342 Purpose Cumming et al.: Urban Forest Health Monitoring Table 1. General data collection variables for urban forest health monitoring. Variable type Plot description Tree description Location, land use, owner, and ground cover are used to describe the conditions and geographic location of the plot and to be able to relocate the plot in the future Species, diameter, and height are used to characterize the tree resource in terms of species frequency, size distribution, risk to pests and diseases, and estimate carbon storage and building energy conservation Crown description Measurements of crown width, height, and condition are used to estimate leaf area and biomass, which in turn are used to calculate leaf area index, air pollution removal, and volatile organic compound emissions Damage description Fourteen damage types have been predefined; presence of one or more of these damages may indicate a pest, disease, or abiotic stress influencing tree health; coupled with species frequency and crown condition, managers will be able to summarize conditions by species over land use, location, or owner that all plots will be measured in 5 years. In Year 6, the cycle repeats and plots in Year 1 are remeasured. Urban forest inven- tory plots consist of four 24 ft (7.3 m) fixed radius subplots spaced 120 ft (36.6 m) apart. The plot layout was designed to coordinate with the plot configuration currently used by FIA and FHM for forested plots. The four subplots comprise a 0.16 acre (0.067 ha) plot. Additional details about FIA sampling proce- dures and plot designs can be found in Bechtold and Patterson (2005) and LaBau et al. (2007). Boundaries of urban areas are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and overlaid on the FIA grid. Plots within the urban boundaries, regardless of their land use or FIA-defined “forest” status, were visited, established, and measured. For complete urban analysis, data from existing FIA forest plots in urban areas are combined with the “nonforest” plots within the urban boundary. The plots are sampled during the growing sea- son to provide for an extended suite of ecologic data that in- cludes a full vegetation inventory and evaluation of tree damage and crown condition and information on variables needed for analysis using the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) Model (e.g., percent crown missing, distance and direction from buildings) (Nowak and Crane 2000). For each plot, forest health monitoring data collection proto- cols (Conkling and Byers 1992; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service 2002) were used on all trees greater than or equal to 1 in (0.4 cm) in diameter at breast height (DBH; 4.5 ft [1.37 m]) on each of the four 0.042 acre (0.017 ha) subplots. Urban forest health monitoring variables included: species, diameter, crown measures, tree damage, distance of tree to buildings, ground covers on plot, condition class, and ownership. In addi- tion, standard data collected by FIA crews were used for analy- sis, which includes measurements of all trees greater than or Table 2. General plot variables for urban forest health monitoring. Variable Instrument Plot number State, county Crew Date Units Field manual description Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) state and county codes with additional unique numbers Field manual description FIPS codes Initials Calendar Latitude/longitude GPS unit Elevation Land use Condition class Land owner Ground cover Altimeter dd/mm/yyyy NAD 83 Feet Field manual description Cropland, pasture, idle farmland, orchard, Christmas tree plantation, residential, institutional, commercial/industrial, cemetery, multifamily residential, vacant, transportation corridor, rights of way, parks, golf courses, other, water Field manual description Accessible forest land, nonforest land, noncensus water, denied access, area too hazardous Field manual description Forest Service, National Forest, National Grassland, other Forest Service, government, state government, local or county government, private, corporate, unincorporated partners/clubs Field manual description Percent of plot covered by maintained areas, trees, shrubs, buildings, permeable ground, herbaceous, water, other ©2008 International Society of Arboriculture equal to 5 inches (12.7 cm) DBH on four 0.042 acre (0.017 ha) subplots and saplings between 1 and 5 inches (2.54 to 12.7 cm) DBH on four 0.003 acre (0.0013 ha) microplots (U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture, Forest Service 2003). Pilot Study Locations Pilot studies have been initiated in five U.S. states, beginning with Indiana in 2001, where one panel of plots was sampled using existing FIA plots and additional urban plots. In 2002 and 2003, the state of Wisconsin, established their plot system, which sampled all plots (five panels) in urban areas within 2 years. This pilot also used existing FIA plots along with new urban plots for the analysis. In New Jersey, plots were visited in 2003 and 2004 with only new urban plots being established. FIA forested plots are on schedule to be completed in 2009 for New Jersey. The analysis of urban forests in New Jersey is awaiting the completed measurements of forested FIA plots within urban areas. The New Jersey situation clarified the need for better integration with the FIA program. The pilot study expanded to two other states in 2005, Tennessee and Colorado. For these pilots, all plots within urban area (even existing FIA forested plots) are measured by the urban crews during the summer to allow for better integration of data. On all plots within urban areas, standard FIA data are collected along with addition urban forest health monitoring variables. A full panel of plots in these states will be completed in 2009. Data Collection Variables The pilot studies are testing the feasibility and logistics of col- lecting statewide urban forest data to estimate urban forest functions, structure, value, health, and pest and disease risk po- tential. To achieve this end, four general types of data (Table 1)
November 2008
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