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1. Paper sample and complete Enter under HEIGHT gt CROWN BASE PDA sample and complete In the Detail window enter under Crn Base Crown width Required Measure crown width to nearest ft or m in two directions north south and east west or as safety considerations or physical obstructions allow If tree is downed or leaning take width measurements perpendicular to the tree bole Record dead trees as 0 PDA will fill in default value of 1 if Dead box was checked Fig 2 Illustration of how to measure height to crown base and percent canopy missing 31 Paper sample Enter under CROWN WIDTH gt N S and E W Paper complete Enter under Crown Attributes gt Width N S and Width E W PDA sample and complete In the Detail window enter under Crn E W and Crn N S Percent canopy missing Required Percent of the crown volume that is not occupied by branches and leaves Missing canopy should be measured by two people standing at perpendicular angles to the tree Fig 3 Visualize the expected typical crown outline as a symmetrical silhouette created by the live crown width total height and height to base of live crown measurements It is assumed to be symmetrical around the center point of the measured width of the tree and filled with leaves as if it were a healthy tree in excellent condition Now estimate the percent foliage that is absent due to pruning dieback defoliation uneven crown or dwarf or sparse lea
2. These instructions require use of a few simple i Tree tools within the iTree mxd ArcMap project file that can be downloaded from the i Tree website at www itreetools org under Resources Advanced GIS users can primarily follow the bulleted overviews with special attention to the detailed instructions in areas such as field names and types 52 Obtain projection coordinate system and map unit information from the map data provider Final map units must be either feet or meters AOI examples are large polygons such as city boundary park areas or a management zone s ESRI shapefiles coverages or geodatabases can be used shapefiles are easiest Practice good file management using folders to hold copies of original data folders to hold output employing logical file naming etc Save the iTree mxd project periodically through all steps Temporarily turn off any web browser pop up blockers Decide in advance the number of plots for each stratum Common tools Open Browse ArcToolbox Add Data Properties Project Area Data Preparation Overview Obtain a GIS map layer representing the area of interest AOI polygon s for your project area Launch the ArcMap application of ArcGIS at the ArcView ArcEditor or ArcInfo level Open and save the iTree mxd project with a new name at your preferred location Load the AOI map layer into the view Def
3. Calculate Field b Complete the Calculate Field form For Input Table select the sample plots point map layer from the dropdown list For Field Name select ID For Expression enter FID 1 Skip Expression Type Skip Code Block Click OK c Repeat for the LCCode field For Field Name select LCCode For Expression enter 1 d Repeat for the X_Coord field For Field Name select X_Coord For Expression enter Output For Expression Type select VB Under Code Block enter this code hint copy and paste from here Dim Output As Double Dim pPoint As IPoint Set pPoint Shape Output pPoint X Repeat for the Y_Coord field For Field Name select Y_Coord For Expression enter Output For Expression Type select VB 88 Under Code Block enter this code hint copy and paste from here Dim Output As Double Dim pPoint As IPoint Set pPoint Shape Output pPoint Y e Repeat for the LCType field For Field Name select LCType For Expression enter Single Strata including quotes f Repeat for the MapUnits field For Field Name select MapUnits For Expression enter either Foot_US including quotes if your map units are in feet OR Meters including quotes if your map units are in meters g Verify the attributes have been correctly modified in the sample plots point map layer Right click the new sample plots point map layer in the map layers list and choose Open Attri
4. images Land Cover Impervious Cover and Tree Cover to be used for mapping results a The first two blanks are filled in automatically and should be left as they are b The Input and Report databases are unique to a given project Click Create and navigate to the location where you want to create each file In the File Name field supply a name e g MyTown_2009_Input and MyTown_2009_ Report and click Save c If you decided to use the Maps option to visualize your results on aerial imagery and have obtained the necessary images from the NLCD enter the locations of the files in the next three blanks For each Land Cover Impervious Cover Tree Cover click Browse and navigate to the appropriate folder you unzipped earlier Select the tif image within that folder You can return to this window to make changes later by clicking File gt Update Project If you have already started data collection however avoid making changes that would affect the quality or integrity of the data Creating Configuring Inventories Once all four tables and three image files if desired have been entered 1 Click Configure Input The Creating Configuring Inventories window will open Phase II Getting Started with Eco 12 2 Type in your location in the Location Name field and choose nation state county and place from the drop down menus Note If the community that includes your study area extends across more than one county you may
5. NOTE The plot list should only be imported once onto each PDA during the course of a project 6 Populate Field Input Database with Cover Types sample inventories only This button will update the local database with any Ground Cover Types added above Setting the Project Options When you have completed each of the Project Definition tasks click the Project Options tab to move on The pre defined items on the left are as you set them under Creating Configuring Inventories and can only be changed there 1 Under Field Defined Items on the right check the boxes next to each option plantable space energy shrub cover and hydro you decided to measure during Phase I Early Decisions 15 2 Also check the box next to Photo if you will be taking pictures of the plots or trees 3 Click Update Config File when you are finished Applying the new configuration settings to the PDA Click the PDA tab to begin applying the new settings to the PDA With the PDA connected to your computer and ActiveSync running 1 Click Send Configuration to PDA NOTE Defining and sending project configuration data is typically done only once at the start of the project This procedure will automatically clear the PDA of any existing field data 2 Once the project data have been sent to the PDA click Exit on the PDA Desktop interface 3 If necessary click Exit to close the Creating Configuring Inventories window and click OK to leave the C
6. PDA sample In the Detail window select the Status from the drop down menu PDA complete In the Detail window select the Status from the drop down menu Total tree height Required Measure the height to top alive or dead of tree to nearest ft or m For dead trees downed living trees or severely leaning trees height is considered the distance along the main stem from ground to tree top Paper sample Enter tree height under HEIGHT gt TOT Paper complete Enter tree height under Height gt Total Height PDA sample In the Detail window enter under Tot Hgt PDA complete In the Detail window enter under Tot Hgt 30 Height to live top This height will be the same as total tree height unless the tree is alive but the top of the crown is dead This variable cannot be greater than total tree height Record to the nearest foot or meter Paper sample and complete Enter under HEIGHT gt LIVE TOP PDA sample and complete In the Detail window enter under Live Top Height to crown base Required Measure height to base of live crown to nearest ft or m The live crown base is the point on the main trunk perpendicular to the lowest live foliage on the last branch that is included in the live crown The live crown base is determined by the live foliage and not by the point where a branch intersects with the main bole Fig 2 Record dead trees as 0 PDA will fill in default value of 1 if Dead box was checked
7. Paper sample Enter under SHRUBS gt AREA Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Shrubs window enter under Area PDA complete NA Percent of the shrub mass that is missing Visualize the shrub mass of this species height group as a volume height x ground area and record the percent of the volume that is missing i e not occupied by leaves The shrub mass leaves are assumed to start at the ground The intent of this variable is to adjust height and area measurements to reveal actual volume of leaves and to allow you to account for voids in vegetation and inaccuracies in simple height x area estimates e g height of mass might not be uniform Allow for natural arrangement or spacing of leaves however you should investigate the interior of the shrub mass to better estimate the missing portions In the past crews have underestimated the mass missing by not accounting for the interior Percent Missing should be recorded as 0 or as the mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc Paper sample Enter under SHRUBS gt MISSING Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Shrubs window enter under Missing Click Save to save that group and click Add to continue adding shrub groups until the Total 100 PDA complete NA 27 Tree Information Data collection for living and dead trees starts with the tree farthest to the north and proceeds in a clockwise direction If your plot center is inaccessible an
8. Tree installation PDA requirements Windows Mobile 2003 or higher OS NET 2 0 compact framework included in i Tree installation Installation To install Eco 1 Visit www itreetools org to download the software or insert the i Tree Installation CD into your CD ROM drive 2 Follow on the screen instructions to run the i Tree setup exe This may take several minutes depending on which files need to be installed 3 Follow the Installation Wizard instructions to complete the installation default location recommended Installation 4 You can check for the latest updates at any time by clicking Help gt Check for Updates Exploring Eco with the Sample Project Now that you ve installed Eco you would probably like to see a little of what the software can do To allow you to explore the program we ve included a sample project based on a random sample inventory of the urban forest of Washington DC 1 You can begin by opening Eco using your computer s Start menu gt All Programs gt i Tree gt i Tree Eco 2 You will find the project under File gt Open DC Sample Project Under Edit you can see a list of the inventory records Clicking Edit Plot brings up a window showing all the inventory fields that were collected for one plot In the Tool Bar under View is the View Project Window option Clicking this option opens the Project View an outline of all the inputs and outputs of the project Click t
9. Tree v 3 0 has come from USDA Forest Service Research State and Private Forestry and their cooperators through the i Tree Cooperative Partnership of Davey Tree Expert Company National Arbor Day Foundation Society of Municipal Arborists and the International Society of Arboriculture i Tree Eco i Tree Eco is an adaptation of the Urban Forest Effects UFORE model which was cooperatively developed by US Forest Service Northern Research Station NRS the USDA State and Private Forestry s Urban and Community Forestry Program and Northeastern Area the Davey Tree Expert Company and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry The UFORE model was conceived and developed by David J Nowak and Daniel E Crane USFS NRS and Patrick McHale SUNY ESF The UFORE software was designed and developed by Daniel E Crane and its graphical user interface GUI by Lianghu Tian and Mike Binkley The Davey Institute Many individuals contributed to the design and development process of UFORE application including Mike Binkley The Davey Institute Jaewon Choi SUNY ESF Daniel E Crane NRS Greg Ina The Davey Institute Robert E Hoehn NRS Jerry Bond and Christopher J Luley Urban Forestry LLC Patrick McHale SUNY ESF David J Nowak NRS Jack C Stevens NRS Lianghu Tian The Davey Institute and Jeffrey T Walton Paul Smiths College Revisions for i Tree Eco versions were carried out by members of The Davey Institute includ
10. a the i Tree PDA tool b paper forms or c a non i Tree inventory platform The Eco software package includes a PDA application for use in conducting inventories that works seamlessly with the desktop application It is customizable for your city s inventory needs easy to use and results in a database that is properly formatted for Eco and can be uploaded with a single click The PDA application works with Pocket PC devices running Windows Mobile 2003 or later If your community lacks funding to support the use of PDAs or you simply prefer to use an alternate method that s no problem Inventories can be conducted using paper forms proprietary inventory tools spreadsheets etc An inventory form is included to make inventorying simpler and the desktop Eco application includes a user friendly input form to simplify the data entry process You should review the section Phase III Out in the Field Collecting Data to help with planning Creating a Sample If you are conducting a sample inventory of a large scale study area the most important step in planning is to create the random sample of the plots There are several decisions to be made before you begin Will you stratify your sample For some studies stratifying sub dividing the study area into smaller units can help clarify differences across the study area For example you might stratify your city into land cover classes so that you can compare the urban forest effects in
11. data collection process but occasional checks should be performed throughout the field season Week 1 and Week 2 Hot checks are conducted on a variety of plot types wooded residential etc 40 Weeks 3 7 Cold checks are conducted on a variety of plot types e g plots with low no tree cover plots with a few trees and plots with high number of trees For plots with lt 5 trees verify that all trees on the plot were measured verify species identification is correct re measure DBH and total height and verify building interaction for all trees For plots with gt 5 trees verify that all trees on the plot were measured and verify species identification is correct for all trees Then for 5 randomly selected trees re measure DBH and total HEIGHT and verify building interaction Use the paper data collection forms during QA for each plot selected with remeasurements recorded for the selected trees Variables to Remeasure The following variables should be remeasured and recorded on the QA tree data forms Measurement quality objectives MQOs are also listed MQOs are objective quantitative statements describing the tolerable level of error deviation between true and measured value for a given measurement They are the objective standards against which data quality is measured An MQO for a measurement generally consists of a maximum acceptable error size and the percent of the time that measurement error must be less than or equal
12. field For Field Name select Strata For Expression enter Single Strata including quotes d Repeat for the Strat_Area field For Field Name select Strat_Area For Expression enter Output For Expression Type select VB Under Code Block enter this code hint copy and paste from here Dim Output as double Dim pArea as Iarea Set pArea shape Output pArea area e Repeat for the No_Plots1 field For Field Name select No_Plots1 For Expression enter XX where XX is the total number of plots to be generated 84 Results Area of interest AOI polygon map layer with Eco required fields added and populated Verify AOI map layer is loaded into the map view It may be necessary to right click the new AOI layer and select Zoom to Layer It should have one record present in its table Right click the new AOI layer name in the map layers list and choose Open Attribute Table The AOI polygon map layer is now ready to be used for plot generation 85 Sample Plot Generation Overview Run the Random Plots tool from the i Tree toolbar Add fields to the random plots data Calculate field values for random plots data Buffer the random plots point data to form plot areas Results Random sample plots point map layer with Eco required fields added populated Sample plot areas polygon map layer Detailed instructions 1 Click to select the AOI polygon layer in
