Browsing by Author "Wiseman, P. Eric"

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    2018 Annual Report: Virginia Big Tree Program
    Wiseman, P. Eric (Virginia Tech. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, 2018)
    The Virginia Big Tree Program is a public outreach program coordinated by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. The program maintains a register of the 3 largest specimens of over 300 native, non-native, and naturalized tree species. This annual report details program accomplishments in 2018, including Big Tree reports, national rankings, and student intern contributions.
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    The Amenity Value of Trees: a Meta-analysis of Hedonic, Property-value Studies
    Heier, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2012-08-09)
    Tree species migration as a result of climate change may alter the composition of trees in local communities. Shifts in tree diversity, stand age, species predominance and the overall number of trees are potential changes. Community tree programs may also change the characteristics of local trees through planting or preservation efforts, but these programs may also mitigate the effects of climate induced tree migration. Numerous hedonic property value studies have estimated the implicit price of tree amenities associated with residential properties. Quantitative analysis of the results from multiple studies valuing trees can identify if the relationship between implicit price and tree amenities extended across these studies. The results of the meta-regression found systematic variation was present across positive implicit prices for local tree cover. The scarcity, age and type of local trees were also significantly related to the implicit price of amenity tree cover. The amenity tree cover findings suggest that county tree canopy cover of about 42% optimizes implicit price. Recent extreme weather events and ownership of trees contributed to negative implicit prices. These results may assist in planning and goal setting for community tree programs to mitigate the effects of climate induced tree migration.
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    Assessment of Land Cover, Tree Canopy, and Plantable Space on Virginia Tech Campus
    Byers, Alexander M.; Wiseman, P. Eric (2020-05-20)
    To better understand the extent, distribution, and value of Virginia Tech’s tree canopy cover, students in a senior-level urban forestry course in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation conducted a land cover and tree canopy cover assessment of campus during the spring 2020 semester. The assessment was performed using a software application called i-Tree Canopy. The application combines aerial photographs of the landscape with ecosystem models to derive estimates of land cover types and the ecosystem services provided by tree canopy cover. The land cover data is created through a process called sample-based photo interpretation. In this process, an analyst views randomly sampled scenes of the landscape using Google Earth imagery and classifies each scene into predetermined cover types. For this assessment, the imagery was dated June 2019. The campus area included in the assessment comprised most all of central campus east of US Route 460, south of Prices Fork Road, north of Virginia Tech Airport, and west of Main Street. The study area was subdivided using two different geographic schemes, one that used Campus Districts (16 total subdivisions) and one that used Tree Maintenance Zones (42 total subdivisions). The largest existing land cover type was impervious surface at 24.4%, totaling 257 acres. Turf and building were nearly identical at 11.8% (124 acres) and 11.2% (118 acres), respectively. Existing tree canopy cover was estimated at 16.9%, totaling 177 acres. Existing tree canopy cover in the Campus Districts geographic scheme mitigates 8,790 pounds of air pollution annually (95% confidence interval: 8,546 lb – 9,034 lb). Mitigation includes removal of harmful pollutants that are by-products of fossil fuel combustion: carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Total value of air pollution mitigation across Campus Districts subdivisions is $4,630 per year (95% confidence interval: $4,495–$4,764).
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    An Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) on Virginia's Municipal Street Trees
    Wright, Gordon Tyler (Virginia Tech, 2011-07-22)
    Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (EAB) is an invasive, wood-boring beetle (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) introduced unintentionally to the United States from East Asia that infests and eventually kills native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). First detected near Detroit, Michigan in 2002, EAB had spread to fifteen U.S. states by 2011, killing an estimated 50 million ash trees along the way. EAB was first discovered in Virginia in 2003 and re-infested the state in 2008, raising concerns over impacts that the invasive pest might have on municipal urban forests and street trees. Despite these concerns, little is known about native ash abundance in Virginia's urban forests; as a result, potential EAB impacts have been difficult to project. In this study, street tree assessments were conducted in fourteen Virginia municipalities using i-Tree Streets®, which is a software program developed by the U.S. Forest Service that uses field inventory data to estimate street tree abundance and composition along with the quantity and monetary worth of functional benefits provided by these street trees. In addition to estimating potential losses of functional benefits provided by native ash street trees, information obtained from Virginia Dept. of Transportation was used to estimate the potential cost of removing these trees from the street side. The assessment indicated that there are about 4,600 native ash street trees in the fourteen studied localities and that native ash species comprise about 2% of municipal street tree populations on average. The highest relative abundance of native ash was found in Winchester City (5.8% of all street trees) whereas Richmond City had the greatest number of native ash street trees (estimated at 1,417). In terms of species importance (which accounts for both the relative abundance and relative size of trees in the population), only two localities (City of Roanoke and Town of Abingdon) had a native Fraxinus species among the top-five most important street tree species in the locality. In contrast, every municipality had at least one Acer species among the top-five, and eight of fourteen localities had at least one top-five Quercus species. Native ash street trees in the studied localities were estimated to provide functional benefits (energy conservation, stormwater mitigation, air pollution abatement, carbon sequestration, and aesthetic contributions) valued at over $535,000 annually, or roughly $38,000 per locality. In addition, carbon stored in these trees (about 17 million kilograms) was valued at nearly $277 thousand. The total estimated cost of removing lost ash trees was estimated at nearly $1.75 million, averaging about $124,000 for each municipality, and replacing the canopy cover and basal area provided by existing native ash street trees would exceed $17 million. In total, the studied localities would incur a gross financial impact of about $20.26 million due to losses of functional benefits and structural assets provided by native ash street trees.
