A Step-by-Step Guide to Taking Urban Forest Inventory Measurements
Contents
1. a eoo E 6l 4t a v Leder RnLbe 4 dci pp ey pp Appendix 2 Cheat sheet to be used for sample plots inventory data sheet PAGE 1 Plot data PLOT ID Enter plot ID PLOT WP Enter GPS waypoint of plot not trees DATE Enter date of work CREW Enter crew ID GPS UNIT Enter GPS Unit ID PLOT ADDRESS Self explanatory PLOT PHONE Self explanatory OWNER NAME Owner of property if public note government entity NOTES Record anything noteworthy here Record lack of access e g property owner refusal poor environmen tal conditions ACTUAL LAND USE AND PERCENT IN Record land use and percent in plot Residential R Golf Course G Water wetland W Multi family residential M Agriculture A Transportation T Commercial Industrial C Vacant V Other O Park P Institutional 1 Cemetery E Utility U PLOT TREE COVER Record percent tree cover in plot SHRUB COVER Record percent shrub cover in plot GROUND COVER Record percent ground cover in plot Must add to 100 The crew notes the percentage of the plot ground area that is covered by the following materials Building B Bare soil S Concrete C Duff mulch D Tar T Blacktop asphalt Herbs H Herbaceous ground cover other than grass Rock R Pervious rock surfaces such as gravel brick including agricultural crops or flagstone walkways or patios without mortar Maintained2. https www youtube com watch v 5H8s2zNRRv8 MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE 060 Tilt the clinometer to the base of the tree and measure Add two metrics to complete the height measurement The information given here is for educational purposes only References to commercial products trade names or suppliers are made with the understanding that no endorsement is implied and that no dis crimination against other products or suppliers is intended Copyright 2015 by Mississippi State University AII rights reserved This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State Univer sity Extension Service By Jason Gordon Assistant Extension Professor Forestry and Brian Templeton Extension Associate III Landscape Architecture We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for em ployment without regard to race color religion sex national origin disability status protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law Publication 2882 Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with U S Department of Agriculture Pub lished in furtherance of Acts of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 GARY B JACKSON Director POD 04 15
3. 5 Unmaintained grass UG Duff mulch D Water W DBH Record the tree s DBH 2 1 in at 4 5 ft on the uphill side of the tree to the nearest 0 1 inch cm Record up to 6 stems 21 in if the pith union is below ground If more than 6 stems lower measurement height to 1 ft above ground and record DBH of up to the 6 largest stems TREE HEIGHT Total tree height Measure the height to top alive or dead of tree Height to live top This height will be the same as total tree height unless the tree is alive but the top of the crown is dead Height to crown base Measure height to base of live crown CROWN Crown width Measure crown width to nearest ft or m in two perpendicular directions north south and east west Percent canopy missing Estimate the percent foliage that is absent due to pruning dieback defoliation uneven crown or dwarf or sparse leaves Do not include normal interior crown voids due to leaf shading Crown dieback DB Percent branch dieback on side s and top of crown area Crown light exposure CLE Number of sides of the tree receiving sunlight from above maximum of five Percent impervious surface under the tree Estimate the percent of the area beneath the dripline of the tree that is impervious continued 15 TREES NEAR BLDGS Trees near buildings Enter the direction D and distance 5 to the three closest buildings if gt 60 ft note gt 60 ft SITE Indicate street tree YES Y or NO N if
4. tree height unless the tree is alive but the top of the crown is dead Using the diameter tape to measure DBH Follow the correct procedure to hold the tape Appendix 9 Measuring tree height using a clinometer Fol low the correct procedure to hold the clinometer Appendix 10 Extent of live top If the tree does not have any dead branches at the top the height to live top is the same as total height In the case of this tree height to live top is shorter than total height Height to crown base Measure the tree height to the base the lowest live foliage of the crown If the base is not reachable using the diameter tape the clinometer must be used and measured using the same procedure as measuring total height Measuring height to crown base using a diameter tape CROWN Crown width Measure the width of each tree s crown to the nearest foot Two volunteers are needed to measure the crown width Making sure the diameter tape touches the tree stem to approximate the diameter of a circle encompassing the crown hold each end of the tape to the drip line and record the measurement This procedure should be repeated in two perpendicu lar directions north south and east west Measuring crown width east and west Measuring crown width north and south Percent canopy missing This metric estimates the percent of branches and foliage that is absent due to pruning defoliation uneven cro
