Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 37(5): September 2011 Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2011. 37(5): 207–212 207 A 100% Tree Inventory Using i-Tree Eco Protocol: A Case Study at Auburn University, Alabama, U.S. Nicholas A. Martin, Arthur H. Chappelka, Gary J. Keever, and Edward F. Loewenstein Abstract. The Auburn University campus in Auburn, Alabama, U.S., was used as the site for a case study on the applicability of i-Tree Eco using a 100% tree inventory. The 2009-2010 inventory of the managed areas of campus encompassed 238 ha. Information collected from each tree included diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, crown width, percent dieback, and a tree condition rating. The complete inventory included 7,345 trees with Lagerstroemia spp. (crapemyrtle), Quercus phellos (willow oak), and Pinus taeda (loblolly pine) being the most numerous species on campus. Average DBH and total height of all trees were 16.4 cm and 8.5 m, respectively, with an estimated canopy cover of approximately 16%. Two tree condition ratings were recorded for each tree and results indicated that percent dieback alone is not a sufficient measure to evaluate tree condition. In this case study, i-Tree Eco procedures were found to be an effective and efficient tool, and provided valuable information regarding Auburn University’s urban forest structure and function. Key Words. i-Tree Eco; Tree Inventory; UFORE Model; Urban Forest Sampling, Urban Forestry. The urban forest, defined as “ecosystems characterized by the presence of trees and other vegetation in association with peo- ple and their developments” (Nowak et al. 2001), is an ever changing landscape due to human activities and the environ- ment. Research has been conducted to quantify the impacts of trees in urban settings (Dwyer et al. 1991; McPherson et al. 1997; Nowak and Crane 1998; Nowak et al. 2008a; Pandit and Laband 2010), but more research is needed due to the impor- tance of trees in mitigating many impacts of urban development. Trees alleviate those impacts by moderating climate; conserving energy, carbon dioxide, and water; improving air quality; and by enhancing the attractiveness of a city (Dwyer et al. 1992). To accurately assess the urban forest and its environmental impact, one has to know its composition and structure. Tree in- ventories are conducted and analyzed to provide this information. Traditionally, data regarding urban forest structure were gathered on street and park trees (Hauer et al. 1994; Welch 1994), but due to increasing concerns, inventories were expanded to encompass vegetation in other parts of the urban forest, including residential, industrial, and abandoned lands (McPherson et al. 1997). Obvious- ly, conducting a 100% inventory is the most accurate, but unless it is being conducted on relatively small areas, it is not as cost effec- tive as random sampling (Nowak et al. 2008a; Nowak et al. 2008b). Inventories provide information on forest structure (e.g., tree species, number, size and/or age, location) (Nowak and Crane 1998; Nowak et al. 2008a; Nowak et al. 2008b) and are the ba- sis for deriving measurements of ecosystem services, including carbon storage and sequestration, and energy savings (Nowak et al. 2008a). Inventories can also determine compensatory val- ues of trees, or the monetary value in the urban environment to the individual owner (Nowak et al. 2002). These evaluations also aid in determining real estate value (Dwyer et al. 1992) and assessing liabilities and risks (Matheny and Clark 2009). Researchers from the United States Department of Agricul- ture (USDA) Forest Service developed a tool that can improve inventory efficiency and provide the environmental information necessary to understand urban forest structure and values (Nowak and Crane 1998). The Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) model was developed to help resource managers and researchers quantify the structure of the urban forest and the functions of urban ecosystems (Nowak and Crane 1998). The model is a science-based, peer- reviewed computer model (i-Tree 2010b) that estimates structural aspects, such as species composition and diversity, tree density and overall health, and leaf area, as well as volatile organic compound emissions, the total amount of carbon stored and sequestered, and pollution removal and the associated percent improvement in air quality (Nowak and Crane 1998). Currently, projects and inven- tories utilizing the model are now referred to as i-Tree Eco proj- ects and inventories; however, the actual computer model used at the time of this study was the UFORE model (i-Tree 2010a). The overall purpose of this research project was to assess the applicability of using i-Tree Eco protocol to conduct a 100% inventory. A university campus is an ideal location for such an inventory. The data collected can be used for several purposes: identification of major tree species, evaluation of height and di- ameter distribution, and evaluation of tree health. In addition, the model can be used to determine various ecosystem services, including carbon storage and air pollution removal, which may be important in identifying the “human footprint” on campus. The Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama, U.S.) campus was an ideal location to conduct this evaluation. Specific objectives of the study were: 1) complete a 100% tree inventory of the managed areas on the Auburn University campus using a for- mat that is UFORE compatible and follows i-Tree Eco protocol, and 2) evaluate dieback as an overall indicator of tree condition. ©2011 International Society of Arboriculture
September 2011
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