David Bloniarz, USDA Forest Service

1
Tree Inventories Strategies for Effective
Management
New approaches and technologies for Tree Wardens,
Arborists and Urban Community Foresters
David Bloniarz, USDA Forest Service Christopher
Rooney, Univ. of Massachusetts/Amherst
2
An Outline of Todays Presentation
Inventory Background Reporting your
Findings Windshield Surveys Computerized Options
3
Tree City USA Bulletin

• National Arbor Day Foundation publication
• Valuable summary and recap of key concepts

4
Specific Problem Inventory

• Related to only one problem
• Limited to one problem rather than broad
  management
• Asian Longhorned Beetle
• Dutch Elm Disease

5
Park and Natural Areas

• Manicured Parks - Trees are individually
  inventoried
• Natural Areas - Sampling, typing or grouping
• Utilization of GIS, GPS and remote sensing

6
Cover Type Survey

• Utilizes aerial photos
• Quantifies canopy extend
• Monitoring of trends, patterns and changes
• Useful for planning new construction - protection
  zones energy savings potential

7
Sampling Method

• Inexpensive and quick
• Requires random sample
• Assists in developing whole and accurate profiles
  of the population
• May require stratification or grouping of
  land-use types

8
Windshield Survey

• Gathers more info than the Specific Problem
  Inventory
• Relatively inexpensive and quick to complete
• Can be ongoing
• Less precise than individual inspection
• Ideal for inspection following storm events

9
Complete Inventory - Periodic

• All trees are inventoried
• Location is recorded by address, GPS or GIS
• Detailed accounting of all trees
• Time consuming and more costly
• Most Accurate

10
Complete Inventory - Continuous

• All trees are inventoried
• Computer based, often linked to GIS and
• Continuously maintained by updating
• Filed work orders related to inventory database
• Most expensive, but most effective management
  tool

11
What data to collect?
12
(No Transcript)
13
Reports Telling the Story
14
Reports Information Transfer
15
Reports Data Analysis
16
Reports Telling the Story
17
Reports Species Distribution
18
Species Distribution
19
Reports Planting Location
20
Accurate SimpleReporting
21
Accurate SimpleReporting
22
Reporting
Accurate SimpleReporting
23
Education and Advocacy
24
Example Canopy Cover
25
Web Sharing of Inventory Data
26
Web Accessible Inventory Data
27
Windshield Surveys
By Christopher Rooney For Massachusetts Tree
Wardens and Foresters association January 22,
2003
28
Windshield Surveying

• Driving Roads (faster than walking)
• Ideally used when locating or identifying a few
  items ex (insects and disease problems, drought
  stress)
• Sometimes used to update traditional inventory
  methods (windshield every year, traditional every
  fifth year)
• Can be used when sampling only a certain
  percentage of area 5-10
• Can be high or low tech (GPS or Pen and Pad)

29
Who uses this method?

• Many Tree Wardens and City Foresters
• currently use this method
• example
• (City of Cincinnati Foresters used a
  volunteer's convertible to complete one)

30
Who uses this method? (cont)

• Utility Arborists
• (looking at clearance distances)

31
Can a windshield survey be used for identifying
hazardous conditions in trees?

• It is recommended to inspect trees yearly for
  hazardous conditions Why?
• 1. Conditions constantly
• change
• 2. To help prioritize work
• 3. To reduce the
• communitys liability
  
• With current financial woes municipalities need
  cost effective methods

32
Case study South Kingstown, RI

• Part time tree warden
• 148 miles of town
• maintained roads and
• right of ways
• Estimated 15,000 trees
• under tree wardens control
• Annual tree budget of
• 42,000
• includes salary of tree
• warden

33
Towns Options To Inspect Trees

• No action (lawsuits)
• CT lawsuit
• Thorough inspection
• Great but
• Not cost effective
• Windshield survey
• the option chosen
• will hopefully save time and money

34
How a windshield survey is conducted our case
study

• For Public and your Safety
• Use Hazard lights
• Reflective triangle
• on tailgate
• Every town road
• Conduct when leaves are off trees to locate
  conditions easier
• Driving Up and Down each road
• Depends upon density