5. canopy attributes One of the most commonly employed programs is the USDA Forest Service s i Tree available online at www itreetools org i Tree is a software suite produced with the collaboration of private and public partners Cur rently there are six applications Eco Streets Hydro Vue Design and Canopy Each application focuses on specific objectives For example Eco provides a broad spectrum of data fields that when combined with air pollution and meteorological data quantifies com munity forest structure and environmental effects and applies a monetary value to tree benefits By contrast Hydro simulates the effects of changes in tree and impervious cover characteristics on stream flow and water quality The i Tree software suite is peer reviewed public domain easy to use software that allows for scalable analysis In other words results be generalized from individual trees to neighborhood to city levels based on a sample inventory From this information users can make management recommendations such as species selection address invasive species and per form storm damage assessment The remainder of this article focuses on the data entry variables found within i Iree Eco How is the data recorded Example data sheets and respective cheat sheets for the plot inventory Appendices 1 and 2 and the full inventory Appendices 3 and 4 can be found in the ap pendix to this document The advantage of paper
6. critical poor fair good very good or excellent Creating a visual map of how urban forest benefits are distributed across the landscape is known as benefit mapping A key aspect of benefit mapping is ap plying a dollar value to trees based on their individual characteristics Using computer software economic value can be assigned to ecosystem service benefits of urban trees such as pollution removal e g ozone sulfur dioxide nitrogen dioxide carbon sequestration and energy savings What is a bottom up tree inventory A bottom up inventory generates primary data from on the ground inventory meth ods as opposed to aerial or satellite imagery i e top down inventory This approach requires a process of measuring individual tree characteristics and quality assurance control Field data collection requires ex tensive planning management and time Although it can be somewhat costly the results can provide more information than possible through top down analyses For these reasons it is beneficial to perform a bottom up inventory at some stage of the community tree inventory What 15 the scope of the bottom up inventory or how much 15 enough The scope also known as the sample is one the most important decisions made in planning a bottom up urban forest inven tory Determining the scope of the survey depends on available resources and goals MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SER
7. data input sheets is there is no risk of technological failure although they may get wet while in the field However paper data sheets are somewhat cumbersome to use Due to the number of variables the data sheet must be printed on 8 5 by 11 inch paper In addition paper requires an additional step entering the data into an electronic database after measurements are taken To address these deficiencies in paper data sheets the MSU Extension Service will soon make available a smartphone application that includes each variable found in the paper data sheet The app will be down loadable to 105 and Android platforms from the MSU Extension Service app store In addition to groundcover stem and canopy mea surements we include at least a basic yes no hazard observation measure If desired a positive response to this measure on the data sheet indicates the need to complete the hazard identification sheet Appendix 5 Each of the measurements found on these data sheets will be explained in the following sections What equipment is needed MSU Extension recommends four pieces of equipment to conduct a basic volunteer inventory 1 diameter tape 2 compass 3 clinometer 4 GPSunit While additional equipment or more expensive equip ment could be used we find this equipment is appro priate for limited budgets and for use with volunteers who borrow the equipment If available smartphone apps may be used instead of the
8. distance of the tree from plot center to the edge of the trunk LAND USE The previous land use metric indicated land use within the entire plot this metric records land use under individual tree canopies in the plot Record the land use to drip line of the tree crown The drip line is the very edge of the crown Most of the time this will be the same as the land use recorded for the plot Dripline The following land uses are used in the i Tree software Residential R Multi family residential M Commercial Industrial C Park P Cemetery E Golf Course G Aericulture A Vacant V Institutional 1 Utility U Water wetland W Transportation T Other O DBH Record the tree s DBH a relevant tree must be greater than or equal to 1 inch at 47 feet on the uphill side of the tree to the nearest 0 1 inch cm Record up to six stems 21 inch if the pith union is belowground If more than six stems lower the measurement height to 1 foot aboveground and record the DBH of the six largest stems See Appendix 9 for DBH measuring procedures Measuring DBH in multistemmed trees xg TREE HEIGHT i Tree re quires three height measure ments Appendix 10 m E Total tree height Measure the height of the tree to the highest visible branch alive or dead Height to live top Measure the height to the highest vis ible live branch This height will be the same as total