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    Athletic Practice Facility Site Evaluation Committee Final Report
    Randolph, John; Bork, Dean R.; DiSalvo, Rick; Dodson, Kara; Gabbard, Tom; Karpanty, Sarah M.; Keown, Arthur J.; Killough, Larry; LaClair, Leigh; Lyons, Maxine; Reynolds, Glenn; Walters, Jeffrey R.; Wilkinson, Emily; Wise, Chris; Wiseman, P. Eric (Virginia Tech APFSEC Committee, 2012-05-30)
    The Athletic Practice Facility Site Evaluation Committee (APFSEC) was established in January 2012 to help Virginia Tech resolve a controversy surrounding the proposal to build a 2.1 acre indoor athletic practice facility in part of a designated Environmental Greenway known as Stadium Woods. After four months of data gathering and biweekly meetings, the Committee recognized that its siting decision was a matter not simply about whether or not to build in the woods, but also about the design of the campus built environment, disruption and mitigation of existing and prospective campus facilities and uses, and accommodating the development of the athletic facility at a suitable location and a workable cost. The demonstrated social importance of Stadium Woods became the determining factor in the Committee’s deliberations and the consensus report. This summary and recommendations introduces the issue, describes the Committee’s process, discusses the site evaluation, and offers five recommendations:
    1. Designate Stadium Woods as a Reserve and develop a protection, management, and use planfor the Woods.
    2. Relocate the proposed facility site from the Woods site to the Washington Street tennis court site and develop a site orientation and design that considers cost, aesthetics, mitigation of existing uses, and minimal impact on the Woods.
    3. Commence construction of replacement tennis courts and roller hockey rink displaced by the Washington St. site before the existing facilities are closed.
    4. Allocate incremental costs associated with the site relocation, which are a measure of the preservation value of the Woods, to funding sources other than Athletics and Recreational Sports.
    5. Review procedures for assessing variance with the Master Plan to safeguard against future controversies of this type.
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    Careers paths in urban forestry and arboriculture: linking higher education and professional advancement
    Wiseman, P. Eric; O'Herrin, K.; Hauer, R.; Orrick, B.; Ries, P.; Sivyer, D. (2017-07-31)
    Urban forestry and arboriculture are tightly coupled professions whose disciplinary origins and evolution are closely interwoven. Over the past 25 years, these professions have advanced rapidly as urban forests have emerged as a key element of global sustainability. At the same time, there have been demographic shifts in the workforce and structural changes in higher education that suggest that these professions are entering a new era for recruitment and career path development. Traditional models and mindsets about professional preparation and advancement are becoming obsolete. Further nuancing our current context is the perceived encroachment of allied professions into the urban forestry realm as urban forests become mainstream environmental and cultural resources. All prominent professions thrive on strong support mechanisms that facilitate education, mentoring, leadership, and public perception. Although arboriculture is more clearly established, urban forestry is an emerging profession that is grappling with its professional identity and requisite support mechanisms. In this symposium, we will examine the current status and challenges in urban forestry and arboriculture that are affecting recruitment of young people into higher education programs and ultimately into these professions. Additionally, we will explore professional advancement over the course of a career, drawing out distinctions in the professional preparation and career path for arborists and urban foresters. Finally, we will examine the notions of professional identity and standing, which affect the influence of arborists and urban foresters on decision-making processes in cities and towns. We have assembled a panel of speakers who are nationally recognized in their fields and have significant first-hand experience with the issues to be examined in this symposium. Speakers will provide perspectives on vocational and undergraduate education, graduate education, workforce development, and professional development. Talks will emphasize the critical linkages among higher education, professional identity, and career success. We will also report on key research findings from several new studies conducted on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, along with strategic recommendations being made to the Forest Service to advance the urban forestry and arboriculture professions. The two-hour symposium will comprise a 20-minute presentation by each panelist, followed by a 20-minute question and answer session.
