Tree Inventory

What is Tree Inventory?

Tree inventory services involve gathering accurate, specific information on the health and diversity of a community forest or a particular tree. They provide information for planning, designing, planting, maintenance, and removal of trees. An assessment consists of a 360-degree inspection of one (or more) tree’s crown, trunk, and above-ground roots. It captures empirical data for each tree, including:

• Location
• Species
• Age
• Condition
• Defects
• Recommended action
• Priority rating for each recommendation (high, low, moderate)

Tree inventories typically occur within a defined geographical area. A qualified arborist should conduct tree inventories and assessments for the best results.

The Types of Tree Inventories

The three main types of tree inventory services are sample, partial, and complete inventory.

Sample inventory: Urban forest inventories often involve a random sample of street segments, blocks, or road miles. Typically, the sampling is anywhere from 3-10% of the total tree population in a specified area and can be stratified.

Partial inventory: Rather than randomized sampling, this variety focuses on a specific area, such as a city’s downtown. A phased inventory collates information from different regions at different times to compose the complete results.

Complete inventory: This approach includes all the trees along streets, in parks, and within a municipality. Full and partial inventories typically link with work-order management systems. They are ideal for communities whose street inventories need updating and an in-house GIS system.

What are the Benefits?

Complete inventories can improve cyclical tree maintenance in an area as well as the regional response to storm damage and estimate costs for a community. They also aid in planning for and responding to pest or disease outbreaks by identifying trees of the same species.

Sample tree inventories can help build support and investment from local governments to develop community advocacy networks. Data-based decision-making helps individuals make spending judgments based on the specific conditions of their trees.

The more information collected on a specific group of trees, the more knowledge is available for their care, routine maintenance, and health. Additionally, inventories offer guides for new plantings to ensure species diversity and protect landscapes from devastation by a pest or diseases.

When Is it Necessary?

Tree inventories are necessary to determine the health of tree communities. Property managers can develop sustainable management plans and rational budgets based on such reports. Furthermore, inventories on properties destined for land clearing can provide technicians with a sense of the necessary forestry equipment and labor force.

Moreover, inventories provide critical information about the health and maintenance of trees. If your trees have not received a detailed inspection in some time, have a professional arborist look at them as soon as possible. They can create a detailed tree inventory map to clarify the tree sizes, locations, and species in a given area.

Schedule a Routine Tree Inventory with Timber Works Tree Care

Inventories are necessary for promoting the health of trees in a given community. Timber Works Tree Care’s team of arborists can expertly gather data about your trees to help you better grasp their specific needs and maintenance. Moreover, we have many other affordable tree services that landowners can leverage!