Updating Your Tree InventoryIOWA SHADE TREE SHORT COURSEFEBRUARY 21-23, 2017
Agenda• Why• How• Results
ISA PledgeI pledge as an ISA Certified Arborist to:• Adhere to the Code of Ethics,• Comply with all accepted
professional standards,• Deliver safe & competent services
with objective & independent professional judgment,• Disclose potential conflict of
interest, and• Follow appropriate health & safety
procedures to protect clients, employers, employees, and the public.
What’s Happening? Our urban forests are threatened by: exotic and invasive insects and diseasesBudgetsConstructionWeather patterns/eventsPolicyEtc…..
How can we best manage sustainably?
Where to Start???
??
?
?? ?
? ??
?Public Tree Inventories
Management Plans
Urban Tree Canopy Analysis
Tree Ordinances
Hyperspectral Imagery
i-Tree Benefits Model
Should the Foundation of Your Urban Forest Program be Built by the Lowest Bidder?
Why?• Increased Public Safety• Increased Efficiency• Justify Budgets• Documentation• Planning
– Short-term– Long-term
Typical Tree Inventory Data Fields
• GIS/GPS• Location (Area) • Identification• Diameter (DBH)• Condition• Maintenance
Recommendation• Conflicts
Public Tree Inventory
How – ConsiderationsNew Vs. Update
–Goals–How accurate • (addressing)
–GIS data–Work histories
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing – Archive History
New
Save Work History
Results – Bellefontaine Cemetery
2007 – 5,272 trees2014 – 6,141 trees
Results – Bellefontaine Cemetery
2007 – 5,272 trees2014 – 6,141 trees
Results – Bellefontaine Cemetery
2007 – 5,272 trees2014 – 6,141 trees
Results – Bellefontaine Cemetery
Results – Bellefontaine Cemetery
Update
Update
Update
Results - Buffalo
Results - Buffalo2001 2014 Difference
Sites 124,445 127,080 2,635Total DBH 871,173” 817,627” -53,546”Average DBH
7” 6” -1”
# Species 281 247 -34# Removals
668 2,707 2,039
# Planting Sites
48,761 44,619 -4,142
Relative Performance
MAPLE, NORWAY
LINDEN, LITTLELEAF
MAPLE, SILVER
MAPLE, HEDGE
MAPLE, RED
MAPLE, CRIMSON KING
LILAC, IVORY SILK
MAPLE, DEBORAH SCHWEDLER
CRABAPPLE
HONEYLOCUST
LINDEN, CRIMEAN
PEAR, CALLERY
HORSECHESTNUT, COMMON
LONDON PLANETREE
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000
Condition Species with at least 1,000 trees
Dead Fair Good Other Poor
21%11%20%13%37%26%14%50%12
%20%24
% 3%13%9%
Results - Buffalo
ASH SPECIES
PINE, SPECIES
BIRCH, ASIAN WHITE
ASH, BLUE
COTTONWOOD, EASTERN
POPLAR, WHITE
POPLAR, SPECIES
WILLOW, WEEPING
FIR, WHITE
EMPRESS TREE
MAPLE, BOXELDER
VIBURNUM SPECIES
BIRCH, EUROPEAN
BEECH, PURPLE LEAF
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
Average of Growth
DBH
Top 10 Species Still Recommended for Removal (315)
MAPLE
, NORWAY
LINDEN, L
ITTLE
LEAF
MAPLE
, SILV
ER
ELM, S
COTC
H
LILAC,
IVORY
SILK
HORSECH
ESTNUT,
COMMON
CHERR
Y, KWANZA
N
CRAB
APPLE
MAPLE
, SUGAR
MAPLE
, SYC
AMORE 'SP
AETHII'
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Num
ber o
f Tre
es
Top 5 Species Still Poor Recommended for Removal
45; 43%
24; 23%
20; 19%
9; 9%6; 6%
MAPLE, NORWAYMAPLE, SILVERLINDEN, LITTLELEAFHORSECHESTNUT, COMMONCHERRY, KWANZAN
162 total trees
Poor Condition Performance2001 – 5,698 Trees
Updated Condition
Number of Trees
Dead 3Poor 145Fair 11Good 0Plant 293
Fair Condition Performance2001 – 38,199 Trees
Updated Condition
Number of Trees
Dead 298Poor 3,445Fair 26,830Good 962Plant 1,365
Good Condition Performance2001 – 25,632 Trees
Updated Condition
Number of Trees
Dead 259Poor 717Fair 8,952Good 9,783Plant 1,878
Growspace Performance
Growspace Growth # of Trees
< 4' 20,354” 26,071
4'-6' 38,955” 35,191
> 6' 61,438” 47,722
Planting Sites2001• 52,933 total vacant sites• 48,761 “real” planting sites
2014• 44,619 available planting sites• 4,142 planted trees
Conclusions• Know why you want an update?
– New vs update• Opportunity for data analysis
– Species performance• Growspace• Condition• Growth rate• Maintenance
• Costs• Frequency