13. form and click Edit Plot Enter the data for each plot matching the data entry form with the paper form b Click Save when you are finished with each plot c If you need to add additional plots beyond those included in the list click Add Plot and complete the form 3 For complete inventories click Add Tree to begin entering data a Enter the data for each tree matching the data entry form with the paper form b Click Save when you are finished with each tree c Click Edit Tree or Delete Tree to make changes or remove a tree entry PDAs You must exit the Eco application on the PDA before uploading the data Phase IV Back at Your Desk Running Eco 44 For sample inventories 1 To exit from the Plots menu select Exit from the drop down menu at the bottom and click Go 2 On the main menu click Exit For complete inventories 1 To exit from the Trees menu click Exit Done 2 From the main menu click Exit To continue on your desktop 1 Click Tools gt PDA Utility and the PDA interface will open with the PDA tab active 2 With the PDA connected to your computer ActiveSync working and the Eco PDA application not running click Check PDA Status 3 Then click Retrieve Data from PDA 4 Click OK to clean completed plots from the PDA Making changes If you would like to edit or enter any new inventory data 1 Click Edit gt Enter or Edit Data The inventory list will open 2 Highlight th
14. if one species is consistently being incorrectly identified state that you re trained the crew went back to previously completed plots and fixed them Documentation as to how the problem was fixed is critical NOTE For any stray errors talk with the crew to determine why errors occurred Determine if these few errors are symptomatic of a bigger problem If you recognize a trend and the problems are consistent from plot to plot corrective action needs to take place retrain the crews fix the data sheets and or go back to the affected plots and re measure the necessary items The key critical items to focus on are species identification and number of trees on the plot Trends in diameter measurement are important to note Is the crew consistently measuring too high or too low 42 43 Transferring data to the desktop Once field data have been collected they need to be transferred to the desktop and sent for processing Opening an existing project To open the project you created during Phase II open the Eco desktop application from your computer s Start menu 1 Click File gt Open Project and navigate to the location where you saved it 2 Click Open to open the project Paper Forms 1 Click Edit gt Enter or Edit Data to enter data collected on paper and the Paper Data Entry window will open 2 For sample inventories the list of plots will appear a Highlight the PlotID corresponding to the plot ID on the paper
15. industrial areas with those in residential areas One additional benefit to stratification is that it allows you to make use of Eco s Maps function which presents the results of your urban forest analysis in spatial form see below In a study with no stratification plots are simply laid out randomly across the study area This is a simpler method and offers the advantage of true randomness True randomness however might not provide you with a true picture of your urban forest Consider for example an extreme case of a city that is divided into two land uses single family residential 10 of total area and industrial 90 of total area with all of the trees in the residential district A true random sample would place 10 of plots in residential areas and 90 of plots in the industrial area and would result in an incorrect picture of the urban forest Because in most cities the trees themselves are not distributed randomly across land uses or neighborhoods stratified sampling can offer a more accurate picture of the urban forest With stratification the study area is divided into smaller units prior to determining the plots The number of plots in each stratum is based on which areas are believed to have the greatest variability or are of greatest interest Often the majority of the plots are distributed 7 within residential and forest vacant land uses as these areas tend to have the greatest density of trees One disadvantage of
16. sample plots point map layer from the drop down list For Coordinate System click the Properties button at right and in the Spatial Reference Properties window click the Select button and navigate to the proper coordinate system The proper coordinate system is the one you selected for the AOI map layer 4 Perform a spatial join between the merged sample plots point map layer and the land cover polygon map layer 69 a This step assigns land cover types to the sample plot points b Right click the merged sample plots layer and select Joins and Relates gt Join c Complete the Join Data form Under What do you want to join to this layer select Join data from another layer based on spatial location Under Choose the layer to join to this layer select the land cover polygon layer Under Each point will be given all the attributes of the polygon that click the button next to it falls inside Under The result of the join will be saved into a new layer use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the resulting map layer Click OK 5 Use ArcToolbox to add Eco required fields to the spatially joined sample plots point map layer a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Add Field 70 b Complete the Add Field form For experienced users fields can be added via the ArcMap table view as well For Input Table select the spatially joined sample pl
17. structures should be classified based on their original intended use 23 Institutional I Schools hospitals medical complexes colleges religious buildings government buildings etc Note If a parcel contains large unmaintained areas possibly for expansion or other reasons treat the area as Vacant However small forested islands in a maintained landscape would be considered Institutional Utility U Power generating facilities sewage treatment facilities covered and uncovered reservoirs and empty stormwater runoff retention areas flood control channels conduits Water wetland W Streams rivers lakes and other water bodies natural or man made Small pools and fountains should be classified based on the adjacent land use Other O Land uses that do not fall into one of the categories listed above This designation should be used very sparingly as it provides very little useful information for the model Clarify with comments in Notes NOTE For mixed use buildings land use is based on the dominant use i e the use that receives the majority of the foot traffic It might not always occupy the majority of space in the building For example a building with commercial use of the first floor and apartments on upper floors would be classified as Commercial Industrial Paper sample Enter codes for up to four land use types under ACTUAL LAND USE Paper complete NA Note that you will be asked later to iden
18. the PDA Utility interface Each of the steps represented by the buttons shown on this screen must be executed Some may be repeated later without any harm However once the project is set up changes to the project definition are usually not made 2 Import Information from Location Database This button loads information from the Eco Location Database in its default location onto the PDA 3 Add Edit Delete Survey Team Information This button brings up a screen that allows you to edit survey team names that will appear on the PDA during log in 4 Add Edit Delete Additional Ground Cover Types sample inventories only This button brings up a screen that allows you to edit the ground cover types to be included in the data collection Ten come preloaded and the ID numbers 1 49 are reserved You may enter up to 50 more ground cover types using the ID numbers 50 99 5 Import Plot List from Field Input Database for Project sample inventories only For projects involving a sample inventory the list of available plots must be imported so they can be selected from the list on the PDA Clicking this button brings up a screen that lists all plots created above in the Creating Configuring Inventories Define Plots window a Click the button at the bottom labeled Import All Plots from Field Input Database As plots are completed they will disappear from the lower box of uncompleted plots so you can follow the progress of your project
19. the drop down menu under Site Dead PDA only Checking this box will fill in all default options for dead trees automatically 29 Paper sample and complete NA PDA sample In the Detail window check the box next to Dead if the tree is dead PDA complete In the Detail window check the box next to Dead if the tree is dead Status This indicates the status of the tree in relation to earlier inventories Use the following codes to indicate the tree s status O Original inventory Use this code for all trees the first time you inventory a study area For nonpermanent plots only this option is available When reinventorying your study area indicate changes in a tree s status using the following codes N No change in status P Planted new the tree has been planted since the last inventory I Ingrowth new the tree existed in the last inventory but has now reached tree size or has seeded in and has reached tree size U Unknown new the tree is new but planted vs ingrowth can not be determined H Hazard health problem removed the tree has been removed since the previous inventory for health or safety reasons C Healthy removed a healthy tree was removed by the property owner L Land use change removed the tree was removed due to land use change e g development of site R Unknown removed tree removed for unknown reason Paper sample and complete Enter the status code under NR
20. 4 The tree receives full light from the top and 3 sides 5 The tree receives full light from the top and 4 sides Paper sample and complete Enter under CLE PDA sample and complete In the Detail window enter under CLE Percent impervious surface under the tree If you decided to collect information related to hydrology during Phase I Getting Started Early Decisions this field is required Estimate the percent of the area beneath the dripline of the tree that is impervious If the tree crown crosses out of the plot boundary the entire area beneath the tree is still considered Record 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc Paper sample Enter under IMP Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Detail window select a value from the drop down menu for Imperv PDA complete NA Percent shrub cover under the tree If you decided to collect information related to hydrology during Phase I Getting Started Early Decisions this field is required Estimate the percent of the area beneath the drip line that is occupied by shrubs If the tree crown Fig 5 Crown light exposure 36 crosses out of the plot boundary the entire area beneath the tree is still considered Record 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc Paper sample Enter under SHRUB Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Detail window select a value from the drop down menu for Shrub PDA comple
21. Data Projection form For Input Dataset choose the AOI map layer from the drop down list For Coordinate System click the Properties button to the right In the Spatial Reference Properties window that appears click Select and choose the coordinate system indicated by your data provider 9 If necessary use ArcToolbox to reproject your AOI map layer to a system using feet or meters ideally selecting a projection system already in use by your organization 54 or a commonly used system such as State Plane or UTM in the United States a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformations gt Feature gt Project b Complete the Project form For Input Dataset select the AOI map layer from the drop down menu Input Coordinate System should be grayed out based on your work in the previous step For Output Dataset or Feature Class use the Browse button to the right and navigate to a suitable location to save the output file and give it a name For Output Coordinate System click the Properties button to the right and in the Spatial Reference Properties window that appears click the Select button and navigate to the proper coordinate system For Geographic Transformation select the first choice in the drop down list if prompted with an Undefined Geographic Transformation message Click OK when you ve completed all the boxes 10 If your AOI has more than one polygon use Ar
22. Eco User s Manual v 3 0 i Tree is a cooperative initiative i Tree is a state of the art peer reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban and community forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools The i Tree tools help communities of all sizes to strengthen their urban forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying the environmental services that trees provide and assessing the structure of the urban forest i Tree has been used by communities non profit organizations consultants volunteers and students to report on the urban forest at all scales from individual trees to parcels neighborhoods cities and entire states By understanding the local tangible ecosystem services that trees provide i Tree users can link urban forest management activities with environmental quality and community livability Whether your interest is a single tree or an entire forest i Tree provides baseline data that you can use to demonstrate value and set priorities for more effective decision making Developed by USDA Forest Service and numerous cooperators i Tree is in the public domain and available by request through the i Tree website www itreetools org The Forest Service Davey Tree Expert Company National Arbor Day Foundation Society of Municipal Arborists and the International Society of Arboriculture have entered into a cooperative partnership to further develop disseminate and provide technical sup
23. Fig 7 Measuring DBH in forked multistemmed trees 37 Live windthrown tree Measure from the top of the root collar along the length to 4 5 ft Paper sample For normal conditions enter under DBH gt column 1 Use columns 2 6 if necessary Paper complete For normal conditions enter under DBH1 Use DBH2 DBH6 if necessary PDA sample and complete DBH entry fields are accessed under the Stems tab Click Add to begin entering DBHs The stem ID will be generated automatically Enter a value under Diameter DBH measurement height If DBH was not measured at 4 5 ft measure the height where DBH was taken Paper sample and complete Enter under HT DBH PDA sample and complete In the Stems window a value of 4 5 is generated automatically Correct if necessary DBH measured PDA only Whenever possible DBH should actually be measured but if necessary it can be estimated visually If DBH was measured check this box on the PDA Paper sample and complete NA PDA sample and complete In the Stems window if direct measurements were made check the box next to DBH Measured Fig 6 Measuring irregular DBHs 38 Direction to building If you decided to collect information related to energy effects during Phase I Getting Started Early Decisions this field is required For trees 20 ft tall that are located within 60 ft of space conditioned residential buildings that are three stories or fewer in height
24. If you are prompted with an Undefined Geographic Transformation message select the first choice in the drop down menu under Geographic Transformation Click OK Right click the projected land cover map layer and select Zoom to layer 6 Use ArcToolbox to clip the dissolved land cover polygon map layer by the AOI map layer a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Analysis Tools gt Extract gt Clip b Complete the Clip form Under Input Features select the projected and dissolved land cover polygon map layer from the drop down list Under Clip Features choose the projected and dissolved AOI map layer from the drop down list Under Output Features use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the resulting map layer Leave the XY Tolerance field and the units field blank Click OK 7 If necessary use the Add Data button to navigate to and load the clipped land cover polygon map layer to the current view The land cover map layer should now conform to the project area boundaries 8 Use ArcToolbox to add Eco required fields to the clipped land cover map layer 62 a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Add Field b Complete the Add Field form For experienced users fields can be added via the ArcMap table view as well Under Input Table select the clipped land cover map layer from the drop down list For Field Name enter Strat_ID For Field Type se
25. TAR Blacktop asphalt Rock ROCK Pervious rock surfaces such as gravel brick or flagstone walkways or patios without mortar This category includes sand in playgrounds or added as topping to existing soil Large solid rock outcrops should be listed as cement Bare soil SOIL Includes naturally occurring sand Duff mulch DUFF MULCH Loose organic material leaf litter Herbs HERB IVY Herbaceous ground cover other than grass including agricultural crops Grass MAIN GRASS Unmaintained grass UNMAIN GRASS Water H20 Includes pools Estimate the percentage of each ground cover type to the nearest 5 unless cover is minimal If trace amounts are present 1 2 3 etc is acceptable The sum of the proportions must add to 100 per plot Use the following chart as a guide when estimating 1 and 5 increments of cover Some examples for comparison a queen size mattress covers 35 sq ft a full size SUV covers 90 sq ft Percent of 0 1 acre site Area sq ft Diameter of circle ft 1 44 7 5 5 218 16 5 10 437 23 6 25 1 091 37 3 50 2 183 52 7 75 3 274 64 6 100 4 365 74 5 25 Paper sample Enter the percentage of each ground cover under the appropriate category given above in parentheses Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Ground Cover window click Add and select a ground cover from the drop down menu Enter a percentage in the of Plot field and clic
