A prototype decision support system for sustainable urban tree planting programs |
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| Authors: | MC Kirnbauer WA Kenney CJ Churchill BW Baetz |
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| Institution: | 1. City of London Planning and Development Department, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 4L9;2. Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1;3. Civil Engineering BTech, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1;4. Department of Civil Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1;1. University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark;2. Urban Forester, City of Melbourne, 120 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia;3. Manager of Urban Sustainability, City of Melbourne, 120 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia;1. Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA;2. USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station & The Davey Institute, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA;3. The Davey Institute, The Davey Tree Expert Company, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA;4. USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA;1. Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, c/o School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia;2. School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia;3. Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6414, USA;1. USDA Forest Service, Philadelphia Field Station, 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, United States;2. Fairmount Park Conservancy, 1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1670, Philadelphia, PA 19103, United States;3. Canopy, 3921 E. Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, United States;4. Apple Inc., 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, United States;5. University City Green, 4613 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143, United States;1. School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;2. Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong;2. Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong |
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| Abstract: | The prototype decision support system (PDSS) described within this paper represents one of the first of its kind in the urban forest/civil engineering research arena. The primary objective of this research was to develop a user-friendly, intuitive PDSS that provides users with tools for improved micro-management of the urban forest canopy. The secondary objective was to generate further discussion with respect to the relevance of viewing the urban forest as a municipal infrastructure, and designing and implementing sound management plans with the same rigor and attention to detail that is adhered to in the design and implementation of its civil engineering counterparts. The PDSS is divided into seven modules: (1) determination of potential native and non-native tree species available for planting; (2) defining the plantable and non-plantable areas in a defined region; (3) determination of planting locations; (4) species diversity assignment; (5) evaluating age distribution; (6) evaluating canopy cover, and (7) shadow analysis. Within each module the PDSS provides flexibility with respect to user input and constraints and for ease of use contains downloadable user reference guides. The PDSS was developed in three components, using three commonly used software programs: (1) SMODT, which is a south to south-central Ontario, Canada database of trees, developed in Microsoft Access Database; (2) ArcTrees, which is a GIS-based application that uses customized tools to map the plantable and non-plantable area in the urban environment, and (3) TreeModules, which uses a customized user interface in Microsoft Excel to carry out functions for Module 1 and Modules 3 through 7 inclusive. The PDSS uses rule-based algorithms that interact with expert knowledge and heuristics to draw inferences based on guided user inputs, through customized user-interfaces. |
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