scholarly journals Urban Forest Inventory for Carbon Reduction in a University City Campus

Author(s):  
Safiah Yusmah Muhammad Yusoff ◽  
Melasutra Md D ◽  
Norhaslina Hassan

Abstract Performing forest inventory in the campus is one of the breakthroughs towards achieving sustainable campus. Forest inventory aided the universities in creating a holistic baseline or framework in managing, planning and monitoring the forest in the campus in pursuance of a functional urban ecosystem through sustainable practice. The inventory aims to determine the number of trees and the stocking of carbon and biomass. Accurate estimation of the forest’s number of trees and biomass carbon sinks can improve the understanding of carbon cycles and help in developing sustainable forest management. The study area is identified as secondary type forest with 50.1% of the strata is 60–80% canopy cover dominated by small stands. There is a total of 14 sampling plots inventoried and measured using 40 x 40m square plot sampling. 41% of the three species found comprised of rubber trees (Hevea Brasiliensis). The total number of trees estimated is 97,325 trees with the average density of 21 m2/ha and 24,146.54 Mg CO2e aboveground biomass and carbon stocking.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safiah Yusmah Muhammad Yusoff ◽  
Melasutra Md D ◽  
Norhaslina Hassan

Abstract Background Performing forest inventory in the campus is one of the breakthroughs towards achieving sustainable campus. The inventory aims to determine the number of trees and calculate the stocking of carbon and biomass. This is inevitably important when the contribution of trees to the oxygen supplies as well as stocks for carbon biomass are of concern. Realising the importance of contribution of trees to the surrounding community, this study was therefore conducted. Results The study area is identified as secondary type forest with 50.1% of the strata is 60–80% canopy cover dominated by small stands. There is a total of 14 sampling plots inventoried and measured using 40 x 40m square plot sampling. 41% of the three species found comprised of rubber trees (Hevea Brasiliensis). The total number of trees estimated is 97,325 trees with the average density of 21 m2/ha and 24,146.54 Mg CO2e aboveground biomass and carbon stocking. Conclusion The study has successfully assessed the forest resources that are available in University Malaya campus. It was found that the forests in the study area fall in the category of secondary forest where stands are in the successive growing stages. Intensive sampling units with support from sufficient spatial data produced reliable estimates. This information is crucial for the reporting of forest resources that reside in an urban environment. With the new sets of data of the forest obtained from the forest inventory, UM management now have the ability to easily and accurately evaluate the composition and condition of the forest, and estimate the environmental services and aesthetic values. These are the first few steps that have been taken by UM towards improving the management of the urban forest on campus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matieu Henry ◽  
Zaheer Iqbal ◽  
Kristofer Johnson ◽  
Mariam Akhter ◽  
Liam Costello ◽  
...  

Abstract Background National forest inventory and forest monitoring systems are more important than ever considering continued global degradation of trees and forests. These systems are especially important in a country like Bangladesh, which is characterised by a large population density, climate change vulnerability and dependence on natural resources. With the aim of supporting the Government’s actions towards sustainable forest management through reliable information, the Bangladesh Forest Inventory (BFI) was designed and implemented through three components: biophysical inventory, socio-economic survey and remote sensing-based land cover mapping. This article documents the approach undertaken by the Forest Department under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to establish the BFI as a multipurpose, efficient, accurate and replicable national forest assessment. The design, operationalization and some key results of the process are presented. Methods The BFI takes advantage of the latest and most well-accepted technological and methodological approaches. Importantly, it was designed through a collaborative process which drew from the experience and knowledge of multiple national and international entities. Overall, 1781 field plots were visited, 6400 households were surveyed, and a national land cover map for the year 2015 was produced. Innovative technological enhancements include a semi-automated segmentation approach for developing the wall-to-wall land cover map, an object-based national land characterisation system, consistent estimates between sample-based and mapped land cover areas, use of mobile apps for tree species identification and data collection, and use of differential global positioning system for referencing plot centres. Results Seven criteria, and multiple associated indicators, were developed for monitoring progress towards sustainable forest management goals, informing management decisions, and national and international reporting needs. A wide range of biophysical and socioeconomic data were collected, and in some cases integrated, for estimating the indicators. Conclusions The BFI is a new information source tool for helping guide Bangladesh towards a sustainable future. Reliable information on the status of tree and forest resources, as well as land use, empowers evidence-based decision making across multiple stakeholders and at different levels for protecting natural resources. The integrated socio-economic data collected provides information about the interactions between people and their tree and forest resources, and the valuation of ecosystem services. The BFI is designed to be a permanent assessment of these resources, and future data collection will enable monitoring of trends against the current baseline. However, additional institutional support as well as continuation of collaboration among national partners is crucial for sustaining the BFI process in future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Tianyu Hu ◽  
Xiliang Sun ◽  
Yanjun Su ◽  
Hongcan Guan ◽  
Qianhui Sun ◽  
...  