26. Timing 39 Variables to Remeasure 40 Phase IV Back at Your Desk Running Eco 43 Transferring data to the desktop 43 Opening an existing project 43 Paper Forms 43 PDAs 43 Making changes 44 Rechecking Data in the Field 44 Transferring data to the Forest Service 45 Downloading results from the Forest Service 45 Reporting Results 46 Available charts 46 Available tables 46 Printing and exporting results 47 Written report 47 Maps Beta 47 Land Cover 48 Map outputs 49 Map controls 49 Map Usage Notes 49 Appendix 1 Random Plots Workbook Stratified Sample 51 Project Area Data Preparation 52 Overview 52 Detailed instructions 53 Results 55 Strata Preparation 56 Overview 56 Detailed Instructions 56 Results 65 Sample Plot Generation 66 Overview 66 Detailed instructions 66 Results 73 Create Eco ready Output 74 Overview 74 Detailed Instructions 74 Results 75 Appendix 2 Random Plots Workbook Unstratified Sample 77 Project Area Data Preparation 78 Overview 78 Detailed instructions 78 Results 84 Sample Plot Generation 85 Overview 85 Detailed instructions 85 Results 90 Create Eco ready Output 91 Overview 91 Detailed Instructions 91 Results 92 Appendix 3 Data Collection Forms 93 1 Introduction Eco was developed to help managers and researchers quantify urban forest structure and
27. Toolbox to add Eco required fields to the projected dissolved AOI map layer For experienced users fields can be added via the ArcMap table view as well a Management Tools gt Fields gt Add Field b Complete the Add Field form Under Input Table select the clipped land cover map layer from the dropdown list For Field Name enter Strat_ID For Field Type select LONG from the drop down list Skip the following fields Field Precision Field Scale Field Length Field Alias Field is Nullible Field is Required Field Domain Click OK c Repeat the steps above as follows for these THREE additional fields Field Name Strata Field Text Select TEXT Field Name Strat_Area Field Text Select DOUBLE Field Name No_Plots1 Field Text Select LONG 83 12 Use ArcToolbox to calculate values for the Eco specific fields added to the projected dissolved AOI map layer For experienced users the Field Calculator can be used via the ArcMap table view Also later versions of ArcGIS have a Calculate Geometry option available via a right click on the field name in the table a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Calculate Field b Fill out the Calculate Field form For Input Table select the AOI polygon map layer from the drop down list For Field Name select Strat_ID For Expression enter 1 Skip Expression Type default is typically VB Skip Code Block Click OK c Repeat for the Strata
28. _________________________________ Distance to Reference Object 1 ______________ Direction to Reference Object 1 _____________ Measured Reference Object 2 description_____________________________________ Distance to Reference Object 2 ______________ Direction to Reference Object 2 _____________ Tree Measurement Point TMP Reference Object 1 used Y N Reference Object 2 used Y N Measurement Unit M E Percent Measured________ ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN ACTUAL LAND USE PERCENT IN PLOT TREE COVER SHRUB COVER PLANTABLE SPACE BLDG CMNT TAR ROCK SOIL DUFF MULCH HERB IVY MAIN GRASS UNMAIN GRASS H2O GROUND COVER SPECIES HEIGHT AREA MISSING SPECIES HEIGHT AREA MISSING SPECIES HEIGHT AREA MISSING S H R U B S PLOT ID TREE SPECIES DBH HEIGHT CROWN WIDTH TREES NEAR BUILDINGS TREE ID NR DR DS LAND USE HT DBH 1 2 3 4 5 6 TOT LIVE TOP CROWN BASE N S E W MISS DB IMP SHRUB CLE D1 S1 D2 S2 D3 S3 TREE SITE
29. a system using feet or meters if needed Clip the land cover data to the AOI area Select each land cover category and give it a plain text name Add Eco required fields and calculate appropriate values for them Results Projected clipped land cover map layer composed of multi part polygons with Eco required fields added and populated NLCD canopy and impervious surface layers for use later with the i Tree software suite Detailed Instructions 1 Obtain an area of interest AOI polygon from your GIS Department or an online resource such as the Multi Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium MRLC www mrlc gov a To obtain 2001 NLCD data visit the MRLC website choose Access Data gt Seamless Data Download A new window will pop up with links to both the MRLC Consortium Viewer and User Instructions After reviewing the user instructions launch the Viewer 57 b Zoom and pan to your AOI making sure you cover the entire AOI plus a bit more c Click on the Download tab at right and make sure only Land Cover Canopy and Impervious are checked Note Downloading Canopy and Impervious now will enable you to use them later in Eco s Maps function All three must be downloaded at the same time d Use the Download tool to delineate a square area on the map for download and in the resulting pop up window click Download to download and save each of the three layers Delineati
30. also be a factor in accessing portions of the plot However if you were able to look over a fence and estimate tree shrub and ground covers and estimate DBH and other measurements for trees present on plot behind the fence you would record 100 Paper sample Record under Percent measured Paper complete NA PDA sample Record under Plots gt Measured PDA complete NA Tree cover Required for sample inventories The amount of the plot covered by tree canopy in percent You can imagine this as the area of the plot that would be shaded by trees when the sun is directly overhead ranging from 0 to 100 Tree cover can come from trees located outside the plot so plots not containing trees can have tree cover Record 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc Paper sample Enter under PLOT TREE COVER Paper complete NA PDA sample Enter under Plots gt Tree cover If there are no trees present check the box next to No Trees on Plot PDA complete NA Shrub cover Required for sample inventories The amount of the plot covered by shrub canopy in percent You can imagine this as the area of the plot that would be shaded by shrubs when the sun is directly overhead ranging from 0 to 100 Don t double count 21 multiple layers of shrubs Record 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 Paper sample Enter under SHRUB COVER Paper complete NA PDA s
31. ample Enter under Plots gt Shrub If there are no shrubs present check the box next to No Shrubs on Plot PDA complete NA Plantable space Optional If you decided during Phase I Getting Started Early Decisions to measure the plantable space estimate the amount of the plot area that is plantable for trees i e plantable soil that is not under tree canopy or other overhead restrictions and where tree planting establishment would not be prohibited due to land use e g footpath baseball field etc Planting underneath utility wires is permitted Record 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc HINT A more accurate measurement can be obtained by using the sum of the following ground covers collected below as a starting point to evaluate plantable space soil duff mulch herb ivy maintained grass and unmaintained grass Paper sample Enter under PLANTABLE SPACE Paper complete NA PDA sample Enter under Plots gt Plantable PDA complete NA Reference Objects Required for sample inventories Identify at least one landmark visible when standing at plot center Permanent plots require two and two are recommended in all cases where the plot center is difficult to locate or identify Reference objects do not have to be located within the plot If you selected a TMP earlier because your plot center was inaccessible it should be used as one of your reference objects Try to use object
32. and land use Leaf area and biomass for shrubs by land use Leaf area and biomass for trees and shrubs by land use Per area estimates for trees Energy effects from trees Pollutant removal Printing and exporting results 1 To print With the desired chart or table open click the Print icon above it 2 To export first select the desired format PDF RTF or CSV from the drop down menu above the chart or table and then click Export Written report Eco will automatically generate a written summary report of your results approximately 15 pages This option is only available for sample inventories To view the report 1 Click Reports gt Written Report 2 An initial dialogue box will ask the population of your city You can find the information at www census gov popest cities cities html 3 The report will open in the project window and can be printed by clicking the Print icon or exported in PDF or RTF which can be edited using any word processing program such as Microsoft Word format Maps Beta With Eco s Maps option still in Beta form and under development results of your analysis related to carbon storage carbon sequestration structural information pollution removal canopy cover available planting space and tree density are mapped directly onto NLCD aerial imagery allowing you to visualize the information spatially NOTE The Maps option is only available if you conducted a stra
33. ap layer from the drop down list For Field Name select Strat_ID For Expression enter FID 1 Skip Expression Type default is typically VB Skip Code Block 65 Click OK c Repeat for the Strata field For Field Name select Strata For Expression enter GRID_TXT d Repeat for the Strat_Area field For Field Name select Strat_Area For Expression enter Output For Expression Type select VB Under Code Block enter this code hint copy and paste from here Dim Output as double Dim pArea as Iarea Set pArea shape Output pArea area Results Converted dissolved projected and clipped polygon land cover map layer with Eco required fields added and populated It should align with and conform to the project area boundaries It should have ONE record representing EACH land cover category present in its table Right click the land cover polygon map layer name in the map layers list and choose Open Attribute Table The land cover polygon map layer is now ready to be used for plot generation 66 Sample Plot Generation Overview Select each land cover category and run the Random Plots tool from the i Tree toolbar for each land cover category Merge the resulting random plots data together Define the projection of the merged random plots data Spatially join the land cover data to the random plots data Add Fields to the random plots data Calculate f
34. at this point Instead wait a few more minutes for the processing to complete 50 51 Appendix 1 Random Plots Workbook Stratified Sample These instructions are designed to help users of all skill levels create random i Tree Eco sample plots plot centers and the associated Eco required data within your defined study area ESRI ArcGIS v9 x software is used the instructions are compatible with ArcGIS v 8 with some modifications Sample plots are stratified by land cover type not by land use data collected in the field For purposes of example 2001 USGS National Land Cover Database NLCD data are employed as strata These instructions are composed of four basic steps 1 Prepare project area data 2 Prepare strata land cover types 3 Generate sample plots 4 Create Eco ready output When you are finished you will have created the following Projected area of interest AOI map layer composed of a single multi part polygon Projected land cover map layer conforming to the AOI boundaries and composed of singular multi part land cover polygons with Eco required fields added and populated Random sample plots point map layer with Eco required fields added and populated The points are the plot centers Sample plot areas polygon map layer The polygons are the plots Eco ready strata area report text file Eco ready plot list report text file Eco ready PRJ file Tips
35. box to give the land cover category a text name Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Calculate Field Complete the Calculate Field window Under Input Table select the processed land cover polygon map layer from the drop down list For Field Name select GRID_TXT from the drop down list 64 Under Expression enter an appropriate name to describe the land cover type for example Developed High Intensity including quotes Skip Expression Type Skip Code Block Click OK Open the table and verify that only the selected feature records were populated with the appropriate land cover category text Right click the land cover polygon map layer in the map layers list and select Open Attribute Table e Repeat step 9a d for each land cover category present in the land cover polygon map layer f From the Selection menu choose Clear Selected Features to unselect the last land cover features 10 Use ArcToolbox to calculate values for the Eco specific fields added to the clipped land cover map layer a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Calculate Field b Fill out the Calculate Field form For experienced users the Field Calculator could be used via the ArcMap table view Also later versions of ArcGIS have a Calculate Geometry option available via a right click on the field name in the table For Input Table select the processed land cover polygon m
36. bute Table Scan through the fields and their values to verify they are correct Note that no projection system is assigned to the plots layer If desired it can be defined using steps similar to those for defining the AOI projection system above 4 Use ArcToolbox to buffer the spatially joined sample plots point map layer This step creates the plot of your desired size around the plot centers a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Analysis Tools gt Proximity gt Buffer b Complete the Buffer form Under Input Features select the sample plots point map layer from the drop down list For Output Feature Class use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the resulting map layer 89 For Distance in the Linear Unit box enter the distance value from the table below based on your desired plot size The distance is the radius of the plot Skip the following entries Side Type End Type Dissolve Type Dissolve Field s c The buffered sample points layer is added to the map view automatically zoom in to examine individual plot areas For plot size Enter Map units in feet 1 5 acre 52 66 1 10 acre 37 24 1 20 acre 26 33 1 100 acre 11 78 Map units in meters 1 5 hectare 25 23 1 10 hectare 17 84 1 20 hectare 12 62 1 100 hectare 5 64 90 Results Sample plots point map layer User defined number of plots randomly spread throughout the AOI Eco requi
37. cToolbox to dissolve them a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Generalization gt Dissolve b Complete the Dissolve window For Input Features select the AOI map layer from the drop down list 55 Results Area of interest AOI polygon map layer Verify AOI map layer is loaded into the map view It may be necessary to right click the new AOI layer and select Zoom to Layer It should have one record present in its table Right click the new AOI layer name in the map layers list and choose Open Attribute Table The AOI polygon map layer is now ready to be used to clip the strata layer For Output Feature Class use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and give the file a name For Dissolve Field check the data field attribute value that unifies the AOI Example a Name field containing the city name of an AOI even across physically separate city sections Leave the Statistics field blank Ensure the Create Multipart Features box is checked Click OK to finish 56 Strata Preparation Overview Obtain a land cover GIS map layer encompassing the AOI polygon s for the project area Convert the land cover data to polygons if needed Dissolve the land cover polygons into single multi part polygons for each land cover category Define the projection coordinate system of the land cover data if needed Reproject the land cover data to
38. d you have designated a TMP see Inaccessible Plot Centers for more information use it for measuring distance and direction but remember that the plot itself does not shift to have the TMP as the center only measure trees within the true plot boundaries based on the true plot center All trees with DBH 1 inch should be recorded if at least half of their trunk lies within the plot NOTE Flagging or chalking each tree as it is measured will help keep track of trees and prevent missing or double entering a tree Do not leave permanent marks paint or scribe marks on trees Tree ID Required Each tree in a plot requires a unique ID Paper sample and complete Enter under TREE ID Begin with 1 and assign sequentially PDA sample From the Trees window click Add A Tree ID is generated automatically and you now have access to four additional tabbed windows Address Detail Stems and Bldg Each will be used below PDA complete From the Trees window click Add A Tree ID is generated automatically based on the Start ID number entered during Log In You now have access to three additional tabbed windows Address Detail and Stems Each will be used below Direction from plot center Required for permanent plots or QA checks Direction from plot center to the tree in compass degrees azimuths e g north 360 east 90 south 180 If plot center is inaccessible measure direction from TMP Make sure that TMP info is
