UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA TREE INVENTORY

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA TREE INVENTORY 4/9/2016 Developing a Tree Inventory for the University of Toronto, Mississauga Campus In an effort to measure biodiversity long term, Environment Canada partnered with the Association of Canadian Educational Resources (ACER) in 1996 to establish community based monitoring sites and was funded by Environment Canada Action 21. This project involved creating an inventory of100 trees on the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus where tree characteristics, and mapping GPS coordinates were collected.

2 University of Toronto Mississauga tree inventory DEVELOPING A TREE INVENTORY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, MISSISSAUGA CAMPUS 1. Historical Background of ACER Alice Casselman, an Ontario native, and retired biology teacher of 25 years 1 founded the Association of Canadian Education Resources (ACER), also known as Climates sake, in She worked for the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) for two decades, and is a founding member and chair of the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO) 1. She is passionate about combating the effects of climate change as well as community-based education, which lead to the birth of ACER. ACER s involvement with tree inventorying started on December 23 rd 1993, when the Biodiversity Convention was signed at Rio de Janeiro during the Earth Summit. This started the development of the protocol to inventory and monitor forests using one-hectare plots to ensure uniformity across different locations and years 2. All trees with a diameter at base height (DBH) of 4cm or more are measured for height, size, and health 2. In 1996, Environment Canada Action 21 funded ACER to establish community based monitoring sites to measure biodiversity long term 2. Currently, there are 80 plots in Canada, and approximately 18 in Ontario 2. 1 P age

3 2. Goals and Objective: ACER is a charitable organization that aims to establish sites and develop resources to monitor biodiversity in forest ecosystems over the long term through community engagement. International protocols were designed and are used to track any changes that might have occurred in the biodiversity of certain regions across Ontario 2. Due of the heavy reliance on community involvement and education, initiatives such as tree caching have been implemented at UTM, as well as other locations. Tree caching is a tree line trail marked with quick response (QR) coded tags that can be scanned using a smartphone, thus providing information about tree species. This encourages tree education through identification and serves as a marker indicating the value (survival) of individual tree species. Information from these studies can be analyzed with other climate change data, as the earth experiences changing climate all over the world. The benefits of recording a tree inventory can be summarized as follows: Encourage awareness of tree species in a plot of land Provide a record of height, diameter, exact GPS location, and health of the tree in order to develop the benchmark inventory for collection of future data to determine the effects of climate change Provide ACER with an estimate of carbon sequestration the plot of land provides Establish how many trees are invasive, and native Determine tree growth and health by species Calculate the canopy cover at UTM Record biodiversity provided by the study area in UTM 2 P age

4 3. Materials University of Toronto Mississauga tree inventory To create a tree inventory for UTM, the following characteristics of each tree were measured: Tree s common and scientific name Crown area (m 2 ) Crown depth (for crown volume) Tree Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) in inches Two measurements of crown widths in order to figure out the average Compass bearings for future standardized height measurement Total height (both the upper and lower angles and crown depth in degrees) Health check of the tree, including weather it was alive (A), dead (B), standing (S), leaning (L), prone (P), etc. Position in longitude and latitude, recorded on a Global Positioning System (GPS) The materials used for measuring tree characteristics are depicted below in figure 1. Green tennis ball Clinometer Compass Pink flagging tape 30 metre measuring tape GARMIN GPS Map 62 Series GPS DBH tape Permanent marker Clipboard with data sheet 3 P age

5 Trees of Ontario: Including Tall Shrubs by Linda Kershaw University of Toronto Mississauga tree inventory Figure 1. Materials used for tree inventory. From top left to bottom right: tennis ball, clinometer, pink flagging tape. Compass. DBH tape. Garmin handheld GPS, permanent marker, role cards constructed by ACER, trees of Ontario book, 30 m measuring tape, clipboard with mature data sheet. 4. Methodology The first step involved in plotting out the area of interest was to locate a plot of land that was both accessible and easy to measure. The area chosen is near Outer Circle road at UTM extending to P age

6 trees (Figure 2). This location was used because the trees were not closely planted, making the measurement process easier to conduct. Also, the area had clear boundaries because of the road. Figure 2: Aerial map of the plot of land chosen to conduct a tree inventory for UTM. The plot contains 12 different tree species out of the 100 trees inventoried. The different markers indicate different tree species, corresponding to the colours on the legend. Identification and Labeling of Trees In order to distinguish the trees, every fourth tree was tied off with pink flagging tape, and the number of the tree was written down in permanent marker (Figure 3). To determine what species of tree was being recorded, the Trees of Ontario book was referenced for the leaf shape, detail, and colour, bark texture, and colour, tree shape and average height, any flower or fruit growth, and twig or branch shape. These features are illustrated in detail in the book for easier identification. 5 P age

