Since 2016, the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Urban Forestry Extension Program has been connecting urban forestry students with municipal forestry leaders from across Massachusetts to conduct small-scale, student-led urban forest inventories. The purpose of this initiative is to both generate connections for students among a network of professionals by linking them with a partnering municipality, and to foster the development of technical problem-solving skills as a result of enabling students to experience the social, economic, and political challenges that professional urban foresters encounter in their day-to-day duties.
An urban tree inventory is described as the documentation of the characteristics (e.g. location and attributes) of individual trees within a defined geographic area. Urban tree inventories may fall into several classifications, including:
- A sample tree inventory – a small % (usually only 3-10%) of the street section, blocksides, specified mileage, or area that provides an accurate estimate (+/- 10%) of the total street tree population.
- A partial tree inventory – a collection of urban tree data from a select neighborhood of the community or by tree attribute (e.g. historic trees).
- A complete tree inventory – all trees within the urban forest or defined geographic limits.
The information typically documented in a student-led inventory may be much like that of a small-scale inventory conducted by a professional: it may include general location information of the inventory, like neighborhood, ward or borough, as well as more detailed location information like a house address and GIS coordinates of individual trees. Standard information pertaining to the trees themselves recorded in an inventory include the identification of the tree, typically to species (Figure 1), and tree diameter (DBH) (Figure 2).
Additional details recorded by students may include tree height and crown spread, tree condition (good, fair, poor, dead) (Figure 3), as well as a tree risk rating on select sample trees. Maintenance recommendations like the suggestion to prune or even to remove a tree may also be made. Students routinely employ photographs to capture specimen trees, document pest situations, and record other items of interest to help further contextualize the state of a community’s urban forest. They may also include maps to help interested parties like community residents, as well as the urban forest manager/tree warden, visualize the areas of the municipality that have been inventoried.
Tree inventories serve a variety of purposes: they help provide essential information for community leaders and decision-makers, they may provide the basis for discussion between urban foresters/tree wardens and important stakeholders, and they may provide guidance for maintenance personnel and volunteers. Ideally compiled in cooperation with a host-community, UMass student-led tree inventories include a report consisting of charts, tables, and lists that summarize the tree inventory data, as well as a sample management plan that may detail select goals, objectives, budgets, and strategies.
There are many widely-recognized benefits associated with an urban tree inventory including the potential to streamline and increase efficiency in relation to urban forest maintenance. Urban tree inventories may also inform and improve emergency preparedness (Figure 4), communication and community relations, and may help to justify urban forestry-related budgetary requests. Community-wide tree planting plans (Figure 5), pest detection and response (Figure 6), and knowledge about the environmental benefits of urban trees may also be informed by an urban tree inventory.
As we all know, inventories have their limitations, and these student-led initiatives are no exception. Inventories provide a mere snapshot in time of the actual state of a municipality’s urban forest; thus, an inventory is ideally used as a continuous management tool that is regularly updated and maintained. And, as with all reports, steps must be also taken to ensure the quality and integrity of the information that is being gathered in relation to urban trees. Perhaps the most compelling reason behind the execution of an urban forest inventory is its potential to shift the narrative, when it comes to the management of our urban trees:
“…it gives the manager a chance to change the operation from a predominantly reactive position – always putting out a fire – to a proactive position, where a significant portion of daily work occurs within the framework of information, planning, and policy.” (Bond 2013, p.8)
Urban foresters (known as tree wardens in Massachusetts and other New England states) (Figure 7) have welcomed the cooperation from students conducting these student-led urban tree inventories:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with an urban forestry student from UMass and share information about Northampton's urban forestry initiative. I look forward to using the data from the final report to update our existing urban forestry inventory. Collaborating with the University and other students in this way is vital to the continued efforts to educate the public on the importance of community-wide urban forestry and its future.” – Richard Parasiliti, Superintendent of Forestry, Parks & Cemeteries/Tree Warden, Northampton, MA