39. de and longitude under X Coord and Y Coord PDA sample and complete NA Photo Optional Use this field to keep track of photo number and roll card ID if photos are taken Paper sample and complete Record under PHOTO ID PDA sample Record under Plots gt Photo PDA complete Record under Trees gt Add gt Photo Plot sketch Optional Draw a sketch of plot Note distance and direction from plot center to fixed objects sketch fixed objects in relation to plot center 20 Paper sample Sketch in empty space at the top of page 1 Paper complete Sketch on the back of the form PDA sample and complete NA Plot contact info Optional If available record contact person s name and phone number For residential land uses do not ask for this information but if name is on mailbox record it Owner vs renter status is useful if it comes up in conversation Paper sample Record name and phone number under Plot contact info Plot complete NA PDA sample Record under Plots gt Comment PDA complete NA Percent measured Required for sample inventories The amount of the plot that the field crew is able to access and measure either directly or by estimation This allows for data collection for a partial plot For example if 10 of the plot is obscured from view behind a building or a tall stockade fence on land that you could not get permission to access you would record 90 Safety concerns may
40. e PlotID or TreeID you would like to edit click the Edit Plot or Edit Tree button and make any changes necessary 3 Click Save Edits when you are finished 4 For sample inventories if you need to add additional plots beyond those included in the list click Add Plot and complete the form 5 For complete inventories click Add Tree to add a new record and complete the form Rechecking Data in the Field On some occasions you may find that you need to return to the field to recheck inventory entries for example to perform Quality Assurance checks In this case you can select records to be transferred from the desktop to the PDA so you know which trees or plots to return to 45 On your desktop 1 Click Tools gt PDA Utility and the PDA interface will open with the PDA tab active 2 With the PDA connected to your computer ActiveSync working and the Eco PDA application not running click Check PDA Status 3 Click the button labeled Select Recorded Tree Data to Send to PDA The inventory list will appear 4 Check the box next to the appropriate records and click OK Your records should now appear in the PDA Transferring data to the Forest Service When data entry is complete the project information must be sent to the US Forest Service Northern Research Station in Syracuse To begin data transfer 1 Click Tools gt Send Data to Forest Service for Processing 2 A dialogue box entitled Contact Information op
41. e determined by the inventory team based on impressions out in the field i e not from land use maps This field describes how the land is being used which is not necessarily the same as the ownership of the land The following land use types are included Residential R Freestanding structures serving one to four families each Multi family residential M Structures containing more than four residential units Note A block of attached one to four family structures would be considered multi family residential A residential complex consisting of many separate one to four family structures and related greenspace would be also considered multi family residential Commercial Industrial C In addition to standard commercial and industrial land uses this category includes outdoor storage staging areas as well as parking lots in downtown areas that are not connected with an institutional or residential use Park P Parks include undeveloped unmaintained as well as developed areas Cemetery E Includes any small unmaintained areas within cemetery grounds Golf Course G Self explanatory Agriculture A Cropland pasture orchards vineyards nurseries farmsteads and related buildings feed lots rangeland timberland plantations that show evidence of management activity for a specific crop or tree production are included Vacant V This category includes land with no clear intended use Abandoned buildings and vacant
42. ecosystem services provided by your current urban forest The effects of planting scenarios on future benefits can also be modeled This program is a beta version i e it is still in development and feedback is appreciated Disclaimer The use of trade firm or corporation names in this publication is solely for the information and convenience of the reader Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the U S Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable The software distributed under the label i Tree Software Suite v 3 0 is provided without warranty of any kind Its use is governed by the End User License Agreement EULA to which the user agrees before installation Feedback The i Tree Development Team actively seeks feedback on any component of the project the software suite itself the manuals or the process of development dissemination support and refinement Please send comments through any of the means listed on the i Tree support page http www itreetools org support You can also use the Report a Bug feature available under the Help menu right in the software itself User feedback will allow these tools to be updated and improved i Tree Components of the i Tree software suite have been developed over the last few decades by the USDA Forest Service and numerous cooperators Support for the development and release of i
43. eful not to drag the tool beyond the map edges as this causes a reset of the viewer 7 A pop up window will appear Make sure that all three datasets are present in the download window because the three images must be downloaded at the same time with the exact same extents For each layer click Download and the Save File window will appear 10 8 Click Save and navigate to the location where you want the folder stored and change the default name to Land_cover Canopy or Impervious_Surface as appropriate 9 Unzip each folder into your preferred location Make a note of where the folders are stored you ll need this for Phase II With your sample created your general data collected and your maps downloaded if desired you re ready to move on to Phase II and get started with Eco 11 Once you ve decided which fields to collect during your inventory and created a random sample if appropriate it s time to get started with the software To begin working with Eco click your computer s Start menu gt All Programs gt i Tree gt Eco Creating a New Project To start a new project 1 Click File gt New project The Save i Tree Eco Project window will appear Navigate to the location where you want to save the project give it a name and click Save 2 The Creating a New Project window will appear It asks you for the location of four required databases Species Location Input and Report and three optional
44. eld Name select Y_Coord For Expression enter Output For Expression Type select VB Under Code Block enter this code hint copy and paste from here Dim Output As Double Dim pPoint As IPoint Set pPoint Shape Output pPoint Y 72 f Repeat for the MapUnits field For Field Name select MapUnits For Expression enter either Foot_US including quotes if your map units are in feet OR Meters including quotes if your map units are in meters g Verify the attributes have been correctly modified in the sample plots point map layer Right click the new sample plots point map layer in the map layers list and choose Open Attribute Table Scan through the fields and their values to verify they are correct Note that no projection system is assigned to the plots layer If desired it can be defined using steps similar to those for defining the AOI projection system above 7 Use ArcToolbox to buffer the spatially joined sample plots point map layer This step creates the plot of your desired size around the plot centers a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Analysis Tools gt Proximity gt Buffer b Complete the Buffer form Under Input Features select the spatially joined sample plots point map layer from the drop down list For Output Feature Class use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the resulting map layer For Distance in the Linear Unit box ente
45. eld is missing or incorrectly named an error message will appear Even though the output will be completed you must correct the mistake by returning to the previous instructions e Once the mistake is corrected repeat these steps to output a new corrected Strata Report Results Three Eco ready reports Plot listing Strata listing PRJ file automatically created in the Define Projection Reprojection steps above as part of the AOI Shapefile 93 Appendix 3 Data Collection Forms The following pages include the data collection forms for complete and sample inventories For sample inventories you ll need to print one copy per plot i Tree Eco Data Collection Sheet for Inventory Option Project Name Location Address Height Crown Attributes Tree ID Date Crew X Coord Y Coord Photo ID Status NR Tree Species Land Use HT DBH DBH1 DBH2 DBH3 DBH4 DBH5 DBH6 Total Height Live Top Crown Base Width N S Width E W Missing Die Back CLE Tree Site GPS COOR X PLOT ID DATE CREW Y PHOTO ID PLOT SKETCH AND NOTES FOR PLOT RELOCATION Note distance and direction from plot center to fixed objects sketch fixed objects in relation to plot center Plot address Plot contact info Notes Name and Title _______________ Phone ______________________ LOCATING REFERENCE OBJECTS LANDMARKS Identify at least 1 object Measure Reference Object 1 description_____
46. ens Fill in the boxes being particularly careful with your email address Add any comments you feel are important to understanding your project data 3 When you have filled in and checked all the information click OK Your contact information will be attached to your project file and uploaded automatically to a server notifying the US Forest Service Research Unit in Syracuse that your data are ready for processing Downloading results from the Forest Service When your data have been processed you will be notified by email that the results are ready to download A file name for the results will be supplied in the email 1 Open the Eco program and then open your project 2 Click Tools gt Load Data from Forest Service for Reporting 3 In the File window enter the name of the file from the email notification you received The recommended method is to copy the file name from the email then paste it into this dialogue box so that the file name is accurate 4 Click OK Eco will automatically download your results from the server and place them in the correct database location on your computer 46 Reporting Results There are two ways to view the results of your Eco analysis using the Reports menu on the tool bar or by clicking View on the tool bar and selecting View Project Window This opens an outline on the left Click on each plus sign to reveal the options below The same charts and tables are available under both Repor
47. entories continue entering trees until all trees on the site have been inventoried Check thoroughly to be sure all required fields are complete and all entries are reasonable For sample inventories continue entering trees until all trees on plot have been accounted for It is the responsibility of each crew to complete all variables before leaving the sample plot Before leaving the plot check thoroughly to be sure all required fields are complete and all entries are reasonable For PDA users once all trees have been entered click Exit Done and check the box on the Plots window next to Mark Completed You re ready to move on to the next plot 39 Quality Assurance Plan This Quality Assurance QA Plan was designed specifically for i Tree Eco data collection using either volunteer or professionally trained field crews Although originally intended for sample inventories it can be modified for complete inventories It is important to implement QA procedures to ensure accurate data By setting standards and monitoring fieldwork one can prevent or at least detect and correct errors and eliminate the repetition of most errors Quality assurance procedures used in data collection should be documented and sent along with the field data to the Syracuse Unit Information on Quality Assurance procedures is included in the final report After the initial training period periodic inspections should be made of every crew s fieldwork Inspection
48. es are easiest 78 Practice good file management using folders to hold copies of original data folders to hold output employing logical file naming etc Save the iTree mxd project periodically through all steps Temporarily turn off any web browser pop up blockers Common tools Open Browse ArcToolbox Add Data Properties Project Area Data Preparation Overview Obtain a GIS map layer representing the area of interest AOI polygon s for your project area Launch the ArcMap application of ArcGIS at the ArcView ArcEditor or ArcInfo level Open and save the iTree mxd project with a new name at your preferred location Load the AOI map layer into the view Define the projection coordinate system of the AOI Reproject the AOI to a system using feet or meters if needed Dissolve the AOI into a single polygon single multi part polygon if more than one polygon Add Eco required fields and calculate appropriate values for them Results Projected AOI map layer composed of a single possibly multi part polygon with Eco required fields added and populated Detailed instructions 1 Obtain an area of interest AOI polygon from your GIS Department or an online resource such as ESRI s Geography Network www geographynetwork com 79 2 Download the i Tree mxd file from www itreetools org and save it to your computer 3 Launch ESRI s ArcMap applicatio
49. eventually be merged together into one sample plots layer e g plots_Developed_HighIntensity f Repeat Step 1a e for each land cover category g Click Close to exit the Random Point Generator window h From the Selection menu choose Clear Selected Features to unselect the last land cover features NOTE The number of plots per land cover is determined by the area of the land cover in relation to the entire study area For example if the given land cover represents 20 of the study area 20 of the total number of plots should fall in that land cover A minimum of 20 plots per stratum is recommended 68 2 Use ArcToolBox to merge the individual land cover category plot map layer files together a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt General gt Merge and complete the Merge form From the drop down list under Input Datasets select each land cover plot layer one at a time For Output Database click the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the resulting map layer e g SamplePlots_Merge Skip the Field Map option Click OK 3 Use ArcToolbox to define the projection of the merged sample plots point map layer according to your data provider s specifications a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformations gt Define Projection b Complete the Define Projection form For Input Dataset choose the merged
50. functions based on standard inputs of field meteorological and pollution data The model currently calculates the following parameters based on local measurements Urban forest structure including species composition tree cover tree density tree health crown dieback tree damage leaf area leaf biomass and information on shrubs and ground cover types Hourly pollution removal by the urban forest for ozone sulfur dioxide nitrogen dioxide carbon monoxide and particulate matter PM10 The model accounts for potential negative effects of trees on air quality due to BVOC emissions Effect of trees on building energy use and related reductions in carbon dioxide emissions Total carbon stored and net carbon sequestered annually by trees Susceptibility to gypsy moth and Asian longhorned beetle Exotic species composition Eco makes use of user collected field data For large scale areas entire cities or neighborhoods a random sample of fixed area plots is analyzed For smaller scale sites a complete inventory option is available that will provide information on urban forest structure pollution removal carbon sequestration and storage and resource value Model outputs are given for the entire population and for smaller scale projects making use of complete inventories results are also provided for individual trees For more information on the methodology that underlies Eco visit www itreetools org gt Resources About T