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    Champion Big Trees of Virginia, 2019-2020 Update
    Wiseman, P. Eric (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)
    This publication provides background information about big trees and accomplishments of the Virginia Big Tree Program during the 2019 calendar year
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    Characteristics and Perceptions of Cost-share Funding for Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation in Virginia Urban Areas
    Stewart, Peter William (Virginia Tech, 2019-06-19)
    Since most invasive forest pests first establish in urban areas, detection and containment of these pests within cities is important to the health of all forests. While the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has proved difficult to contain, efforts continue to mitigate the impacts of its spread. As part of those efforts, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) initiated its Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Program (EABTP) in 2018, providing financial incentives for insecticidal protection of ash trees. To better understand the role of incentives in promoting urban forest health, I conducted a study of properties, households, and practitioners involved in the program's first year. To examine where EABTP funding helped pay for tree protection, I conducted tree inventories on 16 urban participant properties. Concurrently with tree inventory work, I conducted web and mail surveys to examine homeowner engagement in preservation of threatened trees. Finally, to investigate the role of forest practitioners involved in program implementation, I conducted web surveys of VDOF foresters and Virginia arborists. Results demonstrated that on urban participant properties—typically large and wooded—white ash (Fraxinus americana) was the dominant species. Results from homeowner surveys demonstrated broad support for personal investment in tree preservation, and the significance of attitudinal predictors towards those intentions. Results from practitioner surveys demonstrated substantial, though not unanimous, support for the program as a benefit both to clients and forests. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of future urban forest health initiatives.
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    A Comparison of Geospatial Methods for Tree Canopy Assessment: A Case Study of an Urbanized College Campus
    Hwang, Won; Wiseman, P. Eric (2019-04-03)
    Urban tree canopy (UTC) assessment is essential for understanding the structure and function of urban forests and devising management strategies. Geospatial techniques are routinely utilized for UTC assessment, yet their capabilities and limitations may not be apparent to urban forestry practitioners. In this paper, we provide an overview of two primary methods of geospatial UTC assessment: photo interpretation (PI) and computerized image classification (IC). We then evaluate these methods through a case study of an urbanized college campus in the eastern United States. We examined the web-based application i-Tree Canopy as a PI method. Because this method relies on statistical point sampling, we performed independently replicated assessments of our study area at various point sample sizes to examine the effect of sample sizes on accuracy and certainty of the land cover estimates. We further evaluated two IC methods: a proprietary analysis using high-spatial resolution imagery and a low-spatial resolution analysis using the web-based application i-Tree Landscape. Tree cover assessed in our study area (3.58 km2) with i-Tree Canopy began stabilizing around the weighted mean (14.7%) at a sample size of 100 points but required 250 points or more to reach a tolerable standard error for the estimate. By comparison with the proprietary analysis of high-resolution imagery (16.1%, considered the most robust form of assessment), i-Tree Canopy slightly underestimated tree cover (14.7%), and i-Tree Landscape substantially underestimated tree cover (11.3%). Possible causes of variation in estimates amongst the methods and practical considerations for choosing a UTC assessment method are discussed.
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    Computer Technology Anyone Can Use for Community Forest Stewardship
    Wiseman, P. Eric (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2021-10-02)
    Computer technology plays an important role in planning, monitoring, and stewarding community forests. These tools can greatly enhance our understanding of community forests and empower communities to make better decisions about planting and conserving trees. Advancements in computer technology, including mobile apps and web-based programs, make it easier than ever for volunteers and citizen scientists to study trees, share information, and mobilize action for healthier, sustainable community forests. In this session, a demonstration will be given of several types of computer technology that are all freely available, appropriate for citizen scientists, and address various aspects of community forestry. Several tools from the i-Tree suite will be demonstrated, including i-Tree MyTree, i-Tree Design, and i-Tree Planting, and i-Tree Canopy. Tips will also be provided for conducting a community tree inventory using mobile technology. After attending this session, participants should understand why information is important for community forest stewardship, what types of computer technology are available to study community forests, and how they can get starting on using computer technology to improve their community forests.
