Urban Forestry: by Katie Thomas

Author:Katie Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: isbn_0309287618
Publisher: The National Academies Press

Mapping the Urban Forest from Above

Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, University of Vermont

The use of aerial monitoring to study tree canopy was motivated by two questions from local forest managers: (1) How much tree canopy do we have now? (2) How much room do we have to plant trees?

Accurate estimates of tree canopy are important, especially when the social context is considered. Within any given city, the land is managed by thousands of individual land owners. Quantifying and modeling tree cover at the scale of the land ownership parcels could help motivate residents to maintain or increase their tree canopy.

It is difficult to map trees in urban areas. Shadows from tall buildings can hide trees. The use of LIDAR data can help address this problem. Mapping tree canopy at high resolution allows for studies to be conducted on multiple scales, from parcel or jurisdiction to watershed. For example, studies can begin with individual households and aggregate up to neighborhood level and city level. Or studies can assess larger metropolitan areas and look across several jurisdictions, up to entire watersheds.

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