51. have to try all relevant county names before the community name appears in the menu 3 Give the series a name to identify the exact nature of the project e g ParkTrees or City to distinguish it from other Eco projects done at the same time in the same place if necessary 4 If you plan to reinventory your plots in the future check the box marked Data collected permanent This option is only valid for sample inventories 5 Indicate whether you will be collecting a complete inventory Inventory 100 census or sampling with random field plots a For sample inventories select the sampling method from the drop down box If you stratified your sample select Stratified Random Sample If your sample was unstratified and plots were completely randomized select Simple Random Sample If your sample was unstratified and you used the fixed grid or randomized grid methods to randomize the plots select accordingly 6 Type in the year of the inventory and choose between English and metric units 7 When you are finished click Add to Database If you are conducting a sample inventory in the next step you ll define your plots 1 Click Define Plots This function creates the proper number of empty rows in the database 2 You can choose between Manually Create and Load from Files a If you created a sample using one of the methods in the Appendices or used your own method that yielded the Eco ready PDA sample outpu
52. he Maps option is only suited to stratified samples If you did not stratify your sample you can use this option to view the NLCD maps but you won t see the results of your own analysis For unstratified samples using the i Tree Vue software will offer greater value To make use of the Maps option you ll need to procure three images for your study area from the NLCD datasets land cover percent impervious cover and percent tree canopy MRLC Consortium Viewer The MRLC Consortium Viewer is the gateway to obtaining the necessary images To get started 1 Turn off any pop up window blockers in your browser go to http gisdata usgs net website MRLC and review the user instructions 2 Click Launch MRLC Consortium Viewer to begin 3 Use the Zoom tool to focus the window tightly on your study area 4 You can use the categories under Display such as Places Transportation Boundaries and Hydrography to help you clarify your boundaries Click the green arrow to the left of the category to view the options and then check the boxes to show the information on the map 5 Once you have focused on your study area click the Download tab on the right click the arrow next to Land Cover and select only these layers NLCD 2001 Land Cover NLCD 2001 Canopy Tree Cover NLCD 2001 Impervious Surface 6 Use the rectangular Download tool from the toolbar group on the left to draw a box around the final download area on the map Be car
53. he land cover polygon s a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Generalization gt Dissolve b Fill out the Dissolve form Under Input Features choose the land cover polygon map layer from the drop down list 59 For Output Feature Class use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and create a file name for the resulting map layer Under Dissolve_Field s check the GRIDCODE data field whose attribute value holds the Land Cover values Leave the Statistics Field s blank The box next to Create Multipart Features should be checked Click OK 4 If needed use ArcToolbox to define the projection of the dissolved land cover polygon map layer according to your data provider s specifications a Downloaded NLCD data have their projection pre defined by the MRLC If your projection is already defined you can skip to step 5 Projection Albers False_Easting 0 000000 False_Northing 0 000000 Central_Meridian 96 000000 Standard_Parallel_1 29 500000 Standard_Parallel_2 45 500000 Latitude_Of_Origin 37 500000 Linear Unit Meter 1 000000 Geographic Coordinate System GCS_North_American_1983 Angular Unit Degree 0 017453292519943295 Prime Meridian Greenwich 0 000000000000000000 60 Datum D_North_American_1983 Spheroid GRS_1980 Semimajor Axis 6378137 000000000000000000 Semiminor Axis 6356752 314140356100000000 Inverse Flattening 298 257222101000020000 b If the projection i
54. he plus signs to open each outline level and view the different charts and tables The charts and tables can also be accessed from the Tool Bar under Reports In addition to charts and tables you can access the written report and the mapping feature under Reports and in the Project View From the Tools menu you can launch the PDA utility and explore some of the options there We will of course explain all of these functions and more in greater detail but for now feel free to explore and see what s available 5 Early Decisions to Be Made Before you get started with Eco there are several decisions that must be made In this section we ll describe some of the pluses and minuses of each option to help you choose What are the boundaries of your study area An Eco analysis can be done for an entire city a neighborhood a park or even a backyard Will your inventory be a complete inventory of the entire study area or a series of sample plots A typical Eco project involves inventorying a series of sample plots distributed across a city a large university campus or other broad diverse landscape Occasionally however some users have opted for an Eco analysis of small discrete areas such as a residential parcel or a commercial property In this case a complete inventory of all trees on the site makes more sense Keep in mind however that data collection on each tree is intensive and sites with many trees will be very time consum
55. his Manual This manual provides all the information needed to conduct an Eco project We start with installing the software and move on to the four project phases Phase I Getting started In this section we talk about decisions that need to be made right at the outset such as the boundaries of the study area and whether your inventory will be a random sample of fixed plots or a complete inventory of the site During Phase I you ll create a sample inventory if necessary The final step includes gathering general data that you ll need to have ready such as air quality data and aerial imagery for the optional mapping tool Phase II Getting started with the software In this section we run the Eco software 2 and use it to configure our inventory create inventorying materials and set up the PDA application for those who will be using this tool to collect data In the last step we describe how to map the field plots so you know where to start Phase III Out in the field This section is where all the hard work gets done beginning with setting up the plots Most importantly we cover what data fields you need to collect how to do so and how to enter the data either onto the paper forms or into the PDA Phase III ends with a description of how to perform Quality Assurance checks to make sure your field teams are being as accurate as possible Phase IV Back at your desk Running Eco In this section we describe how to transfer da
56. ield values for random plots data Buffer the random plots point data to form plot areas Results Random sample plots point map layer with Eco required fields added populated Detailed instructions 1 Use regular selection queries and the Random Plots tool to select an individual land cover category and add the number of desired plots to it a From the Selection menu choose Select by Attributes b Fill out the Select by Attributes form Under Layer ensure that the processed land cover map layer is selected For Method select Create a new selection To add the necessary equations to the SELECT FROM box 67 Double click the GRID_TXT field name from the list above Click the equals button Click the Get Unique Values button Double click the first land cover GRID_TXT value in the list A properly formatted query will look like this GRID_TXT Developed High Intensity Click Apply c Click to select the processed land cover map layer in the map layers list and then click the Random Plots tool in the i Tree toolbar d Enter the desired number of sample plots for this land cover in the Random Point Generator window e Click Compute and then select a location and file name for the sample plots point map layer to be created Sample plots will be created for each land cover category as a separate map layer file Choose a name for each file that reflects the category as they will
57. ile gt Update Project To begin working with the Maps tool click Reports gt Maps Land Cover The first window that appears asks you to match NLCD land cover classes with your classification scheme NLCD land cover classification categories are listed on the left In the drop down boxes on the right the land cover classes that you defined when you created your sample using ArcGIS will be listed You must match each of your land cover to the most appropriate NLCD category For example if you have a Wetlands category you would use this for both Woody Wetland and Herbaceous Wetland It is important to appropriately match land cover categories in this step Subsequent map calculations performed on the NLCD image data are inherently dependent upon this step Inappropriate match ups between categories will skew the output image results When you are finished click OK NOTE The three NLCD datasets land cover tree canopy impervious cover MUST have been downloaded at the same time so they have the exact same extents If these images are downloaded separately they will not align correctly and all subsequent output processing will be invalidated 49 Map outputs The map results window consists of four sub windows the downloaded NLCD Land Cover Tree Canopy and Impervious Cover imagery as well as the chosen map Output Under the Output Options drop down menu at the bottom right you can view the maps for carbon sto
58. ine the projection coordinate system of the AOI Reproject the AOI to a system using feet or meters if needed Dissolve the AOI into a single polygon single multi part polygon if more than one polygon Results Projected AOI map layer composed of a single possibly multi part polygon 53 Detailed instructions 1 Obtain an area of interest AOI polygon from your GIS Department or an online resource such as ESRI s Geography Network www geographynetwork com 2 Download the i Tree mxd file from www itreetools org and save it to your computer 3 Launch ESRI s ArcMap application at the ArcView or ArcEditor or ArcInfo level 4 Click the Open icon button to browse for the iTree mxd The iTree mxd project file contains a custom toolbar for random sample generation and UFORE report output 5 Save a copy of the iTree mxd project with a new name at a new location via the File gt Save As menu 6 Open ArcToolbox 7 Use the Add Data button to navigate to and load the AOI polygon map layer to the current view An Unknown Spatial Reference message may appear click OK to move past it 8 If necessary use ArcToolbox to define the projection of the AOI map layer according to your data provider s specifications If a projection is already defined skip to Step 9 a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformations gt Define Projection b Complete the
59. ing Also reporting for complete inventories is limited and does not include information on energy conservation air pollution contributions by shrubs or available planting space What kinds of field data will you collect For sample inventories certain information is required while other variables are optional Each variable collected adds depth to the analysis but also adds to the cost of the project There are four optional data categories for sample inventory analyses Plantable space If you would like to determine the available planting space for your study area you will need to collect information on the proportion of each plot that is plantable Energy If you would like to assess the effects your urban forest is having on energy consumption you will need to collect information related to nearby buildings distance and direction from trees Shrub If you would like to know the effects your study area s shrubs are having on air pollution you will need to collect information on the species height and cover of the shrubs within the plots Hydro A future version of i Tree coming soon will offer the ability to estimate the stormwater management benefits of your urban forest If you are interested in making use of this function you will need to collect data on the amount of impervious surface and the amount of shrub cover under the dripline of each tree Phase I Getting Started 6 To conduct your inventory will you use
60. ing Lianghu Tian Michael Kerr Al Zelaya Scott Maco and Mike Binkley based on input and newly available research from NRS and feedback from i Tree users The manual was edited and designed by Kelaine Vargas Acknowledgements Introduction 1 About This Manual 1 Installation 3 System Requirements 3 Desktop laptop computer requirements 3 PDA requirements 3 Installation 3 Exploring Eco with the Sample Project 4 Phase I Getting Started 5 Early Decisions to Be Made 5 Creating a Sample 6 Gathering General Data 8 Air quality data 8 Weather data 8 Gathering Map Data 8 MRLC Consortium Viewer 9 Phase II Getting Started with Eco 11 Creating a New Project 11 Creating Configuring Inventories 11 Creating Field Data Collection Materials 13 Configuring PDA for Data Collection 13 Check status and install necessary components 13 Setting the Project Definitions 14 Setting the Project Options 14 Applying the new configuration settings to the PDA 15 Mapping Field Plots 15 Phase III Out in the Field 17 Plot Establishment 17 Collecting Data 17 Survey information 17 Inaccessible plot centers 18 Table of Contents Plot information 19 Reference Objects 21 Land Use 22 Ground Cover 24 Shrub Information 25 Tree Information 27 Crown Rating Precautions 32 Finishing up the plot or site 38 Quality Assurance Plan 39 Definitions 39 QA
61. is includes plot information address GPS coordinates sketch permanent reference data for locating the site in the future land use and cover data ground cover shrubs and trees For complete inventories this includes general location information tree characteristics and land use type NOTE If you have decided to conduct your inventory on paper or with a method other than a PDA skip ahead to Mapping Field Plots To use the PDA application to conduct your data collection click Launch PDA Program Generator Configuring PDA for Data Collection When you are ready to begin working with the PDA connect it to your computer Your computer must recognize your PDA If it does not do so automatically follow the instructions that came with the device to achieve this Check status and install necessary components If you are still following along with the directions above the i Tree Eco PDA Utility window should be open on your screen If not from within the Eco desktop application click Tools gt PDA Utility 1 Your first step should be to see what software needs to be loaded on the PDA To do so click Check PDA Status If any components are missing they will be shown in red and an Install button will appear 2 Click Install to add the necessary components and follow the instructions on the screen and on the PDA 14 Setting the Project Definitions Once the PDA is properly set up 1 Click the Project Definition tab in
62. k Save Continue adding ground covers until Total 100 then click Exit PDA complete NA Shrub Information Optional for sample inventories not available for complete inventories You should complete this section if you decided to collect information on shrubs during the Phase I Getting Started Early Decisions For sample inventories during Plot Information data collection you were required to enter the percentage of the plot that was covered by shrubs This phase focuses just on that area For inventory purposes shrubs should be grouped into masses of the same species and approximate height For instance if your plot includes five azaleas of similar heights in different areas you can group them together and enter them as one group A tree with DBH lt 1 inch is considered a shrub Record a maximum of twelve shrub groups If there are more than twelve record measurements for the first eleven then lump the remaining shrubs into the twelfth group Paper sample For each shrub group enter data for the four fields below under the SHRUB heading Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Shrubs window click Add to add a new shrub group and complete the four fields below PDA complete NA Shrub species Identify the shrub species If this is not possible the plant must be identified by its genus at a minimum if genus is not known then collect a sample for identification Paper sample Enter species name or specie
63. lect LONG from the drop down list Skip the following fields Field Precision Field Scale Field Length Field Alias Field is Nullible Field is Required Field Domain Click OK c Repeat the steps above as follows for these four additional fields Field Name GRID_TXT Field Text Select TEXT Field Name Strata Field Text Select TEXT Field Name Strat_Area Field Text Select DOUBLE Field Name No_Plots1 Field Text Select LONG 9 Use regular Selection Queries and ArcToolbox to calculate text values that are equivalent to the land cover categories for the clipped land cover map layer a Examine the metadata documentation file that you downloaded with the NLCD Land Cover data 63 Each GRIDCODE value corresponds to one land cover category Use the GRIDCODEs to decipher the land cover data b In the tool bar choose Selection gt Select by Attributes c Complete the Select by Attributes form For Layer select your processed land cover map layer For Method select Create a new selection To add the necessary equations to the SELECT FROM box at the bottom 1 Double click the GRIDCODE field name from the list above 2 Click the equals button 3 Click the Get Unique Values button 4 Double click the first land cover GRIDCODE value in the list A properly formatted query will look like this GRIDCODE 11 Click Apply d With the features in this first land cover category selected use ArcTool
