| Abstract: |
This manual, Urban Tree Monitoring Protocols: Field Guide, was developed by the Urban Tree Growth
and Longevity (UTGL) Working Group. The UTGL Working Group is part of the Arboriculture Research &
Education Academy of the International Society of Arboriculture. Our mission is to foster communication among researchers and professionals, enrich scientific exchange, and enhance the quality, productivity, and timeliness of research on tree growth, mortality and longevity through collaboration. The UTGL Working Group is accomplishing its mission by creating an urban tree monitoring protocol to standardize long-term data collection in cities across the United States. This Field Guide is the fi rst piece of the protocol. This manual describes field collection procedures for a core set of variables that are essential to any long-term urban tree study - which we call the Minimum Data Set - including location, date, species, fi ne twig dieback, and diameter at breast height. These protocols do not “re-invent the wheel” regarding urban tree inventories. Rather, the methods described here draw from existing standards (e.g., i-Tree Streets, i-Tree Eco, and Forest Inventory & Analysis from the USDA Forest Service) with added emphasis on a user-friendly Field Guide for volunteers and interns, precise location information, and laying the foundation for long-term studies of tree growth, longevity, and mortality. |