35
What are we looking for?

• Weak Forks
• Cavities
• Deadwood
• Other conditions Cracks, Dieback,

36
12 Point Hazard Rating System

• 1-3 Points for Target
• 3 Points for House or 3 Phase
• 1 Point for rural fence
• 1-4 Points for Size of Defect
• Small deadwood 1
• Leader or tree 4
• 1-3 Points Probability of Failure
• 3 Points for large amount of decay
• 1 Point for minor
• 0-2 Points For Tree Type
• 0 Points for White Oak
• 2 Points for Silver Maple

Use the 12 Pt system to identify conditions and
Prevent Sights like this
37
Example

• Target High School
• Parking Lot 3 Points
• Defective Part
• Leaders 4 Points
• Probability of Failure
• Extensive decay
• 3 Points
• Tree Type
• Norway Maple 1 Point
• Add up points
• Total 11 Points

38
Once hazardous condition is found, what next?

• Record the accurate location
• Could be
• House Number
• Pole Number
• GPS Points
• To make accurate maps
• Record the target
• Wires, road, school

39
End results

• List of hazardous conditions located from worst
  to mildest cases
• Start Working on the 12, 11, 10 scored Conditions
  FIRST!
• Target ID can help create partnerships
• You now have a systematic hazardous tree
  identification program

40
Things to Consider

• How well does it locate these hazards?
• Obvious ones-vs.-Hidden ones
• Our study will be complete this summer
• When in doubt, get out of the truck and take a
  closer look

41
StreamliningData Collection Management

• Computer databases
• Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
• Geographic information Systems (GIS)
• Global Positioning Systems (GIS)

42
MCTI An Integrated System for Tree Inventories
43
MCTI - Flexible Implementation

• Paper field data collection
• Computerized desktop database
• PDA field data collection and sync to database

44
Getting Started Method 1 (paper)

• Download Inventory Manual
• Print Paper Tally Sheets
• http//www.umass.edu/urbantree/palm

45
Paper Tally Sheet
46
Getting Started Method 2 (Computer)

• Requires a PC (Windows 95 or newer)
• Install Software (Free download via the Internet
• Data entry at your desktop

47
Customizing MCTI

• List of individual surveyors
• Choose selected Tree Species for your town
• Enter community ID (each town has a unique
  identifier number)

48
Data Entry Using a Personal Computer
49
Data Archiving Using a Personal Computer
50
Getting Started Method 3 (Computer and PDA)

• Requires a PC (Windows 95 or newer)
• Requires PDA (i.e., Palm Pilot 100-450)
• Install Software (Free, via Internet download at
  the following internet site -http//www.umass.edu
  /urbantree/mcti

51
Getting Started Method 3 (Computer and PDA)

• PDA increases efficiency
• Reduction in data entry errors
• Simple and fast method for data collection

52
PDA Log On Screen
53
PDA Data Entry Screen
54
PDA Data Entry Screen
55
PDA Data Entry Screen
56
PDA Data Entry Screen
57
MCTI - Phase II

• Development currently underway
• Operational planning implementation
• Customer database, work order generation and
  tracking, and inventory updates
• PDA, paper and barcode systems
• Field testing in Worcester, MA, Burlington, VT
  and Springfield, MA
• Release in August 2003

58
Web Distribution
59
Other Inventory Resources

• Pendragon Forms Data Collection Templates
• Cornell Coop Extension Access Database
• Sate of Vermont Access Database
• Commercial Software Systems

60
Pendragon Forms Templates

• Developed freeware inventory templates for use
  with Palm Pilot handheld PDAs
• Can be used for variety of inventory applications
  - street, park, golf course, etc.
• Tree Condition Management Needs
• Hazard Assessment
• Based on Pendragon Forms interface

61
Pendragon Forms Templates
Utilized for ease of programming and customization
62
Pendragon Forms Templates
Inventory, Hazard Assessment, Damage Assessment
and Tree Valuation
63
Pendragon Forms Templates
www.umass.edu/urbantree/palm
64
Tree Inventories in the palm of your hand
www.umass.edu/urbantree/
65
For More Information

• Contact Dave Bloniarz, USDA Forest Service
• Web site www.umass.edu/urbantree
• E-maildbloniarz_at_fs.fed.us

66
www.umass.edu/urbantree
67
Any questions?