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    Cost-Share Funding for EAB Treatment in Virginia's Urban Forests
    Stewart, Peter; Wiseman, P. Eric (Tree Care Industry Association, 2019-11-01)
    Urban forests often act as incubators for new populations of invasive pests and pathogens. Because major cities are global-trade and transportation hubs, non-native forest pests frequently arrive and escape to nearby trees after stowing away inside plant material or cargo crates. Additionally, the abundance of defenseless, native tree species, street-tree monocultures and stressed trees common in urban forests provides susceptible hosts for these newly arriving pests.
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    Creating Storm-Resilient Urban Forests
    Wiseman, P. Eric (2023-03-15)
    Roanoke Tree Care Workshop
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    Designing an Urban Forest Inventory System for a Small Municipality: A Case Study of Falls Church, Virginia
    Walker, Catriona (Virginia Tech, 2015-05-16)
    The City of Falls Church, Virginia is an independent city in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with a population of 13,600 within its two square mile jurisdiction. The City's residents are justifiably proud of their beautiful and extensive urban forest. Falls Church has been a Tree City USA for thirty-six years, longer than any other community in Virginia, and the protection of its mature trees and expansion of its tree canopy are key goals in the City's Comprehensive Plan. This report describes the development and testing of a tree inventory system for the City using the ESRI ArcGIS data mapping platform. The database design and the procedures for data collection are described and illustrated. Strengths and limitations of the ESRI software and hardware options for the purpose of collecting and displaying tree inventory data are considered, and recommendations are made for further development of the inventory system. It is hoped that this case study will be of use to other entities considering the creation of a complete or partial tree inventory.
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    Development of Urban Tree Growth Models Based on Site and Soil Characteristics
    Wenzel-Bartens, Julia (Virginia Tech, 2010-11-04)
    Trees provide numerous benefits crucial to urban environments, yet poor growing conditions often prevent trees from reaching their genetic potential for growth, longevity, and ecosystem function. To overcome these limitations, greater understanding of tree growth in the urban environment is needed. The goal of this research project was therefore to characterize a broad suite of soil characteristics associated with urban tree plantings and evaluate their suitability for modeling physical dimensions and growth rates of urban trees. A series of observational studies and experiments was conducted on urban soils inhabited by two tree species (Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Mikano and Quercus phellos L.) in Washington, DC and one tree species (Quercus virginiana Mill.) in Jacksonville, FL – two major metropolitan areas of the eastern United States with contrasting climate and soils. Characterization of urban soil attributes within cities revealed low variability for some properties (soil texture, pH, and certain plant nutrients with coefficients of variation (CV) below 0.5), but high variability (CV>1.0) for others (nitrate, ammonium, copper, and zinc). This is dependent on the location. These findings suggest that tree planting site evaluations may not require measurements for all soil properties and that representative sampling may be sufficient to accurately characterize most soil properties within a city. Field assessment of urban tree soils also revealed that conventional measures of soil compaction are difficult to obtain due to obstructions by roots and other foreign objects. To address the critical need for efficient and reliable assessment of soil compaction around urban trees, an experiment was conducted to develop bulk density estimation models for four common soil texture classes using soil strength and soil moisture as predictor variables. These models provided medium (0.42) to high (0.85) coefficients of determination when volumetric water content (VWC) was log transformed, demonstrating that measurements of soil texture, strength, and moisture can provide rapid, reliable assessment of soil compaction. Tree growth modeling focused on three response variables: canopy projection (CP), canopy volume (CV), and peak-increment-area age (PIA). To calculate PIA, tree-ring analysis was used to determine the age at which maximal trunk diameter growth occurred between transplanting and time of sampling. Because Q. virginiana has difficult-to-distinguish growth rings, an intensive tree-ring analysis of cores collected from these trees was conducted. The analysis revealed interseries correlation coefficients of up to 0.66, demonstrating that Q. virginiana can be aged with fairly high confidence in an urban setting. Empirical models developed for all three tree species using the suite of soil and site variables explained 25% – 83% of the observed variability in tree physical dimensions and growth rates. Soil pH was found to be a significant predictor variable for the majority of growth models along with nutrients such as Fe, B, Mn, and Zn, which are also associated with soil alkalinity. Models for PIA possessed the highest coefficient of determination, suggesting that measurements of soil conditions can be used confidently to predict the age at which growth rate subsides in these species. CV and CP were not predicted as well by soil-related variables, presumably because above-ground constraints such as pruning and building encroachment can affect canopy size without necessarily affecting growth rate. Certain prediction models for all three species included predictor variables with counterintuitive influences on tree growth (e.g., negative influences of soil depth on Q. phellos and soil volume on Q. virginiana), suggesting that either these urban trees are responding to these variables in a novel manner or that variables unaccounted for in these models (perhaps related to urbanization or high vehicular traffic) are concomitantly influencing tree growth.
