Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 43(2): March 2017 (A full description of the process is avail- able from the authors upon request.) The use of aerial imagery, including the color infrared images acquired through the NAIP, and the use of an automated image analysis program to measure tree canopy cover is consistent with the methods used in conjunction with the U.S. Forests Service i-Tree Eco program for estimat- ing ecosystem values of urban forests (iTree 2017). The history of land development in the region described may have implications for canopy cover. Table 1 shows that only 42% (1,288 of 3,084) of sales in the data have any tree canopy at all. Except for Geauga County, which had only 17 sales (all of which were canopied), canopy ranges from 35% of all sales (in Medina County) to 49% of all sales (in Cuyahoga County). The average canopy square footage and percent are also shown for the sales in each county. Again, excepting the 17 sales of Geauga County, average canopy square footage and percent ranged from 718 to 2057 ft2 191.1 m2 (66.7 to ) and from 4.1% to 8.1%, respectively. The Great Recession and its impact on housing is one limitation of the current study. Researchers limited the study to years aſter the housing crash and before the market in northeastern Ohio began to recover, using data from 2009 to 2011, which are not “typical” years for housing development in the region but are considered more consistent. Qualitative methods To answer research questions #2 and #3, two pools of professionals were targeted for the study: real estate agents and housing develop- ers. Researchers sought experts with deep expe- rience and knowledge in the home building and sales industry in the study area, seeking a small number of very qualified and knowledgeable professionals to provide information that would supplement the larger quantitative analysis. The original methodology planned included focus groups with developers actively working on projects, to provide a nuanced and more com- prehensive understanding of the economic value and cost savings that they view as a result of tree preservation. The primary source for developers was a list of 55 developers active between 2007 and 2012 in major development projects seek- ing stormwater permits in northeastern Ohio, 61 obtained from the Ohio Environmental Protec- tion Agency and county Soil and Water Conser- vation Districts. This was supplemented with a scan of media coverage of development projects and lists from development member organiza- tions. Each developer on the list was contacted via e-mail and telephone and invited to partici- pate in a focus group. Their response indicated a reluctance to share cost-benefit assessments on their projects with other developers in a focus group setting. The methodology then shifted to one-on-one interviews (both in-person and via telephone), which were more palatable to the developers. Two researchers were present for each interview. Developers were asked to comment on the types of development they build, the loca- tions, local and state regulations, the benefits and challenges related to preservation of trees, and the overall market demand for mature trees/tree canopy as reflected in their subdivision designs and practices. Out of a list of 55 developers active in northeastern Ohio, 29 developers were subse- quently identified who had built many of the 184 subdivisions observed during the study period. From this pool, five residential developers, whose companies build housing throughout the study area, agreed to an extensive interview regarding their business practices and the Cleveland market. To identify realtors, researchers contacted the Ohio Board of Realtors to assist in identifying who in their membership would be most quali- fied to be interviewed. Researchers had origi- nally considered focus groups, but the study was conducted during peak home sale season, which constrained their ability to participate. Instead, interviews with realtors were conducted by tele- phone to accommodate their schedules, which limited researchers’ ability to record the inter- views. Notes were recorded by hand during these interviews. The realtor interviews were intended to complement the data and information col- lected from the developer interviews regard- ing home buyer perceptions and behaviors. The small number of interviews were reviewed for themes and summarized. To ensure reliabil- ity, two research team members reviewed both realtor and developer interview notes to ascer- tain any common themes in the responses of these two professional communities of practice. ©2017 International Society of Arboriculture
March 2017
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