9. handheld compass and GPS Procedures Note We suggest urban forest inventory facilitators create an online public folder e g Dropbox Google Drive where volunteers can access maps documents Diameter tape Clinometer GPS unit Compass PowerPoint presentations literature and additional information on procedures Plot Information The first measurements describe the plot where the tree s is found Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 page 1 Plots are one tenth of an acre or 37 2 feet in radius Once plot center is found using a GPS unit the data collectors measure a radius of 37 2 feet from plot center using a diameter tape Every tree with at least half the stem falling inside the radius is considered within the plot and should be measured The following is repli cated from the Sample Plot Cheat Sheet Appendix 1 If a plot is located on private property access must be granted by the owner Appendices 6 and 7 PLOT ID Enter plot ID As mentioned above plots are randomly created within the border of a given area The plot ID is assigned by the Geographic In formation System GIS software The facilitator describes the location of the plot using roads and other geographic landmarks A copy of a large scale photo helps the volunteers get Recording data onto the data sheet Always use a pencil reasonably close to the plot Then GPS is used to get within 30 feet of the plot center PLOT WP
10. number press enter Because this is a laborious process we suggest editing in the office instead of the field whenever possible A waypoint can be deleted by selecting the waypoint pressing Menu selecting Delete and then selecting Yes To delete all waypoints in Waypoint Manager select Menu then select Delete all 001 15 5 14 Route Track Planner Manager y 043 7 01 a4 Thi Waypoint 0 76mi SE 002 15 5 14 076mi SE A4 003 15 SEP 14 SE 20 Manager Gr FSP are Setup Headina Restore Defaults Mark Haypoint Setup Compass Heading Make sure compass is on heading not bearing To change to heading from the main menu screen select Compass press menu select Setup Heading Anew win dow appears In the Go to Line window select Course Press Enter omes Go to Course Line Navigating to a waypoint Enter Setup Heading From the menu screen toggle to Where To and Enter Select Waypoints Select spe cific waypoint Note distance from current location and direction Select Go Start with an aerial image e g Google Maps of the general area Navigate to within a reasonable walking distance of the known location of the destina tion At this point use the GPS device to walk within 30 feet of the destination Modern handheld units can usually navigate to within 30 feet because error i
11. the casing with the right hand Stand upslope from the base of the tree Procedure Standing up slope from the base of the tree use your right hand to hold the casing and your left hand to hold the end of the tape Wrap the tape around the tree remembering to measure at 4 feet above where the tree meets the ground and Keeping the tape level Avoid wrapping the tape around vines or deformities If the tree has a deformity such as a burl at breast height measure the diameter just above the deformity Line up the end of the tape zero with the corresponding metric on the diameter side of the tape The matching metric is the tree s DBH Depending on the measurement s objective you may want to record to the nearest tenth or nearest inch 22 Appendix 10 Measuring Tree Heights for Urban Forest Inventories Note These instructions are for SUUNTO clinometers with a topographical scale feet A clinometer is an instrument that measures slope The concept of the clinometer is rooted in the trigonometry of a right triangle The volunteer measures slope the hypotenuse or rise over run twice First measure to the top of the tree If you stop here you have only measured the tree starting at the height of your eye So you must then measure to the base of the tree where the tree meets the ground creating two right triangles Add these two measurements together to get height Vand 66 ft from base of tree Step 1 Use the diameter tape