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    Documentation and Conservation of Champion Big Trees in Urban Forests
    Wiseman, P. Eric (2023-11-14)
    North Carolina Community Tree Webinar
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    Earthworms in the Urban Environment: Can Population Augmentation Improve Urban Soil Properties?
    Gift, Danielle Marie (Virginia Tech, 2009-07-17)
    Urban forests perform essential ecological functions, and their performance is dependent on soil quality, which is often degraded by human activity. Because earthworms play a key role in soil health, augmenting earthworm populations in urban soils may improve tree performance. However, we know very little about earthworm ecology in highly urbanized soils. The objectives of our study were: (1) to assess earthworm demographics across a range of urban land uses and (2) to evaluate earthworm augmentation techniques for rehabilitating disturbed soils and improving tree growth. 1. We conducted an observational study across three landuse types to assess earthworm abundance and diversity as well as associated soil properties. Earthworm abundance and biomass in were affected by land use type, disturbance time frame, and seasonality. Earthworm abundance and biomass were affected by a suite of complex soil and temporal variables, and soil temperature and moisture seemed to be the most influential properties. 2. We conducted an earthworm inoculation experiment on a compacted cut-fill field soil with a very low existing earthworm population. In 2008, three soil treatments (control, compost, and compost + earthworm) were applied to 2 m2 plots into which two common urban tree species with contrasting soil tolerances were planted (Acer rubrum and Cornus florida). We measured soil physical and chemical properties along with earthworm survival and soil respiration. Earthworm inoculation did not succeed in improving bulk density or increasing soil organic matter, yet it was successful in increasing soil CEC, Fe, and Mn relative to compost only effects.
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    Efficacy and Effect of Tree Stabilization Systems On Landscape Tree Growth and Establishment
    Alvey, Alexis A. (Virginia Tech, 2007-05-10)
    Various forms of staking, guying, and root ball anchoring are used to prevent post-transplant tree destabilization in the landscape, but little scientific evidence exists to support this practice. This experiment tested the efficacy of three generic tree stabilization systems (TSS) and their effect on tree growth and establishment. In spring 2006, 48 balled and burlapped, 6.4 cm (2.5 inch) diameter, white ash (Fraxinus americana L. Autumn Purpleâ ) were transplanted to a field site in Blacksburg, VA. At planting, one of four TSS treatments (staking, guying, root ball anchoring, or non-stabilized) was installed on each tree. After five weeks, tree pulling tests were conducted on 24 trees to simulate a strong wind load using a cable winch mounted to a skid-steer loader. After one growing season, change in tree height, trunk diameter, and trunk taper were compared among the 24 remaining trees. Soil cores were taken and the length, diameter, and dry weight of roots within the cores were analyzed. TSS were then removed and tree pulling tests were conducted using the same method. The five week tests showed that destabilization was significantly greater for non-stabilized trees (mean of 16 degrees from vertical) than for trees with TSS (all means less than 3 degrees from vertical). Yet after one growing season, there were no significant differences among any treatments in tree stability. We conclude that in locations with high wind speeds, TSS may be necessary for trees similar to those in our study, but only for a very short period of time. Results also indicated that staking, guying, and root ball anchoring were equally effective, very robust, very durable, caused no tree injuries, and did not impact tree growth or establishment after one growing season. Practical considerations may therefore play a more important role when choosing which TSS to use. Although the time required for TSS installation was similar for each system, staking was more than twice as expensive as guying or root ball anchoring.
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    Emerald Ash Borer
    Close, David; Wiseman, P. Eric; Gugercin, Sarah (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2014-02-07)
    Describes Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) and the major impact it is having on native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). It is considered the most destructive forest ever found in North America.
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    Emerald Ash Borer
    Close, Dave; Wiseman, P. Eric; Gugercin, Sarah (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)
    The emerald ash borer is a wood-boring beetle native to eastern Asia and is now considered the most destructive forest pest ever seen in North America. Since its discovery in Michigan in 2002, it has killed tens of millions of native ash trees in the United States and Canada. This destruction has already cost municipalities, property owners, and businesses tens of millions of dollars in damages