64. llowing describes how to determine plot boundaries and location of trees when plot centers are inaccessible note that the numbers in the example only apply to 0 1 acre plots Fig 1 Determine a by estimating the approximate location of the true plot center from the aerial photo or map Then calculate b by subtracting a from the plot radius e g 37 2 ft for a 0 1 acre plot Then b is the distance from the plot boundary to the building wall To outline the general plot boundary walk parallel to the building for 26 2 ft y1 then perpendicular to the building for 11 ft x1 This would represent a point along the boundary approximately 45 from the start If you then walk 11 ft y2 parallel to the building s edge and 26 2 ft x2 perpendicular the next plot boundary would be reached representing a point 90 along a circle from your starting point To locate the trees that are in plot more easily the crew should first determine the plot boundaries as described above and then pick a point from which distance and direction can easily be measured to serve as the Tree Measurement Point TMP In the figure a corner of the building has been chosen as the TMP the TMP should be recorded in the notes e g northwest corner of building Remember to only record trees that are within the radius of the true plot center Trees c d and f are all within the true plot boundary and must be inventoried Tree e
65. n at the ArcView or ArcEditor or ArcInfo level 4 Click the Open icon button to browse for the iTree mxd The iTree mxd project file contains a custom toolbar for random sample generation and UFORE report output 5 Save a copy of the iTree mxd project with a new name at a new location via the File gt Save As menu 6 Open ArcToolbox 7 Use the Add Data button to navigate to and load the AOI polygon map layer to the current view An Unknown Spatial Reference message may appear click OK to move past it 8 Use ArcToolbox to define the projection of the AOI map layer according to your data provider s specifications If a projection is already defined skip to Step 9 a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformations gt Define Projection b Complete the Data Projection form For Input Dataset choose the AOI map layer from the drop down list For Coordinate System click the Properties button to the right In the Spatial Reference Properties window that appears click Select and choose the coordinate system indicated by your data provider 80 9 If necessary use ArcToolbox to reproject your AOI map layer to a system using feet or meters ideally selecting a projection system already in use by your organization or a commonly used system such as State Plane or UTM in the United States a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformati
66. n the plot it should be recorded with the same number Sequentially number unknowns in notebook and attempt to identify later After samples have been identified at the office go back and enter correct species code on paper form or in PDA If after all references guides have been checked and identification of individual species is still difficult e g due to hybridization then record genus if possible For dead trees when species or genus cannot be determined record as Hardwood or Softwood Paper sample and complete Enter under TREE SPECIES If you wish to use species codes you ll find a PDF and an Excel spreadsheet of the species code list on the i Tree website www itreetools org under Resources PDA sample In the Detail window select a species from the drop down list You can switch among botanical name common name and species code using the View Search By list You can also search by typing in the Species Search box PDA complete In the Detail window select a species from the drop down list You can switch among botanical name common name and species code using the View Search By list You can also search by typing in the Species Search box Tree site Optional Record whether tree is a street tree or not S or N Paper sample and complete Enter S or N under TREE SITE PDA sample In the Detail window select S or N from the drop down menu under Site PDA complete In the Detail window select S or N from
67. ng and downloading all three layers during the same online mapping session ensures each layer covers the same exact area and each layer aligns correctly with the rest NOTE The download files consist of raster image data Each file is composed of pixels and each pixel contains information such as land cover type A metadata file describing the layers Entity and Attribute information is included as well The names of the land cover categories can be found within 58 e Unzip the compressed files to your desired location f The download files are named numerically Load each into ArcMap to determine which file is the land cover layer Canopy and impervious layers can be removed from the view g Right click the land cover layer and click Zoom to layer as it is most likely in a different projection coordinate system 2 Use ArcToolbox to convert the land cover raster data to polygons a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Conversion Tools gt From Raster gt Raster to Polygon b Fill out the Raster to Polygon form For Input Raster choose your land cover map layer from the drop down menu For Field select the field containing the land cover values refer to metadata documentation if necessary Under Output Polygon Features use the Browse button to locate a suitable location and create a filename for the resulting polygon map layer The Simplify polygons box should be UNCHECKED Click OK 3 Use ArcToolbox to dissolve t
68. nters and the associated Eco required data within your defined study area ESRI ArcGIS v9 x software is used the instructions are compatible with ArcGIS v 8 with some modifications These instructions comprise three basic steps 1 Prepare project area data 2 Generate sample plots 3 Create Eco ready output When you are finished you will have created the following Projected area of interest AOI map layer composed of a single multi part polygon Random sample plots point map layer with Eco required fields added and populated The points are the plot centers Sample plot areas polygon map layer The polygons are the plots Eco ready strata area report text file Eco ready plot list report text file Eco ready PRJ file Tips These instructions require use of a few simple i Tree tools within the iTree mxd ArcMap project file that can be downloaded from the i Tree website at www itreetools org under Resources Advanced GIS users can primarily follow the bulleted overviews with special attention to the detailed instructions in areas such as field names and types Obtain projection coordinate system and map unit information from the map data provider Final map units must be either feet or meters AOI examples are large polygons such as city boundary park areas or a management zone s ESRI shapefiles coverages or geodatabases can be used shapefil
69. on as base of the tree or up slope from the tree This may not be possible in all cases but never get in the habit of evaluating trees from the down slope side View of the crown Two crew members should stand at angles to each other to evaluate trees striving to obtain the best view of the crown The ideal positions are 90 degrees apart on flat terrain Fig 3 Don t evaluate the tree from the same position or at 180 degrees unless no other option exists In heavily canopied areas getting a good perspective of the crown becomes difficult Overlapping branches background trees and lack of a good viewing area can cause problems when rating some trees Crews need to move laterally to search for a good view Take special care when rating such trees Climatic conditions Cloudy or overcast skies fog rain and poor sun angles may affect estimates Crown diameters may be affected but to a lesser degree than other crown indicators Crown dieback may be underestimated because it is difficult to see dead twigs or to differentiate defoliated twigs from dead twigs Be especially careful during poor lighting conditions Move around a tree to get another view even if the view appears adequate at a specific location Heavy defoliation During heavy defoliation crown dieback may be overestimated The use of binoculars may help in separating dead twigs from defoliated twigs Trees with epicormic branches or sprigs Trees that are densely covered in epic
70. on the other hand is within 37 2 ft of the TMP but not of the actual plot center Therefore it lies outside the plot boundary and is not tallied Fig 1 Determining a Tree Measurement Point and plot boundaries 19 Paper sample and complete Enter under CREW PDA sample and complete Name is entered at the beginning of an inventory session under Login Tree ID start no PDA only A starting number for Tree IDs can be set for each PDA under Login so that duplicate numbers are not assigned Plot information Plot ID Required for sample inventories Plot ID must be a unique identifier Paper sample Enter a unique number under PLOT ID at the top of both pages Paper complete NA PDA sample In the main Plots menu select the Plot ID from the drop down menu of all generated plots PDA complete NA Plot address Required for permanent plots Street address and any notes for locating plots in areas without street addresses Paper sample Enter under Plot address Paper complete Enter under Location Address PDA sample Enter under Plots gt Address PDA complete Enter under Trees gt Address Stake PDA sample only If the location of permanent plots has been marked by a permanent identifier check this box GPS Coordinates Optional GPS coordinates help if revisiting the site is necessary Paper sample Record latitude and longitude under GPS COOR Paper complete Record latitu
71. ons gt Feature gt Project b Complete the Project form For Input Dataset select the AOI map layer from the drop down menu Input Coordinate System should be grayed out based on your work in the previous step For Output Dataset or Feature Class use the Browse button to the right and navigate to a suitable location to save the output file and give it a name For Output Coordinate System click the Properties button to the right and in the Spatial Reference Properties window that appears click the Select button and navigate to the proper coordinate system For Geographic Transformation select the first choice in the drop down list if prompted with an Undefined Geographic Transformation message Click OK when you ve completed all the boxes 81 10 If your AOI has more than one polygon use ArcToolbox to dissolve them a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Generalization gt Dissolve b Complete the Dissolve window For Input Features select the AOI map layer from the list For Output Feature Class use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and give the file a name For Dissolve Field check the data field attribute value that unifies the AOI Example a Name field containing the city name of an AOI even across physically separate city sections Leave the Statistics field blank Ensure the Create Multipart Features box is checked Click OK to finish 82 11 Use Arc
72. ore rapidly than with the second 100 plots but the standard error continues to drop with increased sample size A crew of two people can typically measure 200 plots within one summer for a city with about 20 tree cover The actual number of plots to be measured differs based on many factors including the size of the city and tree cover Note We recommend selecting an extra 5 10 of your total number of plots to use where a plot is inaccessible The standard plot size for an Eco analysis is a 0 1 acre circular plot with radius of 37 2 ft If necessary smaller or larger plots can be used for instance if you are analyzing a small area in which 0 1 acre plots would overlap Creating the sample Appendices I and 2 describe methods for creating a set of random plots using ESRI ArcGIS but you can use any method you like including paper maps and pencil as long as it follows random sampling conventions 8 Gathering General Data Air quality data Users in the United States do not need to provide air quality data for an Eco analysis unless they wish to submit very local data or use data from a year other than 2000 Users outside the U S should submit hourly air pollution data in Microsoft Excel format with column names and data as shown in the table below Column Column name Format Description A Year Number The year the data were recorded B Month Number The month the data were recorded 1 12 C Spname Text Name of
73. ormic sprouts are not considered special cases in field data collection There are two methods for handling this situation The first choice is not to consider epicormic sprouts as part of the live crown base if located under the actual branches crown base The foliage the epicormics do produce for the tree would be considered for the percent canopy missing proportionately decreasing the amount of percent canopy missing EXAMPLE A tree has epicormic sprouts extending to four feet from the ground but its live crown base is measured at eight feet high The crew estimates the percent canopy missing at 15 but also estimates the additional four feet of epicormic sprouts to contain approximately 5 of canopy cover The percent canopy missing would then be recorded as 10 All of the percentages would be based on the crown measurements crown widths total height and crown base height 33 The second way would be to lower the crown base measurement to the lowest epicormic sprout and then that point would be used to estimate the percent canopy missing of the tree More times then not this method will increase the percent canopy missing Either way of handling epicormic branches will work with Eco but in the field it is helpful to be consistent Use one method or the other for most if not all of the cases when encountering epicormic sprouts If a tree s canopy consists only of epicormic sprouts or if they are located above the crown base
74. ot is sloped measure slope with clinometer and adjust plot width accordingly Adjusted plot radius can be read from the following table Slope 5 10 12 15 17 20 22 25 27 30 Slope angle 2 9 5 7 6 8 8 5 9 7 11 3 12 4 14 0 15 1 16 7 Adj radius 1 10 acre plot 37 3 37 3 37 4 37 4 37 5 37 6 37 7 37 8 37 9 38 0 Adj radius 1 6 acre plot 48 1 48 2 48 2 48 3 48 4 48 5 48 6 48 8 48 9 49 1 In some cases the plot center may fall in an inaccessible location such as the middle of a building or highway In this case do not choose an alternate plot but instead follow the instructions for Inaccessible Plot Centers to select a Tree Measurement Point TMP to use for subsequent data collection Collecting Data With the plot center plot boundaries and if necessary a TMP determined you are ready to begin data collection In the following sections each data field is described in detail along with information on how to enter data on paper forms or using the PDA Survey information Date Optional Date of data collection Paper sample and complete Enter under DATE PDA sample and complete Date is entered at the beginning of an inventory session under Login Crew Optional Name or number of crew conducting inventory 18 Inaccessible plot centers In some cases your plot center might fall in a location that is inaccessible such as within a building or in the middle of a highway The fo
75. ots point map layer from the drop down list For Field Name enter ID For Field Type select LONG from the drop down list Skip the following fields Field Precision Field Scale Field Length Field Alias Field is Nullible Field is Required Field Domain Click OK c Repeat the steps above as follows for these five additional fields Field Name LCCode Field Text Select SHORT Field Name X_Coord Field Text Select DOUBLE Field Name Y_Coord Field Text Select DOUBLE Field Name LCType Field Text Select TEXT Field Name MapUnits Field Text Select TEXT 6 Use ArcToolbox to calculate values for the Eco specific fields added to the spatially joined sample plots point map layer in step 2 71 a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Calculate Field b Complete the Calculate Field form For Input Table select the sample plots point map layer from the drop down list For Field Name select ID For Expression enter FID 1 Skip Expression Type Skip Code Block Click OK c Repeat for the LCCode field For Field Name select LCCode For Expression enter Strat_ID d Repeat for the X_Coord field For Field Name select X_Coord For Expression enter Output For Expression Type select VB Under Code Block enter this code hint copy and paste from here Dim Output As Double Dim pPoint As IPoint Set pPoint Shape Output pPoint X e Repeat for the Y_Coord field For Fi