12. A Step by Step Guide to Taking Urban Forest Inventory Measurements Sea rant Mississippi Alabama This publication provides a step by step guide to conducting measurements for use in an urban tree inventory In general this guide reflects the measurements included in the U S Forest Service s i Tree Eco software program however the measurements are fairly standard variables used in bottom up urban forest inventories Urban Tree Inventories i Tree and Equipment What is a community tree inventory A community tree inventory performs three primary functions 1 Asa database consisting of information about individual trees This information includes tree location diameter height canopy width condition and hazards 2 Asamaintenance tool the community tree inventory enables managers to identify trees that need to be pruned staked fertilized cabled or removed Urban forest managers use the inven tory to periodically review trees that have been identified as hazards 3 Asamanagement tool the inventory enables aggregation of individual tree data to provide information about a population of trees also known as the urban forest Tree population infor mation includes species distribution and canopy cover A tree map enables community forest managers to identify and prioritize community canopy goals e g planting and maintenance while accounting for the condition of the com munity forest i e dead
13. Enter GPS waypoint of plot not trees Ap pendix 8 Typically a handheld GPS unit is used if the MSU Extension urban inventory app is not used which incorporates error up to around 30 feet The vol unteer attempts to arrive as close as possible to the coordinates indicated by the GPS At this point the volunteer marks a center point of the plot using a landscaping flag stick rock or some other object The plot is then measured using a radius of 37 2 feet 37 feet and 13 32 inches ES orone tenth of an acre Different sized plots can be used but Nowak et al 2 2008 suggest one tenth E acre is most effective for Making a waypoint using GPS i Tree statistics Trees are considered within the plot if at least half the stem at 4 feet known as diameter at breast height or DBH lies within the radius measure R ue Plot Center This one tenth acre plot has three trees Tree number four is more than halfway out of the plot while tree number 1 has more than half the stem inside the plot boundary DATE Enter date of work CREW Enter crew ID A unique crew ID is assigned by the facilitator GPS UNIT Enter GPS unit ID Crew ID and GPS unit ID are used to trace the data back to volunteer collec tors as part of quality control If using the smartphone app not applicable NA can be entered here PLOT ADDRESS If the plot or any portion is located on privat
14. VICE Inventory projects have ranged from parks to small neighborhoods to cities to counties A statistical representation of the urban forest requires a random sample whereby plots are placed randomly across the landscape within the boundaries of the study area e g the official city limits A simple ran dom sample is the most basic form of random sample A simple random sample however may not provide a true picture of forest cover since the urban forest is usually not distributed across the landscape randomly Simple random sample in Tupelo MS N 200 The green areas represent trees A stratified random sample offers an alternative sta tistical representation with plots randomly allocated according to land use A stratified random sample decreases the amount of plots wasted on sites with little or no trees e g large commercial parking lots and agriculture fields However because such sites are important characteristics of any populated place some plots will still be located there Research has found that 200 tenth acre plots in a given area provide enough information for statistical infer ence and benefit mapping while also maintaining an acceptable level of costs associated with data collection Nowak et al 2008 Fewer points may be appropriate for a small area but a greater number of points de creases error in the sample A statistical sample miti gates the effects of data collection error and landscape var
15. and measure 66 feet from the base of the tree Be sure to walk up slope and have a clear line of sight to the top of the tree if you are down slope from the tree a different calculation must be used Step 2 Standing 66 feet from the tree use the clinometer to measure to the topmost green leaf that you can see The dot on the clinometer should be on the top side facing the tree The brass loop should be on the bottom fac ing the user Keep both eyes open when looking into the peephole This produces an optical effect that transposes the cross hair onto the tree you are measuring If you tilt the clinometer up and down you will notice the scales have positive and negative numbers The scale to the right is the topographical scale in feet Note the negative scale appears when you tilt the clinometer down and the positive scale appears when you tilt the clinom eter up You must always be aware of whether the number is positive or negative Dot is barely visible in this photo MOS HA Tilt the clinometer to the top of the tree and measure Source SUUNTO 23 Step 3 Remaining 66 feet from the tree measure the base of the tree This measurement represents the lower triangle in the graphic above Add the two mea surements in feet together The sum is the total height For example you get 30 feet to the top and negative 5 feet to the bottom The total height of the tree is 35 feet This YouTube video might be helpful
