Introducing Urban Tree Care: Managing What You Can Measure. . . and Monitor

The most visible interventions associated with urban tree management are often reactive. Think of the last time you witnessed a major storm, the cleanup response and service-restoration work that it generated. Perhaps this event prompted the removal of many trees as well. What about the last time a major tree killer such an emerald ash borer or Dutch elm disease rolled through your community? Imagine the results, if preventive approaches were implemented in advance.

Over our last weeks together, we addressed preventive approaches when introducing new trees to the urban landscape. We observed how tree-conscious site design and selection, soil restoration, appropriate tree species selection and appropriate techniques could help solve an array of conflicts and problems over the long term.

On the other hand, how do we address existing urban trees? Are there ways to incorporate proactive approaches when working with trees that are already established on the landscape for years, decades. . .even centuries?

When dealing with living things, reactive measures will always be a part of how we handle environmental changes, unforeseen incidents, extreme events and invasive species. Nevertheless, alternative approaches to conventional habits can better prepare urban forest managers for the worst and even help attenuate the impacts of catastrophic events.

This week, we will look at two approaches: adopting a care paradigm when managing urban trees as well as introducing ways to assess, measure and monitor urban trees. We can achieve these approaches by considering the biological needs and health trade-offs of trees before prescribing interventions. We can follow the condition and health of trees over time, using a complete and dynamic tree inventory.

This section's readings focus on the measurement, assessment and monitoring of urban trees. Having a rigorous, dynamic and consistent system in place can help communities with operations and policies related to tree risk mitigation, urban forest restoration, forecasting, budgeting and efficient disaster response.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

• •   Explore tree care as a paradigm along with differences from tree maintenance
  •   Understand objectives for implementing and maintaining a community tree inventory
  •   Identify variables that must be considered when creating and updating tree inventories
  •   Recognize industry best practices for tree inventory management
  •   Be aware of different kinds of tree inventories and resources that can assist in the planning and deployment phases

Topic Readings

Required Readings (Will reinforce course concepts)

• Morgenroth, J. and Östberg, J. (2017). Measuring and Monitoring Urban Trees and Forests. Routledge Handbook of Urban Forestry. Routledge, London, (pp. 33–48) (Course textbook).

PRACTICAL RESOURCE

Guidelines for urban tree monitoring

The following resources provide ample explanation about designing and implementing tree monitoring projects using inventories. These resources are exhaustive, complete and reflect contemporary approaches to gathering, interpreting, updating and using data pertaining to urban trees. An excellent practical resource to have on hand for your next tree inventory endeavours!

USDA Urban Tree Monitoring Resource Guide 2020.pdf Download USDA Urban Tree Monitoring Resource Guide 2020.pdf 

USDA Urban Tree Monitoring Field Guide 2020.pdf Download USDA Urban Tree Monitoring Field Guide 2020.pdf 

Optional Reading

Are you curious about knowing more about viewing forest management through the lens of care? We may not realize it, but many of us find ourselves in sectors such as urban forestry, arboriculture and horticulture because of the value we get from being in caring relationships with living things. The following article may encourage you to think about urban tree management in a different way, it sure did for me!

• O'Flynn, T., Geoghegan, H., Dyke, A., and de Brun, A. (2021). Attending to nature: Understanding care and caring relations in forest management in the UK. Journal of Rural Studies. V. 86 (pp. 226–235). Attending to nature.pdf Download Attending to nature.pdf 

Fundamental Concepts

Maintenance: Preserving the condition of an asset in a desired state. Implies routine checks, inspections, preventive service and corrective work or repairs.

Care: Provisions, action of what is necessary for the health, welfare and protection of someone or something. Implies monitoring, assessment, preventative measures and curative measures. 

Stewardship involves responsible individuals overseeing and protecting something considered worth caring for and preserving.

Which paradigm can help balance human objectives/services with a healthy and functional urban forest?

Tree Care Interventions

These interventions, when considered, prescribed and monitored with tree health in mind, can be interpreted as urban tree care. Here are some examples, proposed by the group and discussed in class.

- Tree support systems (dynamic no drill cabling such as Cobra and Boa cable system for example)

- Soil grade corrections (exposing the trunk flare/ root-trunk interface, removing volcano mulch)

- Tending to the soil around trees (decompaction, incorporation of organic matter when needed, pH corrections following analysis)

- Formative pruning of young trees, small cuts to avoid conflicts and bigger cuts over the long term

- Providing irrigation, when needed

- Plant Health Care (PHC)

- Adequate protection measures for trees impacted by construction and land modification

The most important facets of tree care: Establishing a clear objective and purpose for the intervention to be conducted, that it is understood, justified and carried out in a safe manner with the health and condition of the tree in mind.

No Powerpoint this week! Just discussion and some show & tell as we explored a few different tree inventory approaches.

Topic Self-review

1- Considering the key concepts we explored already in the course, in a context of urban tree longevity and health, is it more valuable to look at urban tree management through a lens of maintenance or care?

2- What elements make a tree inventory useful and successful for helping a community fulfill its urban forestry goals?

3- How can tree inventories be utilized when caring for urban trees, how can they help field and management personnel?