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A primer for tree wardens, foresters & concerned citizens on available technologies and methods for maintaining and utilizing tree inventory data.
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Putting your valuable information to work
Michael Olkin
GIS Administrator, Town of Amherst
gis.amherstma.gov
Utilizing Tree Inventories
Help you to come up with the best ways to:
Geographically Inventory your Street Trees
(if you haven’t already)
Use & revise your street tree inventory
information (the anti-stagnation
plan)
Take advantage of available
technologies to make the best use
of your information
My Goals Today
Give you some Map Mojo.
Primary Goal
Data Collection StrategiesQuick Primer on Data FormatsData Management & Analysis
Simple approaches to data conversionDesktop GIS on short time &/or $$Easy Web-based FREE alternatives
Amherst’s Tree Inventory & Outreach ApproachWeb-Based Query & Mapping InterfaceRevisions / Edits via mobile devices (primarily
the iPad)Use of ArcGIS.com organizational subscription
($$)
Topics Covered
If you’re planning a tree inventory, you must build in a way to map your trees!
Tree ID #556Red Maple in front
of 16 Main Street
near the driveway on the mailbox
side.
#556Red Maple
16
Base premise: Each tree in an inventory should be assigned a unique ID. We’ll call this the “Tree ID”
Collection Techniques:Ideal:
Mobile Tree Inventory app with integrated GPS. Inventory & locate all in one
system. Data can come out all in one
file.
Great: GPS to capture
location (Latitude/Longitude)
& Tree ID. You’ll need to join this location data to your tree inventory
data later.
Workable: Print some maps.
Sketch a dot & Tree ID for each tree
inventoried. Transcribe into a
digital format later to get locations into your
inventory data.
Data Collection Strategies
Select a device & application that can output the data that you need.
Common Devices:Windows Mobile 6 or 6.5: iTree & others run
on thisiPhone/iPad: Try out these apps
Field Assets: flexible inventorying / GPS app
MotionX GPS: general purpose GPS appAndroid (Droid) PhonesGPS Data Collectors (Garmin, Magellan,
Trimble, etc)
Data Collection Strategies
Quick Primer on Data Formats
Shapefile:•Compatible with most GIS & CAD programs. •Includes a .dbf table that provides tabular data analysis capabilities.•Stores Points, Lines or Polygons: each one corresponds to a row in the table.•One “shapefile” consists of several files.
GPX: Garmin GPS export format. widely
used for getting data in & out of GPS devices. No standardized table
structure.
KML & KMZ: Google Earth format. Convenient for sharing & mapping on Google Earth
& Google Maps. No standardized table structure.
proprietary formats:ESRI Geodatabase, etc.
Common Geographic Data Formats
Quick Primer on Data Formats
MS Excel (.xls)Open in MS Excel & most
other spreadsheet programs
Dbase (.dbf)Table format used by the
Shapefile. Open in MS Excel & most other spreadsheet
programs (always make a backup before opening)
MS Access Database (.mdb)Open in MS Access. Great format for analysis. Can be converted to every other
format listed here.
Text File comma-separated values (.csv)
or tab-delimitted .txt or .datOpen in a text editor or import into any spreadsheet program.
Common Tabular Formats
TreeID NearestAddress Latitude Longitude CommonName DBH Condition etc...
555 11 Salem St 42.32553 -71.55462 Pin Oak 18” Poor ...
556 16 Main St 42.32868 -71.55475 Red Maple 24” Good ...
557 18 Main St 42.32867 -71.55474 Littleleaf Linden 13” Good ...
Most will open in MS Excel or comparable spreadsheet apps
Most will convert to other formats with relative ease
Latitude & Longitude (or x/y) fields make it geographic
Inventory table example with essential elements:
Tabular Formats
Desktop GISArcGIS for DesktopQuantum GIS (aka qGIS)
Data ConversionDNR GPS
Convert GPX or KML to tables or shapefilesMS Excel
Edit tables & convert to many formatsFree Web-Based Tools
Google MapsNeed a coordinate? Right-click & “What’s Here”
Google Fusion TablesManage, Update, Analyze & Visualize your
data!
• Manage, Edit, Update, Analyze & Visualize your Geographic & tabular data.
• Join tables together (ie., tree points with maintenance records)
• Query your data
• Thematicallydisplay your data
• Make maps
ArcGIS for Desktop
http://www.qgis.org/
• Free Open Source alternative to ArcGIS
• Comparable capabilities
• PC, Mac & Linux versions available
• Can edit shapefiles & tables
• Compatible with many GIS data formats
Quantum GIS (aka qGIS)
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mis/gis/DNRGPS/DNRGPS.html
Free GPX data conversion utility
Use this if you're collecting tree points with a GPS & you want to convert GPX to tables, text or shapefiles
DNR GPS
MS ExcelYour Swiss Army Knife for slicing & dicing tabular data
Best approach if you don't want to install softwareOr
You're working in a team of volunteers who need to collaborateOr
You work on several different computersOr
You want to make your data accessible to lots of people
Free Web-based apps
Need to get Latitude & Longitude for a location?Right-click & “What’s here?” or“Drop LatLng Marker” to get them
Try out “My Maps”as a quick wayto map features
Google Maps
Need to get Latitude & Longitude for a location?Right-click & “What’s here?” or“Drop LatLng Marker” to get them
Try out “My Maps”as a quick wayto map features
Google Maps
http://www.google.com/fusiontables
Web-based database
integrated with Google Maps
Import your tree inventory table & update it from anywhere
Query your data
Map & graph
Share maps and data with anyone via the web
Google Fusion Tables
http://www.google.com/fusiontables
Web-based database
integrated with Google Maps
Import your tree inventory table & update it from anywhere
Query your data
Map & graph
Share maps and data with anyone via the web
Google Fusion Tables
Esri’s hostedmap servicesite.
Subscription-based ($2,500/year base cost)
Hosted Data & Maps
Provides Mobile data editing opportunities
ArcGIS.com
Map Planned New PlantingsUpdate Inventory InfoAttach PhotosUses GPS
Free ArcGIS app for iPad / iPhone / Droid
From web mapsthat we have onArcGIS.com
Map Planned New PlantingsUpdate Inventory InfoAttach PhotosUses GPS
From web mapsthat we have onArcGIS.com
Free ArcGIS app for iPad / iPhone / Droid
Putting your valuable information to work
Michael Olkin
GIS Administrator, Town of Amherst
gis.amherstma.gov
Utilizing Tree Inventories