16. ck C Stevens Rob ert E Hoehn Jeffrey T Walton Jerry Bond 2008 A Ground Based Method of Assessing Urban Forest Structure and Ecosystem Services Arboriculture and Urban Forestry 34 6 347 358 Jason Gordon Community Forestry Another Way of Thinking about Forest Management 151958 MSU Extension Service Jason Gordon Conducting a Community Tree Inven tory P2811 MSU Extension Service US Forest Service n d i Tree Streets User s Manual v5 x Retrieved January 19 2015 from www itree tools org eco UFORE Methods n d Retrieved January 19 2015 from http www itreetools org eco resources UFORE 20Methods pdf Appendix 1 Image of data sheet page 1 Plot Data to be used for sample plots inventory Crew GPS Unit Plot address Plot phone Owner Name ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN SHRUB COVER ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN BLDG 96C MNT 96TAR ROCK 96SOIL GROUND COVER 96HERB IVY 96MAIN GRASS UNMAIN GRASS H20 DUFF MULCH Appendix 1 continued Image of data sheet page 2 Tree Data to be used for sample plots inventory Plot ID Plot WP TREES NEAR BLDGS me e ETT TTT e ge je m emer ein pr e m n p n n eee DIT eee ee Er s ux S E ES 8 LES ES ES SS E
17. e property enter the plot address including street number street and zip code PLOT PHONE If the plot or any portion is located on private property enter the telephone number The telephone number will be available after the property owner has consented to the procedure Appendices 6 and 7 In some cases special permission will need to be granted to access public property In such cases the same permission documentation should be used with access granted by the supervising authority OWNER NAME Record the name of the owner of property if public note government entity NOTES Record anything noteworthy here Record lack of access e g property owner refusal or environ mental conditions ACTUAL LAND USE AND PERCENT IN The letter from the list below is recorded along with percent of each land use that falls within the plot Proportions are recorded in increments of 1 5 percent then every 5 percentage points As with other qualitative estimates in the inventory land use should be discussed and agreed upon by team members Up to four land uses can be recorded Below are the land uses recognized by i Iree Residential R Multi family residential M Commercial Industrial C Park P Cemetery E Golf Course G Agriculture A Vacant V Institutional 1 Utility Water wetland W Transportation T Other O PLOT TREE COVER Record the estimated percent of tree canopy over the plot This is an
18. es starts with the tree closest to due north and proceeds in a clockwise direc tion PLOT ID Enter the plot ID from page 1 Plot Informa tion so that the individual tree information can be linked to the correct plot PLOT WP Enter the GPS waypoint for the plot from page 1 TREE ID Record the tree species U if unknown and take a photo and send to the facilitator using the UFORE abbreviations www itreetools org eco re sources ufore species list apr30 2012 pdf The MSU 48 Extension Service currently offers a smartphone applica tion called Tree Census with the list of species A relevant 57 tree must be greater than or equal to 1 inch at 47 feet Using the tree code app to record the tree ID UFORE abbreviation STATUS The crew should discuss and come to con sensus about whether the tree was P Planted the tree was planted intentionally often characterized by orderly patterns e g rows and land scaping I Ingrowth the tree self seeded Unknown planted vs ingrowth cannot be deter mined Record dead trees as 1 and skip to the site variable DR Record the direc tion of the tree from the center of plot using azimuth in degrees DR and DS are used as geo graphic references in ad dition to the plot center waypoint Geographic references are important for future inventory updates A smartphone app makes recording direction easy DS Record the
19. grass MG This category includes sand in playgrounds or added as topping to existing soil Large solid rock outcrops should be listed as concrete Water W Unmaintained grass UG PAGE 2 Tree data Data collection for living and dead trees starts with the tree farthest to the north and proceeds in a clockwise direction PLOT ID Enter plot ID from page 1 PLOT WP Enter GPS waypoint for plot from page 1 TREE ID abbreviated tree species U if unknown and take photo and send to coach STATUS P Planted the tree was planted intentionally I Ingrowth the tree self seeded Unknown planted vs ingrowth cannot be determined Record dead trees as 1 and skip to Site DR Direction of tree from center of plot azimuth in degrees DS Distance of tree from plot center to edge of trunk LAND USE Record land use to drip line Residential R Golf Course G Water wetland W Multi family residential M Agriculture A Transportation T Commercial Industrial C Vacant V Other O Park P Institutional 1 Cemetery E Utility U DBH Record the tree s DBH gt 1 inch at 4 5 feet on the uphill side of the tree to the nearest 0 1 inch Record up to 6 stems 21 in if the pith union is below ground If more than 6 stems lower measurement height to 1 ft above ground and record DBH of up to the 6 largest stems TREE HEIGHT Total tree height Measure the height to top alive or dead of tree Height to live top This heig