Accurate and repeated forest inventory data are critical to understand forest ecosystem processes and manage forest resources. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne light detection and ranging (lidar) systems have demonstrated effectiveness at deriving forest inventory attributes. However, their high cost has largely prevented them from being used in large-scale forest applications. Here, we developed a very low-cost UAV lidar system that integrates a recently emerged DJI Livox MID40 laser scanner (~$600 USD) and evaluated its capability in estimating both individual tree-level (i.e., tree height) and plot-level forest inventory attributes (i.e., canopy cover, gap fraction, and leaf area index (LAI)). Moreover, a comprehensive comparison was conducted between the developed DJI Livox system and four other UAV lidar systems equipped with high-end laser scanners (i.e., RIEGL VUX-1 UAV, RIEGL miniVUX-1 UAV, HESAI Pandar40, and Velodyne Puck LITE). Using these instruments, we surveyed a coniferous forest site and a broadleaved forest site, with tree densities ranging from 500 trees/ha to 3000 trees/ha, with 52 UAV flights at different flying height and speed combinations. The developed DJI Livox MID40 system effectively captured the upper canopy structure and terrain surface information at both forest sites. The estimated individual tree height was highly correlated with field measurements (coniferous site: R2 = 0.96, root mean squared error/RMSE = 0.59 m; broadleaved site: R2 = 0.70, RMSE = 1.63 m). The plot-level estimates of canopy cover, gap fraction, and LAI corresponded well with those derived from the high-end RIEGL VUX-1 UAV system but tended to have systematic biases in areas with medium to high canopy densities. Overall, the DJI Livox MID40 system performed comparably to the RIEGL miniVUX-1 UAV, HESAI Pandar40, and Velodyne Puck LITE systems in the coniferous site and to the Velodyne Puck LITE system in the broadleaved forest. Despite its apparent weaknesses of limited sensitivity to low-intensity returns and narrow field of view, we believe that the very low-cost system developed by this study can largely broaden the potential use of UAV lidar in forest inventory applications. This study also provides guidance for the selection of the appropriate UAV lidar system and flight specifications for forest research and management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syapriadi Utama ◽  
Dwi Astiani ◽  
Wiwik Ekyastuti

Tanjungpura University Forest for Special Purpose located in three districts Landak Regency, Mempawah Regency and Kubu Raya Regency. Has the potential to use and process non-timber forest products. The diversity of macroscopic fungi is not yet known as one of the potential natural biological resources of significant value. So that a mushroom inventory must be carried out to identify and assess the diversity of macroscopic fungi. The method used is the survey method. Data retrieval uses a double plot sampling technique. The size of each observation plot is 5 m × 5 m as the initial reference, four plots in the peat swamp forest area with open canopy cover conditions and also four observation plots in peat swamp forest areas with canopy cover conditions are still closed. Placement of research plots in both areas was carried out purposively in locations where there were many types of macroscopic fungi. The results showed that the types of macroscopic fungi found at the study site were 24 species. 24 species were divided into 594 individuals belonging to 23 genera and 9 families. Macroscopic fungi found in open canopy cover were found in 17 species, while in closed canopy cover there were 13 species. In both types of conditions the place to grow has the same 6 types of fungi. The degree of diversity of macroscopic fungi in various conditions the peat swamp in Tanjungpura University Forest for Special Purpose is low.Keyword: Macroscopic fungi, peat swamp forest, Tanjungpura University Forest for Special Purpose.


