Cutting-Edge Tools for Assessing Ecosystem Services and … Presentations/Jul… · Cutting-Edge Tools for Assessing Ecosystem Services and Managing Restoration Projects Michael Leff

Cutting-Edge Tools for Assessing Ecosystem Services and Managing Restoration Projects

Michael Leff The Davey Institute and USDA Forest Service Philadelphia Field Station

Overview • What is i-Tree? • Making the case with

i-Tree Design

• Monitoring forest restoration efforts with i-Tree Canopy

• State of the art inventory, monitoring, and management support with i-Tree Eco

i-Tree…

• Credible, USDA FS peer-reviewed tools

• Public domain software

• Accessible

• Continuously improved

“Putting USFS Urban Forest science into the hands of users”

www.itreetools.org

Benefit-Based Approach

Comprehensive Value

Environmental Services

Structure

Strategic Management & Advocacy

Field Inventory

Data

The i-Tree Suite of Tools

Web

Desktop

Making the case with i-Tree Design

• A parcel-level analysis of individual trees

• Estimates growth and calculates benefits over time

• Web-accessible by all

• A conversation starter and simple planning tool

• Based-on a coarse regional model

• Time consuming for large projects

http://www.itreetools.org/design

Making the case with i-Tree Design

• Place existing or planned trees

• Look at crown growth

• Estimate benefits over your time period of interest

• Create printable/shareable report or share the project itself

• Engage stakeholders

• Show project development

Monitoring with i-Tree Canopy

• Estimate cover for any area you can see on Google Maps imagery

• Estimate any cover types you can interpret

• Estimate selected ecosystem services

• No GIS expertise needed • Limited to available

imagery

http://www.itreetools.org/canopy

Monitoring with i-Tree Canopy

• Navigate to your area of interest

• Draw or import boundary • Define cover types you will

capture • Interpret cover under

randomly generated points • Determine opportunities • Track project progress • Scale - project to regional

Monitoring with i-Tree Canopy

Example: Assess change in tree cover in a 100-ft buffer for Wissahickon Creek. • What % of buffer is tree covered? • What % could tree cover be added? • How has cover changed (2006-2011)?

2011

2006 Cover type 2006 2011 Tree/Shrub 60.5% ±3 64.5% ±3 Possible Tree/Shrub 22% ±3 18% ±3 Tree/Shrub Not Possible 12% ±2 12% ±2 Water 5.5% ±2 5.5% ±2

amount value amount value$CO 1,533 lb $1,019 1,635 lb $1,086NO2 11.73 T $19,861 12.51 T $21,174O3 34.48 T $595,761 36.76 T $635,151SO2 removed 3.09 T $1,994 3.29 T $2,125Particulate Matter 2.5-10μ 12.18 T $76,068 12.99 T $81,097CO2 sequestered 8,692.48 T $168,315 9,267.19 T $179,444Total $863,018 $920,077

2006 2011Atmospheric Polutant Removals

More with i-Tree Eco • Conduct an intensive field inventory/sample

– Mobile device data collection • Submit data for processing • Peer-reviewed models estimate…

Structure - Species distribution, leaf area, biomass, … Function -Energy, air pollution, Carbon, Avoided runoff, … Value ($) Management needs - Pest risk, tree health, Exotic/invasive spp, …

• Time-consuming data collection 10 or more values on each tree, as many as 50-100 trees/plot, 200 plots

• Difficult to measure in “natural” settings

Could they have measured fewer trees? For example, only trees ≥ 3 inches diameter

Adapting i-Tree Eco procedures

Example project from the Three Rivers Park District near the Twin Cities, MN • 27,000 acres of parks and trails • Assess current structure of the forest resource • Estimate benefits associated with resource • Sampled only 20 plots due to time limitations

All trees ≥ 1" dbh measured

All trees ≥ 3" dbh measured

% difference

Trees measured 760 426 -44% Trees per acre estimated 380 213 -44% Leaf biomass (lb/ac) 3,441 3,070 -11% Pollution removal (ton/yr) 405 386 -5% Carbon storage (ton) 499,347 491,631 -2% Carbon sequestration (ton/yr) 17,527 15,873 -9% Oxygen production (ton/yr) 32,298 28,219 -13%

Adapting i-Tree Eco procedures

Example project from Philadelphia • City was assessed with 193 plots • Surprisingly 37 of the plots fell in what

could be loosely deemed “natural” areas • At least 12 trees per plot in “natural” areas

Do you need as many plots if you are only interested in natural areas? No

Whole City Natural Plots Plots measured 193 37 Trees measured 1212 985 Tree per acre 39 272 Estimated accuracy +/-25% +/-15% Leaf biomass (lb/ac) 841 4019 Estimated accuracy +/-21% +/-13%

i-Tree Eco for Restoration Potential applications • Assess specific goals

– Biomass creation – Species diversity

• Test different scenarios • Use repeated measurement

to track progress • Use results for reporting,

case making, and engagement

• Adapt management to maximize benefits and address risk

Easing application to restoration • Measure fewer trees, focus on

size of interest • Measure fewer plots because

there is less variability • Permission and vandalism less

of an issue • Travel between plots is easier

i-Tree for quantifying restoration • There are a variety of i-Tree tools

– Some are very simple to use – Some are web-based – They operate on a variety of scales from small

projects to landscape • Applications to restoration include

– Monitoring – Engagement – Project development – Management assessment – And more

• There is more in the pipeline

Thanks!

Get involved: We need your feedback, needs, ideas, and stories [email protected] 215-988-1635 [email protected] [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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