UNG Tree Inventory Mapping Using a Mobile GIS App and Volunteer Field Crews

Abstract

Trees provide a variety of benefits in urban areas, including improved air quality, energy conservation, storm water management, and carbon sequestration. Geographic information systems (GIS) are often used to aid foresters and arborists in managing these urban trees by creating maps with detailed information about tree species and health. In recent years, mobile GIS apps have become more widely used in urban tree management due to their inexpensiveness and ease of use. This multi-year project utilized one such GIS app, ArcGIS Collector, to conduct a complete inventory of the trees on all five University of North Georgia campuses. The ArcGIS Collector app was used in conjunction with ArcGIS Online, which contained base maps for the study area and allowed researchers to review collected data. ArcGIS Online also included an imported USFS tree inventory scale, which was modified to facilitate a standardized collection process in the Collector app downloaded on personal mobile devices and provided iPads. This project also evaluated the effectiveness of utilizing volunteers in the data collection process, many of whom had no experience with GIS or tree identification. The results of this project indicate that inexperienced volunteers can be effectively trained to conduct an inventory using the ArcGIS Collector app. This finding is significant in the field of urban tree management, because it demonstrates a methodology which successfully utilizes mobile GIS apps and volunteer data collectors to complete an urban tree inventory.