2017 ◽  
Vol 168 (5) ◽  
pp. 252-260
Author(s):  
Christoph Fischer ◽  
Urs-Beat Brändli

State and development of forests close to settlements – results from the NFI For more than 30 years, the national forest inventory (NFI) has been reporting on the state and development of the Swiss forest and its services. Here, for the first time on the topic of “urban forest”, focusing on the forests in the Swiss lowlands, where all urban centers are located. Due to missing definitions we classified the forest according to household equivalents in the vicinity of NFI plots. The forest was classified as either close to settlements (urban) or far from settlements. Using indicators, we compared both categories in order to answer the following questions: 1) How common are forests close to settlements? 2) How do forests close to settlements and far from settlements differ? 3) Is there a potential for conflict of use? 4) Which developments could be observed in relation to forest perception in the last 20 years? 29% of the forest in the lowlands is close to settlements. Five out of ten indicators on forest provision do not differ between both forest categories. Differences occur in relation to the degree of mixture and forest structure. Furthermore, close to settlement forests have more forest roads, recreational facilities and a primary “recreation” function. Regardless of their primary function, forests close to settlements are more intensively used for recreation. Following the NFI model on nature provision for recreation, the forest area with high nature provision has increased in the last 20 years, for all forests. The results indicate that both forest categories are quite similar and are managed in a similar way. Due to the intensive recreational use of lowland forests close to settlements, a certain conflict potential between recreationalists and forest owners is given, posing a challenge for forest managers.


Author(s):  
Kendra Marshman

Trees in the city provide numerous ecological, health, and social benefits to urban residents. Studies from large North American cities have confirmed a spatial pattern that higher urban forest tree canopy positively correlates with higher levels of affluence. The just distribution of trees will become increasingly important for urban planners and foresters as there is a national trend towards living in cities. This research report investigates the equity of distribution of urban tree canopy cover in two neighbourhoods on the peninsula of Halifax, Nova Scotia. High spatial resolution land cover data from 2007 and 2006 Statistics Canada census data was used to create maps and tables to answer the research question. The socio-economic indicators of median household income and population density are represented based on census tract dissemination areas from the 2006 Statistics Canada long survey. Preliminary results indicate lower median household income and higher population density in the chosen study area of North End Halifax compared to higher median household income and lower population density in the chosen study area of South End Halifax. Tree canopy cover density is slightly lower in North End Halifax (5.3%) than in South End Halifax (7.6%). These preliminary results coincide with findings of other researchers that higher household income and lower population density at the neighbourhood level may result in increased urban forest canopy. However, further research and more reliant tree canopy cover data is needed to determine the accuracy of these findings. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1820
Author(s):  
Raoul Blackman ◽  
Fei Yuan

Urban forests provide ecosystem services; tree canopy cover is the basic quantification of ecosystem services. Ground assessment of the urban forest is limited; with continued refinement, remote sensing can become an essential tool for analyzing the urban forest. This study addresses three research questions that are essential for urban forest management using remote sensing: (1) Can object-based image analysis (OBIA) and non-image classification methods (such as random point-based evaluation) accurately determine urban canopy coverage using high-spatial-resolution aerial images? (2) Is it possible to assess the impact of natural disturbances in addition to other factors (such as urban development) on urban canopy changes in the classification map created by OBIA? (3) How can we use Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and technology to extract urban canopy metrics accurately and effectively? The urban forest canopy area and location within the City of St Peter, Minnesota (MN) boundary between 1938 and 2019 were defined using both OBIA and random-point-based methods with high-spatial-resolution aerial images. Impacts of natural disasters, such as the 1998 tornado and tree diseases, on the urban canopy cover area, were examined. Finally, LiDAR data was used to determine the height, density, crown area, diameter, and volume of the urban forest canopy. Both OBIA and random-point methods gave accurate results of canopy coverages. The OBIA is relatively more time-consuming and requires specialist knowledge, whereas the random-point-based method only shows the total coverage of the classes without locational information. Canopy change caused by tornado was discernible in the canopy OBIA-based classification maps while the change due to diseases was undetectable. To accurately exact urban canopy metrics besides tree locations, dense LiDAR point cloud data collected at the leaf-on season as well as algorithms or software developed specifically for urban forest analysis using LiDAR data are needed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. VELÁZQUEZ-MARTÍ ◽  
C. CAZCO-LOGROÑO

