

Low Risk Zone Added

Document Tree Inspections

Documentation is Evidence

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Document Corrective Actions

Not Documenting Can be Taken as Did Not Do

Document Resident Complaints

Documentation Reduces Disagreements

1. Time & Personnel

2. Site Information

3. Tree Information

4. Maintenance Information

Tree Inventory Data Attributes

5. Value

• Records when and who recorded information

• Track progress

Inventory Attribute: Time and Personnel

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• Evaluate programmatic efficiency (e.g. pruning time, hazard tree abatement)

• Tree location (address, work unit, GPS, plot #)

• Tree number (sequential, block, address)

• Vacancy (e.g., no tree)

• Terrace width and R.O.W.

• Utilities (type – cable, electric, fiber optic)

Inventory Attribute: Site Information

• Road type (primary, secondary, tertiary)

• Land use

• Planting restrictions (access drive, neighboring tree)

• Planting code (e.g., small, medium, large)

• Species

• Diameter

• Condition Class (vitality, CTLA)

Inventory Attribute: Tree Information

• Structural Defects (Risk assessment)

• Height (quantifying benefits)

• Canopy Spread (quantifying benefits, canopy)

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Tree Pruning

Tree pruning productivity for street trees in Milwaukee, WI(Zillmer et al. J Arbor 26:97-105)

120

140

160

180

y = - 21.545 + 7.3636x

R2 = 0.9986

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Diameter (in @ dbh)

Tim

e (m

in)

Tree Pruning

Pruning time in relation to tree diameter(from O'Brien et al. J. Arbor 18:307-315)

y = 0.44 + 0.1178x

R2 = 0 977433.5

44.5

5

ou

rs)

Present

Absent

Linear (Absent) R = 0.9774

y = 0.4903 + 0.1125x

R2 = 0.987

00.5

11.5

22.5

3

0 10 20 30 40

Tree Diameter (dbh)

Tim

e (H

o Linear (Absent)

Linear (Present)

R:\UTT\Greensburg Inventory.xls

• Greensburg Data Prune Time– Churack et al. 682 Hours

– Zillmer at al. 802 Hours

– O’Brien at al. 1,291 Hours

Tree Pruning – Time Requirements

• Tree Population Statistics– 664 Trees

– 12.8 mean dbh

– 66.4 mean condition

• Maintenance Needs

– Removal

– Structural support (cable)

Inventory Attribute: Maintenance Information

– Prune (formative, deadwood, subordinate)

– etc.

• Tree Risk Assessment (careful HAZARD term)

• Sidewalk/Utility Clearance

• I/D Problems

• Crew Members

• Date

• Time (Start to Finish = Length)

• Activity

Inventory Attribute: Maintenance Records

• Complaints

• Type (Scheduled, Service Request)

• Typically Derived

– The Attributes

– Size, Species, Condition, Location

• CTLA (Council Tree & Landscape Appraisers)

Inventory Attribute: Tree Value

• Replacement Cost

• Diameter Inch ($100/inch – City of Milwaukee)

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• Database Types– Paper– Picture– Text File – Spreadsheet– Relational Database– Spatial Relational Database

• Data Collection Tools

What Tool(s) What Tool(s) or Method(s) or Method(s) D Y U ?D Y U ?

Data collection tools

– Paper– Camera– Data logger– PDA– Tablet PC– GIS/GPS

• Customized versus Commercial Programs

Do You Use?Do You Use?

Many ways to collect data

• Customized Tree Inventory Program

• Microsoft Access, Open-Office, R-base, D-base, Paradox, File-maker Pro

• Excel, Lotus, Quattro Pro, Visicalc

• Word WordPerfect Write Notepad

Some Tree Inventory Database Possibilities

• Word, WordPerfect, Write, Notepad

• Rolodex, File Folder, Legal Pad

• Film or Digital Camera

• Your Brain!

Did you think of all of these?