20. he tree to the closest part of the building and the distance 5 if gt 60 ft just note gt 60 ft These metrics are needed for calculating energy savings SITE Indicate whether the tree is a street tree yes Y or not a street tree no N A street tree is any tree or part of tree including the canopy and root systems that lies on or has grown onto or over public property or in public right of way owned by a public entity Measuring distance to the closest building using a diameter tape HAZARD Mark yes or no to indicate whether the overall tree foliage branches bole show indications of pest disease or if tree branches could be a hazard A hazard is any tree part of tree that may cause harm to people or property e g car It is important to under stand that only a certified arborist should conduct a complete tree risk assessment due to liability concerns However because they are observing many trees vol unteers are invaluable for identifying obvious major problems If a tree is a hazard complete the additional hazard identification form Appendix 5 If a hazard is indicated arborists will return to the tree to assess it Additional Reading David J Nowak Jeffrey T Walton Jack C Stevens Daniel E Crane and Robert E Hoehn 2008 Effect of Plot and Sample Size on Timing and Precision of Urban Forest Assessments Arboriculture amp Urban Forestry 34 6 386 390 David J Nowak Daniel E Crane Ja
21. ht will be the same as total tree height unless the tree is alive but the top of the crown is dead Height to crown base Measure height to base of live crown CROWN Crown width Measure crown width to nearest foot in two perpendicular directions north south and east west Percent canopy missing Estimate the percent foliage that is absent due to pruning defoliation uneven crown or dwarf or sparse leaves Crown dieback DB Percent branch dieback on side s and top of crown area Crown light exposure CLE Number of sides of the tree receiving sunlight from above maximum of five Percent impervious surface under the tree Estimate the percent of the area beneath the dripline of the tree that is impervious TREES NEAR BLDGS For trees 220 ft tall that are located within 60 ft of space conditioned residential buildings that are three stories or fewer in height two stories and an attic record the direction D azimuth in degrees from the tree to the closest part of the building and the distance 5 if gt 60 ft just note gt 60 ft SITE Indicate street tree YES Y or NO N if tree is located on edge of street HAZARD Mark YES Y or NO N if overall tree foliage branches bole show indications of pest disease or if tree branch es could be a hazard A hazard is any tree part of tree that may cause harm to people or property e g car We are looking for obvious major problems here If tree is a hazard complete add
22. iation The project facilitator will add 5 10 percent more plots as extra plots in case some of the original 200 are inaccessible Once the community determines the scope the project facilitator will locate the plots on a map using Geographic Information System technol ogy Plot center geo coordinates and the map will then be distributed to volunteers Finally a full inventory also called a 100 percent inventory is often used to measure street trees parks In a stratified random sample in Tupelo MS N 200 The green areas represent trees There are more points located in tree areas than in the simple random sample and other public areas This project scope measures each tree in the designated area A full inventory is usually not a practical alternative for assessing the urban forest Because a full inventory is unlikely to be implemented across the entire community it does not usually provide a true representation of the urban forest What is i Tree Several urban forest inventory software packages are available Some are freeware licensed to use free of charge while others can be fairly expensive Inventory software should have some basic data entry fields such as Global Positioning Systems GPS coordinates and tree species Preferably additional entry fields would include tree height diameter crown width crown missing dieback and land use and ground cover at tributes Canopy measurements are needed to assess
23. itional hazard identification form If a hazard is indicated arborists will return to the tree to assess it Appendix 3 Image of data sheet to be used for 100 percent inventory DATE OF INVENTORY crew Jjeesuit __ POW lano al a Ta ERI esr bo bo b b b b b b bod OO 1 1 Y E Ii Yd i Appendix 4 Cheat sheet to be used with 100 percent inventory data sheet 100 Percent Inventory Cheat Sheet DATE Enter date of work CREW Enter crew ID GPS UNIT Enter GPS Unit ID LOCATION Enter location Miller Park LAND USE Record the predominant gt 50 land use in which the trees are located Residential R Golf Course G Water wetland W Multi family residential M Agriculture A Transportation T Commercial Industrial C Vacant V Other O Park P Institutional 1 Cemetery E Utility U WP Enter GPS waypoint TREE ID abbreviated tree species U if unknown and take photo STATUS P Planted the tree was planted intentionally I Ingrowth the tree self seeded U Unknown planted vs ingrowth cannot be determined 1 Dead trees GROUND COVER Must add to 100 The crew notes the percentage of the plot ground area that is covered by the following materials up to 4 Building B Rock R Pervious rock surfaces Herbs H Concrete C such as gravel Grass MG Tar T Blacktop asphalt Bare soil