SUMMARYThe development of dendrometric methodologies could allow accurate estimation of variables associated with the crown, such as primary production (fruit and timber) and tree vigor. The aim of this work was to develop a suitable method to estimate woody biomass in plum trees (Prunus domestica L.) in Imbabura, Ecuador by using an adapted dendrometry. Form factors and regression models were defined for branch volume calculation. From this, the distribution of woody biomass in the crown tree was characterized in every stratum. Occupation Factor and regression models were obtained in order to calculate the biomass in the crown tree, which can be used to estimate the CO2 captured in its structure during its development. Regression models for calculation of whole volume of the tree and pruned biomass were directly obtained from crown diameter and crown height with Rajustated2 of 0.74 and 0.81. The average moisture content of green material was 51%, and the average density of dry material was 0.66 ± 0.07 g cm−3. Proximate analysis of plum wood showed at 79.8 ± 9.2% volatiles and 2.1 ± 0.3% ash. Elemental analysis of the wood pointed to 46.5 ± 1.2% C, 6.1 ± 0.5% H, 46.3 ± 1.2% O, 0.6 ± 0.3% N, 0.06 ± 0.02% S and 0.02 ± 0.01% Cl. Cl, S and N contents are lower than the limits established by the standard EN 14691-part 4. With 46% of C, considering the relation 3.67 (44/12) between CO2 and C content, the CO2 sequestrated in the materials is 1.11 Mg m−3 wood material. Such method represents a tool to manage orchard resources and for assessing other parameters, such as raw materials for cultivation, fruit production, CO2 sink and waste materials (residual wood) used for energy or industry.


Author(s):  
Cornelis Stal ◽  
Jeffrey Verbeurgt ◽  
Lars De Sloover ◽  
Alain De Wulf

Abstract Sustainable forest management heavily relies on the accurate estimation of tree parameters. Among others, the diameter at breast height (DBH) is important for extracting the volume and mass of an individual tree. For systematically estimating the volume of entire plots, airborne laser scanning (ALS) data are used. The estimation model is frequently calibrated using manual DBH measurements or static terrestrial laser scans (STLS) of sample plots. Although reliable, this method is time-consuming, which greatly hampers its use. Here, a handheld mobile terrestrial laser scanning (HMTLS) was demonstrated to be a useful alternative technique to precisely and efficiently calculate DBH. Different data acquisition techniques were applied at a sample plot, then the resulting parameters were comparatively analysed. The calculated DBH values were comparable to the manual measurements for HMTLS, STLS, and ALS data sets. Given the comparability of the extracted parameters, with a reduced point density of HTMLS compared to STLS data, and the reasonable increase of performance, with a reduction of acquisition time with a factor of 5 compared to conventional STLS techniques and a factor of 3 compared to manual measurements, HMTLS is considered a useful alternative technique.


2005 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Gillis ◽  
A Y Omule ◽  
T. Brierley

A new national forest inventory is being installed in Canada. For the last 20 years, Canada's forest inventory has been a compilation of inventory data from across the country. Although this method has a number of advantages, it lacks information about the nature and rate of changes to the resource, and does not permit projections or forecasts. To address these limitations a new National Forest Inventory (NFI) was developed to monitor Canada's progress in meeting a commitment towards sustainable forest management, and to satisfy requirements for national and international reporting. The purpose of the new inventory is to "assess and monitor the extent, state and sustainable development of Canada's forests in a timely and accurate manner." The NFI consists of a plot-based system of permanent observational units located on a national grid. A combination of ground plot, photo plot and remote sensing data are used to capture a set of basic attributes that are used to derive indicators of sustainability. To meet the monitoring needs a re-measurement strategy and framework to guide the development of change estimation procedures has been worked out. A plan for implementation has been drafted. The proposed plan is presented and discussed in this paper. Key words: Canada, forest cover, inventory, monitoring, National Forest Inventory, re-measurement, panel


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document