7 Figure 3: Pink tape was tied to the bark, and numbered to keep track of each tree. Tree health was based on visible damage to the tree such as broken branches, oozing sap, and unnatural growth on the bark. After flagging, a GPS was held flat against the trunk of the tree, and the coordinates were recorded. After a session of inventory, the coordinates were uploaded onto Google maps, to get a visual representation of the trees that were inventoried. The rest of the data was collected on paper and entered into an Excel Worksheet. Tree Height: To measure the height of the tree, a distance of 20m from the base of the tree was measured using a 30 m measuring tape. A clinometer (that measures angle of a slope) was pointed at the top of the tree, and the angle indicated in the viewfinder was recorded. This was done a second time for the lower angle, but 6 P age

8 instead, the clinometer was pointed at the base of the tree. The third time, the clinometer was used to measure the crown depth, where the angle of the lowest branch on the tree was recorded (Figure 4). Figure 4: Image showing how the tree height is calculated using a clinometer 4 Diameter at Base Height (DBH): To measure the diameter of the tree, a DBH measuring tape is used to measure 1.3m up the trunk. The hook was then attached to the bark, and wrapped around the trunk, checking to ensure that the tape was leveled and untwisted. The diameter at the zero mark was then recorded. Crown Width: When measuring both crown widths, the tree branches that extended the furthest were measured using a 30 m measuring tape and recorded. The same measurement technique was applied to the perpendicular branches. Measuring the two crown widths provides information about the area of the crown when multiplied together. They can also be combined with some of the height measurements to calculate volume. 7 P age

9 Compass Bearing: University of Toronto Mississauga tree inventory The compass bearing was measured from the base of the tree and pointed in the direction where the clinometer measurement was taken. Since the inventory was done by myself, a standard green tennis ball was placed at the 20m mark in place of someone standing there holding the clinometer. The compass housing was then used to find that position and then recorded for future height measurements. This reduces variability and ensures reproducibility of measurements. Total Tree Height: Tree height was determined using the upper and lower angle of the tree. [20 x tan(øu)] [20 x tan(øl)] equ (1) where; Øu = upper angle, and Øl = lower angle 5. Results and Discussion The total tree count at 100 trees is not enough to draw conclusions for the whole of the University of Toronto Mississauga, however trends did appear when analyzing the data. The most common tree that was found was Norway spruce, dominating with a 47% frequency rate (Figure 5). This species is not native to Canada, and was introduced from northern and central Europe and Asia, but now grows wildly in southern Ontario 3. Red oak was the second most dominant with 16%, and again, not an Ontario native 3. The third dominant trees at 8% each were Crab apple, and Norway maple, both of which are 8 P age

10 non-native, and the sugar maple, an Ontario native. Blue spruce was fourth with 7%, a non-native species, and the eastern white cedar was fifth with 3%, which is native 3. American sycamore, White oak, and White willow were sixth with 2% each and non-native, and lastly, American basswood, Norway maple, and Red pine all had a 1% frequency rate each, with Red pine being native, while the other two were not. Overall, there is an overwhelmingly large population of non-native tree species in the area studied (Figure 5). Total Tree Count per Species Number Of Trees Tree Species Figure 5: Bar graph depicting frequency of tree species in UTM plot Also evident is clustering of certain tree species in specific areas. This is most evident with the Blue spruce trees (Figure 6). Blue spruce is planted along the backyard area of the residential homes. This may have been done to provide privacy for those homes, as the backyards have no fence, and would 9 P age

11 have otherwise been visible by passers on the road. The trees are relatively small and dense, with the average being 4.25 m in the UTM plot. The range of the DBH of trees is 5.5m to 139.4m, with the shortest being a Norway spruce, and the largest, a white willow. To calculate canopy cover, the total area of the plot of land studied was calculated using Google Maps. The total area is 7600 m² (Figure 7). The area covered by tree canopy is 6430 m², (figure 8). This means that only 1170m² of land was not covered by a tree canopy (7600m²-6430m²=1170m²) but rather covered by grassland. The importance of a tree canopy are numerous, including carbon sequestration, making the air cleaner, as well as providing shade for the residential homes in the area. This canopy also provides the homes with a silencing effect from the Outer Circle Road, and Mississauga Road, both of which are busy roads. Figure 6: Google Map depicting total area (7600m²) of the UTM plot. 10 P age