24. l although most current handheld GPS units are similar Main menu The Power On button is usually on the side of the device Sometimes it is labeled light Press the light button to change screen visibility Press Back to return to a previous screen From the main menu screen toggle to the satellite icon and press Enter Enter is pressing straight down on the toggle button The GPS unit must be receiving from at least three satellites Mark Lompass Haypoint e Irip Setup Computer Marking Current Waypoint From the menu screen select Mark Waypoint Once in the waypoint screen the GPS uses a default name for the waypoint Note the GPS coordinates in the location window Toggle to Done and Enter to save waypoint Location H 33 27 068 088 50 604 Trip Computer Managing Waypoints 23 Haypoint Use Waypoint Manager to view waypoints These points may have been gener Manager ated by the unit itself or uploaded to the device from an external computer From the menu screen toggle to Waypoint Manager By default the most recently created S LT waypoint is at the top Note the time and date created Marker name coordinates w and notes can be modified by toggling to the respective window to highlight pressing enter to initiate the keyboard and toggling to letters and numbers on the keyboard After selecting a letter
25. n the GPS system limits accuracy More advanced higher priced devices such as those used by civil engineers have less error Using the compass to navigate To use the compass first return to the main menu screen Select compass then follow the compass noting the GPS heading course line indicates the direction you are currently heading course pointer indicates direction you should head and distance to destination 2 Appendix 9 Measuring Tree Diameter for Urban Tree Inventories Measuring the diameter DBH of a tree is easy when you have a diameter tape A few points are important to keep in mind First a diameter tape D tape is a breakable instrument If you are not careful the spring within the housing can break resulting in the tape s inability to recoil and becoming a tangled web of metal Second the metal strip can be sharp so be careful when handling the tape Third MSU Extension recommends a 100 foot diameter tape with distance in tenths of inches One side of the tape can measure distance while the other side of the tape is calibrated to pi in order to measure diameter Diameter tape Diameter side of measurement Measure diameter at about 4 feet above the base of the tree Cross hands as in the photo so that the zero at the end of the tape lines up with the diameter metric d 3 13 rum E Hold the end of the D tape with the left hand while holding
26. other qualitative estimate that should be discussed among team mem bers SHRUB COVER Record the estimated percent of shrub cover in the plot The facilitator will inform the volunteers what is classified as shrub cover Plot Center The number of trees on a plot can range from none to many GROUND COVER Record the percent ground cover in plot which must total 100 percent The crew notes the percentage of the plot ground area that is covered by the materials below Estimation may be facilitated by dividing the plot in halves or quarters then sum ming the proportions of each section Building B Concrete C Tar T Blacktop asphalt Rock R Pervious rock surfaces such as gravel brick or flagstone walkways or patios without mortar This category includes sand in playgrounds or added as topping to existing soil Large solid rock outcrops should be listed as concrete Bare soil S Duff mulch D Herbs H Herbaceous ground cover other than grass including agricultural crops Maintained grass MG Unmaintained grass UG Water W Plot Center This plot has approximately 40 tree cover 0 shrub cover 276 T 1 C 1 W 1 B 95 MG Ground covers in this plot include tar maintained grass and some mulch around the tree The land use is institutional The following metrics are for individual trees within the plot Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 page 2 Data collection for living and dead tre