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ted

elec

ted

Which Database is Correct for You

Level of ComplexityLevel of ComplexityLowLow highhigh

Tool

Se

Tool

Se

Complexity of Question or Problem and Tool Selected

Paper Based Coordinate System

I think you sunk my battle ship

• Individual or summarized tree attributes written or typed on an index card or record sheet

• Advantages– Can be inexpensive– Low technical barrier– Relatively easily customized– Small tree populations

Paper Database

• Disadvantages– Can be expensive– Limitations to summarizing data– Updating– Analysis– Large tree populations

Commonly used a hundred years ago, not today

Point TallyPoint Tally

Paper Based Tree Tally

Old school, but not obsolete

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• Data Collected– Species– Diameter– Condition– Available Planting Sites

• Limited LinkageDi t b S i

Paper Based Tally

– Diameter by Species– Condition by Species– Unable to link condition

class by diameter by species because the way the data is collected

Old school, but not obsolete

• Purpose: description of dominant vegetation

• Photogrammetry– Aerial photographs– Describe vegetation,

topography, cultural activity

Cover Type Mapping

– Advantages: permanent record, extent, vantage point

– Disadvantages: expertise to interpret, timing

Commonly used for rural forests

Color Infrared Photography

• Sub-meter resolution

• Leaf-on

• Source: USFS and

Digital Color Infrared Photography

• Source: USFS and SUNY-ESF

Statistical sample

Select study area

~200 trees +- 10%)

Urban forest structure

Estimate function

Ecosystem Analysis Inventory (i-Tree Eco, was UFORE)

pollution removal

energy conservation

carbon storage

pollen

etc.

Spatial Location Tools:

Hand Held GPS (Global Positioning System)

Back Pack GPS

GPS Based Data Collection Tool

PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) with GPS Card,

These are really cool, do you need this complexity?

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• System (integrated data)

• Computer Hardware and Software– Data layers

C di t t

Spatial Data Integrated Through GIS (Geographic Information System)

– Common coordinate system

• End Use– Pretty Maps– Analytical Decision Making

save money, avoid problems, assist w decision making?

Pen Computer Data Collection Tool

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

save money, avoid problems, assist w decision making?

Tablet PC’s

Tablet PC Based Data Collection Tool

• Documentation

• Canopy Cover

• Forest Health

Film or Digital Picture Database

Oak WiltOak Wilt

R:R:\\UTTUTT\\Oak Wilt Database.xlsOak Wilt Database.xls

Types of Tree InventoriesGoal Dependent

Tree Population< 1,000 1,000 to

5,0005,000 +

Canopy Analysis √ √ √

S l S √Sample Survey √

Tree Talley √ √ √

Index Card File √ √

Inventory Software √ √

GIS √ √

Making It Work in Your Community

itreetools.orgitreetools.org

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STRATUM assesses:– Structure

– Function• Energy

• Air pollution

Assessing Street Tree Populations

Air pollution

• Stormwater

• Carbon

• Property Value

– Value

– Management needs

Total ($) $/capita $/treeBenefit 501,064 11.31 93.64Cost 94,000 2.12 17.57Net Benefits 407,064 9.19 76.07Benefit-Cost Ratio 5.33 5.33 5.33

Was Stratum now called i-Tree Streets

• Eco assesses:

– Structure

– Function• Energy

• Air pollution

Assessing Urban Ecosystems

p

• Carbon

– Value

– Management• Health

• Pest impacts

Was UFORE now called i-Tree Eco

An i-Tree Streets Project A Benefit – Cost Study

Are street trees worth the investment?

A Benefit – Cost Summary

Annual B’s & C’s and B/C … per capita and per tree

Define Cost Data

Use your data to make it real

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Define Benefit Price Data

Use your data to make it real

Benefit – Cost Reporting

Your data to make this real

Trees and Energy Conservation

Heating and Cooling

Population Summary

• Summaries or complete lists of inventoried … species, #’s, #’s by tree type and dbh class

• Basic understanding of species frequency citywide, Management Zone, and DBH size classes

Use your data to make it real

• Species composition -10 most prevalent spp

• % of total numbers

i b d

Species Distribution

• species abundance

How many of any species

• Structural (woody)

• Functional (foliage)

Tree Condition

• By most common spp.

• Relative indicator

The Good, Bad, and Ugly

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• $ per tree

• Total $

All Benefits

What’s a tree worth, what’s the population worth

Management Costs

Wait, there is no free lunch

A Benefit – Cost Summary

Annual B’s & C’s and B/C … per capita and per tree

We have extra money

Got a grant

Why Do People Inventory Trees?

Need an intern project

Someone got hurt

Think one is needed

Too much time on my hands

Have a Reason … Does it make Management Better?

Real programs have one

Why not and more ….

Resources are limited

You can’t collect everything

Frame your questions before you collect data

Cardinal rules of inventories

Develop and test collection systems before hand

Consult with others

…Serious, avoiding these may waste money

• Number

• Diameter

• Species

– Richness

– Abundance

• Condition (tree risk, general health)

What do you want to know about trees?

• Maintenance Needs

• Insects & Disease

• Conflicts

• Location

• Other

Framing your questions in advance!