12 Figure 7: Google Map depicting total tree canopy cover area (6430m²) of the UTM plot while 1170m² is grassland 11 P age

13 References University of Toronto Mississauga tree inventory 1. Association for Canadian Educational Resources. (accessed April 10th, 2016) 2. Association for Canadian Educational Resources: ACER s History. (accessed April 10th, 2016). 3. The Tree Atlas of Ontario: (accessed April 8th, 2016) P age

14 APPENDIX A: Data showing tree characteristics and measurements University of Toronto Mississauga tree inventory Tree COMMON CW CW Compass Upper Lower CW Total HEALTH DBH # NAME 1 2 bearing ( ) angle ( ) angle ( ) Depth( ) Height NOTES 1 Red Oak Good Condition 2 Red Oak Good Condition 3 Crab Apple Good Condition 4 Crab Apple Good Condition 5 Crab Apple Good Condition 6 Red Oak Good Condition 7 Crab Apple Good Condition 8 Crab Apple Good Condition 9 Crab Apple Good Condition 10 Red Oak Good Condition 11 Crab Apple Good Condition 12 Norway Spruce Good Condition 13 Norway Spruce Good Condition 14 Norway Spruce Good Condition 15 Norway Spruce Leaking Sap 16 Norway Spruce Good Condition 17 Norway Spruce Leaking Sap 18 Norway Spruce Good Condition 19 Norway Spruce Good Condition 20 Crab Apple Leaking Sap 21 Norway Spruce Good Condition 22 Red Oak Good Condition 23 Red Oak Good Condition 24 Norway Spruce Good Condition 25 Norway Spruce Good Condition 26 Norway Spruce Good Condition 27 Norway Spruce Good Condition 28 Norway Spruce Good Condition 29 Norway Spruce No Needles Present

15 30 Norway Spruce Good Condition 31 Red Oak Good Condition 32 Red Oak Good Condition 33 Red Oak Good Condition 34 Red Oak Good Condition 35 Red Oak Good Condition 36 Red Oak Good Condition 37 Norway Spruce Good Condition 38 Red Oak Good Condition 39 Red Oak Good Condition 40 Norway Spruce Good Condition 41 Norway Spruce Good Condition 42 Norway Spruce Good Condition 43 Norway Spruce Good Condition 44 Norway Spruce Good Condition 45 Norway Spruce Good Condition 46 Norway Spruce Good Condition 47 Norway Spruce Good Condition 48 Blue Spruce Good Condition 49 Blue Spruce Good Condition 50 Blue Spruce Good Condition 51 Norway Spruce Good Condition 52 Blue Spruce Good Condition 53 Norway Spruce Good Condition 54 Blue Spruce Good Condition 1 P age

16 55 Blue Spruce Good Condition 56 Blue Spruce Good Condition 57 Red Oak Good Condition 58 Norway Spruce Good Condition 59 Red Oak Good Condition 60 Norway Spruce Good Condition 61 Norway Maple Good Condition 62 Norway Maple Good Condition 63 Sugar Maple Good Condition 64 Sugar Maple Good Condition 65 Sugar Maple Good Condition 66 Sugar Maple Good Condition 67 Sugar Maple Good Condition 68 Sugar Maple Good Condition 69 Norway Spruce Good Condition 70 Norway Maple Good Condition 71 Norway Spruce Leaking Sap 72 Norway Maple Good Condition 73 Norway Spruce Good Condition 74 Norway Maple Good Condition 75 Norway Spruce Good Condition 76 Norway Maple Good Condition 77 Norway Spruce Good Condition 78 Norway Maple Good Condition 79 Norway Spruce Good Condition 80 Norway Spruce Good Condition 81 Norway Maple Good Condition 82 Norway Spruce Good Condition 83 Sugar Maple Good Condition 84 Norway Spruce Growth from 2 P age

17 Base of Tree Trunk 85 Sugar Maple Good Condition 86 Norway Spruce Good Condition 87 Norway Maple Good Condition 88 White Willow Good Condition 89 White Willow Good Condition 90 American Sycamore Good Condition 91 Norway Spruce Good Condition 92 American Sycamore Good Condition 93 American Basswood Good Condition 94 White Oak Good Condition 95 Red Pine Good Condition 96 White Oak Good Condition 97 Norway Spruce Good Condition 98 Eastern White Cedar Good Condition 99 Eastern White Cedar Good Condition 100 Eastern White Cedar Good Condition 3 P age