Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modelling Ecosystem changes.
Cutting-Edge Tools for Assessing Ecosystem Services and … Presentations/Jul… · Cutting-Edge...
Transcript of Cutting-Edge Tools for Assessing Ecosystem Services and … Presentations/Jul… · Cutting-Edge...
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Cutting-Edge Tools for Assessing Ecosystem Services and Managing Restoration Projects
Michael Leff The Davey Institute and USDA Forest Service Philadelphia Field Station
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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
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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
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Benefit-Based Approach
Comprehensive Value
Environmental Services
Structure
Strategic Management & Advocacy
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Field Inventory
Data
The i-Tree Suite of Tools
Web
Desktop
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 $920,077
2006 2011Atmospheric Polutant Removals
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More with i-Tree Eco • Conduct an intensive field inventory/sample
– Mobile device data collection • Submit data for processing • Peer-reviewed models estimate…
Structure - Species distribution, leaf area, biomass, … Function -Energy, air pollution, Carbon, Avoided runoff, … Value ($) 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
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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%
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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%
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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
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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
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Thanks!
Get involved: We need your feedback, needs, ideas, and stories [email protected] 215-988-1635 [email protected] [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
Slide Number 1Overviewi-Tree…Benefit-Based ApproachThe i-Tree Suite of ToolsMaking the case with �i-Tree DesignMaking the case with �i-Tree DesignMonitoring with �i-Tree CanopyMonitoring with �i-Tree CanopyMonitoring with �i-Tree CanopyMore with i-Tree Eco�Adapting i-Tree Eco procedures�Adapting i-Tree Eco procedures�i-Tree Eco for Restorationi-Tree for quantifying restoration Thanks!