76. pollutant must be CO NO2 O3 PM10 SO2 D Cityname Text The name of the city where the pollution monitor is located E Addr Text The address of the pollution monitor cannot exceed 5 characters including spaces F Units Number 1 indicates g m3 7 indicates ppm G Quantity Number The concentration of the pollutant in ppm for CO NO2 O3 SO2 and in g m3 for PM10 H Day Number The day the data were recorded 1 31 I Hour Number The hour the data were recorded 1 24 Weather data Hourly weather data are necessary to analyze air pollution removal by the urban forest and are available within Eco for most cities around the world for the years 1995 2005 If you wish to provide your own weather data more information and formatting requirements are provided at www itreetools org under Resources Gathering Map Data If you chose to stratify your sample Eco offers the option of visualizing your results spatially by making use of the 2001 National Land Cover Dataset NLCD which is 9 distributed by the Multi Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium MRLC www mrlc gov With Eco s Maps option still a Beta version under development results of your analysis related to carbon storage carbon sequestration structural information pollution removal canopy cover available planting space and tree density are mapped directly onto NLCD images This option does not require GIS knowledge or software NOTE T
77. port for the suite i Tree Products The i Tree software suite v 3 0 includes two flagship urban forest analysis tools and three utility programs i Tree Eco provides a broad picture of the entire urban forest It is designed to use field data from randomly located plots throughout a community along with local hourly air pollution and meteorological data to quantify urban forest structure environmental effects and value to communities i Tree Streets focuses on the ecosystem services and structure of a municipality s street tree population It makes use of a sample or complete inventory to quantify and put a dollar value on the trees annual environmental and aesthetic benefits including energy conservation air quality improvement carbon dioxide reduction stormwater control and property value increases i Tree Species Selector is a free standing utility designed to help urban foresters select the most appropriate tree species based on environmental function and geographic area i Tree Storm helps you to assess widespread community damage in a simple credible and efficient manner immediately after a severe storm It is adaptable to various About i Tree community types and sizes and provides information on the time and funds needed to mitigate storm damage i Tree Vue Beta allows you to make use of freely available national land cover data maps to assess your community s land cover including tree canopy and some of the
78. r the distance value from the table below based on your desired plot size The distance is the radius of the plot 73 Skip the following entries Side Type End Type Dissolve Type Dissolve Field s c The buffered sample points layer is added to the map view automatically zoom in to examine individual plot areas For plot size Enter Map units in feet 1 5 acre 52 66 1 10 acre 37 24 1 20 acre 26 33 1 100 acre 11 78 Map units in meters 1 5 hectare 25 23 1 10 hectare 17 84 1 20 hectare 12 62 1 100 hectare 5 64 Results Sample plots point map layer User defined number of plots randomly spread throughout each stratum land cover Plot points assigned with land cover categories Eco required fields added and populated Sample plot areas polygon map layer 74 Create Eco ready Output Overview Run the UFORE Plot List Report tool Run the UFORE Strata Area Report tool Results Eco ready Plot List report text file Eco ready Strata Area report text file Eco ready PRJ file Detailed Instructions 1 Select the spatially joined sample plots point map layer in the map layers list and click the UFORE Plot Report tool in the i Tree toolbar to create the Plot Report a Respond to the questions to confirm your map units b In the next window navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the Plot Report c If the report i
79. rage carbon sequestration structural information pollution removal canopy cover available planting space and tree density Map controls The following controls can be used to manipulate the Maps results window Imagery Window Click and drag with mouse to pan the images Maximize Restore Image Window Enlarge a single window Zoom Level of Image Windows Select desired zoom from drop down or enter value Full Extent Zoom to full extent of map images Scroll Bars Toggle image window scrolling on or off Legends Toggle map legends on and off Save Output Once processing is complete select a location to save the output image Reset Output Clear the processing selection and reset the output image Output Options Select the desired output result Faster Output By default the output image is turned off during processing for faster processing Unchecking this box results in a real time update of the output image at a much slower pace The windows pan and zoom in unison The output maps can be saved as TIFF images and brought into GIS programs for further mapping or inserted into other documents Map Usage Notes Output processing time is system dependent On slower machines processing may take several minutes The output processing progress is shown by a progress bar at the bottom of the screen Occasionally this progress bar will appear to stall due to other system activity on your computer You should NOT exit the program
80. reating New Project window Mapping Field Plots The final step before data collection can begin is to determine the physical location of the plots If the random plots were created in a GIS using the Random Plots Workbooks in the appendices or another method the plot shapefile can be overlaid on digital aerial photos of the study area to aid crews in locating plots and plot centers on the ground If digital photos are not available or if the plots were created manually they can be located on a digital land use or road map or on paper maps Plot centers and plot boundaries should be identified With your plots plotted and your PDA configured or forms printed you are ready for field data collection 16 17 Phase III Out in the Field Plot Establishment Sample inventorying begins with plot establishment If you re conducting a complete inventory you can skip to the next section Get permission to access the property if necessary from resident or property owner If you are unable to enter the plot or to collect data from afar select an alternate plot If you have a list of alternate plots select the first plot from the list for that land use For grid sampling schemes the plot should be located in the same grid and land use as the non accessible plot Do not skip around the alternate list go in sequence Locate the plot center and plot boundaries using the aerial photographs and or maps you created during Phase II If the pl
81. recorded in Reference Object sections of paper forms or on PDA Paper sample Enter azimuth in degrees under DR Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Address window use compass circle to define PDA complete NA Distance to plot center Required for permanent plots or QA checks Shortest distance in ft or m from plot center to edge of trunk at DBH measured parallel to the ground In heavily wooded plots accuracy is critical to allow trees to be found in the future If plot center is inaccessible measure distance from TMP Make sure that TMP info is recorded in Reference Object section of paper forms or on PDA Paper sample Enter shortest distance to tree under DS Paper complete NA 28 PDA sample In the Address window enter under Distance to Plot Ctr PDA complete NA Land Use Required for sample inventories Record the land use in which the tree is located Paper sample and complete Use land use codes defined above and enter under LAND USE PDA sample In the Address window select the land use from the drop down list Only land uses you identified for the specific plot will be included PDA complete In the Address window select the land use from the drop down list Species Required If the species can not be identified take and number a sample record in notebook as Plot XXX unknown 1 etc If using PDA record as UNKN 1 UNKN 2 etc Each time that same unknown is encountered o
82. red fields added and populated Sample plot areas polygon map layer 91 Create Eco ready Output Overview Run the UFORE Plot List Report tool Run the UFORE Strata Area Report tool Results Eco ready Plot List report text file Eco ready Strata Area report text file Eco ready PRJ file Detailed Instructions 1 Select the sample plots point map layer in the map layers list and click the UFORE Plot Report tool in the i Tree toolbar to create the Plot Report a Respond to the questions to confirm your map units b In the next window navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the Plot Report c If the report is completed correctly the UFORE Plot Report completed box will appear d If a field is missing or incorrectly named an error message will appear Even though the output will be completed you must correct the mistake by returning to the previous instructions e Once the mistake is corrected repeat these steps to output a new corrected Plot Report 2 Select the AOI polygon layer in the map layers list and click the UFORE Strata Report tool in the i Tree toolbar to create the Strata report a Respond to the questions to confirm your map units b In the next window navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name 92 for the Strata Report c If the report is completed correctly the UFORE Strata Report completed box will appear d If a fi
83. s NOT pre defined navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformations gt Define Projection Fill out the Define Projection form Under Input Dataset choose the land cover polygon map layer from the drop down list For Coordinate System click the Properties button at right and in the Spatial Reference Properties window that appears click the Select button and navigate to the proper coordinate system The proper coordinate system is determined by your data provider 5 Use ArcToolbox to project the dissolved land cover polygon data For consistency in placing sample plots project the land cover data to the projection coordinate system chosen above for the AOI data a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Projections and Transformations gt Feature gt Project b Fill out the Project form Under Input Dataset choose the dissolved land cover polygon map layer from the drop down list The Input Coordinate System should be grayed out with the NLCD Albers projection system Under Output Dataset or Feature Class use the Browse button to navigate to a suitable location and 61 choose a file name for the resulting map layer Under Output Coordinate System lick the Properties button at right and in the Spatial Reference Properties window click the Select button and navigate to the coordinate system employing either feet or meters as previously selected for the AOI
84. s are the most important mechanism for assuring quality data The number of errors detected will determine the frequency of inspections Definitions Quality Assurance Quality Assurance QA is a procedure to ensure that the field data are collected accurately QA involves a series of hot and cold checks of the field plots Hot Check Trainer works with the crew as they conduct measurements on the plot to ensure that they have mastered the measurement techniques Hot checks are normally done as part of the training process Trainer observes crews during data collection and checks their measurements while the crew is at the plot Hot checks are informal allowing for one on one interaction between the trainer and the trainee Errors encountered during hot checks are corrected Cold Check Cold checks are done at regular intervals throughout the field season An inspector or alternate crew member revisits a plot after it has been completed The original crew is not present and critical measurements are checked Plots should be selected at random so field crews do not know which plots will have a cold check Errors encountered during cold checks are corrected QA Timing After the initial field training a series of hot and cold checks should be completed on approximately 5 of the plots with more cold than hot checks e g 70 cold and 30 hot Every crew should be hot and cold checked It is important to perform several QA checks early in the
85. s code under SHRUBS gt SPECIES Visit the i Tree website www itreetools org gt Resources for PDF and Excel spreadsheet of species code list Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Shrubs window after clicking Add select a species from the drop down list You can switch among botanical name common name and species code using the drop down menu at the top right You can also search by typing in the Species Search box PDA complete NA 26 Shrub height Measure the height of the shrub group to the nearest 0 1 ft m Height of shrub groups of a particular species will likely differ across the plot An average height may be used and different shrub masses grouped together where variation in height is relatively small Paper sample Enter under SHRUBS gt HEIGHT Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Shrubs window enter under Height PDA complete NA Percent of total shrub area Measure the percent of the total shrub area i e not the total plot area represented by this species height combination The total for all the shrub groups recorded on the plot must equal 100 Where there are two or more layers of different shrub species record the percent area of the entire tallest shrub mass but only the area of the shorter shrub mass that is not shaded overtopped by the taller shrub i e visualize the area of the shrub masses from a birds eye view and report the percent of the shrub masses as seen from above
86. s completed correctly the UFORE Plot Report completed box will appear d If a field is missing or incorrectly named an error message will appear Even though the output will be completed you must correct the mistake by returning to the previous instructions e Once the mistake is corrected repeat these steps to output a new corrected Plot Report 2 Select the processed land cover polygon layer in the map layers list and click the UFORE Strata Report tool in the i Tree toolbar to create the Strata report a Respond to the questions to confirm your map units 75 b In the next window navigate to a suitable location and choose a file name for the Strata Report c If the report is completed correctly the UFORE Strata Report completed box will appear d If a field is missing or incorrectly named an error message will appear Even though the output will be completed you must correct the mistake by returning to the previous instructions e Once the mistake is corrected repeat these steps to output a new corrected Strata Report Results Three Eco ready reports Plot listing Strata listing PRJ file automatically created in the Define Projection Reprojection steps above as part of the AOI Shapefile 76 77 Appendix 2 Random Plots Workbook Unstratified Sample These instructions are designed to help users of all skill levels create random i Tree Eco sample plots plot ce
87. s that are likely to be present 5 to 15 years from now e g stop signs telephone poles permanent structures sidewalks driveways If the plot falls in a forested area and there are no man made or permanent objects within sight select two unique or witness trees striking species or large DBH that you expect to be present on the plot in the future Photo s of reference objects are helpful Describe the reference object very specifically e g telephone pole 5 ft from left edge of driveway when facing the house Measure the distance and direction 1 360 to each reference object from the plot center Paper sample Record the description direction and distance for one or two reference objects Paper complete NA 22 PDA sample From the Reference Object window click Add and select an object type from the drop down list Enter a distance and direction and click Save Repeat if necessary for a second object Click Exit when complete PDA complete NA Tree Measurement Point TMP If the plot center was inaccessible you should select one of your reference points to serve as TMP Paper sample Circle Y or N under Tree Measurement Point to identify a Reference Object as a TMP Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Reference Object window enter TMP in the Comment field of the object serving as the TMP PDA complete NA Land Use Actual land use Required for sample inventories Land use should b
88. stratification is that it might make future studies that revisit the same plots difficult if land uses change over time If you decide to stratify your sampling be sure not to choose too many categories or strata The number of strata used in an Eco project is typically between 5 and 10 for an analysis with 200 total plots Too many categories can lead to analysis problems as too few plots may fall in some strata What kind of randomization method will you use For unstratified samples you might wish to use different methods of randomizing the plots themselves across the study area Random plots are laid randomly Grid plots are laid on a fixed grid equidistance between plots Randomized grid plots are laid randomly within evenly spaced grid cells Note however that this manual only includes instructions for creating a completely random sample How many plots will you inventory and how big will they be The number of plots to be inventoried must be determined As the number of plots increases the standard error decreases and you can be more confident in the estimate for the population However as the number of plots increases so does the time and cost of field data collection As a general rule 200 plots 1 10 acre each in a stratified random sample with at least 20 plots per stratum will yield a standard error of about 10 for an estimate for the entire city With the first 100 plots the standard error drops m