“Working with urban forestry students from UMass has helped to keep our street tree inventory growing, and expanding to other town properties such as schools, cemeteries and libraries. Giving students access to Amherst’s living classroom benefits the Town and hopefully inspires future Urban Foresters.” – Alan Snow, Director of the Division of Trees & Grounds/Tree Warden, Amherst, MA
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity helping UMass students with their urban forestry project. They ask a lot of great questions and have been really engaged with the project. I also look forward to reviewing the inventory data they collect and the final reports that they generate.” – David Lefcourt, City Arborist/Tree Warden, City of Cambridge, MA
“I value the opportunity to work with UMass urban forestry students. I feel the urban tree-related information that they find will be an asset to the Town of Ware in helping us move forward with our urban tree program.” – Josh Kunierez, Park Foreman/Tree Warden, Town of Ware, MA
Students themselves have indicated that conducting these urban tree inventory exercises is a meaningful experience, providing them with the opportunity to learn hands-on:
“This application of my studies allowed me to gain valuable experience in the field and foster an excellent connection to my local Tree Warden. I gained not only a deeper understanding of the trees in my area, but a more substantial appreciation.” – E.S., UMass Urban Forestry student
“I really enjoyed the experience of being on the street in the urban forest, the chance to get a feel for the work that is done in an urban forest, walking tree to tree collecting data, and learning how a well-managed inventory can be a huge asset to a community. The opportunity to work closely with a MA municipal tree warden and having a platform to provide some suggestions into a small portion of their urban forest was a highlight of my undergraduate degree. Hearing the challenges that a municipal forester navigates regularly was on the job training that is hard to find.” – A.J.E., UMass Urban Forestry student
“With all of the distractions, noise, pace of life, and artificial structures at the forefront of my urban environment, it is very easy for street trees to sort of disappear into the background. The tree inventory, in contrast, shines a light on these amazing resources. When the public engaged me while I was evaluating them and giving them the attention they deserve, it always lead into positive, fruitful conversations.” – I.B., UMass Urban Forestry student
"The community forestry inventory was a unique project. Our instructors gave us the opportunity to collect our own field data, and the freedom to interpret that data through the prism of the lessons and material covered in class, while encouraging us to utilize our own, personalized research methodology. It was truly an immersive, hands-on experience in urban forestry." – A.H., UMass Urban Forestry student
“As a longtime advocate of experiential learning, I think there’s no better way to make discoveries than to get your hands dirty. This inventory project was the opportunity to apply some knowledge while hopefully assisting a local community in reaping the many benefits their trees provide.” – W.B., UMass Urban Forestry student
It is generally agreed that the origins of the definition of contemporary urban forestry date to the 1960s when Professor Erik Jorgensen, from the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, developed a new course titled “urban forestry” (Kennedy 2010, p.4). The urban forest itself is a complex intersection of biological and physical factors that interact with social interests that include municipal decision-makers, employees, and of course, urban residents. According to Nowak and Greenfield (2018), the urban forest may be succinctly defined as “all trees within urban areas” (p.164). However we define it, it is widely understood that the foundation of sound urban forest management is the successful execution of an urban tree inventory. In Massachusetts, initiatives such as the student-led urban forest inventory are one important step towards this objective.
Richard W. Harper, Ph.D., Extension Associate Professor of Urban & Community Forestry, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst
Kristina Bezanson, BCMA, Lecturer of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst
David Bloniarz, Ph.D., USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Research Scientist, Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst
The authors co-teach the UMass spring semester ‘Community Forestry’ class for professionals and other off-campus students. For more information about enrolling, email: rharper@eco.umass.edu
Sources:
Bond, J. 2013. Tree Inventories (2nd Ed.). Best Management Practices – International Society of Arboriculture-Tree Care Industry Association.
Nowak, D.J. and E.J. Greenfield. 2018. U.S. urban forest statistics, values, projections. Journal of Forestry 116 (2): 164-177.
Kennedy, A. 2010. Urban Forests. Forest History Society of Ontario 1(2): 1-30. Accessed online: http://www.ontarioforesthistory.ca/files/fhso_newsl_vol_1_iss_2_2010.pdf