27. project will utilize the i Tree Eco Urban Forest Effects UFORE Model developed by the US Forest Service to quantify the composition tree type size health etc and environmental benefits of city s trees Statewide ur ban trees are worth billions of dollars and annually provide millions of dollars worth of environmental benefits In addition the volunteers will assess the health condition of the trees so that the City can prioritize pruning and removals Altogether this information is needed to develop a comprehensive urban forest management plan for city Approximately 200 randomly distributed 1 10 acre sample plots have been identified throughout the City One of these plots or a portion thereof is located on your property We are requesting permission to access your yard to collect information on trees within the sample plot including tree type size crown coverage and density and overall health There are no immediate benefits to you however if one or more of your trees is determined to be in poor condition a certified arborist will contact you to offer a professional opinion Measurements will not harm the trees in any way and only trees within the plot will be measured The volun teers conducting the activity assume full responsibility for any risks of loss or injury to person or property that may be sustained and waive any and all liability claims demands actions and causes of action whatsoever arising out of or related
28. to any loss damage or injury while conducting the inventory on your property If you agree please sign the enclosed form indicating your permission or denial for the urban inventory personnel to enter your property for this specific purpose Please contact Project Coordinator Jason Gordon at 662 325 8851 with any questions or concerns you may have You can keep this letter for your records Thank you very much for your consideration Don t miss this opportunity to have your trees represent city Sincerely City Urban Tree Inventory Team Appendix 7 Property access consent form Urban Tree Study We need your help in gathering data on your city s trees Please help by completing the information below and returning this form to the volunteer Please contact project coordinator Jason Gordon at 662 325 8851 with any questions or concerns you may have DATE NAME ADDRESS ZIP CODE TELEPHONE Yes authorize the urban tree inventory volunteers to access my property today for the pur pose of collecting inventory data from trees on or adjoining my property No I do not want my trees included in this important study Appendix 8 Using GPS for Urban Forest Inventories The following information is about using GPS during urban forest inventories Specifically we focus on marking waypoints i e geo coordinates to record the locations of sample plots and trees This information was written using the Garmin eTrex 10 as a mode
29. tree is located on edge of street HAZARD Mark YES Y or NO if overall tree foliage branches bole show indications of pest disease or if tree branch es could be a hazard A hazard is any tree part of tree that may cause harm to people or property e g car If tree is a hazard complete additional hazard identification form Appendix 5 Tree hazard data sheet for volunteer based urban forest inventories Explanation is provided during tree hazard training TREE DEFECTS AFFECTING THE LIKLIHOOD OF FAILURE CROWN AND BRANCHES ROOTS AND ROOT COLLAR Dieback Collar buried not visible Dead twigs branches Dead Decay Lightning damage Conks mushrooms Codominant stems Included bark Weak attachments gt 1 2 dia Trunk Cavity 1 2 dia Trunk IDead missing bark L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 Cankers galls burls Root plate lifting L E1 L1 L1 L1 E1 Main concerns Liklihood of failure Liklihood of failure Improbable Improbable Possible Possible Imminent Imminent TRUNK Dead missing bark Cankers galls burls Abnormal bark Conks mushrooms icolor texture Cracks Lightning damage Cavity gt 1 2 dia Trunk Codominant stems Included bark Main concerns Liklihood of failure Improbable Possible Imminent 17 Appendix 6 Property access request form Dear Homeowner Local volunteers representing sponsor will be conducting an urban tree inventory throughout 2014 and 2015 This
30. wn i e irregular due to damage or some other negative abiotic or biotic impact or dwarf or sparse leaves 1076 missing crown 2576 missing crown This tree has approximately 3576 of its crown missing Crown dieback DB Record percent branch dieback on each side and top of crown area Dieback is a condi tion in which a tree or shrub begins to die from the tip of its leaves or shoots backward resulting from disease or an unfavorable environment 25 crown dieback This tree has approximately 25 crown dieback Crown light exposure CLE Record the number of sides of the tree receiving sunlight The maximum is five four sides and top As a rule of thumb include each side that receives at least 50 percent sunlight Imagine a box covering the crown to measure CLE A tree can have up to five sides exposed to sunlight IMPERVIOUS SURFACE Estimate the percent of the area beneath the dripline of the tree that is impervious to water Often this will reflect the single tree metric for land use above An impervious surface is one that does not allow water to penetrate into the soil Greater areas of imperious surface result in increased runoff TREES NEAR BLDGS Identify trees 220 feet tall that are located within 60 feet of space conditioned residen tial or commercial buildings that are three stories or fewer in height e g two stories and an attic Record the direction D azimuth in degrees from t
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search