89. t the plot list report text file the strata area report text file and GIS projection file select Load from Files Click the button to the right of each file type and navigate to each of the files Set your plot size usually 0 1 acre with a radius of 37 2 ft but other sizes are acceptable and click OK to load plots into the database b If you used an alternate method such as paper maps and pencils click Manually Create enter the number of plots you will be measuring the plot size and the study area size and click OK The appropriate number of empty plots will be entered in the database 3 Click Exit to close the window 13 Creating Field Data Collection Materials Your final step is to create the field data collection materials you will need You can choose to collect data on paper forms or on PDAs 1 To create paper forms for a sample inventory click on the Print button next to Sampled Paper Collection These forms are also available in Appendix 3 or from the tool bar under Tools 2 To create paper forms for a complete inventory click on the Print button next to Inventory Paper Collection These forms are also available in Appendix 3 or from the tool bar under Tools We ll cover each aspect of how data collection relates to the forms in Phase IV below but for now take a moment to familiarize yourself with them The sections on the form conform to the main categories of data collection For sample inventories th
90. ta from the paper forms or PDA to the desktop how to send the data to the Forest Service for processing and how to retrieve the results This section covers all of the available reports and describes how to save export and print your results Appendix 1 Random Plots Workbook Stratified Sample If you are conducting a stratified sample inventory Appendix 1 gives step by step instructions for generating random plots using ArcGIS Appendix 2 Random Plots Workbook Unstratified Sample If you are conducting a sample inventory that is unstratified Appendix 2 gives step by step instructions for generating random plots using ArcGIS Appendix 3 Data Collection Forms The paper forms for collecting sample or complete inventories are provided in Appendix 3 3 System Requirements Desktop laptop computer requirements Minimum hardware Pentium or compatible 1600 Mhz or faster processor 512 MB of available RAM Hard drive with at least 500 MB free space Software Windows XP service pack 2 or higher OS Microsoft Excel Microsoft Data Access Component MDAC 2 8 or higher included in i Tree installation NET 2 0 framework included in i Tree installation Adobe PDF Reader 9 0 included in i Tree installation For PDA users ActiveSync 4 5 or higher for windows XP or Mobile Center 6 0 or above for Vista included in i Tree installation Crystal Report 2008 Runtime included in i
91. te NA DBH Required Record the tree s DBH on the uphill side of the tree to the nearest 0 1 inch cm For trees with irregular DBHs Fig 6 Forked multi stemmed tree If the point of pith separation is above ground Fig 7 the plant is considered to be one tree Measure the DBH of up to six stems separately If the tree has more than six stems with DBH 1 inch lower the measurement height to 1 ft above the ground and record the diameter of up to six stems selecting the largest and ignoring any others If the pith union is below ground each stem is considered a separate tree included bark down to ground line is a good indicator that pith union is below ground Root sprouts Any root sprouts with DBH 1 inch should be measured as separate trees Root sprouts with DBH lt 1 inch can be ignored Tree with butt swell or bottleneck Measure these trees 1 5 ft above the end of the swell or bottleneck if the swell or bottleneck extends 3 0 ft or more above the ground Tree with irregularities at DBH On trees with swellings bumps depressions branches at DBH height diameter will be measured immediately above the irregularity at the place it ceases to affect normal stem form Tree on slope Measure diameter at 4 5 ft from the ground along the bole on the uphill side of the tree Leaning tree Measure diameter at 4 5 ft from the ground along the bole The 4 5 ft distance is measured along the underside face of the bole
92. the map layers list and then click the Random Plots tool in the i Tree toolbar a Enter the desired number of sample plots in the Random Point Generator window b Click Compute and then select a location and file name for the sample plots point map layer to be created c Click Close to exit the Random Point Generator window 86 2 Use ArcToolbox to add Eco required fields to the newly created sample plots point map layer a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt Add Field For experienced users fields can be added via the ArcMap table view as well b Complete the Add Field form For Input Table select the sample plots point map layer from the dropdown list For Field Name enter ID For Field Type select LONG from the drop down list Skip the following fields Field Precision Field Scale Field Length Field Alias Field is Nullible Field is Required Field Domain Click OK c Repeat the steps above as follows for these five additional fields Field Name LCCode Field Text Select SHORT Field Name X_Coord Field Text Select DOUBLE Field Name Y_Coord Field Text Select DOUBLE Field Name LCType Field Text Select TEXT Field Name MapUnits Field Text Select TEXT 87 3 Use ArcToolbox to calculate values for the Eco specific fields added to the spatially joined sample plots point map layer in step 2 a Navigate to ArcToolbox gt Data Management Tools gt Fields gt
93. then they will be considered the canopy Measure them as if they were the crown Resolving measurement differences If the crown measurement estimates from two crew members do not match arrive at the final value by Taking an average if the numbers differ by 10 2 classes or less Changing positions if the numbers differ by 15 or more and attempt to narrow the range to 10 or less Averaging the two estimates for those trees that actually have different ratings from the two viewing areas ratings of 30 and 70 would be recorded as 50 34 Crown dieback Required Percent dieback in crown area This dieback does not include normal natural branch dieback i e self pruning due to crown competition or shading in the lower portion of the crown However branch dieback on side s and top of crown area due to shading from a building or another tree would be included For more information see the Forest Inventory and Analysis National Core Field Guide Estimate crown dieback as a percentage of the live crown area including the dieback area Assume the perimeter of the crown is a two dimensional outline from branch tip to branch tip excluding snag branches and large holes or gaps in the crown Fig 4 Crown dieback is obtained by two people Fig 3 using binoculars You should be conscious of lighting conditions and how light affects the day s observations taking extra time under limited light conditions Each individ
94. tified sample inventory 48 Keep in mind that there are several relevant limitations to the data 1 Thin linear features such as bridges can be overwhelmed by the spectral response of the surrounding surface material particularly water In some cases this will produce data artifacts where portions of a bridge span may not register as impervious cover 2 Impervious cover and tree canopy are not necessarily mutually exclusive as tree canopy may exist over top of impervious cover You should be aware that both of these limitations will impact subsequent map calculations and thus display 3 If land use classes in your Eco analysis are not NLCD land cover classes then the extrapolation of effects to the cover maps will be approximations based on the assumptions that the average results from the Eco land use per unit canopy fit the NLCD classes as assigned by the user 4 Because the canopy cover from the NLCD maps likely differs somewhat from the canopy cover estimates from Eco the total effects as illustrated by the maps will be off in proportion to the differences in the cover estimates For example if NLCD estimates 20 tree cover and UFORE estimates 40 then the total estimate as portrayed on the map will be underestimated by 50 20 40 You should already have collected the necessary map data but if not return to Phase I Getting Started Gathering Map Data Then incorporate the maps in the project by entering their locations under F
95. tify the land use in which each tree is located PDA sample In the Land Use window click Add and select a land use from the drop down menu Enter a percentage as described below PDA complete NA Note that you will be asked later to identify the land use in which each tree is located Percent in each land use Required for sample inventories For plots that include only one land use this value is 100 For plots that include two or more land uses estimate what percentage of the plot each land use occupies For example a plot that falls on the property line between a house and a convenience store might be 40 residential and 60 commercial industrial Land use differences must be clearly identifiable on the plot with a clear change in human use of the land not just its cover or ownership Paper sample Enter the percent for each land use type under PERCENT IN Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Land Use window after you ve selected a land use type enter a percentage in of Plot Click Save Add additional land uses until the Total 100 Then click Exit PDA complete NA 24 Ground Cover Required for sample inventories Within the plot various materials will cover the ground trees and shrubs are considered separately tree stems as a ground cover are ignored The crew should note what percentage of the plot ground area is covered by the following materials Building BLDG Cement CMNT Tar
96. to the maximum error When measurements can be repeated with uniform results by several individuals it is proper to set close tolerance limits that define acceptable data For variables that require subjective evaluation tolerance limits should reflect the degree of subjectivity Attributes with greater subjectivity should have broader tolerance limits Variable Measurement unit MQO Land use Land use No errors 99 of the time Plot tree cover 5 classes Within two 5 classes 95 of the time Tree count lt 25 trees on plot Presence absence No errors 90 of the time 25 trees on plot Presence absence Within 3 of total 99 of the time Tree species or genus if species cannot be determined Species No errors 95 of the time DBH Tree with 1 10 inch DBH 0 1 inch Within 0 1 inch 95 of the time Tree with gt 10 inch DBH 0 1 inch Within 3 95 of the time Tree total height 1 ft Within 10 95 of the time Building interaction No of buildings No errors 95 of the time For all other measurements at the plot and tree level make sure all items have been measured recorded by the crew and that values are reasonable There is no need to remeasure anything else unless a problem is obvious 41 On the data sheet highlight measurements where tolerances have been exceeded Keep notes on accuracy of the other data collected If major problems are encountered document what you did to fix them e g
97. ts and View but the View Project Window additionally allows you to see fine scale detail regarding each plot under the Input section Keep in mind that each chart and table may include several pages To switch between English and metric units select the appropriate button above the chart or table Available charts Tree density by land use Number of trees by land use Leaf area by land use Leaf area density by land use Origin of live trees percent by land use Carbon storage by land use Carbon storage density by land use Annual carbon sequestration by land use Annual carbon sequestration density by land use Monthly pollutant removal by trees and shrubs Available tables Percent of tree species population by land use and DBH Percent of tree species population by DBH Percent of condition for trees by land use Percent of DBH and condition classes for trees by land use Percent of trees by condition class Origin of live trees percent by land use Susceptibility of trees to gypsy moth by land use Susceptibility of trees to Asian longhorned beetle by land use Percent of predicted land use in actual land use Species richness Shannon Wiener Diversity Index 47 Percent ground cover by land use Total estimates for trees by species Total estimates for trees by land use Leaf area and biomass for trees by DBH
98. two stories and an attic record the direction azimuth in degrees from the tree to the closest part of the building For multi family dwellings treat all the units in the building as a single building The building does not have to be located on the plot The energy analyses are currently set to run for typical building types and climate zones of the United States Up to three buildings can be recorded using the paper forms an unlimited number of buildings can be recorded with the PDA Paper sample Enter the direction to the three closest buildings under TREES NEAR BUILDINGS gt D1 D2 D3 Paper complete NA PDA sample Building related fields are accessed under the Bldg tab Click Add to add the first building The Bldg ID will be filled in automatically Enter a value under Direction PDA complete NA Shortest distance to building If you decided to collect information related to energy effects during Phase I Getting Started Early Decisions this field is required For buildings recorded above measure the shortest distance from the tree to the closest part of the building in m or ft Paper sample Enter the distance to the three closest buildings under TREES NEAR BUILDINGS gt S1 S2 S3 Paper complete NA PDA sample In the Bldg window add a value under Distance and click Save to save that building Add additional buildings if necessary PDA complete NA Finishing up the plot or site For complete inv
99. ual should mentally draw a two dimensional crown outline block in the dieback and estimate the dieback area If the two observers disagree in their estimates follow the guidelines listed above under Crown Rating Precautions Record crown dieback as 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc Record as 100 for dead trees PDA has a fixed value of 100 if Dead box is checked Paper sample Enter under DB Paper complete Enter under Crown Attributes gt Dieback PDA sample and complete In the Detail window select a value from the drop down menu for Dieback Fig 4 Dieback rating examples 35 Crown light exposure Required Number of sides of the tree receiving sunlight from above maximum of five Top of tree is counted as one side Divide the crown vertically into four equal sides Count the number of sides that would receive direct light if the sun were directly above the tree Fig 5 One third of the live crown must be receiving full light in order for a side to qualify A sliver of a side receiving light does not qualify Use the following codes for CLE 0 The tree receives no full light because it is shaded by trees vines or other vegetation 1 The tree receives full light from the top or 1 side 2 The tree receives full light from the top and 1 side or 2 sides without the top 3 The tree receives full light from the top and 2 sides or 3 sides without the top
100. ves Do not include normal interior crown voids due to leaf shading Take into account the natural crown shape for the particular species Fig 2 Be sure to base measurement on the existing crown that you have measured A third of the crown may have been removed for power line clearance or the canopy could be very lopsided due to presence of a neighboring tree However the crown that remains could have a 0 missing value if the existing crown is full If the two observers disagree in their estimates follow the guidelines listed below under Crown Rating Precautions Record percent canopy missing as 0 100 or mid points of 5 intervals 3 8 13 18 etc Record as 100 for dead trees PDA has a fixed value of 100 if Dead box was checked Paper sample Enter under MISS Paper complete Enter under Crown Attributes gt Missing PDA sample and complete In the Detail window select a value from the drop down menu for Crn Miss Fig 3 How to position yourself to measure the crown 32 Crown Rating Precautions Crews must be especially careful when making evaluations under certain conditions and follow the procedures below Distance from the tree Attempt to stay at least 1 2 to 1 tree length from the tree being evaluated Some ratings change with proximity to the tree In some situations it is impossible to satisfy this step but do the best you can in each case All evaluations are made at grade same elevati

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